After almost 5 years as a full time art student, I have discovered the importance of staying constantly inspired in order to keep being creative. This inspiration can come from a number of places, whether it's my walk to university, an influential artist or a friends sketchbook, I'm always on the lookout for inspiration in everyday life. One of the many artists who has influenced my work is the American painter Cy Twombly (1928-2011).
 |
Hero and Leander (To Christopher Marlowe), 1985. / Oil paint and oil based house paint on canvas, Cy Twombly. |
I'm a big believer in seeing artwork in real life to fully appreciate it and one of my favourite things to do is visit museums and galleries. I've been lucky enough to see Cy Twombly's paintings in galleries a couple of times, the last time was at the Tate Modern and the atmosphere that the paintings created was particularly memorable.
 |
| Untitled I, 2005 (Bacchus). / Acrylic on canvas, Cy Twombly. |
It had been a busy day, the Tate was packed with tourists checking famous artists of their bucket lists and I was feeling irritable, tired and overwhelmed. When I came into the room exhibiting Twombly's "Bacchus" paintings I felt instantly calmer. The room was light and bright with the three bold red paintings, at least twice my height, filling the walls with their expressive brush strokes.
 |
Untitled 1972. / Oil based house paint, wax crayon and lead pencil on canvas, Cy Twombly. |
That day I could really appreciate the energy and feeling that went into creating the paintings, as well as their ability to transform a space and create a unique feeling or mood. I came away feeling excited and inspired, with a renewed sense of determination to carry on developing and pushing my own paintings further. This is, for me, one of the best examples of the importance of seeing artwork in real life in order to stay inspired.
 |
| Cy Twombly, ‘Quattro Stagioni: Inverno’ 1993-5 Cy Twombly, ‘Quattro Stagioni: Estate’ 1993-5 |
I hope you have enjoyed hearing about my influences and inspirations, as well as seeing some of Cy Twombly's beautiful paintings. If you'd like to see more of Twombly's work then check out these websites:
http://www.cytwombly.info/
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/cy-twombly-2079
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2011/jul/06/cy-twombly-obituary
http://www.pinterest.com/joneslucy/final-project-one/
I will be back soon to share some more of my inspirations and work in progress. In the mean time I would love to know what inspires you, artists, designers, people, places... Feel free to share some of them in the comments!