What Compels An Artist to Create?
Berthe Morisot, “The Cradle”. In French: “Mme Pontillon et sa fille Blanche”, oil on canvas, 46″ x 56″. Photo: Public Domain.
Artists find their inspiration and unique processes from such diverse sources as nature, human nature, universal symbols, iconography, color, fantasies, their emotions and more. This article “Members Share Their Inspiration”, are the replies I received when we asked some of our Artist members what sparks their creativity. I think you will be intrigued by their answers.
Most artists strive for authenticity. As the Impressionist artist Berthe Morisot wrote, “It is important to express oneself… provided the feelings are real and are taken from you own experience.”
Heart, soul and spirit may guide the artist. In the words of the great Ralph Waldo Emerson, “In art, the hand can never execute anything higher than the heart can imagine.”
The power of creative inspiration is unlimited. Eugene Delacroix eloquently reminds us, “What moves men of genius, or rather what inspires their work, is not new ideas, but their obsession with the idea that what has already been said is still not enough.”
The artists’ names will take you to their pages where you can view more of their works of art. Please also visit their websites. Contact them directly to purchase their art.
Banner image: Detail of painting by Mary Chaplin
Kari Bienert
“Meditation and music are vital influences in my work. Each breath, each brushstroke, each note brings me back to the present moment of now. A space where the past and present no longer exist and new experience prevails. Nothing in my works is computer generated or constructed prior to painting. I am drawn to the simple life of monks and their absolute dedication to live in the present without the encumbrance of surplus ‘things’”.
Anne Morrison Rabe
Anne Morrison Rabe captures the magnificent power and beauty of the botanical world. Her macro images transcend the natural realm and hold us in rapture. She explains, “I find peace in nature. My visit to an iris farm after a spring rain provided a respite from the bustling city in the valley far below. I was drawn to this delicate bloom unfolding like a quiet whisper of tranquility, its soft lavender petals cradling gentle shadows of calm. The translucent folds, kissed by droplets of water, evoked hope. Shades of blue and white merged in tranquil harmony, a silent affirmation that beauty will bloom even amidst life’s uncertainties.”
Nancy Staub Laughlin
“I have created a new concept of the ‘still life’ working with pastels on paper and photography. After photographing my ‘stills’, the photograph is used as a reference to complete the final drawing. My newest series, which I refer to as ‘assemblages’, actually incorporates the photograph into the pastel. These dynamic, layered assemblages allow the viewer to enter my world of color, light, dimension and beauty from a different perspective. They are the culmination of many carefully executed steps that define my distinctive creative process.”
Charlotte Shroyer
Charlotte Shroyer paints intense and expressive images of the human face in the context of the universal human experience and historical events. Her contemporary paintings and monotypes reflect her passion for exploring the mind and soul of humanity. She states, “I am inspired by the world—its people, archaeology, and cultures. My favorite authors (i.e., Pamuk, Durrell, Pynchon, Vargas Llosa, and others), who explore duality of personality — what the individual shows to the world and what remains hidden to the world — influence what appears on my canvas.”
Michael Amrose
Michael Amrose’s study of the great photographers of the past and his affiliation with three institutions have shaped his passion for photography. He also explains, “Color, form, shape, and line become my subject speaking to the viewer with a new, independent voice. I consider the semiotic, psychological, and cultural impact on the viewer of specific colors, shapes, lines, and form used when designing my subject. The application of unorthodox photographic and lighting techniques to capture my subject, which incorporates various art types, enables me to move beyond representational images and allows me to explore photography’s capacity to create an abstract experience unencumbered by reality.”
Barbara Rachko
Barbara Rachko uses her large collection of Mexican and Guatemalan folk art – masks, carved wooden animals, papier-mâché figures, and toys – to create one-of-a-kind pastel-on-sandpaper paintings that combine reality and fantasy and depict personal narratives. With each pastel painting Barbara infuses dynamic cultural symbolism and leads viewers to new and profound realms of mystery, discovery and enchantment. She states, “In 2017 I began work on a series called ‘Bolivianos’, using as source material my stunning photographs of a mask exhibition at the Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz.”
Wonderful insight into the inspiration and processes these wonderful artists employ. Thanks for sharing Renee.
Great website and art! Congrats and keep up the great work!
Thank you my dear brother!