Da Vinci sketches that are currently informing and inspiring me.

most inspiring person...

I could never choose just one person on this planet who inspires me the most. I go into phases, and cycles, and change my ideas, and thoughts all the times. And different people inspire me in different ways. there are of course, people in my life, as well as artists, who inspire my artwork, and my creative process. But there are also people who inspire my personal life, which in turn can very often inspire me as an artist. So to choose just one seems somewhat impossible.

Reading...

I do a tremendous amount of reading in preparation for many of the things I make. I check out books, use reference books, artist books, anatomy books, and the internet. I make photocopies, and sketches, and use the books not only as information to refine an idea, but also as inspiration for new ones. when I'm stuck, I spend time in library's browsing books and websites, looking at artist works, and reading. Generally speaking, books and reading are a massive part of my creative process.

motivation...

My motivation comes really only from my excitement about an idea. When an idea is so strong and excited that it keeps me up an night, I cant stop myself from wanting to explore it. I think what drives all artists to be artists is great passion and drive to make artwork, and an intense excitement about the work you create. It takes a great deal of pressure, and self discipline to force myself to work, when I'm just not excited about the idea.

working process...

My process is as follows...

-somehow come up with an idea
-think for days or weeks or years of the idea until it seems like a good time to use it
-research research research. books, internet, artist sketch books, photocopies
-make tons of sketches.
-tack up all the sketches, photocopies, and artist works
-begin working and allow the chosen materials to develop, and solve problems within the piece as I go along.

working environment...

I have a studio on campus, and do a great deal of working and thinking there. I work and think best in the early hours of the day, and need a good amount of quiet while I'm working an idea out. I rarely listen to music, unless I'm working on a work thats a long process I can work mindlessly on. I need a ton of light, and inspirations and drawings surrounding me. My working environment is basically just one with a great deal of inspiration and quiet.

Inspiration...

The inspiration from my work comes from all different places. I spend a great deal of time looking at books  and researching different topics, artists, and mediums. I draw ideas from life and experiences, and other artists, and then spend a great deal of time thinking about an idea. currently I am working on an idea involving the human body, and the relationships that exist between inside and outside, dead and alive, and time and process. I have been inspired by the sketches of Da Vinci, and his work on understanding the human body, and also by the sculptures and artworks of modern artists, including Kiki Smith, Ron Mueck, and tons of others.

My Blog...

Welcome to my blog! I am a sculpture student, and am beginning a new year, with tons of aspirations and hopes for the semester and year. I am always reinventing myself, and my ideas, based on my life. And every year brings new work, and new materials. I do tend to revolve around the same central ideas, artists, and materials, so my goals for the upcoming year are to break out of my comfort zone of sculpture. I have in the past reserved 2D works as inspiration or sketches to inform a work intended to be 3D, and I would like to change that. Portfolio seems to be the perfect opportunity for me to tie together a body of 2D work, with the art I create in my sculpture studio.

Some artist, and specific works that have always inspired me are below.

I'll post more artists I like, and my own work soon!

http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/smith/index.html?gclid=CL-c_te_-qMCFWBd5QodCXiZLA#