Art & Painting Workshops, Classes, Lessons | Napa Valley
(707) 942-0197
  • Home
  • About
  • Acrylic Painting Online
  • Art Workshops
    • Abstract Landscape Painting
    • Acrylic Painting 101
    • Acrylic Painting 102
    • Secrets of Color Harmony
    • Landscape Painting
    • Mixed Media Art Workshop
    • Create Your Own Art Adventure
    • Printmaking
  • Weekly Classes
    • Acrylic Painting & Mixed Media
    • Mixed Media Art Cards
    • Drawing Classes
  • Photos
  • Calendar
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact

How to find inspiration for our artwork in the beauty around us

5/20/2021

0 Comments

 
Have you ever wondered where to look for subject matter inspiration, whether for drawing or painting?  Here's a suggestion: look around you.
Picture
Drawings of Bell Peppers, from different angles • pen on paper • © Karen Lynn Ingalls
​It's easy for us to overlook the simple things around us, and take them for granted. But truthfully, they can give us so much to make art about. And learning to recognize the beauty all around us is a very good thing — because there really is beauty all around us. We just sometimes need to learn to see it!
So what might you draw or paint?
Picture
"Pear" • pencil drawing on paper • © Karen Lynn Ingalls
How about that cup of coffee or tea you enjoy in the morning? Or the cup itself? Or, take a look in the refrigerator, and see what you find. A strawberry? A banana? An unopened wedge of Brie in an interesting package? An onion? A pepper? A pear?
Look around the house. Do you have a salt-and-pepper shaker? A pitcher? A book? A stack of books? An alarm clock? A candlestick? A chair? A shoe? A purse?
Think of all the things you love in your immediate environment. You don't even have to step outside to find inspiration and subject matter.
And if you do want a little more challenge without stepping outside, consider drawing or painting your dog or cat sleeping. In the video above, you can watch me draw my adorable dog Zoe (who's unfortunately no longer with us) as she was sleeping, from a photo I took of her a long time ago. 
And when you do step outside, I hope you'll take a good look and appreciate the beauty just outside your door, too. Just think, how lucky are we to have cameras in the phones we carry with us? It makes taking a photo for posterity — and future references for drawing and painting — as easy as pie.
Oh, pie! Now, there's another potential subject.... 🙂
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Karen Lynn Ingalls

    I am a working artist in Napa and Sonoma Counties, in northern California. I paint colorist landscapes of rural California, teach art classes, workshops, and private lessons, live in Calistoga, and have my art studio in Santa Rosa, California.

    ​I also teach private, group, and corporate art workshops online and in Napa Valley, Sonoma County, and other parts of Northern California. You can find more information about my art workshops at www.NapaValleyArtWorkshops.com, or contact me to find out more!

    Blog Post Topics​
    When You're Creatively Stuck
    Why Not Just Copy?
    ART TIPS (more coming)


    Archives

    March 2023
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    April 2020
    February 2016
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    February 2015
    October 2014
    June 2014
    February 2014
    September 2013
    January 2013
    October 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    December 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011

    Categories

    All
    Classes
    Composition
    Create Your Own Art Workshops
    Painting
    Painting Collages
    Painting Landscapes
    Relief Printing
    Sketching And Drawing
    Soft Block Printing
    Stencils

    RSS Feed


    Picture
    Follow Napa Valley Art Workshops on Facebook!
Landscape paintings, landscape art of Northern California, Napa Valley artist Karen Lynn Ingalls
​
See more of the artwork 
of Napa Valley artist and art teacher 
Karen Lynn Ingalls at KarenLynnIngalls.com.

Call Karen for more information
​at (707) 942-0197
All text and images are the copyright of Karen Lynn Ingalls, unless otherwise stated, and may not be reproduced without her express written permission.
© 2023 Karen Lynn Ingalls