Inspiration?

Inspiration is an odd thing to communicate to another person.  What inspires me is something odd, indifferent, weird, or that has a varied sense of realism.  Monet grew gardens, then painted them.  I love painting gardens, whether or not they have been grown on my property or I've seen them in passing on a trip to the grocery store.  Shapes and contrast pretty much guide what draws my eye to a particular area.  This could be anything from a landscape to a still life.

 Many times for inspiration, I will go through old art magazines and look at different ways that people have portrayed animals, plants, or a varied landscape.  The composition is what means the most to me, so then I take my techniques and talents, and make the piece my own.  Many times just off the top of my head, I will let an emotion take over and create the work.  As I've said before, what I intend to do and the final piece are usually two different things.  Another thing that really guides the things that inspire me is poetry.  If I can visualize it in my mind, I can interpret it and then put it onto canvas.  When creating from the mind's eye, I am able to change and direct the paint to what I'm trying to accomplish.  This is why I favor oils. 


A farm scene, an animal by the side of the road, a cute pet, a single flower with a monarch butterfly landing on it, just a blue sky reflecting in a pond of water or a speeding boat going across a lake inspires me in all different ways.  To you, these are visual images.  To me, I pick up on sounds, touch, and the written word that describes the way these things play out in everyday life.  A description goes a long way in helping me create my art.  I could paint 24/7 without running out of ideas.  You can pull inspiration from anywhere.  Have you ever even thought about what inspires you?