One of the questions I’m asked most often is, “Where do you get your ideas?” It’s also a question I typically ask of other artists. I’m curious to know what drives people to create something.
Because my art is usually abstract, the source for the idea might not always be obvious. Here are some of the typical sources I turn to for ideas.
Many of my artworks are inspired by nature. You’ll see many of them that are influenced by flowers or seasons, especially spring or fall. If you do a search on this site for spring or fall, you’ll see quite a few pieces, such as:
Afternoon in May (https://www.lifeneedsart.com/gallery/afternoon-in-may/)
Summer Heat (https://www.lifeneedsart.com/gallery/summer-heat-memories-series-2012/)
You’ll see very few influenced by winter. I love the colors and textures of the other 3 seasons so much, and winter seems uninteresting by comparison.
However, the winter of 2014 has provided some unusual inspiration. During the Polar Vortex weather event in January, I thought that the crystals forming on my dining room windows were fascinating, and took some photos of them. See So What Do You Do With A Polar Vortex?
I’ve used that experience as inspiration for quite a few artworks so far this year. Several others are in the works. See:
Polar Vortex 1 (https://www.lifeneedsart.com/gallery/polar-vortex-1/)
Polar Vortex 2 (https://www.lifeneedsart.com/gallery/polar-vortex-2/)
Frost Birds (https://www.lifeneedsart.com/gallery/frost-birds/)
I’m also consciously trying to find inspiration in winter – partly to find the beauty in it and partly to help me expand the range of my skills.
Nature is a big source of inspiration for me, but not the only one. Other topics will follow soon.