Finding inspiration

Inspiration can come from anywhere at any time although I do have to be looking for it. The things that inspire me are usually related in some way to the natural world. This is often trees and plants in gardens or woodlands or it could be nature finds that I collect when I am out walking. Other times it may be the way in which another artist has responded to something or even a new art material or technique that I am trying out.

Leaves and berries found on an autumn walk

Nature

Plants are a constant source of interest for me because they often change their appearance with the seasons. Autumn is my favourite time of the year to go on nature walks in the woods and collect the treasure that mother nature has left for me. Tiny acorns and seed cases are fun to look for as well as beautiful autumn leaves. I take care not to collect more than I need to record my trip. When I get home, I enjoy drawing items from my collection of treasures in order to record their shapes and colours for future reference.

It is also enjoyable to look for treasure on the beach. I don’t go to the coast very often but, when I do, I enjoy a bit of time spent beachcombing for treasures from the sea. Shells and pebbles found on the seashore will often display interesting colours and marks from their time in the water which are interesting to record in my sketchbook.

Even in winter, when it is damp and cold outside, there are treasures to be found. The structure of bare stems and seed heads silhouetted against the diffused light of the winter sky can be beautiful and ivy and rosemary produce beautiful winter dyes in the dyepot.

Seedheads photographed on a walk

Other artists

The work of other artists is another constant source of inspiration. It could be a piece of work directly or it could be a process that the artist has used to make it. In some cases I take inspiration from the subject matter of a piece of artwork and other times it could be the way in which an artist uses line or colour to convey movement or emotion or the compositional elements of a piece.

It is important when taking inspiration from other artists not to copy their work beyond learning a technique. If I am drawn to a piece of art I will study it to work out what it is about it that appeals to me. Then I will write about my discoveries in my journal. I ask myself the questions; What is it that appeals to me? Why does it appeal to me? Can this idea be used in my own work? If so, how can I use it?

Artist inspiration sketchbook

Materials

For me, this is less of an inspiration than nature and other artists’ work but I know that for some people an exploration of the materials that they use can be the main inspiration for the work that they make. My own experience of this would be eco printing and natural dyeing. The leaves and plants that I use create a design or colour that I can then work with when creating quilts and embroideries.

The way in which different materials behave create different effects on the page. Ink can create washes or lines with a lot of movement whereas my pencil drawing has more precise and solid lines. The speed at which I work will also have a bearing on the appearance of my work, hand embroidery and patchwork are usually both slow and gentle processes but painting and drawing can be done quite quickly or at a slower pace depending on what I am trying to record.

Experimenting with different materials on a sketchbook page