Like most creative people I am hugely inspired by the work of other artists and I find that there is nothing like a trip off to a good art gallery to recharge my creative batteries. In the past I have posted about some of my favourite embroidery artists but today I wanted to share with you a handful of other artists that I love and who's work I greatly admire.
I hope that you will find them inspiring as well.
Andy Goldsworthy, leaves
1. Andy Goldsworthy
My love for Andy Goldsworthy's work started when I was back in high school and I found an article about him in an old magazine in the art classroom. The article was only a short black and white profile on the artist but it was enough to wet my appetite and made me seek out more of his amazing natural art instillations. Since then I have collected most of his books and peruse them whenever I am feeling in need of a little inspiration, and they never leave me wanting. Andy Goldsworthy's work makes me see and appreciate the subtleties and inherent beauty of natural forms, things that may otherwise be easily overlooked and I think that may be one of the reasons that I am always working with natural shapes and patterns within my own work.
Bronwyn Oliver, Entwine (2001) Copper 125 x 130 x 110cm
2. Bronwyn Oliver
I have always found the late Bronwyn Olivers intricate and organic metal sculptures facinating. They are brilliantly complex while being beautifully simple at the same time. Her inspiration from natural forms is something that resonates with me and her technical skill with metal is amazing. In particular I love the shadows that her works cast and how these shadows change over time. The main campus of the University of New South Wales has a huge sphere sculpture of Oliver's in it's main walkway. During my university studies, on the rare occasion that I was at the main campus at UNSW I always sat by the sphere sculpture to eat my lunch and was fascinated by its technical construction and perfect form. I have since hunted down as many of her public sculptures that I can - 'Seed' is one of my favourites and it can be found near the main pond in the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens.
Michelle McKinney, Maple Leaves - Stainless steel, brass and copper
3. Michelle McKinney
Michelle McKinney's finely woven metal installations are breathtakingly beautiful. I first discovered her work on Pinterest about a year ago and was instantly hooked. I am drawn to her strikingly simple compositions and her delicate colouring of the metal adds a vibrancy and dimension that seems to effortlessly mimic the natural forms that she replicates. Her Facebook page gives some wonderful behind the scenes shots of her work in the studio.
Kate MccGwire, Secrete (2014), mixed media with magpie feathers, 50 x 110 x 160cm
4. Kate MccGwire
Another recent discovery for me is the meticulously arranged feather instillations of Kate MccGwire. These perfectly constructed sculptures are luminous and seem to have a life of their own. I am in awe of her work and would love to see some it in the flesh one day.
Chris Maynard, Jay Sun Bather, Blue and gold Macau wing feather, 11 x 14 inches
5. Chris Maynard
When I first saw Chris Maynard's cut feather artworks I couldn't believe that such complex and delicate pieces could be cut by human hands. Maynard's in depth research into feathers odiously influences his use of such a medium - he has even produced a beautiful book on the subject (which you can view and purchase here if you are interested)
Do you find any of these artists inspiring?
If you want to see more of any of these artists work simply click on their names in the headings and you will be taken to their websites (or equivalent).
Thanks for stopping by,