Women Draw The Women Who Inspire Them

With March being Women's History Month, we took the opportunity to ask some of our favorite women artists about the women artists who inspired them.

We asked Janice Chang, Linda McNeil, Lauren Tamaki, and Shyama Golden to create an image of their favorite artist and to share a bit about the artist's work and how it influences their own creations.

Janice Chang illustrates Nathalie du Pasquier

Janice Chang: Nathalie du Pasquier is a designer, one of the founding members of the Memphis Group, a painter, a sculptor, a textile and furniture designer. Since I first came upon her work during school, she has been a constant influence for me in the way she explores organic yet very structural forms, colors, and their relationship to each other. For this piece, I wanted to depict her as a strong presence in a room inspired by her designs and patterns, with her beautiful use of color speckled throughout.

Linda McNeil illustrates Georgia O'Keeffe

Linda McNeil: I have a portrait of Georgia O’Keeffe in my studio that I keep as a reminder of her spirit and attitude towards life, nature and art. There is a quote of her’s that I think of a lot whenever I’m going through a hard time with work or in my personal life "I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.” This quote reminds me to be brave and keep moving forward.

Lauren Tamaki illustrates Maira Kalman

Lauren Tamaki: A painter, illustrator, an author, Maira Kalman’s images are grounded in reality and the most decadent flights of fancy. They make me ache. And laugh. And sigh. My gif is a humble ode to one of my favourite multi-hyphenates and all the joy she brings me. You can dip into Kalman's 30+ books or pick up her newest project, an illustrated version of Gertrude Stein’s "The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas." Her paintings and stories are a balm for my frazzled nerves because she offers up a vision of what New York—and the world—could be if we were a bit more tender and curious.

Shyama Golden illustrates Amrita Sher-Gil

Shyama Golden: Amrita Sher-Gil, born 1913, was a Hungarian-Indian painter who wasn’t afraid to explore her own style and content that was different from the European standard. She was a vibrant woman was extremely liberated for her time and resisted fitting into any stereotypes. She noted that while her European contemporaries often painted in dull tones, she was more drawn to bright colors which were at home in South Asian art. I definitely feel the same way about my own work, and try to lean in to my own tastes even if it doesn’t line up with the current definitions of fine art. Her self-confidence and hybrid style inspires me, even though I needed a lot more time than her to discover my own versions of these things.