Friday, April 16, 2010

Dare we discuss?

Do you dream about art? If so, in what way? Do dream you are painting or working on something or do you perhaps get inspiration for your work from your dreams?

I confess I don't normally dream about art but I have had a couple of art dreams recently. The other night I had a dream in which I was painting abstracts. I think I was using acrylic or oil (not cps!) on canvas. I remember one work in particular quite vividly - I loved the composition of the piece as well as the colours that had been used. One day I am going to use this dream as the inspiration to create a piece that will hopefully look something like the one I imagined.

A few years ago, I had another dream in which I was painting abstracts. I was using cardboard type shapes - circles and rectangles - to block out areas. On these paintings I was using very thick paint, impasto style. Again, I considered trying to create what I had seen in the dream but I never did get around to it. I find it interesting that in both of these dreams I was painting abstracts with brushes and paint, not with my much loved pencils. Over the years this hasn't been my usual subject nor my usual method of working.

The other art dream that I had recently took place one night a few weeks ago. I must have been working on my CPSA exhibition entries at the time. In the dream, I had just arrived in California (where this year's convention and exhibition is taking place) and I was at the hotel. I went off to attend some sort of workshop or meeting and I remember not seeing anyone that I knew or recognized. I remember being surprised that the folks I had met in Atlanta last year had not gone to the convention this year. The dream then became rather disturbed - I couldn't find my way to my room, the doors had several different numbers on them, none of the numbers corresponded with the number on my key, I was going to be late for something, I was hungry and the restaurants had closed, I still couldn't find my room, I asked some people if they could help me and while I was being 'helped' my credit cards were stolen...not really an art dream now, yikes! Anyway, when I woke up, I remember being very glad that it had all been a dream and then I thought ruefully - hey, at least my art got accepted into the exhibition! :-) Of course the jury is still out on that one in real life...

So will you take a moment to delve into the workings of your subconscious and will you dare to discuss your art dreams? Tell me, do you dream about art too?

10 comments:

Lynda Schumacher said...

Oh Teresa, you are so funny -- What an anxiety-provoking experience your California dream would be! I'm feeling a little nervous now........Anyway, I don't recall ever dreaming about my art -- but I have been known to suffer from insomnia as a result of lying there wide awake and mentally planning what I will draw next and how to execute it!

Teresa Mallen said...

Hi Lynda, and you wondered if I was going to California?! LOL So your art musings can keep you awake - that is a bit like a nightmare isn't it? :-)

Lynda Schumacher said...

Hmmmmm......now that you mention it.........

Jennifer Rose said...

I dream about ideas but am usually to lazy to get up and sketch them lol I need to start keeping a sketch book by the bed

Autumn Leaves said...

Oh you need to sketch those dreams so you don't forget them! Then you can come back to them when you are of a mind. I don't think I've had any art dreams. I just get quite unsettling and often times scary dreams!

Brenda said...

I haven't had any art dreams. But I have layed out some of my best compositions when extremely tired. When I am overly tired, I think any kind of mental (self imposed) blocks go out the window. It definitely makes me more bold in my art.

Dianna Wallace Soisson said...

Now that you mention dreaming about art...I have had several lately. The problem is that I'm still in my college art classes. While carrying my art to class the wind blows them into the enormous lake and I can't retrieve them! Now who can analyze this one?!

Beth Macre said...

I usually don't remember my dreams, but I'm sure that I have dreamed about my art. One dream that I have had in the past was about coming to the end of a college course and realizing that I had forgotten to attend class!

I am like Lynda, though...I have been known to stay awake thinking about future projects, only to forget them later when I was ready to start something new.

Good luck with your CPSA entries!

Teresa Mallen said...

Hi Jennifer Rose - sounds like a sketch book by the bed is the answer! Good luck writing something down in the dark. I would end up knocking over the bed side books or the lamp, the noise would get the dog barking and that would wake my husband! :-)

A.L. - wouldn't it be nice to not have our minds race all over the place in our dreams? I mean doesn't our brain need rest too?

Gosh Brenda, you impress me. Being overly tired makes you more bold with your art?! You go girl!

Dianna, goodness - several dreams? And your art blows into the lake...humm, that doesn't sound good. Maybe it is about being forced to start over, maybe in a new direction, subject or style??? Okay, I am not good at this, I am still trying to figure out why I was lost in a hotel! :-)

Beth, you forgot to attend class, like all semester? LOL, what could that be about? I wonder if you are busy planning that Thelma and Louise trip to California??

Paula Pertile said...

Oh, those sound more like nightmares! But yes, I dream about my art all the time, especially if its a piece I've been working on for hours and hours and hours. You're not alone!