Older Painting, New Inspiration

As an artist, finding inspiration is not always easy. I have had the privilege of watching West Fraser create his artwork for my entire life–a privilege I do not take lightly. It never ceases to amaze me what West can create from a blank canvas. There are times when I have watched a painting slowly come to life over several weeks, and other times when it seems that the painting sprang to life over night. These scenarios represent the challenges of inspiration.

At times the artist is so completely submerged in his subject that the painting is already fully formed in the artists mind before it ever reaches the canvas and other times, the kernel of an idea is there but it takes time for it to be full grown. And then there are times when an artist is given inspiration in the form of an older painting which has come home for a little varnishing.

“I remember the morning, stillness and brisk temperature. Painting on the island of my Muse. So I decided to take this advantage and make a larger in studio easel painting.”  –West Fraser

The ‘island of my Muse’ that West refers to is a small island in the Port Royal Sound called Daws Island. West spent many years painting every inch of this island. In the studio today sits the beginnings of a larger painting of this lowcountry scene.