Finding Inspiration

For the past few weeks I've been uninspired and unmotivated, which is beyond frustrating. And so this post is filled with a few of the things that I've been looking to in order to find that elusive inspiration.

1) Rob Ryan YouTube videos. I love Rob Ryan. He's an endless inspiration, not least because his work has been adapted to many mediums including ceramics, textiles and jewellery. In the handful of videos on YouTube he comes across as a genuinely nice, down-to-earth guy (phew!).

 Handmade Portraits: Rob Ryan.

2) Books. I am a huge bookworm so of course I would turn to books in my hour of need. 'Papercutting' compiled by Laura Heyenga is a good collection of temporary paper cut artists. I also have a few Rob Ryan books (naturally), but the book that has inspired me of late is 'The Crafter's Guide to Papercutting' by Emily Hogarth. 

L) Favourite papercutting books - R) Artwork cut from a Hogarth template

3) New kit. Recently I've picked up a few new bits of kit, including: Swann Morton no. 3 handle, 10a blades, bone folder, 160gsm card, and a metal ruler pinched from my dad's garage... As the saying goes a poor craftsman blames his tools, but the art of papercutting does require a few basic but essential tools.

Swann Morton no. 3 handle with 10a blade - artwork cut from Hogarth templates

4) Visiting craft fairs. It's really important to get away from your desk and see what other crafters have been busy creating... While craft fairs are a great excuse to eat cake, they are also invaluable for gathering ideas on how to present products and considering fair pricing. My favourite fair to date was the Summer Market at the Roundhouse.

L) Summer Market at the Roundhouse, Derby - R) Carla Dodsley ceramics at Bird in Borrowed Feathers mini market, Nottingham

5) Friends. Friends who already have very full lives, but are still pursuing further exciting ventures... If that's not the ultimate inspiration, I don't know what is.

Where do you find inspiration?

Until next week...

-Karen

Inspiration

Below are 5 of my favourite paper cut artists who inspired me to pick up a scalpel:

Rob Ryan

The original paper cutter, Oh Cut It Out wouldn't exist without Rob Ryan and the uni tutor who introduced me to his work. I often look to lyrics/quotes as a starting point for art, and so was drawn to the use of text in Ryan's paper cuts. He creates sentimental, honest stories within a single image, much like a song.

Beatrice Coron

I discovered Coron's work at Manchester Art Gallery's 'The First Cut' exhibition in 2013. From a single piece of paper Coron creates multiple stories/worlds, and so every time I return to her work I see something new that I missed before. In her TED talk she says: "as my image is already inside the paper, I just have to remove what's not from that story."


Emily Hogarth

Emily Hogarth is a designer and illustrator capturing the Scottish landscape and wildlife. Hogarth has a distinctive style with recognisable flora and fauna. I find Hogarth particularly inspiring as she isn't much older than myself and is already a very successful artist, having  worked with companies including: Nivea, Cadbury's, and Jasper Conran. The motto she lives by is "making the everyday magical".

Su Blackwell

Su Blackwell is known for bringing fairy tales to life, including Lewis Carroll's 'Alice in Wonderland', by constructing three-dimensional characters on the pages of the book. As a big reader I love how Blackwell's scalpel effortlessly brings the stories from our imaginations to life.


Elsa Mora

Elsa Mora is fascinated by the endless possibilities of paper, and how a simple piece of paper can become something meaningful. I particularly like Mora's papercuts featuring flora and fauna inside of people, almost as though you are looking at the very roots of the people.





Who are the artists who inspire you?

Until next week...

Karen
 
Image credits:
Rob Ryan & Beatrice Coron - personal photos
Emily Hogarth - emilyhogarth.com
Su Blackwell - sublackwell.co.uk
Elsa Mora - elsita.typepad.com