Weekly Inspiration ~ 10.03.22
I’ve been brainstorming a few new series for the site and thought I’d introduce a weekly inspiration series where I share things I’ve seen and been inspired by throughout the week. For my 9-5 as an Art Director / Designer, I’m constantly immersing myself in beautiful interior photography, branding design, and campaign work so I thought I’d share a bit of what I come across week-over-week. This particular series spans beyond Interiors and my heart behind this is to share a bit about what inspires me more broadly, from photography, video, branding, art direction, typography, work from studio artists, and anything else that catches my eye. I hope this series sparks a desire to be open to inspiration from any space.
Artist Spotlight: Ana Montiel
“Taking in her paintings is like opening your eyes after a nap in the sand. The colourful masses on her canvas appear to be in motion, plunging the spectator into a semi-conscious state. Beyond the merely pictorial, Ana Montiel's works read like spiritual, dreamlike invitations, that hit you with a feeling of satisfaction and involuntary entrancement.”
I stumbled upon the work of Ana Montiel last week and cannot stop thinking about the way she weaves heady, conceptual themes about what it means to have a human experience—explorations of ritual and spirituality, and so much more, into work that is so visually delightful. Her exploration of color fields as a motif for dream states and an exploration of the subconscious has sparked something deep within me, to get back to my own practice of art-making and writing as a way of making meaning of the day-to-day. She describes herself as “a mapper of the unconscious” and describes her Fields series as “an adventure meant as a tribute to the intangible.” I feel instantly connected to Ana’s work, as an expression of spirit and awakening.
There is a depth to her process and approach to art-making that feels deeply spiritual. I often find myself consumed in thought about what it means to be human, a spirit embodied, navigating the intersection of the mundane nature of day-to-day life and moments of serendipity and epiphany that signal something so much bigger than oneself… more on this to come in another post. You can find more about her thoughts, exhibitions, and process on her site. I highly recommend watching her process videos. Hearing her speak about her work and seeing her create in real-time is moving and provides such inspiration.
