Inspiration!!!

(This photo was edited in PSE using the stained glass window option)

Are you inspired yet?!  ;) 


I really love magazines!  While I'm flipping through them I often find a pictures that make me say, 'hmm, that's neat!'.  When I see something I like, I tear it out and keep it in my 'inspiration file':

I use my file to create paintings based off what I like in the photo.  This helps me when I am staring at an intimidating blank canvas.  When I sift through my file and find something that I really like, I keep it in the forefront of my mind and express it in my painting.

Bright orange color and flower shapes

A fancy headed stalk

A punch of purple and an interesting bulb shape

Another way to capture something that catches my eye is to keep my camera ready!  (pun intended!)  When I see a shape or a pattern on TV, I pause the channel and snap a quick pic:

The stems coming off the center of this piece are simple and most likely something that I can recreate without too much of a headache.   


I hope this encourages you to make your own clever inspiration file! 

Do you doodle? Use your drawings to make interesting and original paintings!

The picture on the lined paper is a doodle that I drew and thought looked neat and a little whimsical.  I wanted to make some art for my living room, so I used parts of the drawing to make three paintings.

I really enjoyed this project and felt very clever when I saw the results.  I hope this inspires you to try this. 

To make your own:
Get a canvas-I get mine from Jo Ann's-the Michael's Crafts' ones just don't seem to be as nice and the Jo Ann's ones come in a lot of different sizes and shapes.  Because Jo Ann's offers coupons, do a google search before you go of Jo Ann's coupons-I found some for 40% off!  While at the store grab acrylic paint in a small bottle of a color you love or will match your decor and a bottle of white or a lighter complementing color.  Also grab a smaller brush and a larger spongy brush. 

When you get home paint the canvas the color with the spongy brush.  I painted one coat and let it dry and repeated the process two more times.  While you're waiting for your paint to dry, look through your notebook/whatever you doodle on and find a drawing that you think might be interesting if painted on a canvas.

Before I painted on my doodle in white, I edited my smaller paint brush by first cutting it a little shorter and then I cut it on an angle. 

When I painted my first line I dabbed my paint brush in white and then started from the top of the canvas down.  I started with the highest point of the paint brush and just took my time.  That's it!  Good luck and if you do this project please show me the results!  I can't wait to see how it worked out for you :)