As of late, I have been taking in all sorts of different visual elements in hopes that they will inspire me to push my artwork in a new direction- a direction opposite of what I would have chosen, had I stayed on the straight and narrow path of "art" alone. What I have been taking in isn't necessarily even art, or remotely close to it- but when you see through the eyes of a creative person, like all of us do, something as simple as the continued pattern of a dropped ceiling can ignite creativity.
For example, I have been paying a lot of attention to textiles- not so much clothing and random fabric, but something more along the lines of .. Well... Wallpaper. All kinds of wallpaper: plain, striped, colored, white, brown, pink, flowered, shiny... Everywhere I go, I'm paying close attention to the treatment of the walls within the space, and how it compliments the room and draws me in (or distracts me from it). Modern wallpaper is much more plain, and less textured, than its ancestor of victorian times. 100 years ago, wallpaper in homes and businesses was carefully decorated, displaying ornate patterns, colors, and even textures- the wall was treated as though it was just as important as the clawfoot sofa, the mantle, or the painted portrait the family overhead. I'd like to use similar patterns to vintage wallpaper in my own pieces, to give them a sense of domestic femininity- whether I be drawing actual wallpaper or a simple tattoo design on the arm of a subject- I want this theme to carry out in my work from now until the day I can no longer produce.
An artist I've been paying a lot of mind to lately works with the figure in her paintings; from her, I have been inspired to sway in a new direction with the way I paint. Pamela Wilson uses creative imagery in her pieces, such as dolls and clothing from times past, to create a nostalgic world that deals with ironic experiences in life. From her, I have been driven to further explore the figure, and all of the wonderful things I can do with it in my work. A portrait does not have to include a smile, or penetrating gaze. It can be sticky, sweet, wet, dry- so many textures and flavors can be added to portraits, and without extra additives, I've learned that work can simply be boring and repetitive.
http://www.pamelawilsonfineart.com/www.pamelawilsonfineart.com/Home.html
Another thing that has been on my mind a lot lately is a bit more common for a young artist to be thinking of. Tattoos- specifically, tattoos of birds. I'm not thinking about this subject necessarily because I want a tattoo of this sort (okay, that has a little to do with it, I admit), but because of the symbolism behind them, and why it is that these types of body art are so common among young adults (and older, but for my own work, I'm narrowing in on 20-somethings of all kinds). For many, it is a symbol of them breaking free from childhood, free to roam into the wild, blue yonder and make their own discoveries (and mistakes). For others, it's the side of freedom that comes from oppression, or what they considered oppression (overbearing family members, for example, or conservative lifestyle). I've been working a lot lately with figures that happen to have artwork etched into their skin, and love the way the forms flow with the body. The birds against the skin, whether they be colorful owls or sillouhettes of other animals of the avian variety, have a very beautiful way of carrying out their flying and other activities, as though they were in the sky, and not simply inked into someone's skin. They seem overdone and cliche, but I've been very deeply moved by birds lately.
I've also been inspired by kittens, but that borders on obsession, and I won't go there today. :)
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