Prompt:  What is your favourite work of art?  What do you love about it?

Oh, that’s an easy one. Well, I have 2 favourite works and they are polar opposites of each other.

The first is Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”.  I have it on an umbrella, on my wallet, on my pill box, tattooed on my left arm (1/2 sleeve), I’ve painted it on a tea pot…   It’s a stunning piece of art that is so full of mastery, and feeling.  I love the short, controlled motions of the paint, the colors used and how they mingle with each other, the bold contrasts  of colors next to each other, the way your eyes linger on the canvas, taking it all in and finally the way it transports you to that serene night, looking at the stars floating in the sky.   I like much of his other work, but Starry Night stands apart from all the rest of his body of work, for me, because of the emotion that is involved in it.

The second it Tim Rogerson’s “Maleficent’s Fury”.  I’ve talked about it a lot in previous posts on Facebook and Instagram.  This amazingly talented young man is a Disney artist, but he’s much more than that too.  You should checkout his non-Disney works as well.   But this is about Maleficent’s Fury, which I think is amazing.  It’s just her.  Aurora, Flora, Fauna and Merriweather are not in this image.  It’s Maleficent, Diablo and her as the Dragon.  It’s the colors, the blending, the lines, the style.  It’s the perfect painting of her.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are so many other artists that I enjoy, and not just painters.  There potters, musicians (check out this post if you are interested in my musical taste), ceramic artists (Kate Malone and Liz Zlot Summerfield are two that I really like their work), sculptures, make-up artists, writers, hairdressers, chefs, film makers, actors, interior decorators, furniture makers… oh my, the list goes on and on.

The point is, when I need to be inspired by art, I look to Van Gogh and Tim Rogerson.  Both painters make me stop, breathe in their work and get lost in the details.  Then I can look at that tea pot, or cup and figure out what to do.  If I need more, I take a look at other ceramic artists whom I admire…

Art is personal, subjective and imaginative.  Art is what you make it.  Art is what makes you.