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

by Karen Lynn Ingalls

Have you ever wondered where to look for subject matter inspiration, whether for drawing or painting?  Here's a suggestion: look around you.

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?

"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.... 🙂