In Pursuit of Inspiration

Trust Your Instincts and Make More Art

Rae Dunn

• Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9781452168852
• eBook ISBN: 9781452169040
• Topic: Personal Development
• Subtopic: Art Techniques

In this visually rich hardcover volume, beloved artist Rae Dunn shares her favorite techniques for approaching a blank page. From drawing with your nondominant hand to sketching with objects found in nature, each chapter offers a simple yet surprising catalyst to help readers get in touch with their own creativity. Full of gorgeous watercolors, sketches, original patterns, dreamy photography, and hand-lettered insight from the author, In Pursuit of Inspiration offers a unique glimpse into the process of a successful fine artist. It's the perfect how-to book for artists of all skill levels who prefer freeform experimentation to step-by-step instruction.

Conents

Seeing Beauty.

Morning Rituals.

See. Draw. Repeat.

Non-Dominant Hand.

Food For Thought.

Collections.

Sketch du Jour.

Flora and Fauna.

To the Letter.

Drawn by Nature.

My Toolbox.

There i Wander.

Home is a Museum.

Good on Paper.

In Color.

My Muse.

Let’s Travel.

Acknowledgments

About the Author

YOU ARE AN ARTIST.

I was born the fourth of five. It went: girl. girl. girl. me. boy. It was no secret that my parents were hoping that I would be a boy, but such was fate, both theirs and mine. Trying to compete for attention with three older sisters and a prized baby boy proved beyond impossible, and I gave up trying early on. I believe it was this birth order that shaped my personality: painfully shy, an introvert, and always in my own little world. I felt unseen and unheard.

But, I was encouraged to be creative from the very start. A big part of our life was centered around music and art and I feel fortunate that I was able to tap into my creativity at such a young age. I could hide behind it, lose myself in it, and not have to talk or be out in the real world. Art was the channel that connected me to the world and to myself.

Along with having us start piano lessons at age four, our mother took us on weekly trips to the local hobby shop. There, we were allowed to choose any project to pursue. I remember being enchanted and overwhelmed by the rows and rows of endless possibilities. Paint-by-numbers sets (I can still smell the little squares of oil paints), model airplanes, paper dolls, macramé, hook rugs, Shrinky Dinks, an Easy-Bake Oven, and the list went on. I would easily lose myself in a project for hours on end.

We are all born artists.

Children need no artistic instruction. When you put a crayon in a two-year-old’s hand, they instinctively begin to draw. There is no hesitation, no inhibition, no resistance. They don’t say “I don’t know how to draw, I don’t know what to draw.” Two-year-olds are my role models—they don’t compare and they don’t critique what they create. They are happy and proud of their art. They simply and fearlessly draw with abandon, enthusiasm, and pure joy.

I count myself lucky that I managed to hold on to this kind of joy while navigating my way into adulthood on my own terms. I think an art education can be beneficial for many, but I chose a different path. I didn’t go to art school and have never had a drawing or painting class. I believe that because I was truly uninformed it allowed me to make and break my own rules. There was no right way and there was no wrong way. Because I loathe following rules, I instead followed my intuition. It was imagination, experimentation, and curiosity that paved my way.

As we grow older, parts of our innate creativity fade. We develop inhibitions and become guarded; for some, it is out of humiliation or fear, for others, it might be about comparing ourselves to a fictitious standard and not living up to expectations. We often listen to, and believe, negative feedback, and this only widens the gap between our inner artist and our adult persona.

I think there is a way to get back in touch with our authentic two-year-old inner artist, and it’s easier than you think. Because we were born with a creative instinct, the connections to our creative roots are always accessible. We all have the ability to bring more art and creativity into our lives. Whether you were the fourth-born or the firstborn, whether you have never been to a museum or you go every week, we all just need a place to start.

Draw from the inside out, from an emotion or a feeling.

Draw what you are drawn to.

Draw like nobody will ever see what you drew.

Draw every day.

There is no right or wrong way to draw. There are no rules in art. I’m not even giving you rules in this book. I’m merely showing you some of the things that work for me, to make my art practice fulfilling. The more you draw, the more confidence you will have. Soon, drawing will come as naturally and authentically as it did wh...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Dedication
• Copyright
• Contents
• Seeing Beauty.
• Morning Rituals.
• See. Draw. Repeat.
• Non-Dominant Hand.
• Food For Thought.
• Collections.
• Sketch du Jour.
• Flora and Fauna.
• To the Letter.
• Drawn by Nature.
• My Toolbox.
• There i Wander.
• Home is a Museum.
• Good on Paper.
• In Color.
• My Muse.
• Let’s Travel.
• Acknowledgments
• About the Author
• Chronicle Ebooks