FNL_INSPIRED Vol 2_Spring

12 INSPIRED VOL 2 ideas and dream images entering your mind. You can concentrate on amorphous things, such as the move- ment of water or clouds. It’s like scrying in a crystal ball. You’ll be amazed by what your fantastic mind will come up with. It’s an exhilarating experience that you will certainly enjoy and want to develop further. All art- ists in various fields throughout the ages have used this and similar techniques to create their great works of art. And you too have the ability to bring to life beautiful things that lie deep within your imagination. There are many things to inspire us. As I mentioned, having a deep love of the beauty of nature is a great way to begin. I myself have the feeling that everything in nature is alive. I sense the presence of “Nature Spirits” all around me, in the form of elves, fairies, angels, and sprites, as well as water and tree spirits. I have never actually seen a fairy, but I sense them around me, espe- cially when I am outside in a lovely garden. It brings me great happiness to feel the majestic presence of a tree. They are really like actual living beings, not just piec- es of wood. I feel that all of these Nature Spirits have feelings, sensitivities, and magic. Without our beautiful Nature, the world would be a bleak and barren place. These lovely Nature Spirits inspire me greatly in my paintings. I often personify them and make flowers into elves and fairies or trees into graceful dancers. This is one thing that gives me great joy in life. As I mentioned, I am tremendously inspired by great art throughout the ages. Fantasy art is among my most fa- vorite, since it takes me away to other imaginary worlds, so uplifting from this world of every day. I love great fantasy literature, and also great films that have devel- oped this imaginative literature into delightful movies. Some of my favorites are The Wizard of Oz , early classi- cal Disney animations such as Snow White and Pinno- chio , the old black-and-white 1935 movie A Midsum- mer Night’s Dream (with great actors and a fairy ballet with beautiful music by Felix Mendelssohn), The Lord of the Rings as well as The Hobbit , and the Harry Pot- ter movies, to name just a few. I love the art of ballet, and I often have the impression that the delicate ballet dancers seem like graceful and beautiful floating fairies and angels. When I read great literature and poetry and watch wonderful films, I am often inspired to create en- chanting paintings and write my own original fantasies. If you look within your dreams, you may find people from your past who resemble fantastic characters from famous literature, such as wizards, magicians, heroes, dragon slayers, gods and goddesses, elves, fairies, and angels. You may also imagine amazing creatures, such