Art inspired by objects
In this post and video I want to talk about how the objects in my life inspire my art.
CONNECTING TO THINGS
I’ve always been super inspired by nature and being outside, trees, organic forms, foliage and flowers. In the last few years though, I have also been fascinated with objects and items in a domestic setting. Art making helps me to connect to myself and the world around me. It is a way to understand who I am and what I am interested in. It is an ongoing conversation with myself which unfurls, develops and evolves.
INSPIRATION IS ALL AROUND
And in recent years a lot of my art has been an exploration of my connection to home and the items that accompany my everyday. The objects and things that I travel through life with.
Why am I so inspired by the domestic?
I’ve been thinking about my relationship to home and the things in it a lot recently.
EMOTIONAL CONNECTION
Over the last couple of years we’ve all spent far more time inside our homes, haven’t we?
When our house flooded and we had to live in hotels for several months, I missed the familiar objects of my day-to-day. The importance of home has perhaps also taken on a different meaning for me since both my parents died. My home now represents a feeling of security and grounded-ness, of roots becoming established.
My home brings together objects and items that I love, which mean something to me, but also just random things I like and enjoy. I like the fact my home contains a layering of things, some with meaning attached, some picked up in a junk shop just because they are interesting or unique.
I came across this quote from Matisse:
“I have worked all my life before the same objects… The object is an actor. A good actor can have a part in ten different plays; an object can play a role in ten different pictures.” Henri Matisse, 1951
The objects we surround ourselves with play a part in our lives, they are actors on our stage. They may reflect who we are, what we love, our taste, our preferences and our experiences. Our things can be a wonderful source of inspiration for our art making because in some way they are a reflection of us…
If you’re looking for an art process to help you create beautiful abstract and semi abstract acrylic paintings from objects in your life, you may like to check out my class Objects to Abstracts: