What gives me inspiration?
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Having been passionate about the outdoors life for as long as I can remember, I feel that's where the most of my inspiration comes from. Nothing quite beats a crisp winters morning, or the flecked sunshine heat of a summer evening. The natural world has so much beauty to offer that so many people are not fortunate enough to understand or have access to.
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I started following our local pack of hounds as a young child and this did nothing but reinforce my love for the country way of life. Following hounds shows us another side of understanding through education of the countryside. I have learnt so much about the ways of nature, the seasons, colors, smells, feelings, all through, in my eyes, the basic exploration of the world we live in. I find it a very unfortunate thing, that the old ways of understanding, thus allowing for a thriving and balanced countryside ecosystem, are becoming more and more controversial. Human beings have been the main influence on this planet for such a time that to ensure the continuation of thriving species, we must maintain some input.
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There are a number of people i find inspirational who have shown me their ability to capture this beautiful side of life through photography, allowing for influence into composition references, and ideas with color schemes, subjects, and exactly how to capture and portray through paint, the great array of emotions i find and experience.
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I equally find, that to portray emotion, words aren't always necessary. I find the idea of communicating through color fascinating. Different tones to create or suggest a different mood or feeling, and furthermore, the way they are applied to paper or canvas - tight, short brushstrokes, or flowing, lucid, excitable ones, that provide texture, splashes of paint or ink; the fast movement of a flashing memory; they all depict how an artist feels about his or her work, or what their subject matter.
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I would say, of all the artists I've found and studied over the years, be it in detail at school and college, or just an exhibition i have happened upon and passed through in a seaside village, there are 2 resounding ones that i find myself most captivated by.
The first would be the wonderful, awe inspiring British artist that is Tania Still. Tania's work literally gives me shivers. It is sensational. Although somewhat more realistic than anything i would ever hope or aim to achieve, her ability to depict such precision, on a large scale, whilst still allowing each individual brush stroke to be visible in her finished work, is breath taking. (If you haven't seen it yet, please Google her, pronto.) Obviously the subject matter she works with, is so closely related to my main passions, and is indeed such a credit to them, wholeheartedly contributes to my adoration of her work.
The second artist is a chap i stumbled upon whilst studying for my Art GCSE. He's an American based artist called Robert Joyner. In comparison to my work now, his is somewhat more abstract, but what i love the most, is how he still manages to depict, through a congregation of deft, excitable brush strokes, and a rainbow-like color scheme, every subject, or occasion, he is working on. Before i discovered his work, my painting style was a lot more contained. I almost lacked the confidence to push the boundaries a bit, and really portray the passion that went into my work, through it. Since then, I'm not scared to push my own artistic boundaries. I find even now, as my style still develops and I mature as a person and artist, if there's anything different I fancy trying out, even if it turns into a total disaster, I'm not scared to try.
And they do say, in life you should do one thing a day that scares you, so... Game on!