Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Your Art Inspired by Red Barn & Wishing Well

   Enjoy the art inspired by Helen's Painting, Red Barn & Wishing Well
(The inspiration image is at the bottom of this post..)

Julie Brandt: Autumn Grey
Oil on Canvas, 8"x 8"
I wanted to submit Autumn Grey because I was experimenting with greys and autumn colors like are in Helen's Red Barn & Wishing Well.


Sara Harley: Red Boathouse & Pond
Photograph
I pass by this property once or twice each year, and almost always stop to photograph it. This boathouse sits at the edge of a small pond which is big enough for a rowboat or canoe. There is a small acreage with a bright yellow house and red barn and outbuildings. I often wonder who lives there. I wonder if the boathouse is an artist retreat, or perhaps just a get away from the house place. I would love to sit on that porch and look out over the pond in quiet contemplation.



Inspiration Image:  Red Barn & Wishing Well by Helen Eaton

Can an image be poetic? 
My students and I used to use "I wonder..." statements when reading a poem. 
I wonder who owned this barn...
I wonder who dug the well...
I wonder if animals still live here...
I wonder why they painted it red...
I wonder if the water from the well tastes fresh...
I wonder if there is hay in the loft...
I wonder why there is no farm equipment...
I wonder if there's a musty hay-like smell...
I wonder if they had cows... or sheep... or goats... or a donkey...
I wonder if anyone still uses this barn...
I wonder…


Thursday, November 5, 2020

Your Art Inspired by 5 + 1

 Enjoy the art inspired by Sara's Photograph, 5 + 1
(The inspiration image is at the bottom of this post..)

Lynn Hanousek: 5+1+1
Facebook: Lynn Hanousek Designs
Acrylic on Canvas, 5x7

Many of my recent paintings belong to a series entitled “Black Cats and Birds.” When I saw Sara’s 5+1, I chuckled and said to myself, “All it needs is a cat.” So, here it is: 5+1+1.




Nelvia McGrath: Rebirth
Blog:artaccentsbynelvia@gmail.com
Art Journal Page, 8.5 x 11  
Just a couple pieces of drafting tape, a piece of gelli print and a gold leaf butterfly 

I happen to also like minimalism, but rarely practice it.   I guess my motto is “Too much is never enough.”  I had made some gold leafed butterflies for a picture and didn’t end up using them.  So, I decided to keep with my Oriental theme in my new journal project and made Rebirth in a minimal approach.  The butterfly is very symbolic in Japanese culture and signifies metamorphosis and transformation.  It also is a symbol of good luck, prosperity, and for all of us I wish good health.


Helen Eaton: Beethoven's Fifth
Oil on Canvas, 10"x 20"
Sara and I were careful to avoid the word “challenge” as we created Inspiration Collaboration. We didn’t want to give a tone it being work or that participating would be hard. That said, getting my first look (a few days early) of Sara’s 5 + 1 felt like a really big challenge. Here’s my train of thought. What? No way. Ok. I can do this. It’s bold yet beautiful, has power within simplicity...  Five black parallel lines that continue on and a dot/bird.  Sometimes the art fairy shows up like a tinkling of bells and sometimes… 
BaBaBa Baaaaaaaaaaaamph! 
                          BaBaBa Baaaaaaaaaaaaamph!




Inspiration Image:  5 + 1 by Sara Harley
Some people appreciate minimalism, some don’t.
I love the graphic elements of a minimalist image.


Wednesday, November 4, 2020

Your Art Inspired by A Pop of Colour

 Enjoy the art inspired by Sara's Photograph, A Pop of Colour
(The inspiration image is at the bottom of this post..)

Julie Brandt: Fall Leaving
Oil on Canvas
 In the cathedral of winter branches, this lone lovely dogwood leaf shimmied in the cold.  A vision that reminds me of George Dombek’s stained glass window with a solitary cardinal on a limb.  


Deidre Townsend: 
Color of Spring
Acrylic on Canvas

Sara talks about how color can bring us joy. I love color! My son and his girlfriend brought me a bouquet of flowers the other day, and they just made me so happy. I like vivid colors. I usually buy clothes to wear with lots of color because of this. I wanted the joy I found from the color of the flowers to last forever. Painting them allows me to do just that. 




Helen Eaton: A Sprinkle of Color
Oil on Canvas, 6"x 8"

We face a very important choice before we dip... What flavor?
We face another decision after we dip... What will we sprinkle (or pour) on top?
Me? It's cake batter ice cream with almonds and Heath bar sprinkles... or maybe French vanilla with almonds and raspberries... or maybe soft serve vanilla with caramel and Snickers pieces...
What do you choose?


Sheila Strickland: Enjoying My Backyard
Photography
The empty birdbath nestled in the beauty berries makes a nice table for morning tea.  It’s a lovely way to begin the day.


Inspiration Image:  A Pop of Colour  by Sara Harley
November in Nova Scotia is typically grey and dreary, sometimes downright dismal. The pop of bright red crabapples is an unexpected and cheery sight on a rainy day. Isn't it interesting how a simple colour can bring us joy? 

Tuesday, November 3, 2020

Your Art Inspired by Peacock

  Enjoy the art inspired by Helen's Painting, Peacock
(The inspiration image is at the bottom of this post..)

Sara Harley: Guinea Feathers
Photograph
 
I'm not sure how instantly recognizable guinea feathers are to anyone who doesn't live in the country, but they are striking nonetheless. Guineas are not as flamboyant as peacocks, but just as noisy and they do know how to strut their stuff. I used to keep guineas when we lived in the country, and I miss them. Chance had me visiting a country home last weekend. I visited with the guineas, and found these feathers on the ground....souvenirs of country living.

 

Sheila Strickland: Beauties
Scrapbook Page, 12"x 12"
I was inspired to finally use a beautiful piece of cardstock that I had been saving for something special.  Beauty seems to be generational and deserves to be celebrated.  The peacock celebrates his own beauty.



AJ: Peacock Purse
Crochet using Wool
I designed a peacock pattern and made a purse for my daughter using some scrap pastel colored yarn.  Then I made an tablet case for my mom.  I lined the inside of it with scraps from my grandma's (her mother's) fabric stash that I'd inherited.  I was able to make this pattern using tapestry crochet.


Inspiration Image:  Peacock  by Helen Eaton
I’ve been thinking about all the amazing patterns in nature. There’s instant recognition even if we see just a small part of the whole. We know the hexagons of a honeycomb, the swirl of a seashell, the spots on a leopard, the zig-zag of a lightning bolt, the stripes on a zebra, the rings of a tree stump, the scales of a fish, the orb of a spider web, the diamonds on a pineapple skin, and the eye-shaped design on the feathers of a peacock.

Sunday, November 1, 2020

November Inspiration Images

There's a thought, a story, or a memory behind each Inspiration Image.  They are each chosen with the hopes that one of them will give you an idea of your own.  It's a pleasure each month to watch the diverse pieces of art that you create and add to Inspiration Collaboration.  You're come up with art in your photography, oil painting, wood burning, crochet, acrylic, collage, jewelry, pen and ink, colored pencil, floral arrangement, quilting, scrapbook pages, poetry, watercolor... 

Click HERE for instructions on how to submit your work.

We can't wait to see what YOU create this month. Whether this will be your tenth or your first time to add to our collection of art, we welcome you.

November Inspiration 1: Peacock by Helen Eaton

I’ve been thinking about all the amazing patterns in nature. There’s instant recognition even if we see just a small part of the whole. We know the hexagons of a honeycomb, the swirl of a seashell, the spots on a leopard, the zig-zag of a lightning bolt, the stripes on a zebra, the rings of a tree stump, the scales of a fish, the orb of a spider web, the diamonds on a pineapple skin, and the eye-shaped design on the feathers of a peacock.




November Inspiration 2: A Pop of Colour by Sara Harley
November in Nova Scotia is typically grey and dreary, sometimes downright dismal. The pop of bright red crabapples is an unexpected and cheery sight on a rainy day. Isn't it interesting how a simple colour can bring us joy?




October Inspiration 3: Red Barn & Wishing Well by Helen Eaton
Can an image be poetic? 
My students and I used to use "I wonder..." statements when reading a poem. 
I wonder who owned this barn...
I wonder who dug the well...
I wonder if animals still live here...
I wonder why they painted it red...
I wonder if the water from the well tastes fresh...
I wonder if there is hay in the loft...
I wonder why there is no farm equipment...
I wonder if there's a musty hay-like smell...
I wonder if they had cows... or sheep... or goats... or a donkey...
I wonder if anyone still uses this barn...
I wonder…


October Inspiration 4: 5 + 1  by Sara Harley
Some people appreciate minimalism, some don’t.
I love the graphic elements of a minimalist image.