In 2010 I was invited to participate in a group show in Culver City, California – but I hesitated a long time before I agreed to do it, because I was deep into the struggles of my creativity blockage and in a new depression because of it.
When I started to work on “Sympathy For The Devil” I soon felt how I was struggling with the style, composition and with self doubting. I wasn’t having fun, I was in a war with myself.
I couldn’t seem to get it right. It lacked the playfulness and the energy I always see in my paintings. I felt dissatisfied. But I kept struggling; painting, changing, painting, changing…
I wasn’t pleased with the result (first image in this post), but I thought it was good enough to send.
But the troubles with this painting didn’t end there.
After I had sent the painting on its way to the States, I received some devastating news from the gallery.
“Sympathy For The Devil” had been totally destroyed in the shipping process! I was crushed!
These are the pictures the gallery sent:
After I’d overcome the shock, I started to work on a new painting to send, I had to start over with a new idea – but I kept the style of it. The result was “Little Grace With Killer Doll”:
And it made it safely to the States and the gallery. But I never saw “Sympathy For The Devil” again.