The discussion touches upon how when you are so caught up in the act of doing something, the stress often overclouds your ability to think and express yourself freely. The plein air drawing class is such a freeing experience because it does not matter how realistic or accurate the drawings are, as long as they capture the feeling that the artist feels in the current moment. This idea really spoke to me because I always find that I create my best work when there are no expectations. If you go into a piece with a clear vision of what you want it to look like, you will more than likely be disappointed by the outcome. Not only is this because it is very difficult to translate exactly what you see in your head onto paper, you may have a change of heart during the process and want to switch directions. This is why I always find myself leaning towards expressionism as opposed to realism.
I was inspired by the talk about dreams. During quarantine, I found that I was having much more vivid dreams as opposed to normal. It’s interesting to think that because we are not getting enough stimulation in our day to day lives, this is the brain’s way of compensating. In this piece, my bedroom represents the mundaneness and the feeling of being trapped during quarantine, and the abstract window behind my bed is the gateway into a dream world, which for those trapped inside during quarantine, is the only escape.
