"What I Actually Mean When I Say ‘I’m Inspired by Nature’"

©Elizabeth Domogala

 

 

I was walking with an artist friend along the beach one day, and she asked what inspires my creative energy. I looked around and said, "I’m so inspired by God’s creations." Then she asked what that looks like for me.

It’s a common thing for artists to say: "I’m inspired by nature." Most of us are, artist or not. But here’s what it means for me.

I had very vivid dreams in color and pattern as a child — and I still do. I think it’s because on every walk, I studied the details of each plant: the leaves, stems, buds, flowers, and seeds. I’d sit and sketch and paint them into my sketchbook, curious about size, shape, texture, and color. 

I was also surrounded by patterns in those early years — helping my father dress windows on Madison Avenue with luscious fabrics, and learning to baste drapery hems and find pattern repeats from my next-door neighbor. Decades of sketching, journaling, painting, and playing with fabrics means my brain is now deeply familiar with forms, color, and repeat.

So when I close my eyes to sleep, I see shapes and patterns in color. Sometimes they’re just okay — but when they’re really good, I wake up, grab my iPad, and sketch color and pattern notes before I forget them. That’s how my brain thinks all the time.

Here are some patterns I created as a result of dreaming and being nature-inspired.

       

       

Next time: a real client project — a nursery that came to life from a walk in my garden.

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