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Writer's Block
by David Jamieson
“‘Writer’s Block’ is a portrait of Brooke Williams, a close friend, cousin, and writer. My wife and I often talk with Brooke and her husband about the challenges of creative work in difficult times. On a recent visit, we all admitted to feeling especially distracted by today’s environment—deepening global conflict, domestic polarization, and the rapid commodification of creativity by AI. Add the pressures of work and family, and a persistent unease settles in. That state of mind affects creativity and raises questions about what kind of art still feels meaningful. And yet, the impulse to create doesn't diminish.
During that visit, I asked Brooke if I could take her picture, which eventually became the source material for this drawing. The furrows in her brow, the obvious tension in her crossed arms, and the worry in her gaze all conveyed a sense of struggle that nearly every artist has experienced at some point: ‘What should I do now? Do I really have anything to say that matters?’”
“Realist artwork is the product of both observation and reflection by the artist. Every image is an articulation of shape, form, space and light that are the syntax of a language perfectly suited to describing visual experiences. “Here is something beautiful.” says the artist as observer, as objective witness to the physical world. But realism transcends mere description. Even faithful representations are constructions formed by an individual's eye, mind, and hand. The resulting work is unique—impossible to replicate by anyone else. Common subjects become distinctive through the artist's imprint, making each piece a portrait of the artist. This human element keeps handmade art relevant despite technological advances in image-making. Each artwork offers its own combination of how something looks and how it looks to the artist. As Canadian painter Alex Colville noted, a photograph is taken while a painting is made—a distinction central to my ongoing fascination with realism.”
-David Jamieson
by David Jamieson
“‘Writer’s Block’ is a portrait of Brooke Williams, a close friend, cousin, and writer. My wife and I often talk with Brooke and her husband about the challenges of creative work in difficult times. On a recent visit, we all admitted to feeling especially distracted by today’s environment—deepening global conflict, domestic polarization, and the rapid commodification of creativity by AI. Add the pressures of work and family, and a persistent unease settles in. That state of mind affects creativity and raises questions about what kind of art still feels meaningful. And yet, the impulse to create doesn't diminish.
During that visit, I asked Brooke if I could take her picture, which eventually became the source material for this drawing. The furrows in her brow, the obvious tension in her crossed arms, and the worry in her gaze all conveyed a sense of struggle that nearly every artist has experienced at some point: ‘What should I do now? Do I really have anything to say that matters?’”
“Realist artwork is the product of both observation and reflection by the artist. Every image is an articulation of shape, form, space and light that are the syntax of a language perfectly suited to describing visual experiences. “Here is something beautiful.” says the artist as observer, as objective witness to the physical world. But realism transcends mere description. Even faithful representations are constructions formed by an individual's eye, mind, and hand. The resulting work is unique—impossible to replicate by anyone else. Common subjects become distinctive through the artist's imprint, making each piece a portrait of the artist. This human element keeps handmade art relevant despite technological advances in image-making. Each artwork offers its own combination of how something looks and how it looks to the artist. As Canadian painter Alex Colville noted, a photograph is taken while a painting is made—a distinction central to my ongoing fascination with realism.”
-David Jamieson