Resources for Artistic Inspiration

I absolutely loved the art history classes I took during college. I loved reading about painters, movements and time periods; however, watching the slideshows my professor would present gave me chills. Architecture, statuary, tapestries and jewelry were all great sources of inspiration during that period of my life. Today, I no longer have a teacher creating slideshows twice a week as sources of inspiration, but I can look to various sources to find inspiration for my own artworks. All artists need inspiration to create, whether it's a feeling, a beautiful sunset or a bouquet of flowers. There are many resources available online that are helpful for creating a conducive painting environment.

Musee du Louvre
The Louvre, located in Paris, France, houses around 35,000 works of art; among them are some of the world's most breath taking art pieces. The works span several time periods and can be viewed online. An artist can learn to paint like one of the great masters by studying his works, or just draw inspiration from the thousands of paintings available for preview. I often visit the online Louvre gallery when I need to ask my self, what would Da Vinci do?

The MoMA
The Museum of Modern Art is located in New York, New York, and was established in 1929. It features works from the 1900's forward, and strives to display original artworks that portray the exploration of ideas, and are reflective of the goals and interests of artists during specific time periods of modern art.

Art at the MoMa is expressive, unique and at times borders on the absurd, but the works are true statements of the creative process. I find myself scrolling through the collections when I am uncertain about what projects I want to complete, or when I need a little help thinking outside the box.

Olga's Gallery
One of my favorite painters is Pablo Picasso. While his works can be found splattered across the Internet, Olga's Gallery is an online must stop for Picasso fans. Not only does the gallery offer biographical information about Picasso, it features many of his works, around 260 total. The works are divided into periods and years. This site is perfect for inspiration as well as information.

The Dali Museum
Another of my favorite painters is Salvador Dali. The Dali Museum is located in St. Petersburg, Florida. It houses some of the most amazing artworks created by Dali. There are thousands of artworks that span a period of 45 years at this gallery. Paintings are visible online and this site is a perfect stop for a greater understanding of the abstract and the Surrealist art movements.

Susan Morrison's Signature Gallery
While Susan Morrison may not be as well known as Da Vinci, Pollock, Picasso or Dali, her works are fantastic. She has been a featured artist in the Crystal Bridges at the Massey Museum of Art (soon to be moved to the Crystal Bridges Musuem of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. The museum is scheduled to open 11-11-11.) Susan is well known for her nature drawings. Her gallery is located in Eureka Springs, Arkansas and is open to the public.

A few years ago, I got to attend a poetry and photography class that was co-taught by Susan. I was able to explore her art first hand, and see her passion for the natural world. She is a master in her own right. During the class she stated that she always starts a piece by sketching the eyes. I had told her that it was the animal's eyes (I was studying her snow leopard print) that really moved me. Her animals appear to be looking right at you as you observe them. They are flawless and are portrayed in their natural habitat. There really is no better example of natural art to use for inspiration and learning technical concepts than Susan's art works.

Lilium's Artistic Musings
While I would not classify myself as some great artist, my artwork is also available online. Perhaps you can draw ideas and inspiration from my works as well! I have been inspired by the works of so many fantastic artists. I hope you are, too.