I was a loner, am a loner, good Lord, it’s the only way I can imagine working.
–Dorothea Tanning
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I have things to do this morning and really just wanted to show the Dorothea Tanning painting, La Truite au Bleu, at the top, mainly because it pleases me very much. But I find I have to at least make a comment on the quote attached to this post.
I’ve have always worked alone as a painter and, like Tanning, can’t imagine it any other way. With only a few exceptions, when someone is in my studio, I am a bit on edge and even a little defensive. To have someone in the studio on a regular basis, say like studio assistant, would have me nervous and jerky. It would keep me from drifting off in thought when I felt like doing so or screaming in anger or crying in sad happiness.
And to do what I do, I need to do those things.
But more than that, I would have a hard time painting. At least, painting anything meaningful. There would always be something missing, as though I couldn’t commit everything because I would be distracted in maintaining a facade for the other person in my space. I would always be keenly aware of their presence.
I don’t know if that’s good or bad or if it matters in the least. I do know that Tanning lived to be 101 years old, dying in 2012. And until the end of her life, she painted and wrote , always working alone. So, maybe being a loner has it’s advantages.
I guess I will find out, one way or the other.
This sounds so familiar. If I go out with even one of my closest, nature-loving friends to take photos, the result never is as good. No matter how patient the person, no matter how willing to forgo conversation, it just isn’t the same. There’s always that sense of presence, a kind of vibration in the air, that keeps me from really focusing on what I’m doing.
Even with writing, I can’t have music on: let alone talk radio or a podcast. On the other hand, I never heard the birds chirping or the clock striking. Odd.
It makes a lot of sense, actually. There is a huge difference between being alone and being with just one other person. Just think about how one person can banish loneliness. That’s powerful! Makes you realize how much space we take up, individually.
Good points, Amy.