Artist Inspiration is the Holy Grail of the Art World.
Many people ask artists “Where do you find your inspiration?“ Chances are a moment of hesitation will follow, if you’re one of those who do,. It’s the artist’s equivalent of asking “How long is a piece of string?”. It’s hard to define a source of inspiration when it may be different in each case. It’s difficult to describe where or how something inspires and to Identify a single element or group of elements. Inspiration souces are a nebulous concept, they can literally come from anywhere. So how can you define them?
Raindrops inspired Bill Charlton’s Fancy.
inspiration for other artists could be:-
- Grandiose features in landscapes;
- Love and heartache;
- Why we’re placed on this planet
- What’s our purpose?
- Understanding human interactions
- Flights of fancy into unknown worlds.
- We could go on
Imagination feeds off the imagination of others. Artist inspiration is as unique to the individual as fingerprints. One person could come across a familiar items, such as a plastic spoon or pencil shavings and create whole new wonderful art installations. Cutting paper with a knife, in the right hands, can transform a sheet of paper into a delicate sea creature, fantastically ornate. Others pare down element to show us the essence of a creature, like Ani Mollereau’s fox here.
Imagination is the binding element. All creations come from imagination triggered by a single moment or thought. Something or someone sets an artist on a journey. That journey is mysterious and attractive. The artist sees a path and follows it. On arriving, she looks around to see where to go next. When she reaches that point, she looks around again and finds another shiny path to follow. And so it continues. Sometimes, the artist knows the destination., but many more times, she ventures out into darkness, with no clear path, or understanding of where she’s headed. Guided by a question such as: “What will happen if I do this?”, “Where will this path lead me?”, “Can I link these ideas together?”
All any artist really knows is that,
- Somehow, the journey will be worthwhile.
- They’ll know when they arrive.
- To not to set out would be a decision they will regret for the rest of their lives.
So what would inspire you?
I’d love to inspire you by sharing my latest creations with you. Add your email below if you’d like to be inspired.
