My Top Five Inspirational Artists

Creating art has always been an obsession for me beginning in my childhood years. When I was old enough and had access to information about other artists, I began studying many of the old masters, modern masters and contemporary masters. With all the incredible talent and amazing artwork available to study, I was thrilled to be able to learn and grow artistically.

There are so many artists who have inspired me to create art and who have heavily influenced my artistic style. Here are five of my absolute favorites.

Gerhard Richter (b. 1932) is a German visual artist who possesses incredible versatility. His inventive style has no limits which I greatly admire! Besides sharing the same philosophy about being open to unlimited creative possibilities in art, we share many of the same personality traits. I love all of this work, but a few that are favorites are Lesende (Reading) (1994), Meadowland (1985), Wald (2005) and Abstraktes Bild (1991)

Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009) was an American visual artist, a remarkable magic realist painter. Wyeth inspired me to be attentive to the finest detail. Although I feel every piece he has created is a masterpiece, those I’m especially fond of are Christina’s World (1948), one of Wyeth’s most prominent paintings, and also the Helga Series.

Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966) was an American painter and illustrator. With his Neo-Classical style, I like the subject matter, the dream-like fantasies, and bright blues. I’m also a big fan of the layering techniques of the old masters. If I had a choice to select Parrish works my top three would be Wayfair, Daybreak (1922) and Ecstasy (1929).

David Hockney (b. 1937) is one of the most influential British artists of all time. He’s a painter, print maker, photographer, and set designer. He’s another artist with an extensive artistic range. I love his Pop Art (read more about pop art techniques here) and his work inspires my cubism and color range. Hockney’s entire collection of art is remarkable, one of my favorites is A Bigger Splash (1967).

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Picasso! Everyone knows the name of this world famous artist. Without a doubt, he was one of the most unlimited, versatile artists ever and always will be. He was a painter, print maker, ceramist, poet, playwright, and sculptor. He was co-inventor of cubism along with Georges Braque. Picasso’s brave and brilliant artistic style revolutionized Modern Art and helped the world to visualize in different ways. He is the artist that has inspired me most and the reason I paint and love cubism! There are too many amazing pieces to list, so here are my four of my favorites: Guernica (1937), Three Musicians (1921), Le Reve (1932), and Garcon a’la Pipe (1905).