4 Artists Who Inspire Me and My Art

I’ve been asked who is my favourite artist. But as an artist, it’s impossible to choose just one. So what I’ve done is I’ve chosen four artists that inspire me in four different ways. Their mediums and missions are all different which is why I appreciate them so much.

Andrew Wyeth: The power of blank spaces

In the world of painting, Andrew Wyeth’s landscape and scenic watercolours are by far the most beautiful and intriguing to me. His use of space is profound, reminding me of Japanese watercolours in many ways.

I think it takes a lot of courage to leave large portions of the paper blank, or white, or to work with a limited palette. For my whole life, ever since I remember painting with watercolour, I have left large parts of the paper blank. Even though I was criticized by my teachers, I loved the space too much to change it. To this day you will see a lot of open space in my paintings, and often a very limited palette.

Ai Weiwei: A living legend and activist

Ai Weiwei is a living Chinese artist, known for his large installations and sculptures. He’s also an activist, using his art to draw attention to and raise awareness of injustices around the world. Having suffered persecution himself for exercising his belief in freedom of speech and expression, he makes art that flies in the face of authority and challenges restrictions on human freedom.

I not only love his work, which is fascinating, but I also appreciate him very much. He encourages me to have the courage to raise my voice and express myself honestly and authentically for marginalized people.

BANKSY: The international man (or woman?) of mystery

BANKSY is a street artist who has always caught my attention. His ability to capture so much in one drawing is uncanny. His art encourages me to draw as simply and minimally as I can, with as few strokes and colours as possible to convey my message of love, authenticity, and personal freedom.

I had the privilege of attending one of his shows a couple of years ago, and I was practically breathless as I wandered my way through the diverse presentation of his art. He speaks truth to power with stark and emotional images, and I try to emulate that.

Caspar David Friedrich: Painting with feeling

Finally, I didn’t have the privilege of this artist influencing my work, but I have had several people inform me that my art reminds me of the paintings of Caspar David Friedrich. His landscapes are vast and emotionally impactful. Even though they are not anything like realism, they still convey the sense of real places and real people within these places.

Apparently, he said he painted his feelings. When I heard that, I felt an immediate kinship to him. Because that’s exactly what I do. People have said to me that my art doesn’t look like a real place, while at the same time, my paintings evoke powerful feelings in some viewers. That’s okay with me because even though my landscapes may be inspired by real places, instead of trying to achieve a photo-realistic representation of that place, I prefer to convey the feelings the place evoked within me.

Inspiration

As an artist, inspiration is so important. I try to follow and keep up with lots of successful and aspiring artists. We've all got different perspectives and when we share our art, we give the world a glimpse into how we see things. There are many other artists I could share with you, but these are the top four that come to my mind.