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!

Lately I’ve been indulging a secret obsession with paintings of flowers in vases. I don’t know where it came from but all of a sudden, I just love them and of course also keep finding them.

Erin Fitzhugh Gregory‘s are one such example. Riots of vibrant colour exploding out of the canvas, I find I can’t stop looking at them, studying sections to see how she’s placed the colours and made marks.

Erin is a US artist with an impressive array of experience, exhibitions and awards under her belt. She is represented by various galleries as well as teaching oil painting, and is a marvellous and inspiring example of a full time artist who makes a living from her gift.

From her website:

“Erin’s passion for painting is reflected in her rich and colorful landscapes, still-lifes, and figurative paintings. Her objective is to capture the contrasting nature of sunlight and shadow and to bring it to life with vivid color and brushwork.” 

I’m focusing on the flora here but you will see on her website that beautiful vases of flowers are just one of many types of paintings she creates, along with portraits, landscapes, animals and figurative art.

This painting {above} is called Joy in a Jar. Isn’t that gorgeous? And so apt.

I think this one, Stripes, might be my favourite. Something about the way she has captured the light AND the vibrancy.