Art inspires art. As artists, we owe a lot to inspiration

from our fellow artists. Five artists in particular have inspired me and my work as an artist, each in different ways. I wanted to share a bit who these were and how exactly they inspired me!

1. JOAN MITCHELL

An Abstract Expressionist painter, Joan Mitchell’s bold, expressive works have been a major source of inspiration for me. Mitchell gained critical and public acclaim in an otherwise male dominated field, and forged her own style of artistic expression.  I love her use of bold colors, lines and negative space, and how she used her abstract work to convey feelings and memories about particular places and things.

2. PABLO PICASSO

It was only until much later in life that I learnt to appreciate Picasso’s work. I admire the way his portraits are painted from a variety of perspectives, and how he always seems to view and interpret subject matter through a fresh lens. With my work, I enjoy taking the abstract and blending it with realism, giving fresh perspectives to my subjects, just as Picasso did.

3. MARGARET KEANE

What strikes me in particular about Margaret Keane is her story. Keane faced a great deal of struggles, not least against her husband taking credit for her work. Against all odds, Keane persevered to become the well known artist she is today. Like Keane, I aim to push through whatever struggles I may face, and make a career out of my art.

4. ANDY WARHOL

Andy Warhol pioneered the visual art movement known as “pop art”, never letting rejection stop him. Warhol’s mentality of constantly moving forward in the face of negativity is something I greatly believe in. In his work, Warhol also explores the relationship between artistic expression using paint and photography, among other things, which is what I’m doing in my current work.

5. MARK ROTHKO

With his sensitivity to color and composition, Mark Rothko greatly inspires me. What is perhaps most striking to me is how Rothko’s work blends seemingly simple color combinations to create something breathtaking. This level of attention to color and texture something I try to similarly achieve in my work. These are inspirations that I also draw from in my own work.

I hope you enjoyed these as much as I did!