Mixed Media Inspirations

The artists pushing me to find my creative strength and dream big

If I were to picture my art career right now, I can honestly say it feels a little bit like I’m at the bottom of a creative crevasse, trying to find my way out.

On one side is my past work - a career built over twenty years of painting whimsical, vibrant art. On the other side are dreams of big, bold, ephemeral neutral-toned sculptural work that fills a room with lacey botanical structures connecting to our human stories. Right now, the two sides seem miles apart, and I sit between these two worlds in a cluttered little passage where bits and pieces of newer mixed media work spill across every available surface while old canvases and paint supplies sit in corners beckoning me to return.

Sure, living within this state of flux between two artistic journeys can be confusing, frustrating, and disorienting (for myself, and my followers). But it also necessitates a willingness to accept new ideas and try new things because I know - where I am right now isn’t where I need to be.

At moments like these, I find the work of other artists to be especially inspiring and compelling as I curiously and desperately seek new eyes with which to see. I celebrate their individuality and creativity while restoring my faith that I can climb out of this tangled mess of ideas to have a better view of where I want and need to go.

So, as I keep pushing myself to reach new heights… I bring you a few of the artists recently filling me with inspiration and helping me find my way.

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Seven Artists Who Inspire

I encourage you to follow the links provided to find images of their amazing work. Most of the artists I have found via Instagram and have included those links as well.

Chenta Laury

(chentalaury.com | instagram.com/chentalauryart)

Currently showing at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center with another of my favorite artists, Holly Wong, “…Laury’s work synthesizes natural fibers into forms that relate to growth, adaptation, and transformation, as modeled by plants and as metaphor for her own life and identity.” (mauiarts.org)

Petra Heidrich

(petra-heidrich.de | instagram.com/petraheidrich_)

I have followed Heidrich’s work on Instagram for a few years, and have loved seeing her progression and development with embroidery photo-collage art. She has a beautiful sense of color and design combined with a skillful patterning of embroidery to enhance the story of each piece.

Isabelle Riener of “Il est un air”

(ilestunair.com | instagram.com/il_est_un_air)

I recently purchased a piece from this artist and am even more intrigued by her colorful and coordinated collections of textile art patches. They are lovely individually and stunning when shown all together. I’m excited to finally own one of her little pieces, all the way from France. (If you want to see the piece I purchased and what her work inspired, I posted a photo with more information on Patreon.)

Namita Paul

(namitapaul.com | instagram.com/artistnpaul)

“…Namita Paul draws from personal and political histories, engaging with themes of rupture and repair, migration, architectural space, memory, and time. Her current work is an exploration of the ways in which physical spaces we have inhabited stay with us long after we have left them. Through material and form, Namita makes visible markers of personal and collective memories.” (namitapaul.com/about)

Amber M. Jensen

(ambermjensen.com | instagram.com/amberm.jensen)

I love the introduction she provides for her work when you first enter her website. I find it beautifully describes her exploratory work that deftly joins honed skills with intuitive curiosity.

I can see the common thread— the visual reflection of my yearning for place, for being at home hiking through strange, new woodlands, for visiting fantastical places as my ink traverses paper…as I methodically, slowly weaving time on my loom —

~ Amber M. Jensen

Lindzeanne

(lindzeanne.com | https://www.instagram.com/lindzeanne)

I love pattern and color. This artist deftly creates complex and interesting forms with a beautiful and unique style of building stitches. Appearing deceptively simple, upon closer examination the individual care taken with the forms and shapes being built with thread is mesmerizing. With plenty of IG Reels to watch, it’s easy to be inspired by this artist.

Katherine Duclos

(katherineduclos.com | instagram.com/katherine_duclos_rose)

This artist especially intrigues me in that she allows herself to follow seemingly diverse explorations simultaneously - from Legos, bubble wrap, and screens to paints and more traditional materials). Katherine recently posted on Instagram, “I think IG really only wants me to be a Lego artist but it doesn’t understand that I can’t be one thing!” She is an inspiration not only for her beautiful and intriguing work in every category but also for her willingness to share her experiences in following a diverse artistic path.

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I hope you have an opportunity to explore the work of these artists if you haven’t already run across them in your own artistic explorations. You will notice that many of them are working with fiber or textile and unconventional materials. Seeing these artists push boundaries in their own work helps me to let go of the constraints I keep building around what I myself create.

Here’s to staying open to the possibilities!

Cheers

~ Jennifer