Shadow Maps
Every creative person - be they a visual artist, writer, sculptor, musician, or comedian - finds themself combatting interruptions in the very process of their work. We call it by many names: creative block, too many ideas, Impostor Syndrome, lack of inspiration. For some, this nagging doubt in our abilities can be debilitating. It was for me … for a very long time. Almost three years ago, I stumbled upon a solution that never fails to alleviate those feelings of being “unproductive” - even if only temporarily. I call these pieces my Shadow Maps.
Creating them couldn’t be more simple; the results never cease to surprise me. I’ll let you in on the secret …
Grab no more than four (4) items in your home - the more random, the better. Don’t worry yourself with their intended purpose, whether they match, or even if they belong together. Next, you will need a desk-lamp, flashlight, or some other source of focused light in addition to whichever art supplies you’ve chosen. Now …. the “secret”:
Place each item, on its own, on your surface. Use the light source to cast a shadow. Resist the temptation to worry about “composition”; just let the item cast its shadow.
Outline the shadow of each item, separately, with whatever you use for light sketching. I encourage you to overlap the shadows, let them intersect, let them engage in a “battle for dominance” on the surface you’ve chosen. The shadows are in control.
Once your surface is as full of outlined shapes as you’d like, put the objects aside. This is important as focusing on the objects will interfere in seeing them as shapes.
Step away from your piece for a few minutes.
When you’ve returned, look at the shapes you’ve outlined with a “fresh eye”. Perhaps you see the beginnings of a creature peeking out? Is that a house in the distance? Are there mountains, a lake, or a forest of bamboo? What have the shadows presented you with?
Now is your opportunity to experiment!! If you’d usually sketch before finalizing the design … try not sketching - add colour, texture, and density in response to what you see in the shapes. If your normal process to “detail” at the end … now is the time - grab that fineliner, the ‘000’ brush, or that ultra-sharpened pencil and lose yourself in the details. Don’t worry about the finished piece. This exercise - this piece - is about discovering a new process. This (possibly) is about releasing yourself from expectations, reviving skills that you may have abandoned, and rediscovering happy accidents.
Your piece will tell you when you are finished.
This return to innocence, loss of control, riding the wave of Creation - call it what you will - has rescued me from more art blocks than I care to count over the years. It has never failed to reinvigorate my passion. My hope is that it does the same for you.