I recently took a painting trip to %92Quadra Island%92. Quadra Island is one of the Discovery Islands, located between Vancouver Island and the Mainland of British Columbia.

I spent a week in a lovely house overlooking Gowlland Harbour, surrounded by nature and wildlife. This is a regular thing with me. I have a friend who is also an artist and we both like to go away once or twice a year to paint and visit art galleries & art studios. That%92s our way of relaxing, recharging our batteries, finding inspiration and renewing our commitment to our art.

I%92m often asked where I get my inspiration from, how I come up with the ideas that become my paintings. Since I paint mostly abstracts or semi-abstracts, it%92s not immediately obvious where that inspiration comes from.

That%92s a good question. I feel inspired by seeing beautiful things, like a beautiful landscape or sunset, or the delicacy of a flower; but I feel especially inspired when I look at beautiful paintings, that%92s when the urge to paint really hits. That inspiration however does not mean I want to paint THAT beautiful thing I just saw, it just means I want to paint.

Once I get down to painting, it%92s a process of letting go and discovery. I start with applying colour or texture, and then I let things happen. And I keep going, one step at a time, until the painting comes together.

Inspiration is different for everyone. What inspires you? Share your inspiration by clicking on ‘Comments%92 below.

Suzette

Have you ever heard someone say: ‘I don%92t know much about art, but I know what I like?%92 If you%92re like me, you%92ve heard this often. So what does this say? Do people think that you have to have special knowledge to know what good art is? Does it have to be good art for them to like it? What is good art, anyway?

I think that how we react to any piece of art is very personal, and we all react differently. It is completely subjective. Some react to a memory, a scene that reminds them of a happy place, or time. Some react to an emotion, an emotion they feel when they look at a particular painting. Others react to colours, the arrangement and placement of colours on a canvas, whether abstract or representational, that evoke a feeling in them, a sense of ‘Wow, I feel good when I look at this%92. It%92s different for everyone.

The bottom line is, a painting has to speak to you if you%92re going to buy it and live with it. If it does, you will develop a deep attachment to the piece. If it doesn%92t, it will become just another decoration in your house, serving the only purpose of decoration, rather than inspiration. But when it does speak to you, wow!; every time you look at it, you will feel the sense of awe, wonder, happiness, or whatever it is that the piece makes you feel. Is it worth the price? Absolutely.

So does it matter if it%92s good art? Who cares! If you love it, if it speaks to you, then go for it. You won%92t regret it. In fact, you%92ll probably regret it if you don%92t.

What do you think? Please add your comments by clicking on ‘Comments%92 below.

Suzette

The word ‘blog%92 is short for ‘web log%92; it is an online journal. It%92s a way for one person to share thoughts with internet viewers and to invite comments and discussion. I hope mine will prove interesting enough to keep you coming back. And PLEASE, post your comments. I welcome any comments or questions you may have.

In this blog, I hope to share with you what is happening with my work. But more than that, I%92d like to start some discussion going on art topics, like ‘what is art (and who says so)%92, ‘snobbery in the art world%92, ‘original art versus reproductions%92, ‘the difference between prints, copies and reproductions%92, ‘are oils better than acrylics%92, ‘why many people are afraid to buy art%92. (Feel free to suggest topics by posting a comment!!)

So bookmark this page and stay tuned. Look for my first discussion topic in the next day or two.

Suzette