As a female abstract artist, I have been inspired and motivated by many talented creatives over the years. From painters, musicians and writers to fearless entrepreneurs, these women continuously challenge me to push myself as I go through my art journey.
Georgia O'Keeffe epitomises the forward-thinking, daring and determined nature of a female artist in the early 20th century. Best known for her abstract floral paintings, her delicate use of colour led to sensual and emotive paintings that remain relevant to this day. I truly admire O'Keeffe's blatant rejection for representational art (during a time when even representational female artists were generally frowned upon) and take a similar stance when it comes to my own practice.
"I found I could say things with colour and shapes that I couldn't say any other way... things I had no words for."
I first read this quote when studying O'Keeffe in my school days, back when I was around 12 years old. The quote rings as true to me now as it did then and encapsulates my feelings towards creating art. Whether inspired by a piece of music, poetry, blossoming flowers or a sunlit sky, capturing the thoughts, feelings and emotions that come up during a particular moment through art, is the truest form of self-expression.
Sophie Tea
If you're on Instagram and haven't heard of Sophie Tea, where have you been? Tea is just as talented in business as she is painting, so it's no wonder she's reached 250K followers on social media! Tea's ambitious and fearless nature keeps her ideas fresh and her positive energy oozes through her artwork.
Having gone through various artistic phases, Tea recently turned her hand to painting abstract nudes of her female followers. When she asked them to send nude photo's for her to paint from, she received thousands of images within a few hours. Her dedication to promoting body positivity and empowering her female fans is inspiring a generation of body-positive women who want to support and empower one another - and that's pretty special.
When it comes to selling her artwork, Tea brings a youthful perspective which is welcomingly refreshing compared to the traditional and sometimes pretentious art world. With no gallery representation, Tea takes full ownership of the selling process; from creating artwork to fine-tuning packaging materials and leaving no stone unturned Tea's attention to detail is truly impressive. Her passion for art sings through every one of her paintings and I can't wait to see what her next phases brings!
Yayoi Kusama
Back in 2015, whilst living and interning in the dynamic city of New York, I stumbled upon Yayoi Kusam's Obliteration Room. What struck me about this exhibition was the orginality of the concept. Kusama invited visitors to contribute to the artwork by placing coloured circle stickers, wherever they felt compelled to do so within the brilliant white room.
Born in 1927, Kusuma has seen the world completely transform. With an art career spanning over 60 years, her representation of these changes are a joy to watch and experience.
Alice Sheridan
When I first began thinking about starting my professional art career, I came across the Art Juice podcast that Sheridan hosts alongside fellow artist, Louise Fletcher. Sheridan's honesty, transparency and passion for creating, shines through in both her podcast and paintings themselves.
Taylor Swift
I'd love to hear who inspires you to get creative. Let me know in the comments below or simply let me know you enjoyed reading this post!
