What inspires my art.

Can I confess something?  I still feel like a newbie and very much out of place saying I'm "an artist."  Isn't that silly? Truth is, if a friend of mine were living the way I was, leaving little footprints of art here and there-I'd immediately assure them they were most definitely an artist.  Yet when it comes to myself......a shyness there.  I suppose it's because naturally in my mind I just assume everyone surely must think like this.  Doesn't everyone combat stress and fatigue with images of paintings, sketches of silliness?  I sure do.  I wake up thinking about art, I escape there in my mind when things get a bit harried with the girls.  It's my haven that's always only a thought away.  

And then there are those times I get to put my thoughts in motion and create.  I don't do well over-thinking things.  It kills my creativity almost instantly.  I don't mean that I don't like to learn.  I am most certainly an advocate of being a student for life.  I just mean that what I do with my knowledge makes such a difference in my art.  So for example, let's say I've watched several mixed-media videos on youtube and want to try out some new skills, or use a new art medium.  If I stand in front of a canvas thinking exactly how the other artist completed their piece I get easily frustrated.  Instead, I like to mentally run through the possibilities for filling a canvas up and then go for it-not dwelling too much on how another artist might articulate the same concept.

The world right in front of me inspires my art.  The vibrant colors of the garden, the many shapes and motions of the wildflowers, the lines and textures abundantly found on the farm...these all spark ideas in my mind.  Sometimes I'll sketch an idea in a notebook.  Other times I just let it sit in my mind until I feel ready to try it out on canvas or another painting surface.  

My two favorite ways to create right now are on canvas, when I have a whole evening to myself in the craft room and creating quickly on my art journal pages.  As far as having a whole evening to create, it only happens about once a week (if I'm lucky).  I like to go into the studio with no plans to emerge until I'm satisfied creatively.  I usually turn on some music, but sometimes I even love the silence.  This little gal was created during one of those long evenings in the studio.  

 I'm also really enjoying painting different types of pages for my art journal!  I hadn't previously been keeping a journal but noticed a lot of the artists I admire, do.  I asked my artist friend Mary on Instagram (you can find me as sunshinebysara) her opinion on keeping a journal.  She most definitely recommended it and so I started one, just like that.  

 I love these little pages because they're small enough it's ok if I create something I don't like.  Which I totally did on another page but I wasn't brave enough to show you-haha !  I painted a face that was just awful and scary looking.  But no biggie, I simply made a note to myself on that page about where I thought I got too rushed in the creative process and I'll try again another day!  That's the beauty of the art journal.

 This is a tiny peek at life in the studio, a.k.a. "The Craft Room".  

 I stamped some leftover paint from a piece of cardboard on this blank piece of paper and immediately saw wings.  I'm super excited to get back to this page and finish it up sometime this week! 

 I'm really loving this spray ink/paint I got at a local craft warehouse.  It's the most gorgeous peach color.  And those green jars in the background-what beauties! Definitely inspiring my art....

and my decorating for fall! 

 I like to make notes to myself about different techniques I've seen and might like to try.  That way when I feel stuck in the process I can quickly look to see what multiple choice options there are for continuing.  

One of my favorite ways to inspire my art is to wipe or rub leftover paint onto a new canvas and see what emerges.  This is my leftover canvas right now and I'm excited to add a bit more paint here and there on it to see what art just shows up on the piece. 

I'm also hoping to pick an online art course for my birthday (hint: Brett!) 

I have a whole list of them I'd like to take, including these: 

1.) Studying Under the Masters: Portraits

2.) Anything by Juliette Crane

3.) Imagine, Play, Emerge by Mindy Lacefield

4.) Anything by Alisa Burke

What about you?  What inspires your art and have you taken any of these courses? 

Someday soon I should do a video....cause then I could say "see you in the studio"!

What do you think? 

Two more days of this! 

You can even find new things in the shop,

like these: 

8 x 10 print here.

 Greeting card (here) 

Greeting card (here)