Oftentimes, inspiration comes in the darkest hour of night. That's exactly what happened with "Winters Rose", the art quilt pictured above. I awoke in the middle of the night with the image of a white rose in the sand. I ran down to my studio and scribbled the image on my white board. The next morning, I started adding to the design. About a week later, the Fine Arts Council of the Austin Diocese announced that the theme for their upcoming art exhibit would be "Mary". I couldn't believe it! The piece I was working on was perfect. The white rose is a symbol for Mary. Blue is her color (the blue candle). And, of course, Bethlehem was her destiny. I finished the piece, submitted it to the jury, and it was accepted.
The art quilt then inspired the Advent stole "Winters Rose". The white rose again for Mary, but with a white candle to symbolize waiting for Christs' birth. The holly in both pieces is a fore shadowing of the crown of thorns.
But "Divine intervention" is only one of many sources of inspiration. God's beautiful creation presents endless possibilities! For me, creation has inspired everything from quilt patterns to art quilts to stoles and banners.
Of course, Scripture is a wonderful source of inspiration. "Fishers of Men" is a great example of this. In addition to Scripture, I was inspired by a sketch of a boat that my daughter had done. Which brings me to imagination.
Imagination can be one of the strongest forces for inspiration. A few years ago, I decided that I wanted to expand my quilt patterns into a new line. Forest Moon Patterns was born with a focus on fantasy.
Whatever your source of inspiration, USE IT! Creativity is a true gift from God.