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Easy Inspiration

Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

This is a post that I wrote for the Right at Home Scrapbooking Blog.  It appeared on that blog a few days ago.

Today, I want to share an easy way to be inspired by modern art: use it to create your background! 

Mark
Rothko is one of my favorite abstract artists.  In case you're not
familiar with his work, here are three of his paintings:

Rothko

I love the way his blurry colorblocking looks.  When I look at these paintings, I see a border with blocks of color inside.  Essentially, this:

RothkoSketch

Now, given how much I paint on my pages, it would be easy to look at
these paintings and find inspiration by copying those blocks of color
directly.  What a cool background for a page or a tag, right?

But, I decided to push the inspiration a little farther out and use patterned paper.  I had some Cosmo Cricket paper leftover from their Christmas collection, "Oh Joy":

Cosmocricket-side1

But the patterns were too bold.  I needed something softer.  Luckily, the other side of the papers (don't you love double sided paper)…

Cosmocricket-side2

…was absolutely perfect!  I cut strips (as you can see below):

Rothko-stripscut

And then I glued them into place to create my Rothko-esque background:

RothkoBackgroundFinished

And here's the finished layout:

Two-MotherAndSon-sm  

You can see that I turned the background sideways.  I added my photo, some flowers, a title, some journaling, and a few doodle dots!  Super simple!

Now it's your turn to be inspired by art!  Pick an artist you like or just head to your local museum or art gallery for some easy inspiration!

Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

Based outside of Boston, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer is a painter, printmaker, and collage artist who constructs vibrant compositions. Her artwork investigates the interplay of identity and perception, inviting viewers to take a longer look. Julie works in layers, both physically and metaphorically, exploring what is visible and what is concealed. Passionate about connecting with and inspiring other artists, she shares her expertise through in-person workshops and her online classroom at MyArtPractice.com. Julie's achievements include high-profile clients, multiple publications - including her book, “Carve Stamp Play” - and exhibits in New York City and throughout Massachusetts. She is a graduate of Brown University.

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