Let the canvas talk to you …
Recently, one of my artist friends asked me where I get my inspiration from and what my artistic muse is, and I realized how long it has been since I shared my experiences with you.
Inspiration is a strange thing and sometimes it comes when we least expect it. What is most important to me is creating for myself. I don’t try to force a painting if I don’t feel the subject or if the canvas doesn’t react the way I want.
My last story is quite funny. I was preparing two canvases for new paintings using my favourite colours, but I left them unfinished for almost two weeks. In fact, it happens to me often because then I gain a greater perspective on the topic, object, etc. I accidentally placed my painting, which I had prepared for an abstract landscape, on the ground vertically, not horizontally as I had intended to place it on the easel. I turned around to grab my paints, looked at the painting again and saw a parrot smiling at me. In fact, it was just a set of shadows, a fleeting shape but enough to stimulate the imagination. So, the parrot was born…
What I would like to say is that sometimes inspiration is simply a conversation with the canvas, winning perspective. You don’t have to look far, just let yourself be guided.
I also learned that sometimes it is worth isolating ourselves emotionally from the world around us. Someone may say that it is easier said than done, but there are methods to do it. If we lack inspiration, perhaps meditation is some answer to reflecting what is in our soul. It is in moments of quiet contemplation that ideas take root and blossom, giving rise to works of art that resonate with authenticity and sincerity. But please do not misunderstand my intentions as in the process of being an artist we shouldn’t isolate ourself. There is time for everything isolation and collaboration.
Through shared experiences and dialogues, we find new perspectives and fresh insights that enrich our creative endeavours. Whether through mentorship, collaboration with other artists, or feedback from audiences, the exchange of ideas cultivates a fertile ground for innovation and growth.
Inspiration is like a dance between the conscious and the subconscious, the familiar and the unknown, the tangible and the intangible. And yet, despite its elusive nature, inspiration is ever-present, waiting to be discovered in the most unexpected of places.
So my advice for today is have fun, follow your intuition, experiment and just let your canvas talk to you…