Take a Closer Look for Inspiration

Taking a closer look at things is a great way to gain inspiration. I mentioned this in this week's "Be Inspired" piece. Things can look very different up close. Textures can be more vivid, shapes can be more pronounced and colors can be completely different from how they appeared from further away. A leaf or a flower may look like a solid color from far away, but upon closer inspection, you may find that there are a number of colors or shades that didn't know were there. This is exactly what inspired Stephanie of Stephaniegibson.etsy to create this gorgeous bracelet:


Here's what she had to say about the piece and it's inspiration:

"I take a lot of inspiration from the colors and color combinations found in nature. We have some beautiful day lilies in our garden, ranging in shades from the palest, almost white, yellow, to deep, almost black, purple. Those colors inspired the choice of stones for this bracelet. I love to mix different hues and tones of the same color. I think this adds to the depth and interest of a piece of jewelry. Just as, from a distance, a flower petal looks pink, but upon closer inspection, you may find varying shades of whites, pinks and reds all together. So naturally, my advice for those feeling uninspired would be to take a walk and look closely at the world around you."

To see more of Stephanie's beautiful, stylish jewelry check out her etsy shop or visit one of her blogs:
http://stephaniegibsonjewelry.blogspot.com (personal blog)
http://mirafinds.blogspot.com (etsy artist feature blog)











Take some time today to look at things a little more closely and think about how you can use what you find in your art. It is always a great idea to keep a sketchbook handy to sketch out what you see or write down ideas about how what you see can be translated into art. Make close note of how the colors interact up close and how they blend further away to create a whole different color. Another idea is to play with your macro setting of your camera and get out there and take some close-ups of different things to have as a reference later on when you are ready to create. So stop stalling, put on your glasses and/or get your magnifying glasses out and take a closer look!