Finding Inspiration from Another Artist's Work

A great way to find inspiration is to look at what other artists are creating or have created. This can be a sticky area though because inspiration and outright copying someone's art are two very different things. Many artists' work is protected, so you have to be careful that you are inspired by the piece and not just recreating what the original artist did. I think Guylaine of tomatedepingles.etsy.com did an amazing job of using inspiration she got from another artist's work to create a gorgeous necklace. You can definitely see the influence of the original artist, but the necklace is surely her own! Here is what Guylaine had to say about her necklace and it's inspiration:

The necklace is made of gorgeous red vintage boiled leather, red mookite chips and black onyx chips, on red beading wire and Silver findings.


It was inspired by Alexander Calder's mobiles, http://www.calder.org



The Calder mobiles where one of the first modern art forms I remember I enjoyed, when I was much younger. It totally transformed the way I see art. I tend to keep away from more classic looks and adore the more modern ones, like the cubist or minimalist.

What about Alexander Calder's work inspired you(color,shape,feeling it evokes etc)?

I was inspired by his mobiles to create a series of jewellery.

I really liked the way his mobiles look light and almost suspended in mid air, and how they move around in the breeze, or if someone dares to touch them (they are made to be touched, but often museum goers don’t dare to anyway hehe)

Can you detail how you translated your inspiration into your work of art?

I tried to make jewellery that reflected Calder's mobiles in the that they are the light, airy, and look suspended in mid air.

I also created these earrings that can be rearranged at will, to get the "touch" factor of the Calder mobiles

Where do you tend to find inspiration for your art pieces?

Mostly in art, in any shape or form… I love music, dance, photography, and, of course, jewelery making, and all these forms of art can inspire me to create a new model.

Any advice for someone feeling uninspired?

Well, if I get uninspired, I try to empty my mind, by going for a walk, for example. I then come back and look at my sketches I made of potential ideas, and see if there’s anything there that creates an emotion. If all that fails, I go back for a walk and try again another day :)

To see more of Guylaine's work, check out the etsy shop and the blog. You can also see more of these great pieces at the Trashion Street Team's Trunk Show at the EtsyLabs in Brooklyn!
It is July 27 from 6-8 p.m. For more information about the trunk show, check the EstyLabs blog!

Guylaine did a wonderful job taking the feel of Calder's mobile's and putting it into her jewelry. I really love that she took the same inspiration and created two totally different pieces. When looking at other artists work, it can be good to focus also on the emotion that it evokes in you as well as the subject matter, colors, shapes, techniques ,etc... Just always keep in mind that you want to be inspired to create your own original piece and not just a touched up copy.