Artistic inspiration

Artistic inspiration is often mentioned as some magic thing that just comes to you for unknown reasons. I believe it's a combination of your state of mind an impressions from the outside world. You can get inspiration on your own, and the easiest way seems not to try too hard.

There is a interesting book by Rollo May you shoud read, "The courage to create", that describes how the best ideas come to artists or scientists when they least expect it - walking home, waking up or taking a bath. Or doing the dishes perhaps! The book also describes the danger of mentioning unlimited imagination (set limits for yourself - without borders you don't know where to start).

van Gogh
"Selfportrait",
by Vincent van Gogh

Influence by other art and architecture

I can't think of an artist that isn't interested in what other artists do. We all need our heroes for the things we are passionate about. If you are an artist, think about what influence you have from arthistory and contemporary artists becasue it says a lot about you.

Saenredam, dutch painter
"Interior of the Church of St Bavo in Haarlem",
by Pieter Janszoon Saenredam

My influences

Early on my interest was with the imressionists. Later on I doscovered the early painters, the pioneers using light in their paintings. Exploring the arts and litterature I also gained an interest for som swedish, less known, painters. A list below... but as I wrote, this changes with time.

Surprise - all of them worked with light somehow ;)

Turner, english painter
"The Fighting Téméraire tugged to her last Berth to be broken up",
by J M W Turner

Further reading

Wikipedia has a good article on artistic inspiration, and also for the muses of ancient greek mythology.

Eugene Jansson
"Sunrise over rooftops",
by Eugené Jansson