Captive

While cleaning my apartment the other day, I went through one of my old art portfolios and found a rough and unfinished sketch tucked away between two larger works. Huh...I'd somehow forgotten about this one. For whatever reason, it kept nagging at me and I finally decided to pull it out again yesterday and work on it.

I don't remember exactly when I'd done the original sketch, but the mood and predicament of the character portrayed might give some indication. My guess is that I hashed it out about two years ago when the problems I faced at my old job were at their peak, my mind was awash with anger and pain over those problems, and the future I was pushing myself to the limit to achieve was still quite uncertain. I probably sought to illustrate a sensation of mute constriction--a slow, dull, aching torture that held me captive and was slowly strangling the life and sanity out of me. Sorry to be so dramatic about it, but if there's anything I know about myself, it's that as an artist I feel...deeply.

I worked on the drawing for a good portion of the day yesterday, and then finished it up this morning before heading off to practice. Despite the dark emotions it portrays (which, fortunately, aren't a representation of my general state these days...usually), I like it quite a bit. Maybe it's more that I like feeling creative again.