Idea Seeds: Lily of the Valley

Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. -Luke 12:27

Photo sourced from Wikipedia

The Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis) is the flower of the month of May and this installments Idea Seed. It sports thick, striated leaves and soft, bell-shaped flowers distributed on a swooping stem. A woodland plant in the cooler climates and mountains, the highly poisonous lily flowers in late spring. The flowers, white with a tinge of green, have a sweet smell.

The Christian tradition at times refers to the lily of the valley as Our Lady's tears or Mary's tears. This stems from the legend that the flower sprang from the Virgin's tears at the Crucifixion. It is a popular flower for weddings and has a symbolic meaning of sweetness, humility, and return to happiness.

Are you inspired by the forms and colors of a certain flower? The silky bells of the lily of the valley carry a delicate femininity. They conjure the image of a fresh bouquet of wildflowers on an antique kitchen table, the promise of spring, and the song of birds.

Flora and fauna have long been a source of inspirations for artists, musicians, and poets. The lily of the valley has an amazing combination of textures and colors. I encourage you to take heed of the flowers you encounter, stop and smell the roses as it were. What you find may bring you the next great masterwork.

Lily of the Valley

Original vector illustration © Rachael Sinclair

Available for purchase HERE

Idea Seeds: Tractors

You can find them on the roads of rural America, often a line of traffic trailing. They're chugging along in the fields, left to rust next to old barns, and shined up for shows. They pull our parade floats and help plant, tend, and harvest not only our food, but our imagination. Tractors, especially 'vintage' tractors, are a wealth of nostalgia and design and that's why they're the feature of this Idea Seeds.

Some shallow research uncovers a vast world of color, design, and function. Tractors began as steam engines working in pairs. Now, a large piece of technologically advanced farm machinery can cost more than a house. These mainstays of the 'modern' farm are an indispensable part of crop production.

Images sourced from Wikipedia

Since these implements took over where horses left off, there have been a large number of manufacturers. There aren't quite as many today as in years past, but that's what makes vintage tractors so much fun. The colors are varied and vibrant, the forms utilitarian, but geometric and beautiful. 

What do you think when you see an old tractor? Do you envision a farmer, perched familiarly atop the metal beast, the sun in his eyes, with a field of corn in his wake? Perhaps you see an easy-going farm dog napping in the shade of an old row-crop. Maybe you focus on the design of the machine, its lines and graphic quality. And it just could be that you see generations of history in every layer of peeling paint.

I invite you to look into the world of farm machinery. Start with the old stuff (as it is oftentimes more visually pleasing) and settle in for quite a ride. You may not go over 20 miles an hour, but the inspiration you cultivate can certainly take you places.

Vintage Tractors

Original vector illustrations © Rachael Sinclair

Available for purchase HERE

Idea Seeds: the Olympics

They are a symbol of peace, civilization, and excellence. The Olympics are the pinnacle of society; athletes from all over the globe participating in friendly competition, living together in a 'village'. This show of goodwill and skill is also an inspiration to artists and why the Olympic Games star in this Idea Seeds post.

Athletics is akin to art in sculpting and grace. From the balance of a gymnast to the lines of a diver; the chiseled beauty of an eventing warm blood to the blurring colors of racing oval, the games are stuffed with creative energy.

The Olympic games boast a number of year-specific creative items. The medals themselves are sculpted especially for each Olympiad. The opening and closing ceremonies are a spectacle of dance, music, and color. Posters have long been a way for artists and designers to show their tribute and skill. You see in this collection a sampling of some of the best Olympic and Olympic-related from the first half of the 20th century.

The games of the XXX Olympiad will take place in London this year. There's no better time to enjoy the events how you may and be spurred to create. I created this piece to reflect the depth and movement of the games. The stylized rings are like sails moving us forward while echoing back to remind us of how far we've come. The motto is Citius, Altius, Fortius (Faster, Higher, Stronger) and it gives us the fire to keep going, to keep achieving things we didn't think possible. How can you be better today?

Faster, Higher, Stronger

Original vector art

© Rachael Sinclair, 2012

Color by COLOURlovers

Color by COLOURlovers

Idea Seeds: Dogwood

With spring comes a lot of inspiration. Everything's waking up after a winter's nap; there are colors and textures everywhere. One of my favorite things about spring is the dogwood tree. Dogwoods are pretty trees most of the year, but their blooms are something special. That's why I've chosen dogwood as this Idea Seed.

Viewed by some as a religious symbol and prized by landscapers for its foliage, the dogwood comes in both tree and shrub varieties. The blooms can range from a chartreuse shade of white to light and dark pink and have four petals with a distinct dark spot on the tip. These blooms are showy in spring and give way to simple leaves for summer. Eventually, they produce bright berries.

Sun Salutation
watercolor
©Rachael Sinclair

If you have a dogwood tree in your yard or know where you can inspect one, take a good look. Does the shape inspire you? How about the color? What textures do you see? Sit under a dogwood and let your mind drift. You never know what magic you'll find!

These PMS colors and CMYK breakdowns were sampled directly from the bloom of a dogwood tree

Color by COLOURlovers

Idea Seeds: Warm

Winter always seems to go on too long. Gray days of ice and snow dominate the forecasts. Before we succumb to cabin fever, we must find a way to shake the blues. This Idea Seed is medicine for that fever. What comes to mind when you think of the word warm? Do you see colors? Perhaps you recall the pattern of a quilt or the steam off a cup of hot chocolate.

Think of being warm; draw on that feeling. The next time you pass the flower isle while shopping, buy a bouquet. Surround yourself with color and fill your imagination with warmer shores. Spring will be here in no time. Use this break in fire between autumn and spring to do a little daydreaming. You never know where your mind will take you!

 

My warm piece of creativity: a postcard with hula girl illustration, tiled pattern, and color palette. The palette was inspired by fabric from a vintage Hawaiian shirt, hence the muted tones.

Aloha from warmer shores!

vector illustration

© Rachael Sinclair 2011

Color by COLOURlovers

Idea Seeds: Santa Claus

Santa Claus is one of the most recognizable symbols of the holiday season. His rosy cheeks, hearty laughter, and flowing white beard seem synonymous with jollity. He's had songs written about him, poems, been featured in plays and movies. He's the star of the most famous parade in America, the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. Santa has also been used in a consecutively successful advertising campaign by none other than Coca-Cola.

Though Santa Claus has a rich and sometimes polarizing history, the version we think of most today was spearheaded by cartoonist and illustrator Thomas Nast in the mid-1800's. Nast was also the 'father' of the Republican and Democrat animal mascots. His Santa, featured on the cover of Harper's Weekly, was portly, wore a hat and fur-trimmed coat, and had a long beard.

A figure like Santa was bound to be popular, but his popularity and image reached new heights when he was tapped to be the holiday spokesperson for Coca-Cola in the 1930's. This image, designed by Haddon Sundbloom, brought the jovial elf into thousands of homes and even caused some to speculate red and white had been chosen for his clothes because they were Coca-Cola's colors. It is believed, however, Santa wore red and white long before then.

Santa Claus is not so much a person as he is a feeling. Most of us can recall the days and nights leading up to Christmas and how excited we all were at the thought of being visited by the man from the North Pole. Being so popular, Santa has been depicted in a myriad of ways. I charge you to use this Idea Seed to come up with your own image of Santa. Be creative, be different, be you. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

"Ho, Ho, Ho Like An Egyptian"

original digital art

Hieroglyphs translate roughly as:

Across the top: Christ the King is born today.
Left side border: Joy to the world
Right side border: the Lord is come
Within the frame: Santa Claus says Merry Christmas

Idea Seeds: Rhapsody in Blue

George Gershwin was a perhaps one of the most talented and prolific composers the United States has ever seen. In his relatively short life, he composed a number of symphonic pieces, an opera, and many pop-style songs, many of which featured lyrics written by his brother Ira. George's work has a style that speaks to his time, a time of prosperity and progress. Rhapsody in Blue is arguably his most famous piece with it's energetic allegros and sweeping melody. It's very lyrical and imaginative, something particularly engaging for a creative thinker. This is why I chose the piece for this installment of Idea Seeds.

Disney incorporated the piece into its second Fantasia collection and did an amazing job capturing what many of us imagine when we hear the music. Today, if you have a moment, find a recording of Rhapsody in Blue and listen. Close your eyes and let your mind take you on an amazing journey.

Rhapsody

vector illustration

© Rachael Sinclair 2010

Idea Seeds: Orchard

Orchards are beautiful places, not just for the scenery, but for the produce. I've been going to orchards since I was a child. There's nothing quite like picking your own fruit and vegetables. I especially love to pick apples. Picking apples is a rite of passage from summer to fall. They signal the beginning of pie and cider season. 

Today's Idea Seed is orchard. Have you ever been to an orchard? If so, what memories do you have? What creative things spring to mind? Maybe you got to take a hay ride. Maybe you saw how they pressed apples to make cider. If you've never visited an orchard and there's one within a reasonable distance, make a point to pop in.

Pie Potential

photography

© Rachael Sinclair 2010

Idea Seeds: Autumn

There seems to be a special place in the hearts of many creative types for the season of Autumn. Perhaps it's the colors, maybe the weather, could be the symbolism of death and rebirth. Why autumn warms us is subjective, but the season and thoughts it brings to mind are amazing. That's why I've chosen autumn as this post's Idea Seed.

Crackling fires, marshmallows roasting, apple pie, bright leaves, harvest, Halloween; autumn conjures these things out of the slowly chilling air. As August comes to a close, sit down with a pad and paper, paint and canvas, or needle and thread, and give autumn a creative welcome!

Text reads: The tiny seeds of Autumn bring the promise of returning Spring.

"Autumn"

original digital art

pattern, typography, and verse
© Rachael Sinclair 2010

Idea Seeds: Transparent

Time for more word association! Today's Idea Seed is transparent. Transparent can mean different things. Literally, it's something you can see through either clearly or partially. When referring to a person, it can mean someone with a poorly veiled personality or intentions. What does 'transparent' mean to you? Does it bring to mind a thing, a person, a time in your life? Pick your brain and pick up a pencil!

"Transparent"
Photography with Photoshop filters
© Rachael Sinclair 2010

Idea Seeds: Firefly

Idea Seeds are like creative word association. Pick a word then create. See where your mind takes you. This entry's Idea Seed is firefly. Do you remember chasing fireflies as a child? Do their twinkling lights against the sunset take you back to that summer when you learned to ride your bike without training wheels? What do you think of when you hear the word 'firefly'?

"Come Fly With Me"

vector illustration
© Rachael Sinclair 2010