Continuing Inspiration...

Inspiration in nature is just a walk around the block.

I'm taking an Art Lab class right now at 

Art On 30th 

Digging Deeper

taught by artist 

Ellen Dieter

This class is all about creating art from the inside out, something I don't always have a grasp on.  It's so easy to be influenced by what other artists around are painting and not taking the time to check in with what resonates with you, your own interpretation of what inspires you.

So we grabbed paper and pencil and took a little walk around the studio's neighborhood.  We wrote down whatever we saw on our walk that got our attention, what inspired us...gave it a name and a description, i.e. twisted cactus, purple agapanthus, broken window...you get the idea.

Then we came back to the studio and wrote a short poem to share with the list of findings from our walk.  What a really wonderful experience this was...and one I will continue to do...I loved it!

Our inspiration block (the red dot is Art On 30th).

From there we started to paint using our poems as inspiration.

Just getting shapes out on the canvas, and then painting over that...again and again!

My list was pretty long with about 32 items listed, 

though somewhere along the way I misplaced my poem, I think I painted over it!

But it went something very close to this...

Looking out broken casement at purple agapanthus bursting

Jacaranda petals scattered on crumbled asphalt

While twisted cactus nears tiny ferns

Hard edges of a steel grate and patina copper pipes

Lead to a bank of numbered meters

Keeping track of our precious resources

It's all precious

 

I'm not a poet, though really like this method of going inside to create a story...

and bringing that story onto a canvas.

Of course I then added a noir (black and white) filter to check my values and design,

and I'm pretty happy with how this is turning out, 

though can't promise I won't go over it a few more times.

I bet you can't even guess where the photos below are from!

The wonderfully worn cement floors in the San Diego Fair women's restroom!

I couldn't help noticing them, 

and taking photos to try and recreate them on canvas later.

 Inspiration...

it's everywhere!