The Chronicles of Marit 2015 – Week 18

While I worked on this page, I thought about inspiration… what am I inspired by? Where do I base my choice of images, colors, words and techniques on? Some times it is not even clear to ourselves why we choose a certain color to work with, or suddenly feel the urge to try a certain technique. There is just the feeling that we should try a style or grab a specific material and we usually go with it without thinking, just because it ‘feels good’…

During the day, we get bombarded by images (advertisements, TV commercials, the view from our window, roads and traffic while in the car, our work environment) and sounds (people talking in the supermarket, conversations we have, music on the radio, machines and men working in construction – btw, the latter is the case in my neighborhood right now. That’s why I mention it, and I don’t call that sound but noise! I hope they work hard building that new parking lot and finish it in the next week, so that the noisy machines disappear.)

And if that isn’t enough, we also check our cellphones for messages, read emails and see all kinds of stuff (text and photos) on social media like facebook. So, when we sit down to create something, it is no wonder we don’t know where the inspiration comes from. All those impressions blend in our minds and out comes something that is a mix, our own private mix. Have you ever tried to unravel that mix? And if so, did you manage to find out where each image, technique or words you used came from? What the core is, the very first spark of inspiration that lead to your choice of that particular subject to work on?

When I started my ‘Russian Constructivism’ page, it was very clear to me what had inspired me (an advertising magazine my beloved brought home – again, read this post) but why did this add and this art style struck me right now, at this moment, and not – let’s say – last year? I could come up with a few explanations maybe, but to be honest: I really don’t know why certain styles catch my attention at a specific time or why I fall in love with a certain technique all of a sudden.

Thinking about this, a few things came to mind that had grabbed my attention this past week. I won’t try to analyze the ‘why’ but I will try to explain what I like about these images and why they inspire me.

Art journal page by Tammy Garcia

I love the blocks of color. No subtle tones, but clear and bright shapes of black, red, white and gray. Tammy writes in her post that there are more colors involved and that probably makes for the depth that the color areas show. I also like the white journaling. This journal page is bold and almost like a statement. It teaches me (us) that we don’t need much images or colors to get the message across. Less is more.

The yellow carpet and green table on my balcony

These colors together (and it looks even brighter in real life) make for a sunny Summer feeling but what caught my eye were the geometric lines and shapes. Circle. Rectangular. I guess I’m still in that ‘constructivism’ mood and I might start making one (or more) small collages using just these shapes.

 Painting ‘Zon’ (sun) by Klaas Gubbels

From the table on my balcony to the shapes of this Dutch painter. Klaas Gubbels is famous for painting (and sculpturing) teapots, but I fell for these – again – geometrical shapes.

See how my focus lays on ‘simple, clear, geometric, bold’?
I have no idea where this all came from, where it started – but I plan on keeping these key words in mind the next time I create something.

Tell me, what inspires YOU lately (and why?)