Things that inspire me- studio props

The ongoing discussion of whether things 'spark joy' triggered by Marie Kondo's Book, 'The life-changing magic of tidying up' has made me realize that subconsciously I am inspired to paint by things that spark joy and that those things tend to then sit around my house and studio waiting to be incorporated into paintings. Their very presence spurs me on to keep working as there is literally always something waiting to be painted. In fact, this line up is the reason that it took me so long to put away the Christmas ornaments this year. They weren't done being painted yet.

  Today I am giving you a little sneak peek into my studio at some of the things that I have laying around waiting to be included in my process. I have been able to recognize certain patterns but there are certain things that don't really fall into them. Stand-alone items, valuable in their own right.

I am a look lover in general, I have books in my handbag, on my nightstand and, obviously, on multiple bookcases. I have found that having a reasonable selection of art books that I am currently browsing in my workspace allows for perusal which in turn often leads to stylistic experimentation. Although I don't always incorporate a new style into my working repertoire it usually contributes to creating a fun piece. It is just possible that by reasonable I may mean something slightly more magnificent than less passionate readers.

Since beginning to do botanical illustration several years ago I find that I am attracted to potted plants that lend themselves to being drawn. Interesting leaves, color combinations, shape, or how the flowers are attached. There are so many plants which display unique characteristics, and even a quick sketch is worth it.

   As a child visiting my grandparents I was fascinated by the basket of pinecones near the fireplace. My grandfather, a forester, collected different cones as he came across them and it was fun to take them out, line them up, and compare them. It seems I was not the only one who felt this way. Visiting my sister's house a few years ago I saw a basket full of all different cones sitting in front of the fireplace.

   Along with pinecones come seedpods and other small natural treasures. I am continually amazed how beautiful, symmetrical and often cleverly engineered these are.  I also have always loved miniatures- and these are like miniatures.

   As I collected seed pods and pinecones over the last several years I realized that I am attracted to symmetry, geometric shapes, and small items. This realization allowed me to expand my interests into Japanese pottery, origami and anything geometric. Objects that fall into these categories often catch my eye. In fact, many of the objects in my home fit into this category. It is not surprising that they also influence my work- even if it is not immediately obvious to viewers.

   I love museums, and I have come to realize that it isn't necessarily because I love things that are old but rather because I am attracted by both the rare and the beautiful. When speaking of the rare, I am not making a monetary value judgment, some of the things in museums are bizarre and unique. Since I love this uniqueness, I also love antique shops. Last month I saw a photo of a lion in one of my favorite antique shops, and after buying it, decided to go back and see if I could find more pictures to use as references for illustrations. I did end up finding more pictures, not only of animals but of other things that are just such great inspiration for future paintings- now they are laying in a stack waiting to be used.

   I really enjoy interesting surface textures and am always looking out for interesting or challenging surfaces whether shiny, glass, fur, feathers, ceramic, wood, or stone.

   I always have work in progress standing around, seeing it from a distance, in passing, is one of the best ways to let my unconscious mind work out the problems.

   And last, for this post, but not least- I am an avid tea drinker. I love tea dishes and accessories. Creating tea breaks is an outlet for mixing textures, surfaces, color, etc...

 What inspires you? Do you have objects around that give you ideas for future work? Let me know in the comments.


I am very excited to announce that I will be featuring an artist I really admire on next Tuesday's post- check the blog to find out who!

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