Discover Art Inspiration:
Interviews with Emerging Artists

My father, whom I lost at the age of nine, shared and nurtured my love for nature, for science, and for the cosmos.My mother who believed I was an artist even when I was a child.The books, which were my companions.Michelangelo Buonarroti, who has asked me more questions than anyone else, from the Sistine Chapel: like the image of the Creation of Adam,with God and the angels shaped like a brain on one side, and Adam, depicted with a navel, on the other.The artist Boris Georgiev.My drawing professor at university, who taught me that paper does not grow tired, not until I lose the light in my drawing.The teacher who led me through the history of art, and the one who taught me perspective, who opened the door to the world of Alice in Wonderland.My professor of painting, who showed me the culture of the brushstroke upon canvas, and that art must pass through pain.Pain purifies, clarifies the mind, and connects you with the spirit.All those who have hurt me,and in doing so, gave me cause to reflect and grow.The wisdom of the ages:from Hermes Trismegistus, Lao Tzu, the Teacher Petar Dunov, and many more, I cannot name at this moment.And most of all - to the Creator, who gave us the soul, love, and the sacred chance to carry Him within ourselves.Life, which took away the opportunity to paint for 23 years.I couldn’t repeat what I’ve said - I no longer remember it.

Our beautiful home, Earth. The light in England is warm. The sun gilds the world just as it does in my home country before sunset. This creates a wonderful atmosphere of coziness and warmth. There is an incredible magnetism in the landscape, and when you add the beautiful sky, every moment becomes unique!

The place where light meets shadow.

As a forerunner for pop art and collage maestro it has to be Peter Blake. I think seeing the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club in my teens had a lasting effect on me. He's a reminder to create what I want in whatever medium I chose and having fun in the process.

I'm not sure I could credit any one place as the source of inspiration for what I create, but certainly living in various UK cities has shaped me personally from the people to the music and art scenes reinforces that anything goes.

Like most people I have things that I either love or makes me feel at home but the one thing I couldn't live without and always have lying around are scissors. They spark joy when they're in my hand. It's probably rooted in childhood when you're given a pair with rounded tips to cut up paper. I do remember concentrating at about age 9 while cutting and thinking "I'm really good at this!" Then I think about Matisse in his last years, bedridden but still compelled to make art and it's scissors that he reaches for and creates his iconic cut-outs. While I enjoy the work of collagists who are loose with paper and rip it up, I just can't, I'm too fussy and meticulous, scissors are a bit like the wheel, they do a job well and don't need reinventing but they need me to operate them and give guidance.

Sean James International Mountain guide

Stanage edge and the Peak District

Rock formations

The person who has most inspired my work is my mum.She passed away a couple of years ago, and I didn’t paint for a long time after that. It was like the colour drained out of everything for a while. But eventually, it was painting that helped me find my way back to myself. My Wonder Series came out of that time, I think I was trying to be close to her again, in whatever way I could. She was kind, thoughtful, gentle but powerful, and totally intuitive. So much of the softness, strength, and emotion in my portraits comes from her. Even now, when I paint, I feel her there — in the quiet, in the way I look at a face, in the way I hold space for feeling.She wasn’t an artist, but she taught me how to really see people. And that’s everything.

The place that’s most inspired my work is Moseley, where I was born and raised.Growing up there in the 1980s and 90s, it was this wonderfully bohemian, creative, slightly wild corner of Birmingham. The kind of place where you’d bump into artists, poets, musicians, all just going about their day. It wasn’t showy, it was just in the air. My childhood was full of music, creativity, and community. My dad sang in a folk group, and his friends were all playing in bands or painting or writing. There was always someone doing something inspiring.Moseley taught me how to see beauty in character, to notice the magic in the everyday. It gave me this deep love for people, for stories, for expression. That energy has stayed with me and completely shaped the way I work. It was a place full of heart, and I carry that with me every time I paint.

The object that’s most inspired my work is my dad’s old Yamaha FG180 guitar.It’s the guitar he played all throughout my childhood, he was an incredible guitarist and used to sing Paul Simon songs to us, filling the house with music. That sound, that feeling, is stitched into so many memories for me. After he passed, the guitar became even more precious, not just because it was his, but because it holds his presence. It’s beautifully worn, irreplaceable, and completely full of soul.That guitar reminds me where I come from, a home filled with creativity, expression, and emotion. It reminds me to lead with feeling in everything I make. In many ways, I think it’s become a symbol of why I paint at all, to connect, to feel, to remember.

Lucie Rie - an Austrian born war refugee who became one of the most significant potters in XX century British studio pottery

Kyoto, Japan. In particular the house and studio of Japanese ceramic master, Kawai Kanjiro

Scottish stone balls, intricately carved geometric objects, finest example of Neolithic art, which continue to baffle scientist. Their purpose is still unknown. They show beautiful craftsmanship and symmetry, including five Platonic Solids long before Plato was born.

My dad is the person that has most influenced me in my work so far. At 85 years old, he still looks at his surroundings with a huge curiosity and sensitivity. He is very good at sharing this curiosity, and I have learnt to respect beauty wherever I see it, whatever the shape it takes, through his example.

I am mostly inspired by whatever place I am in at any given time. Because I live and work in South London, the vast majority of my paintings are of that area. When I holiday in my family home in Brittany, I paint the same group of trees I see through the open window. So far I have painted around 60 paintings of these trees. I am not scared of repetition. You can look at the same urban or natural landscape a thousand times and still find novelty and a new kind of beauty.

Oil paint inspires me. I love its texture, smell, colours and potential. I don't tire of it.

I'm a big fan of the so-called 'Outsider' artists so I'd probably go with someone like Henry Darger or Charles Dellschau. They were both very solitary but obsessive in their making, and I think that fact that they were making their art entirely for themselves as something to live vicariously through makes their practices very unique and powerful.

The only thing that really comes to mind is when I was growing up being taken on days out to those big National Trust ancestral homes. A lot of my paintings now take place inside a manor house and I do a lot of cartoony depictions of aristocracy so I don't know if that's been a subconscious source of inspiration.

Probably a bit of a boring answer but I reference books/literature a lot in my work. At the moment I've been reading a lot of Forster, Isherwood, Bowen, stuff like that as I take a lot of imagery from those, then also recently looking at more experimental plays with narrative like Joyce and Danielewski.

Both Detroit and Arcadia, Michigan.

The Great Lakes and dunes.

Water and sand.

Both the philosophical tradition of Chinese painting and Western Surrealist artists such as Salvador Dalí and René Magritte have had a profound influence on my work. I am particularly drawn to the poetic, symbolic qualities of Chinese ink painting, as well as the dreamlike, uncanny imagery found in Surrealism. These influences have shaped my approach to visual storytelling, symbolism, and emotional resonance.

The primeval forest has left a profound impact on me—especially when experienced in contrast to a vast city like Beijing. In the midst of concrete and steel, to suddenly encounter wild, ancient woods is to feel a force greater than ourselves. The forest doesn’t follow human logic or order; it operates by its own mysterious laws. This sense of sublime natural power—the collision between nature and the urban world—inspires me to explore themes of transformation, resistance, and the limits of human control.

One of the most inspiring objects for my work is a thousand-year-old tree deep within a primeval forest. It stands as a silent witness to the rise and fall of dynasties, to generations of human lives, conflicts, and emotions—all of which seem fleeting and powerless in its presence. The tree transcends the human scale of time and emotion. Its form, texture, and quiet endurance remind me that nature contains a kind of wisdom and permanence far beyond our own.

One of the most notable figures who has inspired my work is Paula Rego. Her fearless approach to storytelling, particularly around themes of female experience, power, and psychological complexity, has had a lasting impact on how I think about narrative in art. I admire the way she confronts taboo subjects with tenderness and rage, often using fairy tale or folkloric frameworks to speak to very real emotional truths. Like Rego, I’m drawn to the tension between innocence and violence, and the way domestic spaces can become sites of both safety and control. Her work gives permission to be raw, political, and deeply personal all at once.

A place that has significantly shaped my work is my family home in Wales, particularly the surrounding rural landscape. It’s a space layered with memory, grief, and imagination. The fields, horses, and overgrown gardens often reappear in my work—not as direct representations, but as emotional textures that ground my exploration of childhood, motherhood, and identity. It’s a place where time feels folded, and I often return to it in my practice when exploring how the past lingers in the present.

As for an object, a small ceramic horse I’ve kept since childhood continues to inspire me. It’s chipped and faded, but I return to it again and again in my drawings and paintings. It represents both play and fragility—something once loved and handled, now slightly broken but still standing. For me, it embodies the kind of emotional layering I try to bring to my work: objects that carry memory, narrative, and symbolic weight all at once.

There are a lot, but lately I’ve been really inspired by SF artists like Anna Koak and Maya Fuji, and also Korean artists like Guimi You and Miki Kim. I love how their work feels emotional and personal without being too loud—they say so much through quiet details. It’s made me think more about how I tell stories through mood and memory in my own work.

There’s not really one specific place—but I’d say I’m most inspired by everyday encounters. A passing gesture, something overheard, a quiet moment on the street… those little things often spark something in me. It’s more about the feeling or mood of a moment than a location, and I try to carry that into my work.

I’m usually drawn to small, everyday things, like nature or something I encounter. Nothing too precious, but they stay with me and often find their way into my work in some way.

I'm particularly fond of the work of Mary Abbott.

I'm inspired by flowers, so my garden is a great source of inspiration to me. Big public gardens like Atlanta Botanical Garden is also great - but I can be inspired by roadside weeds just as easily.

People who have inspired my art have been primarily artist throughout history! The work of Dutch artists Rembrandt, Ver Meer and Van Gogh, Japanese artist Hokusai, and American artists Edward Hopper and Andrew Wyeth have been enduring sources of inspirations and study. My current series has led me to the beautiful travel paintings of Edward Lear, which he executed in watercolor and pen and ink. Theses little known works are harbored largely in collections found at Harvard and Princeton.

The bucket list of Georgia natural wonders which has inspired my current painting series includes Providence Canyon, known as "Georgia's Llittle Grand Canyon," the Altamaha River, Georgia's own untamed "Amazon," and Amicalola Falls, the highest waterfall east of the Mississippi. This project excites me because many Georgians are unaware of the spectacular natural wonders that exist right in our very own state!

My studio loft in Downtown Woodstock was directly across the street from the old Woodstock train depot. A beautifully designed building with a red-tiled roof, its colors and lines inspired me to create a painting series in the style of four famous artists; I painted the Depot in the styles of Monet, Van Gogh, Hopper and Wyeth, creating a multi-dimensional look at this lovely structure. My clients loved seeing the different interpretations of the Depot, and enjoyed choosing a print of their favorite.

My dad died around the time that I first started painting. After he died, my art has been a desperate attempt to reflect, to set in stone, to make it known what a good, good man he was. My mom and dad taught me to find beauty everywhere and made me believe I have an ability to interpret and share that beauty in a way that matters.

My back porch in East Atlanta is where I do most of my painting and that setting inspires me a lot-- I'm a mile from the bustling interstate, but nestled in among old growth trees. Atlanta is known for being the city in a forest. I love that duality. Much of my work explores the ideas of living two opposing things at once: grief and joy, aspiration and exhaustion, hope and fear. I always say that my part of Atlanta (East Atlanta Village) is like all the best parts of living in a big city plus all the benefits of living in a small town.

I love trees. They are so symbolic to me. I love looking at trees and drawing and painting them-- not in a realistic way, but trying to represent how they seem to me.

There’s an artist from LA named Kidané. He’s a very talented artist that has showcased a lot of his work online and had the pleasure of doing pieces for many A-list celebrities as a result. Though he and I have different styles, he’s definitely inspired me to be more detailed with my portrait pieces.

Downtown and Midtown Atlanta are areas that have always inspired me from a child to now. There’s so much art all over my city. You can find murals in every tunnel, on almost every building, even inside establishments where you buy food and inside schools. There are works of art everywhere you go, it almost feels inescapable sometimes. It’s also refreshing to know there are so many artists that live around me. Being an artist can get lonely at times, but one stroll through this artsy city really helps with that. It’s almost like your anxiety to create and “ artist block “ disappears after seeing so many different people express themselves in so many different ways.

An object that will always inspire me no matter what is a blank, stretched canvas. I can’t help but think of all the possibilities and ways I can express myself. And knowing my color palette is endless intensifies that drive to create something from nothing.

My father, Henry Birnbrey, is part of every piece I create. He would see an object such as a painting or a piece of furniture or a photograph and say "I can do that" and he did. As a child he gave me the courage to try my hand at everything. He taught me to be fearless and to trust my creative self.

Having lived in Israel for many years, I feel a strong international influence on my pieces. My “Ladies” appear to have stepped out of the local marketplace, be it in Morocco, Italy or Greece. I use textures and objects collected from all over the world including Indian textile stamps, Middle-Eastern trinkets and Chinese jade to enhance the story that each piece tells. Just as our lives are textured by time and experience, layered through joy, love, loss, and surprise and colored by world events and personal experience, so too are my "Ladies" - textured, layered and colored.

I am most inspired by my family. They continue to push me, support me, and celebrate me every step of the way.

Cherrylion Studios in Atlanta. It is a commercial studio where I started taking classes in 2015 and continue to do so today. It is incredibly inspiring to be in the middle of a working commercial studio and also be surrounded by other artists creating.

It’s not an object but the human body, particularly the female form, is a great source of inspiration for me.

The most notable person that has inspired my work is definitely John Singer Sargent. I saw his work in an art museum and it resonated with me. His ability to capture both elegance and energy captivated my mind and still do to this day.

Each year I travel to Paris in January for formal training in classical painting techniques. I find much inspiration on this yearly journey as well as through other travels throughout the year.

I love costumes of all kinds. I believe that imagination and creativity are among the first steps to becoming a better version of yourself. If you can imagine it and dream it then it makes it much more likely that you will achieve it.

I'd have to say Clyfford Still, who has an extraordinary museum dedicated to his work in Denver. He was just an incredibly focused artist, he meticulously cataloged his entire life's work, he didn't give a damn what people thought, nor did he care to explain or even give his paintings names. A true defender of the artistic mind.

My mind. My subconscious. The dream state. Besides that it would be the many museums and art galleries I've visited during my travels. Probable favorite would be Leighton House in Holland Park.

That would have to be the book I found in my grandparents attic. It was printed in the turn of the century and full of large, crisp photographs from around the world. It was in this book that I saw the ruined abbeys and monasteries for the first time. They captured my imagination and sent me on a journey that took me far away from drawing motorcycles and tanks!

My husband, Hohyung, has absolutely been the most notable person. He helped me to pivot from making with a scarcity mindset to making with joy and abundance. For me, I've learned that the only way to allow the work to breathe and be as it should be is to not demand sales from it. Instead, I've sought other work to compliment my artist lifestyle and it's been such a relief and transformation for my practice. Hohyung's steadfast encouragement and love has created a safe space for me to take risks I haven't taken before. He has taught me to learn that failure and discovery and trying new things are all worth it. Nothing is wasted. That has been huge for me.

The Children's Art Centre in Boston's South End has a special grip on my life and artwork. In 1920 it opened its doors and in 2019, I was the last art teacher in the space before it ended art programming. After saying goodbye, I self-published a children's book about the story called The Little Glass Treasure House. It tells the story of Charlotte Dempsey, a woman who taught in the space for 40 years. Since then, I have connected with her extended family and the story continues as we sift through her personal untold biography!

Is it clique to say that the materials themselves are my most notable objects? I discovered making (with real intent and strategy) in High School. Creating images was a way to process my world. It soothed and calmed me like nothing else. Through making with tactical materials - I've strengthened myself, my spirituality and my practice.

David Lynch

Baltimore City, Maryland

Any object is inspiring when viewed in an abstract context.

My dad, probably, who has not only praised my work but encouraged me to push my boundaries when it comes to my work’s variety, and to not confine myself to one artistic style.

My homes in Maryland, which range from bucolic horse pastures to urban Baltimore murals.

This is an odd answer, because I don’t work with ceramics, but, ceramics! They’re so diverse and colorful and textural and I always feel my inner creativity burn whenever I look at those pieces.

Growing up learning from Richard Scarry books has been a life long inspiration. His characters are masterfully full of life and his settings are a wonder to look at in his books.

It’s always hard to pinpoint exact inspiration and they are often changing. If pressed I’d say my dog Minnow is the most inspirational person I know. Also artist like Richard Scarry I’ve found very inspiring. I was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and it is a constant inspiration for my work. I have a copy of Mattias Adolfsson book, “ All in Line” which is my most inspiring object.

I have a copy of Mattias Adolfsson book, “ All in Line” which is my most inspiring object. It is a wonderful collection of his drawings from his journals. It is full of beauty and I draw from it often in my work.

Dance is passionate, physical movement and Misty Copeland embodies that to me. Misty and other dancers are continued inspiration for an ongoing series of artwork being created as monotypes with black printmaking ink.

Jazz would scoop me up at night and put me to bed. My Daddy had an extensive collection of jazz he was always listening to and I enjoyed hearing as I went to sleep at night. I have fond memories of my Daddy and Mother dancing to jazz; my Mother singing along with Nancy Wilson; and Daddy talking to his best friend as they listened to jazz.

I love wood with its textures and patterns so I collect wood puzzles and board games. My latest work, Topography, was produced from Lennox 100, off white, 250 gsm (about 140 lb) neutral pH, acid free paper printed with a 5 foot x 18 inches piece of Luan wood carved out with a Dremel tool. I didn't take away from the natural design but kept the beautiful flow of lines.

Perhaps Monet as he was a gardener and spent many hours in it and his pond, creating it, nourishing, tending to it. Visiting Giverny a few years ago was a unforgettable experience. Monet's abstract impressionistic style working with the light and reflections truly is how I feel in my gardens, my small pond and land. I am connected to God the Creator and I feel His peace when in them.

Living in horse country in scenic Baltimore, Maryland countryside is a daily inspiration to me. Outside my studio thoroughbred horses graze on all sides on my neighbors farms. Being an avid gardener the beauty of wild flowers , the hay fields, foxes, birds that are seen from my property are a constant creative natural resource for my art.I monitor Bluebird nest boxes on our property and witnessing the building of the nests , laying of the eggs and the final flights of the fledglings never gets old!

Birds nests are a constant object I keep returning to, bees, birds, flowers, horses, fox

The person who has most inspired and influenced my artistic journey to date is master pastelist Marla Baggetta. Her modern approach to the landscape and bold use of color have greatly inspired my work, and her teachings have led me to value experimentation and to nurture my own style while focusing on the fundamentals. She has also provided crucial guidance and encouragement, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have studied with her.

I am fortunate to live only steps away from the lush wilderness of Wissahickon Park in Philadelphia, where I spend hours hiking its quiet trails and contemplating its changes throughout the seasons. As a lover of photography, I have also taken many photos of the park, many of which later serve as reference material for my paintings. However, my work is also informed by my memories and experiences, and I prefer emotional expression over a faithful rendering.

I have always been fascinated by trees. Though a Californian by birth, I find myself very at home in the woodlands of Pennsylvania, and trees of all types are often the focus of my landscapes. In addition to beauty, they provide shade, oxygen, sustenance, habitats for wildlife, support for local ecosystems, and a reminder of all we stand to lose if we cannot chart a different ecological course.

I am inspired by the work of Sonia Delaunay. I adore her use of shape and color, and love how her work translates so wonderfully into fashion, illustration, and textiles. Her work is bold, colorful, and so expressive-- I love it!

The most notable place that has inspired my work is anything and everything I can see from an airplane window. I love to see the miniaturized landscapes, shapes, and colors that are visible from so high in the air. The best thing I've seen from an airplane are the salt ponds in San Francisco bay-- they are enormous irregularly shaped ponds of unbelievable color! They are amazing to see from the sky.

I am inspired by the work of Alexander Calder. His mobiles are playful and bright and I love their movement and balance. I adore his use of irregular shapes, and his charming jewelry and sculptures.

I've had so many professors that have helped me along in different ways, this is what inspired me to pursue education. Michael Moore, a retired professor at PAFA taught me so much about the philosophy and spirit behind the creation of art. Kate Moran, a graduate critic of mine was always brutally honest and sincere about my work and always pushed me to be "more specific", a phrase that still sticks in my head today. Two undergraduate professors Jaime Treadwell and Kate Stewart were extremely supportive in my development and have been very supportive in my teaching career as well. Jon Redmond, an incredible observational painter taught me so much about direct painting and painting from life. Last but not least, Brian Magargal, my high school art teacher pushed me to see talent I did not know I had at the time and helped me believe in myself as an artist. So many people! I'm sure I am leaving someone out, I feel very fortunate for all the help I have had along the way.

I am really drawn to the landscape, mountain ranges, horizon lines, etc... The ocean and any open space is always inspirational. More specifically memories of trips to the Southwest, Arizona and New Mexico have been big inspirations for my current work.

I don't know if it is an object but the circle as either a geometric shape, a sun, or a moon has been what my work has mostly revolved around the past two years or so.

Martha Eleen is an artist and teacher living in Toronto, Ontario. I took several of her classes during the COVID-19 lockdowns. She is a phenomenal artist who helped me understand so much about the human figure, autobiographical painting, and the history of women artists. Her influence led me to my explorations of mirrors, reflections, and shadow.

The most notable place that inspires my work is my apartment. I'm focused on how I feel when I am there and translating that onto canvas. The COVID-19 lockdowns created this focus out of necessity, but now I am obsessed with my environment and the intimacy of painting my own home. This focus has allowed me to appreciate where I'm at and brings calm and gratitude to my daily life.

The most notable object that has inspired my work is my bedroom window in Toronto. I was living there when the COVID-19 pandemic began, and this window was my portal to the rest of the world. It was beautiful, gigantic, and west-facing, and it features in most of my paintings during that time. The play of the evening light coming in, the view from it, and the window itself are all subjects. It had an incredible view of the sunset. Because of Lake Ontario, clouds move quickly and impressively through the city. I spent many hours watching the skies out of this window.

Wyanne Thompson

One of my biggest influences recently are the lush gardens in my Philadelphia neighborhood .The colors and patterns of flowers influence and inspire my work. Also spending the winters in the Florida Keys I have been able to paint that tropical flora and fauna as it meets the sea. In the past several years the most notable person that has influenced my fluid floral paintings through her wonderful technique filled workshops is the American artist Wyanne Thompson .

The colors and form of the flower has always been one of my biggest inspirations

While many people influenced my art making, my father probably had the largest impact. There were plenty of times during my life where I strayed away from making. He was always there to gently nudge me back towards that avenue by reminding me of the things I used to do so naturally as a child. "Do you remember sketching paintings at the art museum?" "Have you been drawing lately? You seemed stressed. That always seemed to help." "I see you living in a bright studio in a city with all of your painting supplies in a mess in the corner."He knew (and still knows) that a creative path is the one that best suits my journey. Both of my parents, truly, have walked arm in arm with me even when the route is dark and the map is lost. Both my mother and father have always been there to emphatically support and gently critique, for which I'm so thankful.

When living in Prague, I stopped making work a while and have never felt more disconnected from my creative self. Moving home happened quickly - my life changed drastically in a matter of 10 days. The whirlwind that sent me home ultimately sent me down the path of rediscovering the creative part of my being. Navigating the space of my heart still being in Prague, but my body in a very familiar home became a puzzle that I chose to figure out visually. So, really, I think that place of "in-between" was the most influential space in my creative journey. I had the familiarity of home to allow me to feel comfortable to create, but the emotion and experience from a life I left behind in Europe to draw on when learning how to make for myself again.

I was always scared of ruining sketchbooks early on in my artistic career, thus, I rarely ever used one in my practice. Now my sketchbook provides an amazing place for growth and experimentation. It teaches me to not take my work so seriously. This is a lesson that has impacted not only my work, but my life. Now I am able to bring my sketchbook in public with me while traveling or just waiting - something I could have never imagined I'd do before. This practice adds another layer of enjoyment and curiosity within my every day. A lot of the work I make now exists in my sketchbook and no where else. I'm constantly thinking about the blank pages left and what I can do with them, making my sketchbook a never ending source of inspiration.

Georgia O’Keeffe was the first artist I became full on obsessed with in my freshman year of college. Her way of depicting the landscape, her love of being immersed in the outdoors, her strength and determination.. All of it continues to inspire the way I approach my work and my life.

The Pacific Northwest. Traveling through the Northwest spurred me to begin painting seriously for the first time in years. From my little PNW studio, I can find endless inspiration in from waters of the Puget Sound, to the tall pines and cedars, to the agricultural valleys, to the rugged Olympic and North Cascade mountain ranges and everything in between.

Do mountains count as objects? The North Cascades mountain range is basically our backyard and my husband and I spend as much time as we can hiking, backpacking, and camping in that wilderness. While I don’t paint direct representations of specific places, the North Cascades undoubtedly inspires much of my recent work.

Richard Schmid, Nicolai Fetchin, John Singer Sargent, and Fran’s Bischoff

Where I live, there are so many choices to chose from. All along the California coast from San Diego to Fort Bragg. The inland areas of North San Diego and the hillsides above Santa Barbara are so inspiring it’s almost overwhelming to choose. I am so blessed to be able to be outside in the open air doing what I love.

The rocks and waves of the Pacific Coast

It is hard for me to point to any one person that had inspired my work, as a student of art history I have many that inspire me.

I grew up in Colorado and was always inspired by trips to the "Gardens of the Gods." Now that I live and work in San Diego, CA, I am continually inspired by both the desert and the ocean.

My art over the past 10 years is focused on birds, they are not objects, but they are my muse.

Richard Nixon had a love for the people and the beauty of the state. Not a big fan but he was a human and persevered. Mostly inspired by people, the aforementioned grandmother and a friend/artist that I haven’t talked to in over 20 years, Paul Valadez.

The farming regions of California are inspiring. The production, politics, cultures and sometimes harsh environment expose the beauty of resilience. High mountains surround and separate most of these places that should not be growing people or produce.

Not sure if it is an object, but the desert. The desert is forbidding but clean and welcoming. The things that exist in the desert don’t complain. Circles inspire me and the sky.

It is really difficult to choose one person who has inspired my work, because I admire different styles of artists in different art ages. When I was in college, my favorite artist is Gustav Klimt. While when I was in graduate school, I love Jean-Michel Basquiat. And now, I love Native American and African folk arts from anonymous artists.

New York City is the place that has inspired me a lot. I went to NYC for my second Master Degree and lived there for four and half years. There are so many museums and galleries that show us the best arts. The fashion week brings the most trendy style to the city. There are so many stories happening every street, every corner, everywhere around me. I love observing and learning about this city's multi-cultures, the history, the new things, the buildings... Even though I moved out from NYC, but the experience is always there, inspires me and polishes my art style.

I will say ocean. I grew up in a seaside city in the northeast coast of China and now I live in San Diego, a beautiful seaside city in South California. I love watching waves, and I love drawing them in lines. As you might see in a lot of my artwork, I use a lot of black ink lines to illustrate waves. I enjoy doing that. Sometimes I like to transfer the lines to something else, such as sounds, winds, and connections between two different things.

My Mom, plays a huge roll in inspiring me to not only be a good artist but I good business woman. Artists that have inspired me throughout my life:Many artisans in Peru, Frida Khalo, Picasso, Matisse, Van Gogh

Ever since I could remember I would entertain myself by drawing illustrations that came out of my imagination. As a child I was in love with art, bold colors and handmade details. I grew up in Lima, Peru, a country known for its rich culture and colorful handmade craftsmanship. I was always inspired and around the fashion industry, as my mother was, and still is a successful baby clothing designer.Growing up in Peru, traveling to many different countries, going to school in California, working as a fashion and illustration designer, has all profoundly influenced the way I see the world and as a result, shaped the art I create.

I love being inspired by nature and all its bold colors that make us all feel a certain way.

On a personal level, my grandmother, Carmela, has been the most the influential person for me. From her I learned about the beauty of small things, and the importance of timeless design.

Growing up in a a dry Mediterranean and Desert environment of Southern California, I have always been attracted to greener more lush places and spaces- such as parks, gardens, and forests. I find inspiration in the colors, texture, and movement in these environments from fresh blooms to the trees. Nature is a source I return to again and again.

I am not sure if this could be classified as an object - but leaves and the variety of shapes, sizes, and colors you can find them in.

Wassily Kandinsky played a huge role in my work. My style is not similar to his, but just the way he portrays dancing shapes and builds rhythm in his work has inspired me to think about composition, movement and flow within the lengths of my canvas.

I can definitely say that my entry into the wild world of Abstraction began during my year in Baltimore at the Maryland Institute College of the Art. My creativity was let loose and uninhabited in ways I could have never imagined. A class that really opened my eyes to shifting my perspective on the primary medium I was using, paint, was one called Collage and Assemblage. The simple notion of ripping apart pieces of paper and other random elements and sticking it onto a surface gave me fresh ideas for color combinations, relationships of different forms, and opened up my style to something entirely new. I started painting in a way I had never before, it was more twisted and free....just more abstract than ever.

I have always had a fascination towards winding stairways. I started randomly including it during my final years of undergrad and decided to explore it further when I got to Baltimore for Art School. Something about the unpredictable and infinite nature of stairways is very appealing to me and I constantly think and dream about it and sometimes include it in my work subtly.

The most notable artist that I have been influenced by is William-Adolphe Bouguereau. An exhibition of his work several years ago at the San Diego Museum of Art allowed me to see his masterpieces in person, which I found greatly inspiring.

I would have to say that the most notable place that has inspired my work has been Paris. A trip to the Louvre and the Musee D'Orsay in Paris many years ago strengthened my interest in the classical painting methods and confirmed my love of traditional art.

I am inspired by objects found in nature. Nothing makes me want to paint more than beautiful flowers, trees, fruit, sea shells, and other natural treasures.

I am inspired by so many incredible fiber artists, but in particular I have to shout out Rachel Breuklander, the Lark's Head Shop. She has developed such a unique and distinctive style of macramé with her landscapes, and has started an important conversation about inspiration versus copying in the macramé community. I have been greatly inspired by her landscapes, but like to think that I have put my own spin on the style using different techniques and incorporating weaving.

I am inspired by the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, where I live. My very first macraweave landscape was a lake and mountain image, and from there I dreamed up the San Juan Islands macraweave, the Mt. Rainier macraweave, and from there I developed my signature style! I grew up going to summer camp in the San Juan Islands, and it holds such a special place in my heart.

The most notable person that has inspired my work so far would have to be Emily Jeffords. Hearing Emily's struggling being an emerging artist made me feel less alone and way more determined. Emily inspired me to push past the self doubt and second guessing and create. I may not have continued in my artistic career if it was not for Emily's story.

Recently, I have drawn most of my artistic inspiration from the elements. During the process of creating the "Come to the Water" collection, I liked to describe my practice as a partnership with the elements: we were working together to create the final image. The multitude of alpine lakes in Western Washington or the vast beauty that lies within the coast is where I drew my inspiration this summer. Moving from Mississippi, I had never been around such extravagantly beautiful bodies of water and I felt a calling to explore what water means to me at this stage of my life.

Walking along a pebble beach in the west coast is something indescribable. The sheer number of rocks that sit below our feet, all looking grey and dull at first glance, but they illuminate with color when you take a closer look. I have spent a lot of time studying the shape and naturally occurring colors in the rocks of the west coast.

I attribute my love of art to my parents, especially my mom. Growing up, my parents helped me form a solid artistic background with lots of classes and museum visits. As I child, I got to see my mom blend her technical and artistic expertise, giving me a blueprint for my current activities.

Much of my work is inspired by Japan and its traditional art forms, food, and patterns. I incorporate images from my travels there, as well as memories from growing up Japanese in the US.

I have been heavily inspired by textiles, including woven and stitched fabrics, paper stencils for fabric dying, and various types of yarn-dyed fabrics. This inspiration makes its way into my backgrounds and informs my use of texture.

There has been a steady stream of people who have contributed but probably most notable is Keiko Hara. She was head of the art department at Whitman when I was a student and was very fomative in my decision to follow art as a career.

I really love Skagit Valley. We moved to Camano Island in 1998 and I moved away after graduating highschool (2000). Although my parents no longer live there, I have many fond memories of visiting them and spending time in the valley. There are expansive views of farmfields as well as the Sound and San Juan Islands. It fills me with a similar expansiveness that is very inspiring.

I'm not sure if this is an object, but astrology and the astrological charts of myself and the constant moments in time. It helps me give my feelings validation and also provides a language for the feelings so that I can write about my work with more clarity.

I am completely self-taught so nearly all of my progress has come from standing at the lathe and learning through mistakes. I have had the benefit of social media, however, and world renowned woodturning artists like Mark Sanger (UK) and John Jordan (US) have offered feedback, critique and inspiration over the past few years.

Washington state is--in my opinion--the most beautiful area of the United States and there are hundreds of forests nearby. My wife and I frequently take our kids to Mount Rainier National Park and, although I find inspiration in nearly every forest, it is at Mount Rainier that I find the greatest inspiration and appreciation for trees.

I am most inspired by the women in my family, especially my mom Teresa. She has always pushed me to continue working on my art. She once told me how her parents left Puerto Rico in order to give their children and grandchildren a chance at a better life. How her father was a soldier so she could be a mother so I could be an artist. This is the affirmation I repeat to myself that keeps me grounded and reminds me of the sacrifices made for me to be able to pursue my art.

Puerto Rico is what my art practice centers around and always finds its way back to. I love drawing lush tropical landscapes full of plants native to Puerto Rico such as palm trees and flamboyan flowers. I am inspired by the land, the buildings, my family, the way of life. No nací en Puerto Rico pero Puerto Rico nació en mi.

It’s not an object but nature in general has most inspired my work. Forests and trees, water, the sky, flowers, the color of the clouds at dusk. I almost always include some element of nature in my work.

My father, Charles Smith was a sculptor and designer. Growing up seeing him work was inspirational

Growing up, I spent hours out of doors- mostly in the Pacific Northwest. This meant exploring the woods behind my house, hiking, skiing, kayaking and swimming. Nature has always spoken to me on a deep level. As a child I learned the names of the native plants in the area. As an adult I love the solace I find in the out-of-doors and work to create a visual experience that will carry this feeling to the viewer.

Maybe my brushes and palette knife- good tools are essential to being able to create.

Dame Elizabeth Blackadder DBE RA RSA taught me at Edinburgh College of Art (1982-1986). A quiet, self-effacing person, she would work alongside her students, thus demonstrating her use of watercolour.

The Scottish Highlands, most especially Braemar and its surrounding area, are particular favourites of mine. The views up the valley towards the Linn of Dee with the ever-changing colours and light, rushing waters, forests and many wild flowers, draw me back frequently.

I have a coffee cup (Portmeirion Pomona) which has an image of a deep purple plum and leaves on it. I suppose, as I have my studio coffee in this cup every day, and have done for years, that this could be my most inspiring object!

John Ruskin is my biggest inspiration to date along with some of his companions- JW Turner, William Dyce, William Morris, Francis Chantrey and a few less known artists of his time. These artists inspire me not only in the way they painted but in their general views on society and art. I am also hugely inspired by a living London artist known as Martin Grover. He became a mentor to me over the last few years and has certainly left his mark on my current works.

Sheffield parks are simply wonderful. I moved here a few months ago from London and find myself getting lost in the magic of nature here. I’m very much in love with Graves park and Millhouses brook

The Brooks running through Sheffield

Artist N4T4 from the never-ready crew has been a big part of my painting journey and has been a great source of inspiration and support.

Aside from Sheffield Mexico has been an incredibly inspiring place to go and work. I visit Akumal arts festivals most years and have met some incredible artists and people. It will always have a place in my heart.

I own a cabinet of curiosities which holds memories and small pieces of art its very special to me

My work has been strongly influenced by Yorkshire and its landscape. Early influences were Paul Klee, Nicolas de stael.

Yorkshire wolds

Plants and Natural Forms

David Shepherd was one of the first "how to draw" books I ever had and the David Shepherd Wildlife Competition offers endless inspiration. Once I started using more social media I discovered many artists through instagram and YouTube. Carla Grace and Andrew Tischler are both phenomenal artists who I am constantly inspired by. Most of what I know about painting I learnt from YouTube and Andrew Tischler in particular, though he doesn't regularly depict wildlife has such command of the paint that I cannot help but be inspired by every paining he does!

Cambodia, this was the first place that I started using my art for conservation

Wildlife of all kinds

Can I have two and say my parents? They always inspired me to follow my dream. I loved drawing and painting as a child and always wanted to be an artist when I grew up. Looking back on my school reports my teachers reinforced this by saying that art was all I was interested in. My parents had lots of art books that I used to look at as a child and I was fascinated by the Impressionists and Pre Raphaelites. I am actually distantly related to John Everett Millais. My Mum had a large Turner sunset seascape print that fired my imagination and looking back it must have been a great influence on me. Even as a child I knew I wanted to go to art school. Growing up in the land locked Midlands I always wanted to be near the sea so I chose to go to college in Brighton to do my BA in Fine Art. I never could have done this without their encouragement and support.

Hastings is a wonderful seaside town full of artists, writers and musicians and has the most amazing creative vibe. There's always something quirky and interesting going on from the Green Man Festival and Pirate Day to the Coastal Currents Art Event which showcases artists studios as well as staging exhibitions throughout the town open to all. So for me the inspiration and encouragement I find from living in Hastings has been the best thing to happen to my painting in years!

A sponge! I paint with oil on canvas and often use the paint straight from the tube and mix it on the canvas with my fingers to get a blurry look. With my calm seascapes I like to blend the paint with a sponge to achieve a gradual ombre effect. I don’t draw or sketch before hand, I start work straight on to the canvas as I like to experiment with colour and paint to see what happens. With my more complex sunsets, I tend to layer the paint, starting with a first layer of neon acrylic which can shine though to give light to the picture. Then when that’s dry I build up the oil paint on top to give contrast and texture and blend it with a sponge to get the finished effect I want.

The group of people who have inspired me the most are children. I have worked in a number of schools in a number of roles from technician to head of art as well as visiting schools to work with children on large collaborative projects - their freedom of expression is my biggest inspiration.

I love the Uk and its beautiful and varied scenery and seasons.

My grandad was an artist. He died when I was just three so I never really knew him. When my Grandma died I inherited his art cupboard (which he made) - it was always full of beautiful paper and my happiest memories are of visiting grandma and her getting out the paper for me and my sister to draw and paint on. I still have the cupboard and it inspires me every day to create.

The person who has been the biggest inspiration for my work is probably the artist Alyssa Monks. She's an American oil painter who creates works that feature women in the shower or bath. The way she manages to capture the feeling of water on skin, slick, wet hair and misty steam on glass is truly incredible! Finding her work really made me want to refine and hone my own style and skills when it came to being able to create the look of water by using simply paint alone!

The most memorable place that inspired my paintings is probably Northern Cyprus. Both my family and I used to travel there a lot during childhood summer holidays and would spend much of our time at the beach! Swimming underwater there as a young child felt so magical and nearly dream-like, especially considering that the sea was both warm and clear so it was very much like being cocooned in a secret, safe, watery dimension all by yourself where no one could come and get you. I really try to capture that same feeling in my work now. I do this by using vivid, almost otherworldly colours to recreate that sense of child-like wonder that being submerged sparks within you.

An object that comes to mind that has inspired my love of colour and light is my sister's big bag of marbles that I used to play with all the time as a child. I have fond memories of tipping them onto the carpet, spending hours arranging them, and making complex patterns on the floor. I always used to love the way that the sunlight shone through the vibrantly coloured glass and stained the light into a spectrum of rainbow hues.

I am inspired by everything I come into contact with. My main influence is a desire to examine and understand my experiences. Many artists influence me Ogata Korin, Pierre Bonnard, Oskar Kokoschka, Cy Twombly, Joan Mitchell, to name just a few.

While my works are anchored in figurations, they are not representational or observational but are explorations of feeling awoken by the artist's search for inner meaning.

I find my inspiration in the way nature creates endless variety without judgment on what should or should not be.

My favourite artist is Jackson Pollock, who’s art inspired me to take up painting and selling artwork around 20 years ago after seeing his work close up at the Guggenheim Museum on a trip to New York. I loved the frenzied style of dripping paint and I used to produce abstract art, but this had evolved over the last few years into my current style.

Stokes Croft, in Bristol. This area of Bristol inspires my artwork and I have painted many paintings based on my photography in that area. The area has an ever changing colourful landscape of graffiti and tags on buildings which I reproduce in my artwork, capturing a moment in time.

The spray can. As well as using spray paint for my art, I find discarded spray cans and nozzles fascinating and like miniature pieces of abstract art. I have done some paintings which feature old and rusty spray cans.

John, Singer Sargent, who worked magic with oil paint.

Bridlington: Big beach, big sky, and good chip shops.

The sea and the sky.

Sophie Calle continuously inspires me. Her work focuses on intimacy, voyeurism and the private sphere, and her publicising these topics brings up some interesting concepts. I try to include this in my practice, whether through considering voyeurism directly or considering solitude and who we are when we are alone.

I often draw inner worlds, living rooms, kitchens or the view into someone's window. The home is the most inspiring place for me

Mundane objects are motifs repeated throughout my work. Coffee cups, wine glasses, and books signify the moment of rest, which I usually try to capture.

The most notable person that has inspired my work so far is my mother. Although a predictable answer, I would not be where I am today without her. Having believed at college that the arts would not lead to a successful career I moved towards A levels such as maths, physics, and history. It was after not achieving my desired results that my mum took me to our local art college. I lugged my huge fraying portfolio case (my notable object), which my late granddad gifted me, towards the unexpected administration team. They accepted me on the spot after a short interview with the tutor Jade. I was very apprehensive up until the first day of college when I began the best year of my life at Kingston Art and Design College (my notable place). I not only started my creative path there but I made lifelong friends that are constantly inspiring me, especially my best friend Sophie. I have my mother to thank for this and I will always be beyond grateful for her not giving up on me.

Where I first started my artist career, Kingston Art and Design College.

My huge fraying portfolio case was gifted to me by my late grandad, Jack Lovell. This portfolio case has come to every interview with me since I was 10 years old and is the most notable object that has inspired my work so far. As a now 24-year-old you can imagine the state of it. I believe that it brings me luck and it will always be a treasured item for me.

My teacher at 'A'level is my greatest inspiration. Vincent Wilson is part of the Newlyn/Penryn School of artists, has exhibited in the Royal Academy. He is now 87 years old and still comes to the opening night of all of my exhibitions. I have his work on my walls, and he has mine on his.

I am inspired by people in places rather the places themselves. My greatest find was in Washington Square Park, NYC, where I approached an eccentric looking lady( sat alone on a bench) to ask if I could take a photo to use for a portrait. We chatted away and she turned out to be Claudia Schwalb, artist and art critic for the New York Metropolitan Art Gallery. I painted the portrait and it was bought by a collector in California.

Human form and the character within.

I love Hayao Miyazaki’s works. I think the inspiration of nature in Japan art shows through in all his work.

I’d love to visit Japan one day!

Plants, leaves and blossoms with their delicate forms often inspired me

There are many artistic masters that have inspired me to paint, however if I had to pick one out of the lot, I would have to say Joan Miró. His approach to abstract and shapes has always fascinated me, and his choice of colour palettes is what initially inspired me to take on a colour psychology to understand how colours impact our minds.

The place that has inspired me to paint the most, has been the Okavango Delta in Botswana. I spent a week there in 2019, and fell in love with the fluidity and the colours of life there. From the people to the fauna and flora, many of the wonderful sights there have been portrayed in my works.

I think that the item I've most been inspired by over the years, if I had to choose one, has been a compass. There are so many meanings to a compass, ranging from directions, to emotional and moral stability, to love and family, or to adventure and thrill. I really enjoy finding new ways of integrating it in my artworks. I like to think that it is often one of the symbols that appears in most of my pieces and ties them all together !

The French impressionist painters (especially Monet) were some of my earliest inspiration and I still feel the same way. They way they created influences still how I create today. I also am constantly absorbing from contemporary artists through Instagram, especially Russian and American artists who have such a strong landscape tradition.

The Chiltern hills have been my home for the last 30 years. Classic English countryside of rolling hills with many patches of woodland just to the north of London. This Chilterns are listed as an area of outstanding natural beauty, and its this place that has really given me my focus in recent years.

The most iconic object for me is the bluebell. This simple flower has challenged me, and become a staple subject and what I am most known for as an artist as well.

I am influenced by a lot of different art but someone I remember being exposed to from an early age is Pieter Bruegel the Elder (ca. 1525–1569 the Flemish Renaissance painter and printmaker known for his atmospheric landscapes, peasant scenes and mysterious religious and allegorical paintings. I remember looking at his work and thinking, ‘art is magic.’

My grandparents lived in Llantrisant in Wales and I think visiting this place from a young age had a profound effect on me and my aesthetic. Their garden was full of frogs and flowers and I spent a lot of time out there looking closely at all the small growing things. The journey to their house was full of strange and beautiful landmarks: a fairytale castle popping up through the trees and a statue in the centre of the town of a druid holding a flaming torch and a crescent moon. To my child’s eyes it was a place where things from stories existed in normal, everyday life.

It has to be a book, probably the Quangle Wangle’s Hat by Edward Lear, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury.

Person; L. S. Lowry (and Franz Kafka, and others) who held down a job at the same time as creating art. They stayed grounded with the lives of ordinary people.

I'm interested in the backstreets. The arteries that allow the city to function. The corners we discard things we don't want the world to see. The walls you stare at on a cigarette break. The unintentional traces we leave behind.

I'm fascinated by mundane architecture that is born out of pure functionality, and what this says about how we live. I consider my paintings to be work about people without the people.

I have admired the work of fellow collage artist Kareem Rizk for such a long time. His fresh colour pallete, layering, texture and subject matter really whet my appetite to make something.

Brighton has inspired my work in a big way. The street art containing interesting shapes, overlapping paper and peeling paint can set off an idea. The vibrant buildings in tiny streets have great colour combinations to spark a theme. The sea is my happy place and I like to bring this freedom into my pieces. This place spoils me.

Vintage books are the main object to have inspired my art. As a canvas already written on, stained and torn, they can dictate which direction my work moves in. They are full of history, things I don't know about. Who touched the pages? Who spilled the drink? Now I am putting my stamp on them and framing them to live another life.

Too many to mention all! Kristan Baggaley's approach to art was very inspiring when I first moved to Sheffield. I was very interested in David Hockney's journey to painting The Wolds in Yorkshire and learning about Turner's watercolour techniques. I love contemporary landscape artists such as Janine Baldwin, Rachael Cronin, Robert Newton, Peter Davis (aka aquarelman), and Stephen M. Redpath (aka smrpaintings).

The Peak District, particularly the stretch from Norfolk Arms to the end of Stanage Edge!

Not applicable

I guess David Hockneys work has inspired me the most.

The most notable place has been my friends house in Scotland. I go there twice a year on holidays and this family have been the inspiration for some of my favourite paintings.

The most notable object is my mobile phone. It is very useful for catching the odd serendipitous occurrence which I can then reference and reimagine while making a painting.

Charles Avery

Sheffield

Bricks

David Walker Barker . An artist and friend who had exceptional commitment to his craft as an artist as well as understanding his subject of landscape through geology, history and archeology. He lived in South Yorkshire

St Pauls Cathedral, London

A painting by John Singer Sargent, the Vickers Sisters in Sheffield City Galleries.

I am inspired by people who work with a three-dimensional form - sculptors, jewelers, 3D artists

my workshop inspires me to work

view from the window of Аrarat

Reading Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre" when I was twelve had a profound effect on me and my life as an artist. Bronte's writing from the perspective of Jane— first as a fraught young girl, then as a young woman — and the powerful use of metaphor in her storytelling was deeply influential in how I approach narrative in my work. I believe that my early fascination with the settings, characters, and mood of her book can be evidenced in many of the choices I make in my paintings.

In 2018 I had the opportunity to attend an artist residency at Cow House Studios in Ireland, and traveled around the country afterwards with my sisters. I was so captivated by the landscapes I encountered, that I've probably made more work based on Ireland than any other singular place I've visited. Anytime you see a mossy forest, a rocky landscape, a stone structure, a cliff, or the ocean in my paintings, it was most likely based on an Irish landscape.

Perhaps it's not a singular object, but from a young age I've loved vintage clothing. My fascination likely began with some clothes from the 50s and 60s given to me and my sisters by a family friend to play dress-up with, and from looking at photographs of my mother in her youth wearing pretty dresses and her majorette uniforms. I now not only collect vintage clothes to use as a reference for my paintings, but also have a library of clothing catalogues from the 1940s through the 70s to use as inspiration for my characters.

Too many to mention

The sea, mountains, and the weather that makes our perception of them always in flux

The sea

There are too many artists to mention, but if I had to pick one it would be Pierre Bonnard. His work is complicated (in terms of aesthetic and ethics) and sometimes fails to convey the sense of a dilation of time (which is what he wanted). But it's sheer genius nonetheless and leaps ahead of it's time.

Hampstead Heath and anywhere my children are.

The swimming ponds at Hampstead Heath

I have to choose two people who have inspired my artwork and they are my two children who are simply put, my muses!

I would have to say Cardiff as that's where I got back into making work!

N/A

I find it hard to think of anyone in particular as growing up there wasn't anyone close to me that inspired me. I was drawn to artists from the past like Rembrandt and Degas, which now seems strange considering I don't paint portraits! But I loved how they conveyed emotion and time and their use of light and mood.

I guess it would have to be London, where I lived for half my adult life. I'm still inspired by it even though I left years ago. There's so much history and many stories told through the layers of shops that have come and gone and it always amazes me how it's constantly changing.

An early experience of an art exhibition at the art gallery in The UEA in Norwich really moved me. I was 13 and had to guess the age of a replica of a ballerina sculpture by Edgar Degas. I really connected with her and felt like she was close to my age. I can't get that image out of my head of her looking emotionless. I now realise how much I enjoy connecting with others through my own artwork.

Anna Atkins! She was the first woman to work with the cyanotype process shortly after its invention in 1842. She happened to be a family friend of John Herschel, who invented it. Anna Atkins was a botanist and used cyanotype to illustrate thousands of British plants. She is credited as the first person to produce a book with photographs. When I first came across her it was, everything fell into place for me. I love the historical aspect of this process and how it has been used as a way of teaching people more about the plants around us.

This would be Hornby, the island of my childhood. It is an incredibly special place. It is a very small Gulf Islands on the West Coast of Canada, one of many but for some reason it has attracted quite a unique, creative population. Many of the inhabitants of the island are artists, ceramicists, jewelers or create something with their own hands. I think there is something really special about the process of making something with your hands. I’m trying to spend more and more time here. I find it incredibly inspiring. The pace of life is slow, the nearest supermarket two ferries away, not much to do on a friday night but watch the stars slowly populate the sky and it is a blissful contrast to London. Everywhere you go you are in nature surrounded by forest, sea or sky. Everywhere you look there is so much beauty.

Flowers! It has to be flowers. They are my main inspiration. I base whole collections around just one flower. I grow them, usually as many varieties of one species as I can. I photograph them. I research their medicinal properties, their histories and then I print them- on repeat. Over and over until I feel I have captured their essence. If I have to choose just one flower, it would be the Morning Glory, Ipomoea. They have featured heavily in my work. I love their fleeting nature, the flowers only last a day so you need to be quick to catch their blooms before they fade. You need to be paying attention to nature to be rewarded.

Don Van Vliet , Ailsa Craig, Book.

The island of Ailsa Craig dominated my childhood from the Ayrshire coast.

Book(s). In Particular James Joyce's "Ulysses".

My wife Tanya, who is a creative and offers the best support and advice going.

The World, this planet.

Ditto, the Earth

It's hard to pinpoint who inspires my work the most. It's like therapy to me and I carry an internal dialogue as I paint. My finished paintings are a snapshot of me in that particular point in my life.

I'm torn between the forest on a sunny day and a particularly vibrant wall of graffiti.

I'm always influenced by my past work as an Interior Designer. I use all the elements of design in each piece I make. I'm always thinking about how my art could elevate a room.

The unknown craftsman

Archaeological trenches with nice clean sections.

The Xagħra Twin Seated Figures

When I was studying art in university, I was given an assignment where I had to create a painting in the style of another artist. I chose Daniel Richter from the list offered to us, and exploring his paintings in that way had a huge impact on the development of my personal style of painting.

In 2020 I moved into a very small house in a small town in Quebec called Compton, and it was there during the peak of the pandemic that I developed the style of painting that I create now.

Flowers have had a huge effect on my work, from including them in still lifes to exploring their colours and movement in more abstract paintings. They offer a quality of painterly freedom that I enjoy incorporating into my pieces when I can.

My professor at Cambridge University in the late 1980s, Dalibor Vesely. He introduced me to a philosophical appreciation of the cultural vale of collage.

My purpose designed studio in Portland Oregon which I call 'corpus animus', inside which most of my work has been made over the past 15 years.

Architecture.... I can't pinpoint a single building, but I am intrigued always by how architecture frames the settings of our lives and the possibilities it offers for new and profound human experiences.

Henry Taylor is the most notable artist that has inspired my work so far. His use of color and composition has informed my approach to painting.

My home has inspired my work by being the sanctuary of creative ideas.

My phone is the most notable object that has inspired my work so far because of its ability to connect me with ideas and creative practices globally.

I don't know if I could pick a single person, but overall, the rich history, architecture and landscapes of the US, particularly the West Coast, continue to be my biggest inspiration. I sound like a broken record now, but there's truly no place like Southern California. The quality of light here is unmatched anywhere I've ever been, and the landscape has anything and everything an artist could ask for - natural and manmade.

Los Angeles, California. There is a certain magic in the air here that has never faded for me since I was first introduced to this place years ago. Perhaps part of that is because we've grown up seeing it in the movies, and so it quite literally feels like living in a movie set every day. But most of the people here are active in the arts in some capacity, and have come here to follow a dream, and that energy exists everywhere you go. It's also the most visually-stimulating place I've ever been, and as a painter, I think most of us are clearly visually-stimulated people. The palm-lined streets, distant hills, art deco and Spanish style architecture and those infamous SoCal sunsets are irresistible to paint.

Object? That's a tough one. I'm not sure that you'd count it as an object, but the freeway is perhaps my greatest love. Not only do I find them visually compelling with their bold shapes and sharp edges, it's what they represent that I identify with the most- and that's the open road. Freedom, possibility, and exploration. What waits beyond the horizon to be discovered. I consider myself a wanderer by heart, and so I feel very much at home in my car, windows down, music blasting, on my way to who knows where. As long as it's not where I started. I don't want to imagine what might become of me if I didn't have a change of scenery every so often.

A lot of people have inspired my work and my style, most everyone I love and/or look up to. However, I would say my mother's style and aesthetic has been the largest influence on me. She was a pattern maker and made clothes with a certain whimsical and romantic elegance. Watching and learning how to curate style from her and her craft has been essential in me finding how to translate my own desires into clay.

Something that exists in every place, the sky, especially at night seeing the stars! I am always inspired by how the light changes in the sky through the night and into dawn.

Fruit and flowers have been the most influential objects in my work. The colors, textures, organic shapes and whimsy.

Without a doubt, the most notable person to have inspired my work so far is my daughter. After my time at University I was extremely burnt out. I spent many years trying out other mediums of creative expression, and honestly never thought I’d return to produce illustrative work again. However, after having my first child in 2016, my passion for illustration returned, largely down to the spirit of childhood that she reintroduced into my life. Being surrounded by her beautifully illustrated picture books and witnessing her fascination with them re-sparked my love for the art form and I started there.

The English countryside has to be the most notable source of inspiration for me. Twisting branches, organic textures, hints of magic - the natural world is like creative fuel when I need an inspiration boost.

Books! I am picture-book-obsessed and have quite the collection these days. Some of my favourites are ‘Mum, Me and the Mulberry Tree’ by Tanya Rose & Chuck Groenink, ‘Once Upon A Mermaid’s Tail’ by Beatrice Blue and anything that the incredible Briony May Smith creates is just *chef’s kiss.

Yann Kebbi. I’ve been his fan for a while now and I never loved someone else’s work as much as I love his! I love his playful and such diverse and skillful use of analogue materials in experimental ways.

It isn’t a single location, but rather the new places I visit. For example, my recent one-month residency in Busan or my trip to Rome last summer. The observational drawings I make in these new environments reflect what intrigues me, capturing my perspective as an Asian girl who has spent a lot of time studying broad in western countries. Sometimes, I even see my home country differently even though I’m Korean. I often look back at my sketchbook for inspiration, as it serves as a reference for many of my works.

The most notable object is my most recent sketchbook, which I carried with me in London. The pages not only capture the essence and memory of a place, people, and time but also often serve as references and a foundation for other projects or larger works. It also reminds me of how much I enjoy drawing intuitively.

My late father.

The Suffolk coast.

Mid-century ceramic jugs and cups.

I grew up in a project-centered household with parents who exposed me to art and culture. My mother was an amateur painter. Each summer she took a painting class, and I would tag along. I saw images materialize as she and the other students painted a simple still life. And my father was an amateur photographer. In his basement darkroom I would move exposed photo paper from tray to tray, again watching as black and white images appeared. They were both makers in their own ways.

Summers spent on the Long Island Sound in Clinton, Connecticut, connected me to the ocean landscape. The spatial quality of the horizon and sparkling light on the water are consistent sources for me.

There are too many! If I have to pick just one I would say Henri Rousseau's painting "Sleeping Gypsy".