Images to keep me Inspired

Since I've been getting myself into high gear in order to get work done for the show (or, ore importantly, in time to be framed for the show), I've been thinking a lot about where my inspiration comes from. I've decided to post some images and links so that I can share some of my interests. I also figured it might help me to compile some of these things in one place so that as I'm working, I can refer back here and feel...I don't know, more creative? The work that I do differs - in some ways greatly - from each of the artists below, but I find their work compelling. I've really enjoyed compiling all of the images and links for this post, so I think this is something I'd like to keep doing on a (semi?) regular basis.
After hitting "publish post", I have to go straight back to work - but this has been a fun, inspiring, and much needed distraction.




Sara Cwynar's design work makes me wish I had done a degree in design. Well, it's not just her work that makes me wish that, but it certainly helps.



Noel Rodo-Vankeulen and Rob Canali's Atmospheres & Illuminations book project is an in progress work that I had the pleasure of seeing an early version of when I had class with both of them this past year. The photographs are of many different things, but are all light and ephemeral - of things that are fleeting, such as clouds in the sky or the reflection of light in a mirror. They combine original photographs in colour and black and white - and almost exclusively analog - with found images. Even though I moved well away from photography this year, I still (and will always) find those that can do interesting things with it to be inspiring.



Lately I've been using a lot of text in my work, and like Sophie Blackall's "Missed Connections" ongoing series, it has had to do with relationships. The relationships in my work are always ones that are ending, or just on the verge of ending, so the optimistic nature of these works is always fun to see. Reading craigslist missed connections in real life is always a little depressing, but she turns them into something whimsical and hopeful.



I can't remember exactly how and when I came across Kate Wilson's Etsy, but since I've been on a bird kick lately, her work has been great to look at. It's so whimsical and beautifully done. I have never seen birds look so cute, not even in real life. But then again, I've never seen a bird with a cupcake on it's head.



Speaking of birds, I found this image on a blog I frequent that features photography in many different styles, from many photographers including the blogger herself. The blog is in Dutch, so I generally have no idea what her posts are about. Luckily, her posts always feature tons of great phtos of hip European people and places for me to ogle. I chose this photo because I my post last week about my (lack of) studio. I feel like if just had a sweet yellow room with birds all over the place I'd be set.



Another room for me to wish i lived in. Don't get me wrong, I love my apartment, but lack of time and money makes interior decorating another one of those things that I just kinda dream about. I like to think I won't be poor forever, but at least looking at pretty pictures is free! I found this pretty, symmetrical little gem here.


Charmaine Olivia's beautiful paintings and illustrations are always a pleasure to look at. Her portraits and figures, such as the one above, and her patterning and animals are always a joy to look at. I enjoy how the figures have a certain level of realism (most likely the hyper-detail in the facial features) that makes her work quite striking when combined with her gorgeous stylization.

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I'll be posting my regular stuff tomorrow. I've been drawing all day (with less to show for it than I'd hoped) but I'm spending the rest of the evening, and all day tomorrow working on show stuff too. I've also very recently (aka Thursday) made a huge decision concerning this coming year, and my future in general. I'll go on about it more when everything falls (a little more) into place. I've had a lot on my mind in last few days, but the show isn't getting any farther away. So, until tomorrow.