Inspiration From the Stacks and the Past

When I'm in search for new inspiration the first place I look for it is in nature, usually right outside my window or I hike down through the woods. There are new patterns everywhere, in the tree bark, on leaves and the way the sunlight shines brightly through the trees.

The next best place for painting inspiration is a trip to the library. There is something still wonderful, warm fuzzies inside, about standing amongst the stacks searching through books reading and looking at pictures. I know it's all there inside the computer, paintings, pictures, bios on anything and everything, but I still love the tactile feel of books. The searching, the discovery, there's nothing like books in a library. One book in particular "The Magic of Trees" is loaded with inspiring examples of famous tree art from the past.

Here is a selection of what I found, a few paintings from the masters:

Look at these clouds all dancing around a lone tree standing tall in a soft green meadow. ~Ferdinard Hodler (c1905)

Dramatic color contrast of a little redish orange against a whole lot of blue background.

Beautiful Gustave Klimt (c1916) circle patterned trees.

Vincent's expressive green sky.

Or why not a yellow Van Gogh sky?