May 2021 | By Mason Gehring

Progress and Exploration

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My three giant paintings (5’x6’) have been stretched and backs painted to get the tightest stretch I could achieve and the exploration process has begun.

It had been weeks of other projects and life getting in the way where I emotionally languish over not doing my job as an artist and allowing time for painting or construction as needed. This happens every time and it’s always painful and partly stupid. 

And now things have moved out of my way and it’s just me and the work. I’ve sketched some ideas, I’ve gotten reference materials printed and I’m ready to embark on the exploration.

There is a cycle in creation of learning, absorbing, gathering – that turns into simmering and subconscious organization. This second step usually coincides with me not having the time to work and so it looks and feels like procrastination. But I try to tell myself, it’s the simmering of thoughts.

From there, you throw everything out the window and just go. Stop researching, stop sketching, stop fiddling with it in your mind. Now is the time for action and trusting your gut in your movements.

This is the place I’m at. It sounds exhilarating but I will still pause in moments and feel that fear of “not knowing” creep in and I have to push it aside and just keep working. Keep moving forward, keep exploring.

There’s no right way to do any of it – and no wrong way, other than not doing it. So a day spent making all the wrong marks is better than never making those marks. 

Be courageous with your work. Have the guts to create. They know what they are doing, even if you’re uncertain. 

You can explore Mason Gehring’s work at MasonGehring.com
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