This month, in honour of International Women’s Day {March 8th}, and to celebrate the reopening of my course that focuses on women artists, Artist Inspired II: The Women, I’m taking time to acknowledge the women who have inspired, supported, or motivated me, and who continue to do so.

Today I’m sharing ten women artists I follow on Instagram who don’t just fill my feed with beauty, but also offer some other element that enriches my life, and perhaps will do the same for you if you’re not already familiar with them.

From podcasts to art tips to thought provoking process insights, these women are sharing their work and themselves in all sorts of magical, life enhancing ways.

Enjoy!

Karen Stamper

I’ve loved Karen’s work for years – her mixed media paintings are full of beautiful quirky line work and perfectly imperfect layers. Last year she brought out a fab concertina sketchbook course, and more recently a second one, although she recommends doing the first one first. 🙂 You can see both here.

@karen_stamper_collage

Karen Stamper: Farindola 4

Ingrid Ellison

Ingrid’s work just does something to me. I’m always so excited to see a new painting by her – I only wish I was close enough to visit one of her exhibitions or take one of her workshops.

She sends a monthly email which covers topics like her experiences as an artist, or workshops she’s running, and sometimes offers art prompts to try for yourself, and it’s just sheer pleasure for me to follow her on Instagram and see her work appear in my feed from time to time.

@paintinginthebarn

Ingrid Ellison – Last April in St George

Connie Solera

I think of Connie as a sister from another mister in some ways. She was one of the first people I found sharing her offerings online when I started on this journey a decade ago.

Back then she had dreads, and her adorable little boy was yet to arrive, and she’d just get on video and chat away like it was the most natural thing in the world. It felt like you were in the same room, just hanging out with a friend, talking about art in the most uplifting, encouraging ways.

I love her bold, heavily feminine inspired/oriented work, especially her recent foray into black and white drawings and prints, and was so delighted when she asked me to contribute to her hugely popular 21 Secrets workshops, twice over. She’s the real deal, and I just love her. 🙂

@dirtyfootprints

Connie Solera, sketchbook

Lari Washburn

Lari’s work – I don’t even know what words to use. It feels both completely alien to me, in the sense that I have no idea how she does it or where her unique language comes from, while also evoking a deep sense of recognition. Her mark making and textures are just gorgeous, her limited palettes often delightfully unexpected.

She often writes thoughtful, thought provoking captions under her Instagram posts, and seeing her work makes me feel completely inspired and alive. And she makes beautiful ceramics!

@lariwashburn

Lari Washburn

Becky Blair

Becky is a Brighton based artist and I wish I’d known about her before I moved 300 miles away from Brighton! She offers workshops for one thing. For another, I would’ve loved to pop across town and see her work in person. Her paintings are a riot of lushness, sometimes many coloured, sometimes simpler but no less rich. I just want to jump into them and live in the eternal summer she creates.

As a present to myself when I move into my new home, I’ve promised myself one of her paintings or monoprints, so I’m always checking in on her to see if ‘mine’ has appeared yet. I actually missed the one I originally wanted {if you really love a painting, don’t wait!}, but figure that just means another one is meant for me.

@beckyblairartist

Becky Blair – Garden of the Erstwhile

Kaylan Buteyn

Kaylan is one of those artists who thinks deeply and shares eloquently. I enjoy her thoughtful captions on process and life as a mother and artist, and absolutely love her paintings, which are rich and evocative, and all about her experience of motherhood.

She recently started the Artist/Mother podcast, which knowing her will be excellent, and I’ve saved it to my podcast app for studio listening.

@kaylanbuteyn

Kaylan Buteyn – Big Mama #2

Keri Valentine

Keri was one of the first people I ‘met’ online who lives in Cornwall, and was so kind when I was preparing to move down, offering suggestions and advice and sharing info about secret beaches with me. 🙂

She is multi-talented, producing not just paintings, prints, and stunning photography, but also an entire line of interior products and accessories {so far I own a standard lamp, a zip purse and a coaster by her} for the design business she runs with her partner Pete, called HumbleCottage.

@kerivalentine1

Keri Valentine – Out to Sea

Nicola Newman

I first came across Nicola years ago, and bought her ebook on gardening because I’m planning to grow my own food once I’m ensconced in the newly renovated barn.

Another multifaceted artist and creative, Nicola is not only green-fingered. She lives on a boat, is an award winning artist with work on display all over the place and a long history of solo shows, and has more recently started a business mastermind, a year long painting course, coaching, and a podcast. Nothing major then!

I love her ethereal soft paintings, and her voice is very soothing to listen to – her approach is to go at things gently, which is a welcome respite from all the ‘crush it, kill it, smash it’ going on out there, I find. I recommend her podcast for soothing and inspiring studio listening.

@nicolanewman_

Nicola Newman – Dave and Bek Had a Girl!

Eva Magill-Oliver

Eva’s work is distinctive and popular – plus she makes both beautiful graphic sketchbook and collage work as well as more ethereal large scale paintings, showing that you don’t have to do ‘just one thing’ to be a successful artist.

I recently read her book, and recommend it for its thoughtful exercises and absolutely gorgeous photography.

@eva_magill_oliver

Eva Magill-Oliver – August 12, 2018

Pauline Agnew

Pauline is an artist and teacher like me, except not like me because she’s much more socially inclined 😉 and offers in-person workshops around the world. In fact, Pauline was the first person to ever say to me, you could teach art online {and I was like, NO WAY – ha}. I’ve taken several of her excellent painting courses and consider her a significant teacher and mentor on my art journey.

Her expressive painting style is exciting and rooted in a great deal of experience and understanding of how painting works. I recommend her courses and hear from reliable sources that her workshops are {unsurprisingly} excellent.

@paulineagnew_art

Pauline Agnew

Which female artists inspire you on Instagram? Please share in the comments so we can go and check them out!

If you’d like to dive into the work of a selection of contemporary and historical women artists as a way to explore and develop your own unique art, click the image or this link to get started!