Inspirational Warm-Up Exercises
Make a Site Visit to Find Motifs
I grew up on the north shore of Long Island, and I often find myself inspired by the sea. So, for this project, the first thing I did was take a walk along the beach. While I was there, I hunted for different elements—shells, fishing gear, sand, boats, water and wildlife—to help tell my story. I listed to the seagulls flying overhead and observed several picturesque sailboats that might work for my main “character.” I inhaled the sea air and ran my fingers through the warm sand. Making a site visit is a fantastic way to brainstorm story motifs because it floods your mind with input from all five senses.
You never know what you’ll find at a site visit. I fell in love with this barnacle-covered boat hull, and it inspired the color scheme for The Heart Is the Compass.
When I saw these fishing ropes, I had the idea to fly tiny hearts from a rope attached to my sailboat. You never know where inspiration will strike!
Reference: Use Three-Dimensional Objects and Photos to Bring Your Character to Life
Just like trees and people, inanimate objects can be characters for your stories. The main character for this piece is a boat collaged of nautical papers. Use a toy boat for your model if you have one. Take photos of out-of-water boat hulls, fishing nets or driftwood to create the collage. If you don’t live near water, pictures of weathered wood work very nicely, too. The colors of boat hulls can be extremely beautiful, and you might want to let them lead you toward a particular color scheme.
When I saw the vibrant red of this boat hull, I couldn’t wait to pair it with a teal blue sky and cobalt ocean.
I found this adorable toy boat online at a party store. It made the perfect reference model for my painting. And it was a lot more affordable than a real sailboat!