Rhymes With Orange
Musings of the Artists Mind
Snapdragon flowers are as beautiful as they are vibrant. I found a complete garden of them in the public gardens of Quebec City. The contrast between the dark green foliage and bright orange hues of the flowers lends itself beautifully to paintings like those of Henri Rousseau. Like him, I chose to focus on the subtle highlights the sun painted on the petals and leaves. I often enjoy thinking of my photos as wall size and this one is very different. I feel a small size, maybe 8” x 10” in a massive gilt, rococo frame would draw the viewer in and give the illusion that this might be a hyperrealist painting, instead of a digital image. The bright colours make me happy and look great on merchandizing.
Sooth Your Mood! Design your world with The Artist’s Stuff: Prints, Fashion, and uniquely awesome Decor ideas!
What inspires an artist?
“All they see” is the first and most literal answer.
For me, that is literally hundreds of gallery & museum exhibits, thousands of books, and tens of thousands of images online.
Books that Inspired and Influenced my Experimentation:
Here we have to give homage to my kings of imagery. While I cannot claim to compare myself to them, they continue to inspire my view of the world.
Ansel Adams for extending the imagination though light and shadow.
Georgia O’Keefe for painting macros and driving the eye into incredible landscapes.
Andrew Wyeth for adding a dusting of serenity to all he painted and giving a craving for tea whenever I see his work.
Pablo Picasso for always coming to the purity of the image by often outrageous routes.
These are perhaps the most accessible influences, but the truth is that my influences run deep through thousands of books and works I’ve seen & read. If you have the time, you are free to visit my GoodReads library to see a fraction of the books I’ve read. These are the ones I remember, that is. Or you can visit the ever growing collection on my Pinterest account & My ViewBug site, and at Arts M.Perron.
I love your quick take on artist inspiration and couldn’t agree more. It’s funny how the littlest of things get your mind churning our new ideas. Unique plans. Beautiful contemplations. Thank you for being one of the lovely inspirations of my morning. I truly appreciate that more than I can tell you. ❤️
LikeLike
Thank you for such a beautiful compliment, Jo. I’m so grateful to you.
LikeLike
Very much back at ya in the best way honey! 😄 Hugs! Jo
LikeLiked by 1 person
Like you said, my influences are found in all that I see, hear, read, and do. I live in the moment and I am amazed by everything around me each day.
LikeLike
Thank you so much, Lynn.
I’ve spent years answering the question of what influences me and there have been so many times I got frustrated with my own answers, feeling they were often incomplete and contrived to be understood by the questioner. I realized that the first lesson I learned as an artist was to observe the world around me and then to interpret it in my own way. It’s so subjective that it’s beyond any truly sincere explanation to another. So, we now have my answer of all I perceive and I extend that to the viewer with my invitation to express what they see. I’ve come to genuinely love the perceptions of others. It reveals parts of both them and myself. Life is a grand adventure, don’t you think?
LikeLike