Your Art Inspired by Basket of Peaches

 Enjoy the art inspired by Helen's painting, Basket of Peaches.

(The Inspiration Image is at the bottom of this post.)

Sara Harley: Balancing Act

Photograph

@saraharley.studio

Helen's inspiration prompts always manage to stretch my creative mind and get me thinking outside my usual photographic box. In response to her peaches spilling out of a basket, I decided to stack my peaches. Without the aid of photoshop, I managed a stack of five. However, I preferred this image of four (there is one unseen in the sugar bowl). It took many tries to achieve the balancing act, and I have been eating many bruised peaches!

Basket of Peaches  by Helen Eaton

There's just something about a basket of fresh peaches that gets me every time.  I want to pick one up and take a deep breath to smell it.  If you see beautiful peaches in the grocery store, go ahead... sniff one.  If you don't smell a thing, put it right back where you found it. If the vendor at the farmers' market has peaches, go ahead... smell them. Then hand him your money and let him put them into your reusable cloth bag.

 

Your Art Inspired by Cottage Garden

     Enjoy the art inspired by Sara's image, Cottage Garden.

(The Inspiration Image is at the bottom of this post.)

Jeanne King: Who Lives in the Garden?

Photograph

Like Sara, gardens and gardeners are fascinating to me. I love the thought of all of the creatures that live in a garden. From the tiniest spider to the huge praying mantis, there is a whole community thriving among the flowers.

Julie Brandt: Santa Fe Garden

Oil on Canvas

Blog: https://www.etsy.com/shop/JujuBeePaints

Sarah’s and Helen’s depictions of a window with a garden in front made me think of these very colorful Santa Fe windows and these hollyhocks.  I always want to go to New Mexico this time of year, and painting this helped me to be there in spirit.

Helen Eaton: Cottage Flowers

Oil on Canvas, 8"x 10"

Blog: https://wordweaverart.blogspot.com/

Each month I study Sara's Inspiration Image and thoughts then wait for an idea to come.  This month I kept being pulled back to her photograph.  It featured my favorite color combination: green, purple, and turquoise.  It held a story that made me wonder and made my mind wander. It fit my favorite descriptive combination: Elegance within simplicity.

I just had to spend time more time with this image.  Her image intended for inspiration became my reference photo.

Gardening is one of my hobbies, and I enjoy looking at them as well. Flower gardens, vegetable gardens, formal gardens, cottage gardens, and everything in between. The personality of the gardener shines through every time.

August 2021 - Inspiration Images

Enjoy seeing and reading about each of the Inspiration Images for this month. Take a moment with each of the Inspiration Images below.  Do you come back to one of them? Is there one that makes you think? Is there one that causes you to want to create something of your own?  The diversity of submissions is what makes Inspiration Collaboration unique.  They can be art created through work with paint, yarn, glass, stone, pen, paper, words, fabric, photography... There's no limit to the possibilities.

Click HERE for instructions on how to submit your work.

We love the community of artists that makes up Inspiration Collaboration. If you haven't in a while, scroll back through the blog posts and enjoy all the art YOU have created! We look forward to seeing what you create this month!

August Inspiration 1: Basket of Peaches by Helen Eaton

There's just something about a basket of fresh peaches that gets me every time.  I want to pick one up and take a deep breath to smell it.  If you see beautiful peaches in the grocery store, go ahead... sniff one.  If you don't smell a thing, put it right back where you found it. If the vendor at the farmers' market has peaches, go ahead... smell them. Then hand him your money and let him put them into your reusable cloth bag.

August Inspiration 2: Cottage Garden by Sara Harley

Gardening is one of my hobbies, and I enjoy looking at them as well. Flower gardens, vegetable gardens, formal gardens, cottage gardens, and everything in between. The personality of the gardener shines through every time.

Your Art Inspired by Gently Down the Stream

 Enjoy the art inspired by Helen's painting, Gently Down the Stream.

(The Inspiration Image is at the bottom of this post.)

Nelvia McGrath: Sunning

Watercolor Sketch

@nelviamcgrath

Lazing in the boat on a sunny afternoon in the heat and humidity of the dog days of summer made me think of when we lived in Florida.  It was so entertaining to watch the herons stalk fish and enjoy a sunny day while getting dinner.   Things were slow and life was easy!!

Julie Brandt: Paddling on the Buffalo

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JujuBeePaints

I love the view Helen painted in Gently Down the Stream.  
On a boat or raft on the river is my kind of fun.

Sara Harley: All Tied Up

Photographic Art

@saraharley.studio

A recent day trip to South Western Nova Scotia took us to Dennis Point, home to the largest commercial fishing wharf in Atlantic Canada. After a tasty lunch of the freshest fish around, we headed to the wharf so I could take photographs. With  Helen’s inspiration painting in mind, I concentrated on the bows of the fishing boats. I then became photo obsessed with the patterns of the ropes.

July Inspiration: Gently Down the Stream by Helen Eaton

Every so often a near-perfect day happens. The to-do list is blank, the weather is great, the scenery is beautiful, and the company is right.
When one of those elusive days comes along, embrace it fully!

Your Art Inspired by Laundry Dance

    Enjoy the art inspired by Sara's image, Laundry Dance.

(The Inspiration Image is at the bottom of this post.)

Jeanne King: Clothespin

Drawing with lettering, Pencil and brush marker

This piece was inspired by Sara’s photograph of laundry blowing on the line. Can’t hang laundry without clothespins!

Helen Eaton: Clothes on the Line

Oil on Canvas, 11"x 14"

Blog: https://wordweaverart.blogspot.com/

An image like this makes me want to slow down, have a seat on the porch that's surely on the front side of this cabin, and then listen to some stories about way back when.

Life always seems more carefree in the sunny days of summer. Blue skies, warm breezes, and laundry dancing on the line.

July 2021 - Inspiration Images

Savor each of the Inspiration Images below.  Take a moment to read the thoughts for each one.  Which one can you relate to? Which one hits a chord with you?  Which one calls to you and invites you to create?

  

Artistic submissions can (and should) be diverse and varied.  You may choose to submit a work of mixed media, collage, written verse, sculpture, embroidery, acrylic painting, stained glass, charcoal  drawing, oil painting, or something we haven't even thought of.

Click HERE for instructions on how to submit your work.

It's July!  That means we've been sharing our creativity together for half of this year! It's amazing to scroll through and see all the art you've done! Every submissions brings a smile and opportunity to stop and appreciate.  We appreciate you and your at!  We can't wait to see what YOU send in this month!

July Inspiration 1: Laundry Dance by Sara Harley

Life always seems more carefree in the sunny days of summer. Blue skies, warm breezes, and laundry dancing on the line.

July Inspiration 2: Gently Down the Stream by Helen Eaton

Every so often a near-perfect day happens. The to-do list is blank, the weather is great, the scenery is beautiful, and the company is right.
When one of those elusive days comes along, embrace it fully!

Your Art Inspired by Smoky Mountain Stream

Enjoy the art inspired by Helen's painting, Smoky Mountain Stream.

(The Inspiration Image is at the bottom of this post.)

Jeanne King: Peace Like a River

Ink and Colored Pencils

Helen’s comments on her painting included the song title, “Peace Like a River.” Whenever I see those words, I can hear the song. May we all come to know such peace. 

Sara Harley: Reflections in the Stream

Photograph

@saraharley.studio

I walk through our local trails every day, and every day I look for reflections in the stream that winds through the park. It amazes me how many different views I can find at the same  location. For this image I tried to capture the beautiful blues and greens, similar to Helen’s painting.

June Inspiration 1:Smoky Mountain Stream by Helen Eaton

Whether it's a river, creek, brook, or stream, I want to watch it for a while.  The person who wrote "Peace Like a River" must have felt the same way. There's something soothing to the soul about watching and listening to water trickle and tumble over stones.