Getting Inspiration from Your Model

 Earth Mother - by Ed McCormick

I read a posting on one of Likedin’s great art groups yesterday something like, “I have lost my inspiration. . .” I thought to myself as I read the posting that the comment really could be translated as, “I have no ideas left inside for new art.” How sad this was, as all my inspiration comes from the outside, rather than the inside. It comes from my surroundings, from the people I meet and the scenery I view, yes, I admit to it, even from the mirror I look into when I brush my teeth.

Ideas for my art always come from the outside, and then seem to percolate down to my subconscious helping me to execute it. I learned this lesson many years ago, while doing a body casting of a pregnant woman. I established a pose for the piece after discussing it with my model. She sat on a stool for comfort sake. As I began creating the mold I struck up a nice conversation as I usually do to try to keep the model comfortable. As we progressed and towards the end of the session, I asked how she was doing. She replied, “My god I feel like I’m carrying a watermelon.” In that moment, the inspiration for the piece was born, I never forgot it.

 It was her remarks, her inspiration, not mine, that actually created the idea for the final work. Without it, the art work would have been just a plain take-it or leave-it wall hanging. But with her idea executed within the piece, it turned into a wonderful visual that continues to create curious commentary as well as clucking controversy – something I like to achieve in my art. My Earth Mother girl always make me smile when I look at it.

 So to the young lady who posted that she had lost her inspiration, I suggest that you look outside yourself as it is the environment and those of us in it that inspires our art. Take you inspiration from there. It is a lesson I learned almost two decades ago.

ED MCCORMICK

Edmund McCormick is the founder of Cape Crystal Brands and EnvironMolds LLC. He is the author of several non-fiction “How-to” books, past publisher of the ArtMolds Journal Magazine, editor of Beginner's Guide to Hydrocolloids, and author of six eBook recipe books available for download on this site. He resides in Far Hill, NJ and lives and breathes his art and food blogs as both writer and editor. You can follow him on Twitter and Linkedin.