Searching for Universal Inspiration
Inspiration is something every artist looks for. It’s not a mysterious force or a romantic idea—but the momentum behind making art. Without it, the work stalls. With it, everything falls into place. But where does the burst come from, and how does it show up in the work of artists like Chris Green-Martinez?
Taos Mountain from Cuchillo Rd.
CGM painted the view from her front yard in Ranchos de Taos. Often, inspiration is right in front of you.
The Everyday Search
Most artists don’t wait around for inspiration. They look for it. Sometimes it comes from reading, walking, listening to music, or just paying attention. Observing—being present, catching ideas in motion, and knowing when something feels worth exploring.
Inspiration isn’t always profound. It might come from something ordinary: a certain light at a specific time of day, a phrase in a conversation, or a detail in a book or film. How the artist interprets and applies it is what matters most.
Common Sources of Inspiration
Nature is a big one. So is personal experience—grief, joy, confusion, change, even boredom. Artists also respond to stories, symbols, and history. Religious themes, for instance, have fueled centuries of artwork for what they represent: ideas, emotions, and cultural meaning.
CGM’s work often connects observation with symbolism, rooted in both her environment and her internal questions. She doesn’t paint to match a trend—she paints to explore an idea.
The Pentecost Dove
CGM finds inspiration from many sources. The Pentecost story is just one of many.
How Chris Works with Inspiration
Take The Dove. It’s based on Pentecost, a moment in Christian tradition when the Holy Spirit descends from heaven in the form of a dove. Chris approached this theme not by copying a traditional image, but by thinking about what that symbolic moment means —arrival, transformation, and quiet power.
She pulls from specific sources, asking what they mean to her, then translates that meaning into form, color, and movement.
Inspiration is real, not magic (though its effect can be magical) and finding it is part of the artist’s job.