Three Artists Inspiring Me Right Now (June 2026)
Last month I decided to make a concerted effort to take note of at least 3 artists that I'm finding inspiration from, and so I'm continuing that this month!
I began it because I found that the huge amount of visual stimulation we get means I am constantly exposed to new art that may or may not influence me, but without paying more attention I forget and never gain anything from seeing these works.
So without further ado, here are my June inspirations! I hope you also find inspiration in this litte list and get to discover new artists while getting a better understanding into my thought processes before paint has ever even touched a canvas.
Konrad Mägi
After visiting the Dulwich Picture Gallery recently with a friend, I stumbled upon this exhibition of artwork by Konrad Mägi. It was such a welcome surprise and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the bright and varied paintings he created.
I had no intention of visiting this exhbition but I was drawn in by the vibrant deep blue visible in one of the paintings. This was probably intentionally placed by the gallery, and it worked on me! I'm so glad I did go and see it, because even though I'd never heard of this Estonian artist, I was in love with his painting style.
A lot of his landscapes and portraits do what impressionists and post-impressionists do, which I always find influential. The brushstrokes are visible and preserved, and the colour choices in the paint are like an enhanced version of life, incorporating the deepest blues and the lightest pinks where one would not expect to see them.
Takeaway - Bold use of expressive colour, variety in subject matter, visible brushtrokes
I came across Jerry Wilkerson when researching other artists who created still life art of food and everyday scenes. His pointilist style of painting is mesmerising! I find his use of colour inspirational, though that isn't surprising when talking about pointilist artwork.
I've always found the style interesting from a technical perspective, where artists place small dabs of pure colour beside each other so that they become optically mixed by the viewer when seen from a distance. Perhaps it's the way he uses the technique to capture foods and other mundane objects. This seems to create a sense of nostalgia and magic in the everyday that I love to try and imbue into my own work!
I usually do this by emphasising lighting, saturated hues, and tweaking the composition or perspective to give greater focus to some details. Jerry's work and technique inspires me to consider the importance of the very act of placing the paint on the canvas. I am often finding myself fussing with a piece until it feels perfect which ruins the initial brushstroke, and I would love to have a greater sense of life in preserving that first stroke of paint.
Takeaway - use of bright colours, preserving initial palcement of paint on canvas
Alexander Hilton
This one is a little different as I've actually met this artist and absolutely enjoyed exhibiting some of my work alongside his at 2 exhibitions this month! While I'm so proud I have no idea how our work could be show in the same places, as his work is exceptionally detailed and evocative.
Alex is a Cambridge-based artist and his oil paintings make one think of ones by old masters. I'm especially drawn into his use of colour, creating almost baroque style tenebrism with his use of dramatic darks in his compositions.
Not only does he enjoy painting food like I do, his painting showing at the Chelsea Art Society this month depicted a scene at the top of the stairs looking through a window towards a bright outdoor sky. This focus on the threshold or portal really speaks to me as someone with a background in architecture, and while I have painted a small piece from this perspective before, I would love to return to this subject matter again as I was inpired by Alex and our discussions.
Takeaway - immense detail, strong lighting contrast, focus on thresholds