Tess’ inspiration and style

Tess' Inspiration and Style

The first topic we'll be covering in this course is inspiration. I'll be showing you where I look to be inspired, and I'll also be suggesting how you might like to find your own sources of inspiration for the hand-painting projects we'll do together later on.

Looking for Inspiration

Inspiration really can come from anywhere, and where you seek it will always be personal to you. It's about learning to really look and notice what you are drawn to.

By tuning into what inspires you, you will start to discover and hone your own style of decorative painting.

Places to Find Inspiration

• Other examples of decorative murals or painted furniture.
• Patterns and motifs in nature.
• Antique fabrics or tiles.
• Churches and chapels.
• Decorative Arts museums and galleries at home and abroad.
• The work of artists and designers.
• Traditions from other cultures.
• Visits to historic homes.
• Books on wider subjects and mediums that interest you.

My Inspirations

Lascaux Cave

I find the paintings within Lascaux Cave, in the Dordogne region in France, hugely inspiring. They were painted 17,000 years ago using natural pigments to create colour, which was applied using sticks and hollowed-out bones. They weren't painted to be realistic, and I find the fluidity and liveliness of the shapes mesmerising.

Medieval frescos

Mediaeval frescos are another source of inspiration for me and I love the palette of colours that are often used. They can often be found in churches and chapels, so I like to seek them out when visiting anywhere new.

Decorated farmhouses

I recently went on a trip to Sweden and became completely enchanted by their traditional style of folk painting. I visited the area of Hälsingland, which is particularly known for its decorated farmhouses. They were most densely decorated in what they called 'the celebration room', where special occasions were held. I also went to the home of artist Carl Larsson, Tureholm Castle, Gripsholm Castle and felt very inspired by the embedded cultural desire of Swedish people throughout history to paint and decorate their surroundings.

Rajasthan, India

Another research trip I took was to Rajasthan in India, where I was particularly moved by the use of colour and the different ways colours were combined. I also observed a really interesting use of scale, which I have been inspired to use in my own work.

Charleston Farmhouse

Much closer to home, I'm very lucky to have the Charleston Farmhouse almost on my doorstep and I visit often for a boost of inspiration. It was the home of the Bloomsbury Group, and mostly decorated by Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant and almost every surface has been hand-painted. I find their carefree and unprecious approach the most inspiring part, and love the way it hasn't been overthought - it's artistic self-expression at its finest.

Patterns and motifs

I also love to find inspiration from patterns and motifs in other mediums. You may find you love a particular motif - flowers, for example - and it can be really inspiring to seek out how these are represented in different mediums other than paint.

The landscape

I live in the South Downs, East Sussex and am constantly inspired by the landscape around me. From the colours to the formations of different plants, the possibilities are endless.

Antique fabrics

Studying antique fabrics can be really enlightening. I love to see how seemingly complex patterns are made up of surprisingly simple shapes once you take a closer look. The colour scheme of a fabric can also inform the colours of a decorative painted piece.

Further Reading

Lascaux Cave

Examples of British Medieval frescos

Examples of French Medieval frescos

Must-see frescos in Italy

Information on Danish Medieval frescos

Hälsingland, Sweden

The decorated farmhouses of Hälsingland

Artist Carl Larsson

House of Carl Larsson

Images of Tureholm Castle

Gripsholm Castle

Duke Karl's bed chamber at Gripsholm Castle

City Palace, in Udaipur

Juna Mahal, in Dungarpur

Visiting Charleston

The lives of those within The Bloomsbury Group

'Charleston: A Bloomsbury House and Garden', by Quentin Bell and Angela Nicholson

'Quimper Pottery', by Ann Marie O'Niell

'Glorious American Quilts: The Quilt Collection of the Museum of American Folk Art', by Elizabeth V. Warren and Sharon L. Eisenstat

'Tudor Textiles', by Eleri Lyn

Ardingly Market

Kempton Market

Your Assignment

Take the first step in seeking out your own inspiration; research a period in history that you love, order a book on a subject that fascinates you, or dig out old holiday snaps from inspiring places you have been. Take note of patterns and motifs you feel drawn to and begin a collection of references that make you feel inspired.