Art Quilting Basics part three-Inspiration

     Ok, now that I gave you enough information to make a quick art quilt if you wanted to, let's back up a bit and look at some ideas for inspiration. This part is usually not super hard for people; they often have ideas, they just are uncertain as to how to make them happen. But just in case you do struggle with that, we'll cover some options. 
     Really, inspiration is everywhere! You might see a color you like in the tile in a restaurant bathroom, or some other random place 😂 (Quilters and other artists are notorious for taking photos of things like that!) Or, you might have a favorite flower, or other photo you'd like to turn into a quilt. You have probably noticed by now that I don't tend to be an artist with lots of drama and needing to make a statement. I generally stick to landscape type designs. (I do have  a purpose beyond just making pretty things though... I believe we were created to create!) But maybe that's where you get your inspiration. And of course, being outside or traveling can offer endless ideas for art quilts. 
    I'm often inspired by plants, animals, or scenery. But really, I often start a new design with color rather than an idea for a subject! We'll get to that in a couple of weeks. I take SOOO many photos. If you want to photograph something intentionally, try to get it from different angles if that's possible for your subject. 
     A tricky thing can be when we are inspired by someone else's artwork. It can be very hard to find the line between 'inspired by' and 'copied from'. This is why it is always best to get your inspiration from real life instead of other artwork. It's still ok to try techniques, or color schemes, but not to recreate someone else's design, at least not without permission. 

​This is why it is always best to get your inspiration from real life instead of other artwork.

(There can be some value in doing that for practice, as long as you realize you should not publish it anywhere, and for sure not sell it 😅)

    On a similar note, if you are inspired by a photograph, you should always get permission from its owner before using. Sometimes a photographer will give permission, others will charge for it. It's their creation, so they have the right to do that. I wasn't always as mindful of that early on, but I definitely am now, and even more so after seeing my designs copied enough times. 🤪 

    Your artwork will be more meaningful if you are the source of the inspiration anyway. It's fun to make a quilt that reminds you of a place or event where you took the photo! And of course it helps if you live in a spectacular place like I do, but it's really not necessary. Inspiration is everywhere; we just have to slow down a bit and look for it! 
    Next week is borders, which, as you might suspect, I don't do like regular people 😂
Happy sewing, 
​Beret
PS: Here’s a tip! If you are thinking of joining along with my Simple Secrets class ‘more structured edition’ this fall, take lots of pictures between now and then! And of course, you can join the class anytime and still participate in the fall.