Thursday, December 11, 2008

The things that inspire our art?



This is my latest hooked creation and offering on ebay.



I think so often about what inspires creation..... What inspires you??? I usually find it in something old in which it's usefulness has past. I find the folks who created the wonderful from so little very fascinating. I love nature, tree's, animals, and flowers. The floral rug here was simply a desire to hook some big flowers from my gathering stack of dyed woolens...lol.

Sometimes I will see a picture on a wall, love the colors and think they should somehow come together in a rug. Dyeing always inspires me, I can usually find a use for all colors somewhere. I am planning a deer rug and have a brown that must become this deer. lol! FUN!

I love antique album quilts, they tell such a story. The rich, yet faded colors are truly wonderful. Antique needlework of any kind always makes me smile. My first "needle love" was crewel embroidery which has now been replaced by my love of hooking. I adore needlepoint, and have spent so many hours cross-stitching, etc... I know they have all influenced my hooking in so many ways.

The love of antiques such as pottery, the shape and colors. Old coverlets are such treasures. Old wood and the aged patina on an oldie but goodie, such as a weather vane. Dried's can even inspire with their colors. One of my favorites is old fraktur's. Old folk art of any kind has value to me. The designs in old butter molds and punched tin are so inspirational.

On the more contemporary side of art, I am a fan of O'Keefe, love her flowers and know they are not primitive per se, but love the colors and am amazed by the size of her work. I am a huge fan of Grandma Moses, her painting always make want hook a pictorial. I have had a Moses calendar up all year and will miss it when 2009 arrives..lol! I find such great value in all of it, old and new. Here are 2 of Grandma Moses's works, very timely too. Just love them! What a life she had.



Sometimes the inspiring thoughts are almost as fun as the project, well almost that is....

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I agree with many of the inspirations that you mentioned, especially the colors and patterns in fracturs. If we look around us there are inspirations and patterns everywhere, from wallpaper to scenic views to hotel bedspreads. All we have to do is look around us. Thanks for reminding us all to open our eyes. Now if only we had the time to make everything we design in our minds!
Lauri