I get asked all the time who my favorite artists are. I love this question!
I’m influenced by art of every form so it really is hard to narrow it all down to just a couple artists. As I state in my artist statement, I adore Mary Cassatt and Vincent Van Gogh. I love the emotional sensibility in Cassatt’s work, especially her mother and child paintings, and I adore the expressive works of Van Gogh. I think those two have influenced my art a great deal. In my own work, I try to paint what I feel and also try to do it with boldness in color and design. If you’ve ever taken one of my ecourses, you can see the way I paint and much of it is with heavy strokes or fingertips.
Since I’ve gotten older, I’ve also begun to admire the works of Frida Kahlo. When I was younger, I didn’t really see the allure of her work and now that I am the person and artist I am, I am so in tune with her art and her life and the emotions she felt, and I’ve found myself looking into her work more and more.
There are also several artists that I’ve found online, especially Instagram, that inspire me. I think it is important to keep up with what the art world in all forms is doing so you can always determine your own voice and unique style. It’s crucial to bring your own artistic voice into the world, not a copy of someone else’s.
And I value so many local artists, too! I am a super fan of art, and there are many, many, artists in and around my own area that I admire. I try and purchase art when I can and I find that seeing their works everyday in my home is so inspirational and makes my home feel complete.
To that end, Don Nedobeck is a favorite around these parts. I’ve met and seen him a couple times at various events in the last few years, and he is always kind and encouraging and very funny. Here’s my Genevieve posing with his Alphabet book, which I purchased from him at the Firefly Art Fair last summer.
