Where do ideas for paintings come from? I have a young friend who is in college now, but when I met him, he was four years old. For a number of summers, Chris was fascinated by the signs in Boothbay Harbor, which he carefully reproduced with crayons on drawing paper and then tacked up around his grandmother's farmhouse and barn. For the duration of his visit, every room in his grandmother's house sported signs that advertised all kinds of businesses. I would look forward to each visit to see what funny additions would appear and in what unexpected locations.
Pretty soon, I found myself seeing signs as an element not to be removed from a painting but to be included as a motif. Every once in a while I find myself returning to that subject matter, and I never fail to smile or remember the joy that Chris brought me during those summers.
Take a moment to listen to what children see or imagine as a possible inspiration for your own painting motifs.
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