The Art of Inspiration

“Art isn’t what you see, it’s what you make others see.” - Edgar Degas

When you visit an art exhibition or gallery, do you ever wonder what the inspiration was behind a painting or do you just see paint? Why did the artist choose certain colors, shapes, marks, etc.? What is the story the artist is telling? Even if you can clearly tell that it’s a cabin by a lake, is the cabin of significance to the artist? What’s special about the lake, is it a great fishing spot? I’m sure you’ve heard the idiom "A picture is worth a thousand words." Well, a painting might be worth 10,000!

I’m not sure about other artists, but for me the answer is both simple and complicated. Simplistically, my muse is nature. The vibrant colors of a sunrise or sunset. The music of songbirds while looking at the dew glisten in the morning sun. Watching a butterfly gracefully float from flower to flower. The sweet smell of roses, magnolias, or jasmine. The warmth of the sun on my face. The sweet taste of fresh picked blackberries. Watching and listening to the power of the ocean crash on the beach. Yes, this is the complicated part. My inspiration can’t be pinpointed as a specific thing. Inspiration for a painting is an experience, and it’s all connected and cumulative. Although I do want my paintings to be easy on the eye, making something pretty isn’t a motivator. My goal is to create a piece of art that evokes the experiences that I FEEL when I interact with the natural world. I want you to see, feel, smell, hear or taste the vibrancy of creation as well as the emotions of being a human in a complicated world.

My hope is that you will be inspired to look deeper next time you view original art. Be still and try to hear and feel the story that the artist has written just for you. If the emotional part wasn’t important, we wouldn’t create.