Inspiration...

As an artist, inspiration can hit me in many, many ways:  the big, goofy guy on an itty-bitty bike is a caricature just waiting to happen.  The way the  light during the "golden hour" hits the edge of my daughter's curls is inspiration for a dramatic painting filled with glimmering hues. 

But the one thing that always has and always will inspire me is music. I can always trust music to provide a spark and a jumping off point for a new piece of art. Just one line from a song coupled with the music itself can set the stage for a great dramatic painting. 

I also use music as a soundtrack for my projects. I look for music that suits the mood for a piece I'm working on and use it to inspire the images. When I worked on the pop-up book "Three Billy Goats Gruff" (Top That! Publishing, 2012) for example, the soundtrack for the movie "Oh Brother,  Where Art Thou" pretty much played on a continuous loop through my headphones. Bluegrass music just seemed to fit oh, so well!

And when I'm in a pinch and the deadline looms near, super-fast music is the way to go! I'll throw on some speed death metal to inspire that paintbrush (or tablet pen) to really get moving! Okay, well maybe not speed death metal, but some serious rock and roll will usually do the job just fine!  And if you know me and/or follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you'll know who my go-to rocker is! For me, fast music = fast painting!

Music is my painting buddy and my muse, always there to help set the stage for my next creation.