Inspirations
Cedar July 23rd, 2007
Ugh. Bleh. Today I am sick with a sore throat/cold and I have that weird sluggish feeling where my body is taken over and it’s like I’m detached from myself and observing everything from some distance. I don’t feel like doing anything but lying on the couch buried in a mound of blankets and pillows, watching movies all day while my Mama keeps the ginger tea and cinnamon toast coming. If only…
I am also sunburned at the moment so my skin is burning hot, which I think exacerbates that feverish detached feeling.
I went to the beach yesterday with friends…to Assateague Island. We saw wild ponies. We grilled chicken hot dogs, corn on the cob, and chunks of veggies and paneer (Indian cheese) on skewers. The waves on the beach were pretty raucous, and we got hammered by them something fierce when we braved the water. My dog was scared by the waves (with good reason) but still made many valiant attempts to take them on. I lay on the beach reading my novel in the sun for hours, which was lovely and relaxing and pleasant, but because I was kind of out of it from being sick, I forgot to apply sunscreen and got broiled.
My 26th birthday is tomorrow. I’m not celebrating it till this weekend though…my husband and some friends are taking me camping all weekend. I am really excited about that.
Then the weekend after, I am going whitewater rafting. And the week after that I’ll be going to the Outer Banks for a family reunion. I’m meeting with a new gallery next week. This summer is such a whirlwind that I can hardly keep it straight.
As far as my painting, I am working on a few themes at once right now. In order to stay at least somewhat focused/productive, I have made a very cursory list of things that inspire me. The idea is to remember to keep coming back to these things, thinking about them, and using them whenever I get stuck, which is quite often.
In no particular order:
The Sun, the Moon, the Stars
Dawn & Dusk: Night vs. Day
Changing Light
Growth: Upwards & Outwards
Birth, Death, Cycles
Flying & Things that Fly
Breath, Wind, Inhalation/Exhalation
Backlighting & Contrast
Clouds
Rolling Waves (in Air, Water, Foliage, & Topography)
Images of Abundance, Sexuality, Fertility, Fullness & Joy
Solitude
Feminine Mystery
Independence & Strength
Boldness & Audacity
Peace vs. Conflict
Storms
Circles
Spears & other Pointy Shapes
Sources of Life, Life Force (Energy/Mother Nature)
Emotive Color Schemes
Vastness
This is of course an extremely incomplete and not well-thought-out list, but I thought I would share it with you to give you a glimpse of where my art comes from and what makes me tick.
I have found that if I successfully focus on one or more of these themes while making a painting, from the planning stage until completion of the work, I can’t fail.
