Inspiration - what inspires me???...

Hello,

This week Inspiration Avenue are celebrating hitting 500 followers by holding a special blog party entitled "On the Wings of Inspiration" and they are asking participants 'What inspires you?' If you take part in their challenge there are giveaways and prizes to be won too.

Creatively, inspiration for me comes in many forms. I get inspired by visiting the abundance of beautiful arty blogs out there in blogland, nature inspires me - particularly pretty things like birds and butterflies and flowers...the wealth of media that is available - especially gorgeous designer papers and stamps I find irresistible. But most of all, I think it is words that inspires me and gets my creative juices flowing......I love poetry, prose, books.....I love to write my own poetry and stories...anywhere, in fact, where the beauty of words fires my imagination and leads me to create something that speaks to me.

So with that in mind, this week I was inspired by 2 things. Firstly these wonderful lines written by  Maya Angelou

"a bird doesn't sing because it has an answer

it sings because it has a song" 

- Maya Angelou

and secondly by a selection of designer paper offcuts left over from my K & Company specialty paper pack Urban Rhapsody (one of my favourite collections) and I wanted to do a 'bird' on the theme of 'wings'. Of course acrylic paints and water soluble crayons were involved but mainly this is a collage...

The papers are really lovely and I had quite a few assorted bits and pieces left over...

..so first the 10" x 12" canvas was painted with pale aqua acrylic paint then I started to assemble the collage...

...adding french lace bought on holiday in the Dordogne earlier this year, white acrylic paint applied through stencils, cut out some flowers and included some adhesive pearls then shading with water soluble crayons...

...and, of course, lots of doodling with a white paint pen and a black journalling pen...

I really enjoyed the challenge from IA this week. Do pop over to their blog to see more inspiring work from the team there...and join the party...

Another party...this time Paint Party Friday  is happening again, too, generously hosted by the lovely Kristin and Eva and if you've not taken part yet then DO as it's lots of fun visiting so many talented artists.

This one has also been linked in to Artists in Blogland

Hope you have lovely things planned this weekend.  We are taking my adorable 4 year old grandson, Jack, to the Rare Breeds Farm at Totnes so I shall take lots of pics for a show and tell next week.

Thanks for stopping by.

Lesley x