painting through despair

This winter I have had a hard time figuring out what I want to paint. I'll be honest, there are times when I feel overwhelmed by the state of the world and painting seems kind of pointless. Of course I know that the world needs art but right now I can't access my usual source of inspiration, hope for the future. To get myself out of my funk I have turned toward the process of painting, and with a sense of doom, existential dread, and deep despair I have been painting more abstractly.

I have always been interested in the boundary between abstraction and realism. I love a deconstructed landscape. The colors I'm drawn to right now are grays, blues, dark purples, and some kind of pop of orange, pink, or yellow.

I hope that there will be a time when this period of history can be reflected on as a temporary turn toward fascism. Otherwise it feels like I'm painting on the Titanic as the ship sinks.

If you're feeling despair right now, you're not alone. Find a good song to dance to, go outside and stand in the sun, hug your pets, or take a nap. Whatever you need to do to keep going. Let's just take this one day at a time.