INSPIRATION—Where do you find it?

Where does one go for artistic inspiration? The answer is anywhere and everywhere! If you need an idea, you can just look out the window—shapes! colors! patterns! they’re all there! From the very small to the very large, focus in on a particular line or shape or color and use it to start your creative juices flowing. In creating my abstract fabric compositions, many nature-based shapes are evident. For example, “Hoopla” is based on floral forms and “Li” is based on river flow.

 

 

In addition to the real world, I also use an extensive image collection for inspiration: books (over 1,000!), binders full of pages from magazines, and pictures I’ve take on my travels of patterns and colors. I even have a color collection—magazine pages saved only for their color combinations. I use many other artists’ work to inspire me as well. Some of my favorites include Kandinsky, Klee, Hundertwasser, Dr. Suess, Albert Paley, Sophia Vari, and Daniel Merriam. Other groups of images I collect are microscopic photos (“Biologic”), insects and undersea creatures (“Traffic” is based on squids), architecture, outstanding children’s book illustrations, “earth from space” books (which are awesome), and movie art (my entire body of current work was triggered by “The Art of the Incredibles”). Books on art styles—arts & crafts, art deco, art nouveau, impressionism, cubism—are also great as starting points.

 

For designing, use paper and pencil—it’s fast and easy. All my fabric compositions start as small pencil drawings on graph paper. Carry a small sketchbook and try to find neat lines and shapes to draw when you are stuck in a Doctor’s office (they’re there if you look hard enough!).

 

Here’s a creative exercise for you. Pick a particular piece of art that you like and come up with 30 (yes, 30!) 2” square line drawings/designs based on that piece of art (use graph paper). Then pick three of the best ones and starting with those, do ten more designs based on each one. You’ll be amazed at where you end up and what cool stuff you came up with. You shouldn’t mess with them either—no erasing—just dump them out as fast as you can. It’s OK if they’re lousy—nobody’s watching or judging you!

 

When I’m designing, I always make myself do a full page, even if it doesn’t seem like I have that many ideas. Some of the best ones come out at the bottom of the page. And, if I get stuck, all I do is pick out one of my books (i.e. image collections) or go for a walk and BLAMMO—here come the ideas! The main things to remember are keep your eyes open, have fun and don’t be afraid!