inspiration Jasper Johns

Jasper Johns

One of my favorite painters. He was raised in the south and upon moving to NYC in 1954 became the lover of Robert Rauschenberg. I love him so much because of how textural his paintings are. This comes from the method he employs to make them, encaustic painting. In this technique pigments are added to hot wax which is then either applied to wood or canvas. This results in amazing texture you could not achieve with paint alone. Here are a few of my favorite works of his.

artist inspiration

William Eggleston

The photographer responsible for brining color photography into the fine art world. He was a documentarian of ordinary life. He was born in Memphis and loves to capture the south with a sharp eye for color and juxtaposition.

I saw a collection of his work at the Frist last year in Nashville. It was amazing to see so many of his prints in one place.

I also distinctly remember watching a documentary about him in photo class. There is one scene when they are walking in an alley and he stops to take a photograph of a dumpster.

He is by far one of my favorite photographers and would of been to hard to select a few photographs, so I picked a lot.

artist inspiration

Cindy Sherman


Most well know for the multiple series in which she depicts characters by changing her make-up, hair, costume, etc. Her early work plays off of traditional American female stereotypes. 


In the early 90's she made a series of images in which she recreates famous European paintings. And in the past few years as she has gotten older her work circulates around the concept of trying to remain forever young. In her current piece at the MOMA she has digitally altered her image to make her look like different people. (see the interactive view here)

artist inspiration

Nan Goldin

A photographer who began working in the 70s and 80s who photographed and was a part of the underground culture at the time. Particularly cross-dressers and her own sexual partners. At first I was shocked by her work. But over time it's grown on me. I see the rawness and vulnerability of the photographs. After she became popular she began to do fashion photography as well. 

over the past few years she's begun photographing children as well.

one of her more recent fashion shots.

hawiian arts

Hawaii is known for three main crafts.

Weaving bracelets, boxes, mats and many other beautiful items

Carving beautiful bowls

and their quilts.

the quilts began as rough natural fiber blankets that were dyed in floral patterns. Then when missionaries began bringing fabric over they began to quilt usually with two colors to create striking geometric floral patterns. 

I am in love with them and hope to bring back a small wall hanging for our house.