Sparks of inspiration December ’24

Some good things for the busy month of December

It’s already December! Can you believe it? It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but also a very busy season for many people. So I wish that the warmth and joy of this season will help you to approach your to-do-list with enthusiasm and excitement. And don’t forget to give yourself grace!

Here’s the list of things that inspired me recently:

Inspiration from other artists

Mastery is a Path You Travel, Not a Destination - Ian Roberts. A great video, it really puts what is art practice and mastery in perspective.

The Art of Finishing - Louise Fletcher. Finishing a piece of art can be tricky and defining something as “finished“ is also quite subjective. In the post Louise shares a lot of wisdom on this topic.

A Norwegian inspired installation by Emily Powell - Emily Powell. This is such a wonderful exhibition! One of my goals for the next year is to go bigger and Emily’s installation provided me with additional motivation.

Ep.100 with Sarah B. Hansen - Learn to Paint Podcast. A great conversation with a lot of technical questions explained in very simple terms. Plus Sarah’s work is amazing!

How to Paint Looser: Mastering Brushwork Techniques for Impressionist Art - Will Kemp. This post complements the previous conversation with a deep-dive on brushwork!

Art supplies and colour mixing

Brush markers - watercolour and permanent pigmented ink - Jane Blundell. I’m researching into brush markers as a supply that is easy to use on the go and when travelling, so I found this post very helpful.

How to paint a watercolor glazing chart - Watercolour Affair. I am a big fan of all sorts of colour charts and colour mixing experiments, so this is another great way to learn more about your watercolours and their mixing potential!

Bonus: Christmas inspiration

I couldn’t resist the temptation to add some Christmas art to the December list! These are lovely collections of paintings with a winter or Christmas theme. My favourite is Silent Night by Viggo Johansen!

• Ten works of art to get into the Christmas spirit - Charlotte Wilkins.

• Christmas in Art: The Most Beautiful Christmas Themed Artworks - Culture Tourist.

• Our favourite Christmas paintings - National Museums Liverpool.

I hope you found something useful and inspiring in this list! Have a wonderful month of December!

Thank you for being here. Feel free to share this post with a creative friend and I’ll be happy to hear from you in the comments! What inspires you during this season?

Until next time!

Lisa