Paris Inspiration 2016

Statue from Paris

No preliminary sketch

I have been away in Paris for a few days and as always absolutely adored being there. I love travelling which is just as well as I seem to do so, very often these days!

During our stay we visited a fantastic market that was full of many treasures from antiques, vintage clothing, jewellery, art and garden furniture. I fell in love with two rather stunning statues. The pair caught my eye and looked outstanding as decor in a shop front as we turned a corner. I just had to paint one this afternoon whilst the memory is still very much in my mind. While I painted this piece a few tips crossed my mind that I would like to share with readers of my blog.

1) Do constantly try visiting new places for inspiration. They don't have to be a flight away. Many treasures are right on our own doorsteps but we miss them by not taking the time to see them. Visit a museum, garden, art exhibition, a market or interesting shops. Look for intriguing colour combinations and new subjects to paint in each place you go. Even a supermarket can hold fabulous tempting subjects to paint if you keep your imagaintion and eyes wide open. 

See through the eyes of an " artist"

2) This is a big issue for me. Don't paint only what you know you can paint!  Try to paint something new at least once a month. You will never learn or improve your skills as an artist if you keep repeating the same thing over and over again just because you are sat in your comfort zone. Leap out of it now and then!

Leap out of your comfort zone! 

3) Take a break from painting to renew your artist souls now and then. Because sometimes what slows our skills down is the fact we aren't taking a rest from painting to think about what we want to achieve. Plan ahead how to improve your painting time and your painting results by thinking about just that!

Take a Break

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