This piece is a work in progress (WIP). It was inspired by many different things, many different artists, and includes a number of different techniques.
I will not be "crediting" anyone with anything.
None of us can be sure of what sparks an idea when we are expressing something through our artwork.
If we have to pay attention to when, where and how we came up with the ideas it only serves to hamper our creative expression.
I recently posted some artwork I had done and credited a good friend with sparking the idea for the project. It was something simple and fairly basic she had shown me.
Another friend thought it was very similar to something she had done in the past. Her feelings were hurt.
I never connected the two projects.
I was just trying to be polite and conform to the current netiquette for this sort of thing.
Second friend expressed her hurt feelings on her blog. First friend was shocked to find that she was being accused of stealing an idea- even though she had never claimed credit for anything. I was the one who named her as showing me the technique.
So my reward for trying to do the right thing and saying who gave me an idea just ended up with my hurting two people that I love and admire.
I'm not going to do that again.
I think we, as artists who post work on the web, in public forums, need to get away from all of this. It hurts the whole community. It generates more bad feelings than it does positive sharing and support.
Ideas don't belong to anyone in a legal sense. If no one shared ideas we would all be working in a sterile void.
I don't think this is what anyone wants.
If this contentious atmosphere prevails I think we will see less and less of people posting anything new or innovative.
Either through fear of being "copied" or through fear of being accused of copying.
It doesn't matter who came up with a technique or who made it popular.
What matters is what YOU do with the technique.
Your work is your own- no matter who inspired you.
This isn't supposed to be about techniques. It should be about how we express ourselves through our art.
My artwork will stand on its own merits.
If you think I copied something from you- feel proud that you contributed by helping another artist find their way on their own path.
If you take something away from what I show and use it in your own artwork. YAY!! That has been my whole point in posting stuff to this blog in the first place. Please do not feel any need to give me credit for your artwork.
Your artwork is your own. I neither deserve, nor want, any credit for it.
