WHAT INSPIRES YOU? Q & A W/ ART VANCOUVER ARTISTS

It’s a question that most artists regularly hear, “What inspires you as an Artist?”

Inspiration is a curious idea. The amount of influences that can affect the nature and creativity of an artist’s work is countless, and to pinpoint a true inspiration is difficult, to say the least.

Yet, it is without question that each artist has their own unique set of influences that brings inspiration to their artwork. This range of diversity has led me to creation of this particular Q&A.

I asked some of Art! Vancouver’s registered artists “What would you say inspires you as an Artist?”, and here are just some of the answers I have received.

Becca Drach: “My art is completely internally driven, it is about my emotions and passions of the moment. I personally think all great art is produced this way… whether if it is an abstract, landscape or figure.”

Dominique Bieger: “What inspires me? Well, an art critic in Milan recently stated, after looking at my art collection: “this is a journey into the human soul embedded in a never ending journey around the globe”. Exploring the human mind and soul inspires me constantly. I am good at observing and studying people. I link those inputs to my impressions from my frequent moves; sometimes it is just the looking into a face and there I have a feeling I want to draw and turn into a mosaic; sometimes it is the memory or an area I used to live or work in, maybe a childhood memory, and another drawing takes place and a new mosaic is being created.”

Serge Dube: “Nothing in the outside world inspires me; I go inside my self and then it come out. I use a lots of the ‘out-there’ elements, the mountain, sea, sky , landscape and other element to express what’s going on inside of me. It is not the other way around; I do not go see other exhibits or museums, I do not surf the internet to see what others do, all of my life I tried to stay with out any influence from the outside world.”

Patricia Banks: “I am influenced and inspired by the magnificence and splendor of the natural environment. I seek to stimulate my viewers’ emotions through the passion I feel when I am immersed in nature; whether by the beauty of a single flower in a still life, or by a panoramic wild coastline scene. I am intrigued by the fleeting balance between strength and fragility in nature and I seek to create feelings of tranquility and balance in my paintings. By capturing light and movement, I lead my viewers to pause and reflect, and to feel as if they are there, in the moment.”

Teyjah McAren: “What inspires and influences both my artwork and myself is mystery.  I have always had an inquisitive and curious mind.  Exploring caves, hiking to hidden areas and traveling to culturally diverse areas intrigues me. There’s nothing more captivating than to learn the legends and lore of an area and to meet the locals. It is this thirst for knowledge, these meetings of the mind and the quest for the enigma that is rock art that keeps me energized.

So why symbols and why rock art? The allure, for me, lies in the word “communication”. What were these ancient cultures attempting to communicate? Why did they feel the need to leave these symbols? Do these symbols have a universal meaning?

Standing before these cave walls or cliff faces ornate with designs and symbols mystifies and nurtures me. These rocks speak to me…”

Tatianna O’Donnell: “What inspires me…..I was first inspired as a young girl by the beautiful work I saw in museums and galleries, in particular Van Gogh and Picasso. Now I paint because I cannot not paint. It is a lifelong passion that must be exercised. Painting keeps me centered as a human being.”

Greg Navratil: “Nature inspires my work. Completing a painting inspires me to do another.”

Christine Allan: “I never know how to answer the question what inspires me as an artist; because I am inspired by so many things. When I was young I was inspired by Van Gogh and I am still inspired by artists of the past. I have read quite a bit about artists and their lives and I feel a connection to them. I would have to say that I am inspired by a need to express myself in a way that I am not able to with words.”

David Tycho: “My work is inspired by my environment and my response to it. My paintings range from works inspired by pristine wilderness mountains, glaciers, rivers, lakes, beaches, deserts and forests, to works inspired by urban sprawl. I do a lot of walking, hiking and cycling, and I am very aware of my surroundings, often taking photos or making mental notes of forms, colours, lines, tones and the general atmosphere of a particular place. I have also been inspired by great art and artists, from the New York abstract expressionists, to my university instructor Gordon Smith, to Japanese calligraphers.”

If you are an artist, what inspires you? Feel free to leave a comment below and let us know.