What does 'nature inspired' mean...?

I've been guilty of using this phrase regularly when I've been asked to describe my paintings. I'm afraid my 30 second elevator pitch has always been lacking - my thoughts were that I had more important stuff to do than deliberate over why I paint what I do, let alone articulate it in a way that won't leave the room quietly nodding off while I ramble on.

But lately I was pushed to sit with the discomfort of the 'why I paint what I do' which on reflection, has little to do with thought.

A few years back, I was lucky to meet and later help care for two adorable donkeys.

I fell in love with everything about them and the time spent with them became really important to me.

Being so loved up, I threw myself into painting them from a photograph as a reference and to the left is the finished painting (it might be hard to make out but they're stretching their necks out, sharing a bowl of chaff)

At the time, I was happy enough with this painting; it was large at 1mx1m and made me smile because it reminded me of the donkeys but it was also missing something.

It didn't speak to the peace and quiet of the donkeys paddock, of their field shelter covered with ivy or of the alderberry bush beside the door, or the sweet scent of bluebell wafting from the fenceline and it definitely didn't say anything of the soulful, wise character that is the donkey.

You'd never know to look at the painting how important it was for me to spend time with these two humble animals inside their paddock, in all weathers and doing all chores from feeding to poo picking and everything in between or how much I loved every minute of it!

So I painted again...this time without a reference photograph; just with my feelings and here's that painting.

There's 2 years between each of these paintings and it's taken me a further 3 years to be able to put the difference between the two paintings into words.

For me, to be inspired by nature means that I'm painting what makes me feel happy, calm, at peace with myself. Nature inspires me to breathe, to slow down, to take notice - it might be that tiny shock of blue in among the storm clouds (can you see it) and the adventure I'll have turning those colours into a painting.

A splash of bright orange colour along a residential street in Arlesford inspired a collection of paintings that I could never have 'thought' into existence.

A distant view and the intrigue of wondering what lies over that hill.

My elevator pitch these days is something like 'I paint what makes me happy' and if that doesn't tick the boxes, that's fine by me...I've always been happy to take the stairs!

I'm told this is a 2 minute read, so if you're reading this, thanks for taking the time to stick with it!

Next time...

I’ll be sharing a little about how often I paint and taking a look inside some of my sketchbooks.