Inspiration Elevator #17: What Inspires You?

You may recall that the purpose of this challenge group is to take our scrapbooking to the next level, to stretch our creative process and to grow as artists by embracing challenges that make us think, work and grow. You can view all of the challenges our new Inspiration Elevator Blog, here.

Our challenge this month comes from the very talented Cathy Harper. Here's what she had to say in her very own words:
"I want to know what inspires you to create. As I was driving home the other day from my trip back to Black Hills, I saw a really cool billboard...clouds, the sun, and a few hearts. I immediately thought how great the design was and how I could transform it into a card or layout.(No, I didn't get a picture of it as it was the week of the annual Sturgis Bike Rally and no way was I pulling off the side of the interstate with all of that crazy traffic.) Even the other day, as I was walking through Target, I saw a couple of cute Baby gift bags that had great design principle that I could use as inspiration to create with too! Then it hit me that this would be a great challenge for my IE teammates. We recently had Sue's challenge where we were inspired by another teammate and lifted their style..but I want to know what else inspires you besides other designers cards and layouts. Are you a Pinterest addict like me? And find great design ideas there or in a magazine with a brilliant ad!? Find something inspires you, pin it or take a photo and create your work from there...you must include a photo of your inspiration and a link (if there is one) with your project for the challenge!"

I must admit that as we go along the challenges get more and more challenging. It is a testament to the concept of Inspiration Elevator that each and EVERY time the challenge makes me SWEAT a little bit. It's true and this one was no different.

So what inspires me? The hard part is that I am inspired by so many things in my every day world it is hard to put my finger on just one way I like to get my mojo flowing. In this day and age of blogging and Pinterest, it's easy to see the design work of others and see little bits and pieces I want to incorporate it into my my own designs. After some chatting with Ann and Joanne, I realized I could pare down my creative process and share with you the big focus of my inspiration: Art, in general, and this artist in particular. Julie Jilek is a stunning artist whose choice of colour and flowing lines always catch my eye. It is her abstracts that appeal most to me but she is a portrait artist and a landscape artist too. (I didn't feel it appropriate to post her work here but please use this link and check her out.)

As I mentioned, it is Julie's use of colour in this painting that got me motivated. Here's my final design:

I added washes of colour and blended some shades to match my artistic mind's eye and some watercolour shades using my honey comb template. I then dried the background with my heat tool and added some bits of magenta in flower shapes with little black accents.

I also added some dry brush white to added pops for dimension. I also added some old colour-on-colour rub ons.

Finally I used a great font for my title in black (HaloHandletter) cut on my Cameo. I also added some AUTHENTIQUE word stickers in teal as my sub-title.

I think this photo of Adriane (a selfie you know) really just shows off her Mona Lisa smile.

I love the final finished design..it stretched me and it does reflect how art really does influence my own creative work. Thanks to Julie for her intense and gorgeous works of art. I hope you will stop by and see what the  rest of the incredible Inspiration Elevator designers have created:

Cathy Harper

Lisa Spiegel
Laurel Seabrook

Joanne Burton

Jodi Wilton

Michelle Hernandez

Ann Jobes

Laura Whitaker

Sue Sykes
Lisa Moen
 Christa Uttley

If you feel inspired to play along with my challenge this month, please share it using the linky tool on our Inspiration Elevator blog and/or our Inspiration Elevator Facebook page. We'd LOVE to see what you made!
Until next time, keep doing what you love.