My ‘Inspired By’ posts began as a way to explore what makes me tick as an artist, what I’m drawn to, what makes my heart sing, what I might want to try out in terms of marks or colour combinations or compositions. They are also a way for me to share the work of artists whose work I love. I don’t advocate copying other artists instead of making our own work, however inspiring they are to us, but I do believe that we can learn from each other on our solitary artist journeys. This website is dedicated to the philosophy that you have a significant and unique offering inside you, waiting to be released. I created a course to help you with this very thing, which you can find by clicking here. May you be inspired to bring forth what’s within you!

Carla O’Connor is a US artist I recently discovered whose figurative paintings drew me in straight away. They have that layered and ‘unfinished’ quality I love so much.

Her work reminds me of Melinda Cootsona’s, another artist I recently featured, with these background in blocks and layers of colour, and the figures ‘seeping’ into them.

From what I can gather on her website, Carla works in water media {gouache and watercolour I think}, and has a lot of qualifications and exhibitions under her belt.

If you visit her website you can see examples of her drawings, which are also beautiful.

I find myself looking and looking at these paintings, trying to discern how she has created them, taking in the marks and the line work, wondering why this kind of painting which looks so fluid and eclectic is so hard to produce. {For me, at any rate!}

This level of skill feels very far beyond me currently, but that’s what inspiration is all about isn’t it? Seeing what’s possible and allowing it to help you reach further than you thought you could go. DAPWYL 2 is coming up soon; I’m looking forward to getting into the studio and stretching myself again. Who knows what could happen?!