Can you be stuck in a rut and not know? Possibly. I think it's essential to get out of your comfort zone once in a while: play with other mediums, other styles, or even just refresh yourself with the people who inspired you in the first place.
I am taking a drawing class - because as much as I paint - I tend to forgo the niceities of actual, finished drawings. We went to Eden Park in Cincinnati and spent a few days wandering and drawing from life. I wasn't overly impressed with my results - but the instructor furthered the assignment by having us take our drawings and do a composite drawing in a Cubist manner. I still regressed to paint for the final product but I used gouache (not my usual) because the satiny yet flat finish seemed to help me switch gears to Cubism. I read quite a bit and refreshed myself with images of Cubist work. I do not claim to comprehend Cubism fully but it seemed to reveal more and more to me as I worked. I was so happy with my Eden Park scene that I went on to start a portrait of my boyfriend in oils (still in progress).
I am not changing over to cubism as yet but I am happy with the new perspective this little exploration has given me.
