Inspiration…. it is something that seems to sneak up and tap you quietly on the shoulder to whisper sweet nothings in your ear. It is the idea hidden in an insect’s wing, or a child’s laugh. It appears in that half seen shadow at the corner of your mind.
For some people finding inspiration seems to be a struggle, for others the thought trigger got stuck on go.
Having an abundance of ideas might seem ideal for an artist. And invariably it is better than not having any at all, but it can also be a curse.
I am one of those people with lots of ideas. Some might say too many ideas.
My muse is constantly sitting on my shoulder and shouting in my ear to do this or that. Unfortunately the problem is that I have a lot of interests, and this encourages that screeching witch to continue her rant.
Painting, drawing, sculpting, beading, sewing, collage, pyrography, digital manipulation, lapidary, jewellery making, photography, writing, cooking, gardening, bonsai…. etc, etc.
Ideas for new projects are always near at hand. The quiet moments alone are filled with thoughts and images in my mind for something new and completely fabulous. Quite often however I don’t get the time to devote myself wholeheartedly to these fresh endeavours. This naturally means that I am the queen of half-started projects, and always have at least 3 on the go at any one time.
I love the beginnings of a new idea. That feeling that you are onto some extraordinary design.
And then when something that you have envisaged in your minds’ eye comes to life in your hands it is almost a godlike feeling. You are the origin of this fabulous piece of art. This thing you have fashioned from ideas and magic speaks to you during formation, and then is silent. It speaks to your audience once completed, and then the itch in your ear needs you to start something new again.
Inspiration for me comes in many different forms. I have two young girls and they influence a lot of my work. If I am ever after an idea of something to draw I just have to ask them. I have lost track of the number of butterflies or unicorns I am asked to create. Being children they also have a unique way of looking at the world so some of their ideas are completely off the wall, and sometimes it is just the seed of an idea which I then build up to something else. Like my flying elephant for example.

I also enjoy the outdoors. I grew up in a very small town in the Northern Territory surrounded by bush and beach, and occasionally find that I physically need to spend time amongst the trees or on a beach to help ground me. I collect leaves, feathers, nuts and seeds that spark my imagination for future pieces. Sometimes the actual items I collect become part of the art piece as in my mixed media bird…

Or this leaf…

Having spent a lot of time recently just sitting around, I have been keeping my muse at bay by literally working on 5 different projects at once.  I have 3 pointillism pieces going into an exhibition at the end of the year.  The piece below is titled “Parade of the Planets” and is done completely in pen dots…

Because of the repetitive nature of this work I am working on all three so that I don’t get bored, and just in case, I am constantly within arms’ reach of my sketch book. Which is how the below piece came into being…

Plus with Christmas just around the corner (only 75 days) I thought I would start on a set of cards, so I began doodling some illustration ideas…

Oh and I also have an idea for a childrens’ book I want to write …
And a series of pointillism pieces, done in pyrography, on reclaimed timber…
A steam punk inspired insect drawing …
I also need to finish that collage project …
And I really do need to have my own solo exhibition sometime soon … I have the theme sorted out, I’ve got the ideas …
Can someone find me some more time please …
And in the mean time I will work on silencing the muse ….