Creatives That Inspire Me

Feeling inspired lately? Me? Honestly, I've been in and out of a creative funk the last couple weeks. So I've been looking for some inspiration. And there are some creative folks that really do it for me. So I thought I would take a moment today to share just a few of my absolute favorites with you. Ready for some serious eye-candy? Check this out... 1. Nikki McClure Nikki McClure is one of my all-time favorite artists. She does amazingly intricate paper-cuts of scenes that are near and dear to my heart - often centered around family, motherhood, nature and living a simple, community-focused, home-grown, Pacific Northwest lifestyle. I love her simple one-word sentiments and the fact that she clearly walks her talk. She is not just making art around these values - she is living them. She is an independent artist, and despite being wildly successful and popular, she keeps it that way by producing most of her own products and selling them through her local "Buy Olympia" vendor. 2. Martha Vinograd Marty Vinograd was my amazing grandmother - a beautiful soul and fabulous collage artist. She was and still is my hero and the person who inspired me to take up this medium with my art. She mostly did portraits of some famous individuals ranging from William Faulker to Tina Turner and many political figures. She also had a very popular series of unique trees. I am grateful to have her "fortune tree" in my home that features a fortune cookie fortune on each leaf. She had an amazing eye and would find totally fascinating uses for an eclectic assortment of found objects, textures and materials. My grandmother left this world last summer and not a day goes by that I don't think of her and miss her immensely. 3. David Hockney I have loved David Hockney's work since I was first introduced to him by my Dad while I was in high school. He has a broad portfolio with mufti-faceted styles and mediums. Some of my favorites are his photo collages like the one pictured above. I am also drawn to the vibrant color pallet that so indicative of his signature painting style. If you're not familiar with is work, I urge you to go take a peek at his portfolio. Be sure to check out his recent work done on an iPad too! Beautiful! 4. Flora Bowley Flora Bowley just came onto my radar a few years ago, but when she did - boy did she wow me. The layers upon layers of paint in her images make them rich and intriguing. I love her totally unique style, her process and her values. Again, I am so inspired by her as a person (or what I know of her as a person from interviews and web stuff), that her beautiful art is icing on the cake. She is another creative who really seems to walk her talk. She listens to her soul and acts from there. It really shines through everything she does - form where she shows her art to how she markets her classes. And she's a Portland gal. What's not to love? 5. Mother Nature And no post about those that inspire me would be complete without paying tribute to the biggest sources of inspiration in my life - Mother Nature. The beauty in every facet of nature never ceases to amaze me. I could name a million examples... How about the beautiful complexity of the human body and its ability to heal, create and develop a baby, adapt, learn, support, intuit and connect? Or what about the capacity for all of the systems and life forms on the planet to support and depend on one another? Or maybe the simple beauty found in a drop of water, a grain of sand or the night sky? She is my ultimate source of inspiration - in my creative endeavors and in all other aspects of my life. I'd love to hear about those that inspire you. Please leave a comment below!