...inspiration
As an Artist, I am always searching for inspiration for my work. I don't
walk around everyday saying to myself, "Does that inspire me?" It is more
subliminal than that. It is more that I am suffused with a subject, or a light
source, or a model~I recognize that it interests me. Then I have to decide
how to approach the subject, this is sometimes the hardest part. I usually
photograph the subject, so that I have enough information on file to create
the painting when I decide to paint it. (This may be a year or more later!)
My best work usually is painted relatively quickly~because I have worked
out many of the details before I begin painting.
The role of photographs in my work is a large one. I depend on the kind of
details that I can achieve quickly, and the clarity of my images is crucial.
I use an old Minolta manual 35 mm. with a telephoto lens, and it rides
along everywhere with me in my truck! I use the best slide film that I can
buy. Also, I use an old Telex slide projector with a screen (a serendipitous
discovery~a yard sale steal at $30 dollars!) it serves a dual purpose~ it
projects and enlarges my slides so that I can work out and adjust
compositions, and I can view the slide from the screen to paint from. This
gives a much more three dimensional quality to the image, allowing me
more of a sense of painting from life than I would get from a regular
photograph.
Here is where my sketchbook comes in handy! My sketchbook is also a
constant companion, it lives in the truck, too. I use my sketchbook to fill
time while I am waiting (it is therapy~I hate to wait) I scribble notes in it,
I use it to record details of our trips of exploration. I write in it like a
journal. Pine cones are captured there, and acorns. Birds and sea lions,
and sandy beaches. I have sketched mountain peaks and made watercolor
leaf prints. Trees of all varieties are captured on the pages. I use it for
information and for inspiration, and for just plain fun!
When I decide to paint, I like to use a background music to help me get
started. I like something soothing, and quiet, like Loreena Mckennitt's
"The Book of Secrets". She is a soulful Celtic Artist who writes her own
music and lyrics. Listening to this voice helps me to calm my mind and to
distract me from the mundane. I also like many of the nature based CDs
that use bird song or ocean waves, or Native American flutes. I sometimes
just open my windows and let the sounds of my own surroundings come in,
but there lies a danger of distraction. I have been known to get up and
walk out the door and explore my woods for HOURS!
Sometimes a new painting grows from a previous work. I am painting a
bald eagle portrait, using some slides that I took of a lovely female eagle
while visiting the San Francisco Zoo. Now, I want to go back and look at
the mountain lion, because I have a reference slide of a beautiful
outcropping of rock with a mossy face, and it needs a crouching lion to
make it come to life. You know why I can do that? Because I am an Artist!
How do you gather inspiration? Do you paint spontaneously? Do you
approach a blank canvas with a palette and a brush and just paint
something? Do you pull off the side of the road and paint the first thing
you see? My friend Nancy Roberts, who is a plein air painter, loves to
paint landscapes and old architecture. She is a very spontaneous painter,
she paints directly on her canvas, using bold strokes and gorgeous colors,
and what she creates looks fresh and interesting every time. Her sense of
inspiration is much more immediate than mine. I think she sees whats she
wants to capture more quickly, so she can achieve that "on the spot"
success.
I NEVER, EVER use the photos out of magazines, or art books or
newspapers for my inspiration! And never use the work of another artist
unless it is intended to be used for copying and learning purposes. That is
CHEATING! It is only acceptable for the most rank beginning artist, or
a child, and then only as a quick tool for learning. This work should never
be displayed in public, should never be sold, and should be considered
"classroom work".
walk around everyday saying to myself, "Does that inspire me?" It is more
subliminal than that. It is more that I am suffused with a subject, or a light
source, or a model~I recognize that it interests me. Then I have to decide
how to approach the subject, this is sometimes the hardest part. I usually
photograph the subject, so that I have enough information on file to create
the painting when I decide to paint it. (This may be a year or more later!)
My best work usually is painted relatively quickly~because I have worked
out many of the details before I begin painting.
The role of photographs in my work is a large one. I depend on the kind of
details that I can achieve quickly, and the clarity of my images is crucial.
I use an old Minolta manual 35 mm. with a telephoto lens, and it rides
along everywhere with me in my truck! I use the best slide film that I can
buy. Also, I use an old Telex slide projector with a screen (a serendipitous
discovery~a yard sale steal at $30 dollars!) it serves a dual purpose~ it
projects and enlarges my slides so that I can work out and adjust
compositions, and I can view the slide from the screen to paint from. This
gives a much more three dimensional quality to the image, allowing me
more of a sense of painting from life than I would get from a regular
photograph.
Here is where my sketchbook comes in handy! My sketchbook is also a
constant companion, it lives in the truck, too. I use my sketchbook to fill
time while I am waiting (it is therapy~I hate to wait) I scribble notes in it,
I use it to record details of our trips of exploration. I write in it like a
journal. Pine cones are captured there, and acorns. Birds and sea lions,
and sandy beaches. I have sketched mountain peaks and made watercolor
leaf prints. Trees of all varieties are captured on the pages. I use it for
information and for inspiration, and for just plain fun!
When I decide to paint, I like to use a background music to help me get
started. I like something soothing, and quiet, like Loreena Mckennitt's
"The Book of Secrets". She is a soulful Celtic Artist who writes her own
music and lyrics. Listening to this voice helps me to calm my mind and to
distract me from the mundane. I also like many of the nature based CDs
that use bird song or ocean waves, or Native American flutes. I sometimes
just open my windows and let the sounds of my own surroundings come in,
but there lies a danger of distraction. I have been known to get up and
walk out the door and explore my woods for HOURS!
Sometimes a new painting grows from a previous work. I am painting a
bald eagle portrait, using some slides that I took of a lovely female eagle
while visiting the San Francisco Zoo. Now, I want to go back and look at
the mountain lion, because I have a reference slide of a beautiful
outcropping of rock with a mossy face, and it needs a crouching lion to
make it come to life. You know why I can do that? Because I am an Artist!
How do you gather inspiration? Do you paint spontaneously? Do you
approach a blank canvas with a palette and a brush and just paint
something? Do you pull off the side of the road and paint the first thing
you see? My friend Nancy Roberts, who is a plein air painter, loves to
paint landscapes and old architecture. She is a very spontaneous painter,
she paints directly on her canvas, using bold strokes and gorgeous colors,
and what she creates looks fresh and interesting every time. Her sense of
inspiration is much more immediate than mine. I think she sees whats she
wants to capture more quickly, so she can achieve that "on the spot"
success.
I NEVER, EVER use the photos out of magazines, or art books or
newspapers for my inspiration! And never use the work of another artist
unless it is intended to be used for copying and learning purposes. That is
CHEATING! It is only acceptable for the most rank beginning artist, or
a child, and then only as a quick tool for learning. This work should never
be displayed in public, should never be sold, and should be considered
"classroom work".
...more about originality