We all need inspiration in our lives, whether this comes from other people, music or the flowers in our garden. These moments of stimulation keep us going, they keep our senses heightened and our brains working, helping us to appreciate the world we live in. Admittedly recent times have made positive inspiration more difficult for many but maybe easier for others. More time to walk and explore, more time to take stock of life and perhaps consider what makes us happy, what helps us cope with challenging times in a positive and constructive way.
Art is a fantastic world to explore when looking for or creating inspiration. We can be inspired in art from the detailed emotions of the Old Masters to the stark messages of contemporary art and note many artists along the way whose work inspired. Michel Basquiat was a contemporary artist whose work was completely influenced by his surrounding world and music, “I don’t think about art when I’m working. I try to think about life.”
Most artists take life and re-create, some hoping to convey a message others to convey the beauty of the world around them, Frida Kahlo claimed she painted ‘flowers so they will not die’ – how wonderful that we are then left with so many amazing works of inspiration to appreciate whenever we feel the need, this generosity of artists can be sometimes overlooked.
Kyoto Joy – ‘I was strolling through the geisha district in Kyoto when I came across this couple in traditional dress having their wedding photos taken. They were delirously happy, obviously deeply in love and I hope my painting captures that joy.’
Visual artist Brian Parker’s works take inspiration from so many different areas, from his wardrobe and local docklands to the streets of Japan ‘…You could take a 100 photos walking round London and not one of them would be a good basis for a painting, it’s the artist’s eye that makes the difference….To create the best composition I usually remove details from the scene and I might also adjust the placing of elements within the composition and finally my inspiration is the desire to share my personal view of the world and its beauty with the world.’
‘All the Riches of the World’
To appreciate art we need to appreciate life, to teach our children to see the beauty around them and if they are lucky enough to be encouraged to translate this to art or music or whatever artistic expression they enjoy. Most importantly to be inspired in art and by art is one of the joys of life and something we can constantly refer to, to be inspired.
https://brianparkerartist.co.uk/
LFB
July 2020-07-14
