Where Inspiration Lives

My daughter lives in northern Sweden. No Stockholm, but north; not far from the arctic circle. It is a different world up here.  From the landscape to their way of life, when I visit I break out of what is familiar to me: what I see, people I meet, even the sunlight (light all summer and dark all winter).  I also get time to spend with my daughter and her family which fills my heart and soul.  So, what does this have to do with art?

So much of my work is focussed on my experiences in nature.  When I’m in Sweden, nature looks and feels so different from what I experience at home in the US in the northeast.  When I’m here I get to hike in different woods with different trees and flowers.  I also get to see those surroundings through the eyes of my grandchildren.  On this visit I took my three year old grandson on a color hunt as we hiked to a lookout which gave us a view of the whole valley.  He found colors in things I might not have seen on my own, like the purple rimmed mushroom pictured here.

I bring these colors and experiences home with me and unpack them in my studio.  That is where the inspiration of my trip has a chance to find a new life in what I create.  I’ve had many trips to Sweden, and each time I come home new work emerges.  These paintings remind me of the joy and peace I experienced in my visit.  

As you go through your day, take a closer look at the things that inspire you.  Does that inspiration come out in art, in memories, in a drive to do something new?  It’s easy to let the little things pass by without notice.  What will you do with the colors you find today?