{"id":10082,"date":"2022-03-04T17:00:07","date_gmt":"2022-03-04T22:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/?p=10082"},"modified":"2022-03-06T11:25:48","modified_gmt":"2022-03-06T16:25:48","slug":"struggles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2022\/03\/struggles\/","title":{"rendered":"Struggles"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have been struggling with a painting for the past week. It was not going as I wanted and it was difficult to “see” it. This “blindness” happens to me periodically. The first few times it happened when I was young, it troubled me a lot. I thought I’d lost my talent. Sudden changes like this are not unusual among artists. The muse can abandon artists.<\/p>\n

Why, if the muse has deserted me, does she put all these dreams and images before me? Why does she fill me full of plans and then abandon me with all these unfinished paintings? This terror never leaves an artist; it’s never left me.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>Robert Smith<\/span><\/a><\/div>

When this happens, I just continue working as if nothing is wrong. It took me some time to arrive at this strategy. When young, I had to force myself to pick up the brush when I felt diminished and lacking power. It seemed like I was an impostor, a fake “Thomas Hudson.” Odd, no? If you’re an artist, you’ll understand.<\/p>\n

My muse is fickle; she goes away. Where? I don’t know. When she leaves, I continue to work and wait patiently until she returns. So far, she always returns–but I don’t take it for granted.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>Painting: Mother Nursing Infant<\/span><\/a><\/div>

Anyway, I worked through this recent struggle and finished the painting. Thank you all-powerful muse! Never leave me.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have been struggling with a painting for the past week. It was not going as I wanted and it was difficult to “see” it. This “blindness” happens to me periodically. The first few times it happened when I was young, it troubled me a lot. I thought I’d lost my talent. Sudden changes like […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":9613,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[251,235,139],"tags":[496],"class_list":["post-10082","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aesthetics","category-anecdotes","category-bio","tag-muse"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/1177-book.jpg?fit=474%2C266&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4500,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2014\/12\/christmas-morning\/","url_meta":{"origin":10082,"position":0},"title":"Christmas morning","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"December 25, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Christmas morning. My daughter, Jane, is home from college, and we're waiting for her and our two high school-age sons to wake up. This is the first Christmas that the children didn't get us up at the crack of dawn. I'm taking advantage of the quiet before the storm to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Bio"","block_context":{"text":"Bio","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/bio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9013,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2020\/10\/odd-day\/","url_meta":{"origin":10082,"position":1},"title":"Odd day","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"October 4, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I was in the studio at 6:00 AM to prepare my palette. I had to scrape-down the entire surface. Most mornings I take a pause to gather my thoughts before starting to paint, but yesterday I plunged right in. I couldn't wait to pick up the brush. Things were going\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "anecdotes"","block_context":{"text":"anecdotes","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/anecdotes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/studio-2020-10-4-palette.jpg?fit=800%2C1198&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/studio-2020-10-4-palette.jpg?fit=800%2C1198&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/studio-2020-10-4-palette.jpg?fit=800%2C1198&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/studio-2020-10-4-palette.jpg?fit=800%2C1198&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8043,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2018\/08\/turpentine-diaries-8-18-18\/","url_meta":{"origin":10082,"position":2},"title":"Turpentine diaries 8\/18\/18","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"August 18, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I am keeping everything simple and direct with The Woman in the Red Pants. Overworking can be death to a painting.\u00a0 On the other hand, I have a horror of the blast, fire, shoot, throw, and fling army of ala prima painters who've taken over the Art World, at least\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Cleveland"","block_context":{"text":"Cleveland","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/cleveland\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/studio-2018-8-18.jpg?fit=800%2C1058&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/studio-2018-8-18.jpg?fit=800%2C1058&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/studio-2018-8-18.jpg?fit=800%2C1058&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/studio-2018-8-18.jpg?fit=800%2C1058&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10090,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2022\/03\/blind\/","url_meta":{"origin":10082,"position":3},"title":"Blind?","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"March 8, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"A reader, responding to a recent post, asked if my recurring problem with 'seeing' is physical. I do wear glasses these days but no. The seeing I'm describing is seeing with judgment. This is aesthetic judgment that engages beauty.\u00a0 Unfortunately, when most people hear the word \"beauty,\" they think of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "aesthetics"","block_context":{"text":"aesthetics","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/aesthetics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/hunters2.jpg?fit=800%2C569&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/hunters2.jpg?fit=800%2C569&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/hunters2.jpg?fit=800%2C569&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/hunters2.jpg?fit=800%2C569&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6350,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2016\/08\/in-the-studio-82816\/","url_meta":{"origin":10082,"position":4},"title":"In the studio 8\/28\/16","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"August 28, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"This painting is still raggedy; \u00a0some parts, such as the hair, are barely started. \u00a0The thing I'm not happy with is the title: Phone Call on Main Street. \u00a0It's not so much a title as a description. I don't like the raised edges that can occur where two carefully-painted areas\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "materials"","block_context":{"text":"materials","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/materials\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/studio-2016-8-28.jpg?fit=800%2C970&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/studio-2016-8-28.jpg?fit=800%2C970&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/studio-2016-8-28.jpg?fit=800%2C970&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/studio-2016-8-28.jpg?fit=800%2C970&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":416,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2012\/11\/timothy-callaghan-life-slow-still\/","url_meta":{"origin":10082,"position":5},"title":"Timothy Callaghan\u2014Life Slow Still","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"November 29, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I recently paid my second visit to the William Busta Gallery.\u00a0 Busta is one of those cafeteria-style spaces where several shows\u2014about 6 in this case\u2014run concurrently.\u00a0 The artists shown represent, no doubt, an attempt to cast the widest possible net.\u00a0 Don\u2019t get me wrong, you won\u2019t find a Corot, a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Artists"","block_context":{"text":"Artists","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/artists\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/call1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2Gw6F-2CC","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10082","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10082"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10082\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10088,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10082\/revisions\/10088"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9613"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10082"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10082"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10082"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}