Welcome, friends of “Flowery"

This is the very first blog post keeping you in touch with the goings-on at christinamaassenart.co.nz and flowery.co.nz. Thanks so much for signing up.

Recently, I was asked to give a presentation and a wee talk to a group of lovely ladies. The theme was “What inspires your art?” There were five artists who all gave a quick talk. It was interesting hearing other peoples “Why.”

I decided that my inspiration to paint and create was a three-part answer.

1: A God-given desire to represent beautiful things in an artistic way

I believe we are all made uniquely and with different drives and leanings towards different activities to make us feel fulfilled. I don’t mean God made me an artist. I mean that God gave me the bubbling excitement that allows me, and in fact drives me, to learn and experiment and want to hone my craft so I never get sick of trying to improve as an artist.

2: Background and experience

Following my dad around the glasshouse as a toddler and handling flowering plants, then spending 47 years as a florist means that flowers are indelibly imprinted on my brain and in my subconscious. I am inspired to paint flowers because I know them, and I am inspired to paint coastal paintings because I am immersed in the beach where I live.

3: The people who like to look at my paintings inspire me

Customers or just a friend who admires something on the wall of my house give me reason to continue to paint. Some artists can make thought-provoking, challenging art works. Not me! I just want to bring colour and joy to people’s homes or to their day. Maybe one of my paintings or a product I have made from a painting will remind the viewer of a person or place. I don’t even mind if someone just likes something I have made because it matches their sofa.

So, to sum up, I am inspired by the unquenchable excitement within me to make art, my lifetime of experience of flowers and beaches, and the look on someone’s face if they are enjoying the fruits of my paintbrush.

Pablo Picasso once said, “I dream my paintings…and then I paint my dreams.” I hear you, Pablo. Same here.