Inspiration Art
Art invites us to see beyond the surface, to witness the quiet dialogue between form, color, and spirit.
Each piece reflects a way of seeing that opens something within us, reminding us that beauty itself can be a sanctuary.
Once, art was a form of devotion — a bridge between the seen and the unseen. Though much of today’s art world centers on status and commerce, the timeless pulse of creation endures. Beyond the marketplace, there are works that still move us toward reverence — that remind us beauty, at its truest, is an act of presence.
The pieces gathered here — drawn from artists across history and place — invite that remembering. They speak to art’s enduring power to restore balance, awaken feeling, and return us to the deep well of our being.
The Apostle St. James the Great Freeing the Magician Hermogenes (1434-35), by Fra Angelico, embodies the spiritual and artistic vision of the Early Renaissance.
Painted in tempera on panel, it tells the story of St. James extending blessing and liberation to the magician Hermogenes. The scene is layered with symbolism: the saint’s golden halo and outstretched hands convey divine grace, while the shadowed figure in the background evokes the presence of evil. Onlookers react with awe and doubt, reflecting humanity’s varied responses to the sacred. With its vibrant color, depth of perspective, and delicate detail, Fra Angelico transforms a biblical narrative into a contemplative vision, bridging devotion and artistry.
I chose to include this piece because, unlike many works of its era devoted to devotion or grandeur, it speaks to the act of casting out what separates us from our own essence. In its imagery of release and redemption, it reminds us that sanctuary is not only a place, but a return — a reuniting with the soul’s true purpose. Today, the work resides at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.
Allegory of California (1930-31), by Diego Rivera, is a monumental fresco that celebrates the spirit and complexity of California.
Painted within the City Club of San Francisco, the work centers on a radiant feminine figure — the embodiment of the state itself — surrounded by scenes of industry, agriculture, and scientific discovery. Rivera captures both the vitality and the contradictions of a land shaped by vision, labor, and desire.
I chose this piece for its deep connection to California’s creative and cultural history, and for my admiration of Rivera’s conviction that art should belong to the people. In his hands, the mural becomes more than image — it is invocation: a reminder that creativity, like the land it honors, holds the power to sustain, awaken, and transform.
Lesende (Reader) (1994) by Gerhard Richter (b 1932) Oil on canvas, 72 x cm.
Richter is a German painter whose work moves between abstraction and realism, questioning how images shape memory, perception, and truth. In Lesende, he transforms a simple moment — a woman reading — into something both intimate and elusive. The soft blurring dissolves detail, inviting reflection on what is remembered and what fades.
Richter’s paintings often hover between the photographic and the painterly, revealing how every act of seeing is also an act of interpretation. His work reminds us that clarity and mystery coexist — that what we perceive is never the whole of what is. I chose this piece for its quiet resonance. The figure absorbed in her reading becomes a metaphor for contemplation itself — a sanctuary of focus and inwardness in a world that rarely pauses.
Number 24 (1949) by Mark Rothko Oil on canvas - Hirshorn Museum, Washington DC Painted at a turning point in Rothko's evolution
Number 24 reveals the moment when structure begins to dissolve into atmosphere. Layers of color hover and breathe, creating a space that feels less painted than invoked. The composition’s quiet intensity invites the viewer not to interpret, but to experience — to stand before it and be altered by its stillness.
Rothko believed that art could speak directly to the human spirit, beyond words or intellect. His works are thresholds — places where emotion, light, and silence converge. I chose this piece for its meditative power. It embodies the essence of sanctuary: the meeting point between inner and outer worlds, where color becomes presence and presence becomes prayer.
Untitled (Studio) (2014) by Kerry James Marshall Acrylic on PVC panels — Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Kerry James Marshall transforms the artist's workspace into a vibrant universe of ceration — filled with figures, tools, and the layered energy of making.
The studio becomes a living organism: brushes and pigments scattered, canvases in progress, and human forms moving through it in rhythmic harmony. Marshall’s work is rooted in the Black American experience, reclaiming space within the art historical canon where Black figures have too often been absent. Yet his vision transcends narrative — celebrating the act of creation itself as an assertion of presence, dignity, and joy. I chose this piece for its vitality and truth. It mirrors the spirit of my own studio — the beautiful tension between order and chaos, discipline and inspiration — where the work of the hand becomes an expression of the soul.
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Working with Kathleen was a revelation. She doesn't just design spaces — she helps you remember what truly nourishes your soul. My home now feels like a sanctuary and I feel so enlivened by the changes.
S.B., San Francisco
