3 Artist Quotes that inspire me and my work:

“I think if you shake the tree, you ought to be around when the fruit falls to pick it up.”

- Mary Cassat, Artist.

Many people could interpret this quote in many ways but for me it is about growth and progression. I understand that if I want to achieve my dreams, that I must go out and work for it, I won’t wake up one day and have complete my goals if I do not try. So everyday I work on this quote, to step out my comfort zone every now and then, try new things and take some risks. The only way you are going to pocket the fruit is if you shake the tree it grows on!

“Art is not always about pretty things. It’s about who we are, what happened to us, and how our lives art affected.”

- Elizabeth Broun, Art Historian.

Art is not always produced to satisfy the viewer; art is a place people visit to be free and allow their emotions to take over. This quote inspires me to be my self in my work, to contribute what I want and not what people expect.

Example’s:

In 1991 Damien Hirst assembled a sculpture which involved a dead 13-foot Tiger Shark, this is a piece that makes me feel so uneasy but still so fascinated to look at.

Frida Kahlo established collections full of self-portrait paintings that displayed her pain and suffering throughout her life after an accident, disabilities and absolute heartbreak.

“Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.”

- Frank Lloyd Wright, Architect.

My current work is all situated around nature, so this quote makes perfect sense as I agree with Frank Lloyd Wright when he says nature will never fail us. The most extraordinary thing about nature is how it is natural, known as a gift from the Earth. It is the gift that keeps on giving, so I say we should keep giving back, make the most of it, make the most magnificent pieces from it! We have received the most incredible living organisms which come in all different forms of shape and colour for a reason, art being one of them.