I thought it would be a fun change to share some of the women artists who inspire me. Some of them I follow on Instagram, some I follow their blogs and some I’ve just been a fan of their art for quite awhile. But none the less they are all incredibly talented and it’s a pleasure to see their art.
This was a much more difficult post to write than I first thought. When I first started writing I was inspired to share the art of Katie Rogers, Alisa Burke and Blair Breitenstein. I follow all of these talented women on social media and I mistakenly thought that I had a huge list of women artists that I could share with you.
But when I tried to start my list I found that it wasn’t as easy as I first thought. I found myself looking for women artists in a sea of male artists, like a needle in a haystack. Many of my favorites are no longer with us and the list that I first came up with was quite a diverse list ranging from world class fine artists to fashion illustrators.
So the 7 that I’ve chosen to share with you are the ones that I find inspire me the most and often on a daily basis. I admire their work ethic and their fierce passion for what they do. The only common thread among these women may be 1) the fact that they are women and 2) their passion for what they do is incredibly inspiring.
In no particular order, I like each one for what she uniquely adds to the art world and to my own personal inspiration. So here’s 7 Current Women Artists who are inspiring me right now.
I’ll start with Blair Breitenstein. I can’t get enough of her expressive faces and the feelings her illustrations convey.
In my personal art I love to draw/paint the figure especially the female figure. One artist I’ve followed for many years is Ahn Duong. Her paintings are raw and honest. Her self portraits are captivating.
If you read my blog regularly I’ve shared her work before, Alisa Burke is one artist who’s consistent work ethic truly inspires me to work harder. On her blog you can find consistent updates and beautiful paintings and drawings.
Katie Rogers of Paper Fashion paints the most beautiful figures. Her work is expressive and truly lovely to see. I look forward to seeing her latest creations daily on Instagram.
Cecilia Carlstedt is a fashion illustrator, who’s use of silhouette and contrasting bold and fine lines convey an energy and feeling few can create.
An interior designer with a true talent for portraits is Jessica Rae Sommer.
Petra Dufkova is a fashion illustrator who’s work I really love. I like the balance of light and dark in her work and her attention to detail especially in faces I find truly inspiring.
As I mentioned before this is by no means a complete list and I have not shared them in any particular order. (Please don’t ask me to choose a favorite!) They are all current women artists who create their art for a living.
At the risk of running way over my list of 7 I’d like to add two more.
Kara Walker an artist who’s work is so strong and passionate. Her silhouettes convey her themes with such energy that’s it’s hard not to be moved by them.
Of all the artists I’ve mentioned Cindy Sherman has had the longest career to date. If you’re not familiar with her work she is most widely known for her self portraits where she embodies female cliches that for the most part leave the interpretation up to the viewer.
Looking back over this list I realize that I’ve shared a lot of fashion illustrators. I guess that’s just where my head is right now. I know when I was in art school there was a lot of discussion over what makes a true artist or Art with a capital “A” and I have to admit that I’ve personally been on many different sides of this argument. However, as I go through life I find that the people I admire the most are the ones who follow their passion, whatever that may be. The ones who don’t create for others but follow that burning desire inside and work daily to let it out and share it with the world.
This manifesto by the Guerrilla Girls has been around at least since I was in college. I had a hard copy of it pinned over my desk in art school. I think that it’s always a great reminder for us to continue to work hard and push to have our voices heard. Women create some of the most beautiful things on earth.
Who are your favorite women artists? Please share your favorites in the comments.