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| Orange & Yellow Sherbet Cone, acrylic on panel, 16" x 12". |
I thought I'd share a quick post this morning, to get myself back in the groove of sharing on my blog. It's just some thoughts on finding inspiration for your painting, or at least where I find mine.
There's a very famous saying from the amazing artist Chuck Close: "Inspiration is amateurs. The rest of us just show up and get to work." I do certainly believe this. I don't wait for lighting to strike before I start on a project. I work every day no matter what my mood is. But when I think about inspiration, it's not so much about being inspired to begin an individual project. Instead, I try to open myself to inspiration all day every day, so that the ideas and designs start to naturally percolate in my little brain. Then, once I'm started on something, I try to find a bit of inspiration around me to help me keep things going.
For me, finding ways to get inspired every day doesn't mean traveling far away or having grand experiences. I'm a collector, I like vintage items, and so I like to surround myself with things I love in my home so that each time I see them, I feel a little bit uplifted. Though it may be surprising, I actually have a lovely collection of vintage items from McDonald's.
Now, I haven't eaten McDonald's food in many years, but I love the toys and marketing promotions from decades past - long past, like 70s and 80s. I have pleasant and happy memories of the occasional trip to McDonald's with my family, or when my aunt worked there in the late 70s and early 80s and would bring the Happy Meal Toys home to my sister and me.
Not too long ago, my husband bought me a vintage McDonald's mug, from 1977, that was exactly like a mug my grandpap used to have. I suspect it was something my aunt had brought to him, but I always remember it being in my grandparents' kitchen.
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| Vintage 1977 McDonald's mug. |
When I was working on the reference image files for the Orange & Yellow Sherbet Cone, this mug was sitting on a shelf within my eyesight. Not only did the colors coordinate exactly with my painting, which ultimately helped me select and edit the final reference photo in my Photoshop program, but the cheerful presentation kept reminding me to keep the piece happy and cheerful as I painted it, so that every day it seemed like it was saying, "Good Morning!".
Anyway, I hope the painting makes you smile and maybe feel a bit uplifted. Thanks so much for stopping by! Painting is available at Hidell Brooks Gallery.
