Inspiration (1 Viewer)

[Brooke]

I have been bitten by the arts & crafts bug again lately, which is nice because I have always been "artsy", but I have been away from it for such a long time that I want to know what inspires you in regard to your chosen art form? Where do you find inspiration for your craft? Do you have any steps that you go through in order to prepare yourself for the creative process?

I personally adore Pinterest when stuck for craft ideas and can get lost in that for far too long, but when considering visual inspiration I seem mostly to find it in the stars & sky. I often just grab whatever is available to me and see what comes out though (mostly abstract mixed media pieces). Lately I find I have only had time to doodle. Lol. Hopefully that will change once I stock up on art supplies!!

What about you? Feel free to share pics if you so desire too (but please attribute the work where possible)

Note: the shared images below are my own. One is just an example of me doodling (lol) and the other is a watercolour piece I just randomly felt compelled to paint one night. No inspiration, just an urge to put colours on paper haha

 

[KarlaSM]

Beautiful!!! I love both my dear.

I love to work with oi, watercolor, recently color pencils and also ink. Many years ago I was inspired by sadness lol, I could only paint sad things. However, after a strong stage in my own spiritual awakening, I was inspired by transformation in itself and oneness, and all things et. In the beginning art reflected mostly those concepts purely from imagination.

However, lately I am working on artwork inspired in meditation and past life recalling through soul retrieval. I know that there are some great artists who have been able to portray our star heritage and also who have painted other worldly realms. But there is always this sense of many things missing. For example, many times you only have descriptions of beings or worlds, or just the images, but not both things together. So hopefully soon I'll launch a site with these latest pieces...

I am also inspired by many well-known artists from other times and some of the modern ones, as well as anyone who creates art with their hearts and can add part of their spirit to it.

 

[Brooke]

Beautiful! I haven't tried oil but I did use chalk for a while there and I used to sketch too (not very well though lol). I guess I got that from my dad as he used to do that a lot as well. I've just ordered a full set of prismacolor pencils for my birthday though and I'm excited haha. I want to paint more and have ideas that involve using watercolours but it takes so much effort to set up here & the mess is a nightmare with so many kids who want to join in lol. I also want to create jewellery pieces but haven't figured out exactly how to action the ideas I have in my head or what it is exactly that I want to do. It's a slow process for me haha

 

[Krena]

The question of inspiration is fruitful line of inquiry, Brooke, and I hope we can share when we encounter a thought, object, music, dialogue, or even a dream that sparks us to respond.

As the moderator, I ask that all of you who post here to honor the source of your inspiration and share its origin. Please attribute your art as well as others. This is a courtesy to the creators and a copyright issue. Please ask permission if you can.

We will probably continue to discuss this, as we will want to protect our work and also post our accomplishments.

 

[Stargazer]

Beautiful! I haven't tried oil but I did use chalk for a while there and I used to sketch too (not very well though lol). I guess I got that from my dad as he used to do that a lot as well. I've just ordered a full set of prismacolor pencils for my birthday though and I'm excited haha. I want to paint more and have ideas that involve using watercolours but it takes so much effort to set up here & the mess is a nightmare with so many kids who want to join in lol. I also want to create jewellery pieces but haven't figured out exactly how to action the ideas I have in my head or what it is exactly that m I want to do. It's a slow process for me haha

Sounds like a good family project...if you have a really BIG tarp (and some old clothes or washable paints for the little ones)!

 

[Brooke]

As the moderator, I ask that you honor the source of your inspiration and share its origin. Please attribute your art as well as others. This is a courtesy to the creators and a copyright issue. Please ask permission if you can.

We will probably continue to discuss this, as we will want to protect our work and also post our accomplishments.

Thanks for your feedback Krena, but I am a little confused as to what you mean exactly? I am a global moderator (so oversee all threads) and the artwork I posted was my own so I don't really understand. Do you mean I should explain the image origins in my post (I have updated now to say they are mine) or are you just making a general statement as board moderator?
If you could clarify that would be helpful, & then perhaps the information can be added to a sticky post as a board guideline or something for us to refer back to in the future (when you have more time)

 

[Samara]

lovely artwork, both of you

it makes me a little sad that I was not motivated and supported more in my childhood with paintings.. my parents where all into music and no other arts and I did love to draw and paint when I was small but then I wanted to try other things with shinier colors like oil or acrylic and I never was given the opportunity to... watercolors and colored pencils where never my preferred tools but I never got anything else to work with until I was grown up and started living my own life... and I only started really trying when I already had kids so time and peace to do it was limited and then with stress I couldnt relax into it at all anymore. So I'm missing techniques and practice and that makes me sad as I know I do have the talent for it but when I try I lose patience too fast (yeah, still not completely in peace and in the now due to kids) and I'm rarely satisfied with the results lol...

however I want to show you one of my first REAL attempts at painting (not counting childhood and school stuff there, school art lessons where stupid too lol)
I wanted this bare wall to look somehow nice so I decided to put a dolphin there... this is the result:

I wasnt really happy with the background but for my first real try with acrylic colors and on a rough wall too its fine lol


As for painting with children... oh yes I remember very well what a mess that can be lol
I sometimes got cheap canvases for them and put the acrylic colors for walls (they are a lot cheaper than the real artist ones and for the kids they where perfect) into empty yoghurt cups, put a big rubber tablecloth onto the table and gave them paintbrushes and clothes that could get messed up and let them go ahead lol... they had great fun with that
but yeah... painting something yourself meanwhile... ugh thats somewhat not the best idea...

 

[Brooke]

Samara that's a beautiful mural!! I would love to paint the walls here but I don't own my house lol.

 

[Krena]

For all who post work, please attribute your own work, and if possible, describe the medium (pen, pencil, acrylic, watercolor, oils, fingerpaint, iPhone, digital single lens reflex, etc.) and anything more you would like to say (inspiration, location, date): just like a gallery. I would invite any comments about the creative process.

This suggestion is meant to honor the work, and give the artist (who often works in solitude without feedback) a chance of sharing with credit. And the artist may request feedback.

Eventually, guidelines that are sticky will continue to evolve for this board. I have been delayed in this assignment due to work deadline and family issues. And, I am unhappy to admit that my attempts at sticking have all turned out slippery instead. I will conquer.

Special thanks to Brooke for starting this thread.

 

[Samara]

Samara that's a beautiful mural!! I would love to paint the walls here but I don't own my house lol.

Thank you
I never owned a house
it was in a rented appartment... just go ahead and paint it lol... you just need to be aware that whenever you move out you'll have to paint over it again to cover it... thats what I did
that house has been torn down meanwhile it was just too old and not isolated at all and the walls got mouldy (reason why I moved out)

 

[Linda]

...and here is an example of inspiring art:

Karla, who is the artist of this magnificent stag? Is it you?

 

[Linda]

lovely artwork, both of you

I wanted this bare wall to look somehow nice so I decided to put a dolphin there...

What a joyful wall - if I saw that everyday, I think I would want to be a mermaid - to spend some time there.

 

[Vickie]

I've always been creative and into art of any kind. When my kids were young I was the mother volunteering to make all the crafts for their school parties and I loved it. About a month ago I decided it was time to learn to oil paint. I get Netflix and a new program started with the old Bob Ross shows where he goes through an oil painting while you work along with him. The man was a genius and he also seemed to be a super nice person. Anyway, I thought I could nail this oil painting with no problem LOL! It's not as easy as Bob Ross made it look in his shows. I laugh when I look at my first attempt but it was fun. I'm not giving up though.

 

[Linda]

I've always been creative and into art of any kind. When my kids were young I was the mother volunteering to make all the crafts for their school parties and I loved it. About a month ago I decided it was time to learn to oil paint. I get Netflix and a new program started with the old Bob Ross shows where he goes through an oil painting while you work along with him. The man was a genius and he also seemed to be a super nice person. Anyway, I thought I could nail this oil painting with no problem LOL! It's not as easy as Bob Ross made it look in his shows. I laugh when I look at my first attempt but it was fun. I'm not giving up though.

He was the "happy little tree" guy, right. I liked him - he made it seem possible.

 

[Samara]

lol I tried bob ross style too I even got some nice results there... but what he threw onto his canvas in 30 short minutes with a lot of talking and having fun took me 4-5 hours of "hard work" lol

 

[Brooke]

@Brooke,

Yes, I think it is a good idea to say it is your work, and if possible, describe the medium (pen, pencil, acrylic, watercolor, oils, fingerprint, iPhone, digital single lens reflex, etc.) and anything more you would like to say (inspiration, location, date): just like a gallery. I would invite any comments about the creative process. I guessed that what you posted was your work, but was uncertain.

This suggestion is meant to honor the work, and give the artist (who often works in solitude without feedback) a chance of sharing with credit. And the artist may request feedback.

I agree that guidelines that are sticky will be the way to go, but I have been delayed in this assignment due to work deadline and family issues. And,
I am unhappy to admit that my attempts at sticking have all turned out slippery instead. I will conquer.

Thanks, Brooke!

Thanks for the feedback! I'll update with appropriate info soon

& lol, not a problem. I'm still getting used to being back in a forum setting myself but I'm sure we will get there in time
If you need any help I'm here

 

[Krena]

Mesmerizing and cool sculpture.

 

[Brooke]

Mesmerizing and cool sculpture.

I love kinetic sculptures! You are right, they are absolutely mesmerising!

 

[Lilia]

Awesome work you all posted here!
my source of inspiration i guess is being excited about a theme, then i want to express my own perspective of it. usually i have phases of creative block after creating one piece, then find something that fascinates me and then when the theme is ripe for creating something out of it, i drift into a slightly manic phase where i get obsessed with the project. its not that i need to find inspiration then, but i just cant help letting it flow out of me, first i make millions of sketches and associations and find a whole web of themes that are touched and influenced by that what i want to depict... sometimes i get frustrated when i feel like i didnt grasp a key point of the essence, sometimes - as a woman i have monthly cycles that influence the flow of creativity - i take breaks from a project knowing that after the new moon it starts flowing and exciting me again. and then i love to take the essence of it and make it as abstract and as energetically meaningful as possible before i paint it in acrylics on canvas. or whatever medium is best, i like clay, i like gouache too, and colored pencils, the sketches i usually do with charcoal or pastelles.

 

[KarlaSM]

Oh Linda, I could not connect during the past days, unfortunately I could not find the author of the art piece so I deleted it.

Karla, who is the artist of this magnificent stag? Is it you?

 

[KarlaSM]

Here is a site that I find very inspiring, one can only marvel at the creativity of modern artists:

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/

Much love to you all

 

[Krena]

Here is a site that I find very inspiring, one can only marvel at the creativity of modern artists:

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/

Much love to you all

Inspiring, indeed!

 

[Laron]

Where do you find inspiration for your craft?

For me, it's about discarding thoughts that weigh down the creative process so that I am free to get stuck into whatever project I may be focusing on.