inspiration 2015

Michael Cheval made this painting, Inspiration, with oil on canvas, and it's like a dream you might have after a late night of strong coffee and even stronger ideas. Look at the way Cheval uses smooth, almost glassy surfaces, it's so different from the clotted, chunky paint I love to use. The figure, a kind of surreal muse, is holding a teapot filled with moons. The moons glow, and that glow seems to spill out, illuminating the scene like a stage set. And the typewriter sitting on the desk to the right? It’s a classic image of creativity, but here, it's waiting, almost expectantly, as if poised for the moon-infused ideas to start flowing. It reminds me a little of Magritte, who also played with these kinds of surprising juxtapositions. It's a reminder that art is often a conversation, a dialogue across time and between artists, each of us borrowing, responding, and transforming what came before.