Creative Inspiration…

Cadence and Suzie at the Japanese Gardens

Where do we get our Creative Inspiration?  I really started thinking about that the other day when Susan and I took our 5 year old grandson, Cadence, out for a little photo-walking adventure.  Cadence has always been a happy little guy when he had a crayon in his hand.  Last year when he started pre-school his inner-artist really started to blossom.  This year, in kindergarden, the beginning of any art project, coloring, beads, glue sticks, painting, anything, would cause the rest of his world to stop and freeze in place.

Cadence - Shutterbug

So…Last Friday we went to the Japanese Gardens at the Washington Park Arboretum, and the Center for Wooden Boats on Lake Union, for a little “art project”.  Cadence brought his own digital camera (a Pentax waterproof point & shoot, passed down from my drawer full of old cameras).  Our mission was to take a whole big bunch of images and then edit them down to select our favorites.  From our favorites we would pick 6 or 8 and convert them into pencil drawings on my iPad, or in Photoshop, and then make prints of the pencil drawings for Cadence to paint or color in later.

Serious business

See the determination on his face.. 

Well the day was a wonderful success.  Cadence took some fabulous photographs:

Lantern on the Pond - Photo by Cadence

A Stack of Koi - Photo by Cadence

Suzie, Cadence & Kat - Self Timer Photo by Cadence

Lake Union - Photo by Cadence

We relocated down to Lake Union and walked around the Center for Wooden Boats.  Cadence and I both enjoyed taking some images of the classic old boats.

The Arthur Foss -Photo by Cadence

Our Pencil Drawing of the Arthur Foss - by Cadence and Kat

Following our photo outing we went home and edited out images and created the pencil drawings.  To say we were excited during the editing session would be a huge understatement.  Cadence was “jumping” with anticipation, waiting for the first drawing to come off the printer.  He immediately went to work with his colored pens on the Arthur Foss image.

Cadence with the contact sheet and his Arthur Foss Painting

So where do we get our Creative Inspiration?  In Cadence’s case, certainly from his dad (a talented artist as well), undoubtedly from his mother (she has an eye for photographic composition and capturing “the moment”), and hopefully from his grandpa, I’ve been enjoying photography for half a century.

As for me, where does my Creative Inspiration come from?  Well, from many places, but on this day, one thing is is absolutely clear to me.  My Creative Inspiration came from a little 5 year old bundle of blond-haired joy.

My Inspiration

Thank you Cadence, for letting me see the world through your eyes.

Kat