Work in Progress

The coming and going of a piece of work as it develops can be both exciting and frustrating.  When is a piece of work finished?  Does the work express what I intended?  Has another interesting area of research/exploration been opened up that may not have been my original concern?

It is this "push and pull" of the process that I find fascinating, although it can sometimes become a bit destructive: I end up partially parylised with indecision and doubt.  When I was at art college I remember a period of months where I became unable to work; it was a bit like what I understand writers to mean when they talk about writer's block.  I came through it eventually, and I understand myself a bit better than I did then; I think I have these periods where I don't make as much work as at other times, I have come to realise that I spend this time thinking and agonising about the work, reflecting, reading about other artists and their thoughts/methods.  This enables me to take a deep breath and carry on.  It is a bit like a crisis of confidence but I have learnt to trust myself and my working ethic, to go with it and use it as part of my working process.

Small paintings and drawings: some are complete, others are developing . . . .

All images copyright Sue Gough