What Inspires Me

I found a very neat thing called an Influence Map. It's for artists to show and really think about what has inspired them throughout their life. I want to share mine with all of you to better get to know me as an artist. Enjoy! If you want to make one yourself, I posted the link at the bottom.




Tinkerbell- she was the first character I was obsessed with drawing. I learned to draw by doodling tinkerbell and Sailor Moon over and over again.

Van Gogh- I have "Starry Night Over the Rhone" hanging in my bedroom and have had it there growing up. It has always inspired me in a way that is hard to describe.

Precious Moments- I used to fill up coloring books of these cute creatures. My great grandmother got me the birthyears set from infant to twelve that I still own and hold dear to my heart.

Sailor Moon- Like many girls, me and some old girlfriends would get together and watch the show almost every day. I loved the girls so i practiced my drawing skills sketching them.

Disney Classics- Growing up I watched a ton of cartoons, and I loved Disney. I know a lot about the company's history and find it interesting, too! So it's not just the characters, just Disney as a whole. Disney pre-2000.

Devita Stipek Writer-I discovered her work while on the cruise ship Carnival Valor. Her murals were on the walls everywhere. Georgeous landscapes using bright colors and broad brush strokes. I find it very appealing to the mind and the eye.

Lisa Frank- The colors attracted me, of course. I liked to collect Lsa Frank stuff as a little girl. Perhaps that is one reason I love extensive (but properly done) use of color.

Tex Avery- I love Red Hot Riding Hood, and Droopy Dog was such a little player! As a kid, I liked the cartoons of retold fairy tales.

Alphonse Mucha- Art Nouveau at its best. I learned a lot about anatomy, detail and texture from just looking at his work.

Garette Johnson- I met Garette a couple years ago at Gigacon. She is a professional fashion illustrator living in New York and I was just a student at the time. I have watched her painting demos at Gigacon and they are both inspirational and full of helpful knowledge for me. I learned a lot from her and I love her work. She is a very cool woman who is passionate at what she does, and I have a lot of respect for that.

Francesca Lia Block- A writer but an artist in her own mind. My absolute favorite author! I won most all of her books. I like her use of imagery and the way she writes is so different from anyone else! From her website: "Author Francesca Lia Block is renowned for her groundbreaking novels and stories—postmodern, magic-realist tales that transport readers through the harsh, gritty landscapes of contemporary life to transcendent realms of the senses where love is always our saving grace."

Anneli Olander- She is my favorite living artist. I respect her ambition and talent. I like the way the she paints, thinks, and lives her life.

Fafi- She inspires me because she is young, ambitious, and succussful. I want to be more like her, but still be me....fritchie! She is a french graffiti artist and I just love the fact her work is painted on on all sorts of things and places.

Michael Turner- He was the first comic artist that I truly loved the way he drew. The faces, especially. Not only that, it wasn't the normal superhero comics all the boys read. It was something different, Aspen Comics gave me something more.

Edwin Georgi- Probably my favorite painter of all time. He uses his brush much like Van Gogh did but his color use was brighter. He was a less-depressed person and his women seem flawless like goddesses

Ralph Bakshi- I love that he wasnt afraid to push boundaries and create the first x-rated cartoon. I also like the character "Holli Would"

Gil Elvgren- the greatest american pin up artist. I love pin up girls, and I think just as many girls like them as boys do. His anatomy is spot on and I love the innocent sexy look.


Not Shown:
fashion- As a woman and an artist i can never get enough of fashion. Fashion magazines can be the best reference and inspiration sometimes. I like both vintage and up-to-date magazines including Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Harper's Bazaar

art nouveau- "An artist should work on everything from architecture to furniture design so that art would become a part of everyday life. By making beauty and harmony a part of everyday life, artists make people's lives better." I believe this 100%.

vintage/antiques- I love old things, they have a story of their own. Vintage can be very classy and intriguing.


You can find the blank Influence map here.