Look at Child Art
20 Art Inspiration Ideas for Creativity
Feeling inspired can be tough at times, especially for artists who have a 9-5 job outside of art. We may be too tired to think straight, or distracted by our daily routine. In such situations, we have to search for sources of inspiration and creativity.
Inspiration ideas are all around us – everywhere an artist ventures, who they speak with, what they experience, and everything an artist does outside of the art field.
Whether you are experiencing artists block, or just need some ideas on where to look for artistic inspiration, this article should be for you.
20 Creative Ideas for Art Inspiration
The first 6 inspiration ideas were discussed in our article How to Overcome Artist Creative Block and Get Inspired.
- Examine your culture.
- Reminisce about early childhood.
- Consistently use an artist sketchbook.
- Create numerous artworks simultaneously.
- Look at the art of other artists online and at art galleries.
- Try out a new artistic medium.
Listening to music always sets a mood while painting and creating art.
Whether it is soft and mellow, or fast rhythmic tunes, the music will help to clear your mind from distractions. If you are accustomed to one type of music, but still are feeling uninspired, listen to something you have not before. One idea is to put on a favourite album from your teenage years. This might get your creative juices flowing once more.
Carry a camera wherever you go and take lots of pictures.
Photograph anything that catches your eye. Whatever your style of art, you will develop a better eye for composition than you ever thought possible. Occasionally review your photographs and select the best for printing. Either create a scrapbook or photo album which can be examined for ideas, or pin all the best images to a wall.
Read a Book
Reading stimulates the imagination.
If you are a frequent reader already, attempt reading something completely different. Thoughts may spring to mind that never occurred to you, and you may end up feeling more inspired.
Keep a sketchbook nearby so ideas may be transferred as you imagine them.
Get outdoors, and go for a walk along a trail or beach, or for a boat ride, and clear your mind.
Nature is always inspiring. There is so much natural beauty that most of us miss out on every day. Also take a sketch book and camera along sometimes, and sketch or photograph anything that appeals to you.
Stay Healthy
Being physically fit, eating healthy, and getting plenty of sleep have direct affect on inspiration.
It can be difficult to feel creative when over tired and not exercising regularly.
The more healthy we are, the better our chances of finding inspiration.
Dreams have inspired many artists throughout the years. Some dreams are very vivid, and inspiring.
I have actually dreamed about uncreated paintings at times. Has anyone else experienced this?
It helps to have a sketchbook near your bed in case you wake up from a particularly interesting dream. Record it right away while it is clear in your mind, or it will most likely be forgotten by morning.
Collaborate with Artists
Consider doing a collaborative project or artwork with other artists.
Every artist is unique, and has their own unique perspective and ways of looking at things. You may learn to see things differently, and might feel inspired to create artworks that would not have came to mind otherwise.
Good ideas are generally hard to come by, even for the most talented artists.
Not every artwork is a true creative success. Assuming that you are stuck for inspiration, think of ideas you have put aside because you thought it was mediocre. The point is, to keep creating. As long as you produce artwork, there is always the chance of seeing something in your painting that inspires another.
Look at Child Art
Children create with such simplicity and directness.
They create based on what they see, feel, and know, without any preconceived drawing or painting conventions.
Creating along with children can help reveal a new way of looking at things.
Visit a senior citizens home, or talk to your own grandfather.
Listen to their stories of how things were before you were born. They know these things first hand, but we have to picture them in our minds. Imagination often leads to inspiration.
Time for Inspiration
Create at the time of day you feel most inspired.
Some artists are night owls, and can think more clearly at night. Others become inspired more in the daytime. If you are feeling uninspired because you are painting at a particular time of day, endeavour to create at a different time.
Think about your hobbies and pass-times.
If you are interested in certain television shows, movies, sports, video games, etc., you may find inspiration there. Try switching through the cable channels repeatedly until you see something interesting that inspires you.
Making Art for Art’s Sake
Create for the sake of creating.
Many times we get bogged down with trying to think of themes to paint, or creating a certain way. Paint and create art because you enjoy it, not always because you want to create a work of art. Focusing on your medium more than your theme or subject can aid in developing more personal techniques, which may lead to bursts of inspiration.
As artists we tend to spend a lot of time alone creating in our own little world.
What inspiration ideas do you have to share with us?
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**All Photographs by Graham Matthews…
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Painting art
Nothing says “unique” like custom painting artwork designed just for you by a professional artist. Need ideas? We’ve collected some amazing examples of painting art from our global community of illustrators. Get inspired and start planning the perfect painting art today.
cover design for jazz music band
Design inspired by they music. Hand painted.
by Katarzyna Doszla
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Illustrations for a blog post
illustration for blog post
by Fe Melo
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Artwork Inspired by Black/African American Culture
by Alina Ally
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Bitsy dog portrait
Portrait of chihuahua Bitsy
by lofosparalogos
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Album cover for VRONSKY
CH demanded a design for his cover for CD in hand painted manner of Van Gogh. After a few previous versions this was the best solution, with this gorgeous fires on a see surface in the starry night.
by lofosparalogos
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Painting Border collie
Client was asking for intimate portret of this beautiful dog. Painted in photoshop in a manner of Van Gogh.
by lofosparalogos
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Painting artwork illustration.
Illustrations Warrior fights with dragon in the north. art using brush and color pencil. ** Magnify/Zoom to actual size for details 🙂 Thanks. Liz yee
by LizYee
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Cover design for Hip-Hop music Album
Hand-drawn illustration for hip-hop album cover inspired by the “Wisdom Tree” and made in impressionism manner in order to increase the atmosphere.
by R28
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SpawnCandy Gamer Characters
by Sergey Gudz
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Hand drawn watercolor illustration
by LizYee
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Indiana jones theme for the stakes.com
Background for the landing page
by Sergey Gudz
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Fanart of The Last Of Us #1
Fanart of The Last Of Us video game, for a birthday gift to customer’s sister who like that game so much.
by Jeff Purnawan
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Fashion Statement Graphic Image For Fleece Blanket
From the brief: “I want to launch some eye catching, dramatic graphics / patterns for a fleece blanket”
by M. m.
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Digital signage made for entertainment center Palace Pointe
by Artrocity
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Graphics or Illustration Needed to Capture Beautiful Outdoor Winter Concert
by Irudh
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I draw the portrait with some flowers around it as decoration. The color scheme is soft and elegant so it matches the room tone.
by Cassielf
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by miridi
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Fanart of The Last Of Us #2
Fanart of The Last Of Us video game, for a birthday gift to customer’s sister who like that game so much.
by Jeff Purnawan
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Peregrine Falcon Sketch
The client was looking for a design that represented the fierce Peregrine Falcon. This sketch/painting took about 6 hours to complete to really get all the details just right in a attack position.
by Vesper
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Illustration for wine label
The client had a large number of wine bottles donated which he wanted to sell and use for a cause. Wanted an artistic illustration of an African woman. Watercolour on paper and some post-correction in photoshop.
by Irudh
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Funny Gecko illustration
Painting & Brushing raster illustration.
by milomilo
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La Rosa Character Sketch
The client was looking for something in the graffiti medium
by Vesper
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Wonderful Album cover for a teen singer
Had fun painting this in watercolor and further develop it in photoshop.
by Irudh
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Religious painting of St Christopher
People from the church asked for painted image of St Christopher holding Jesus. Realistic baroque painting with a inspiration in art history.
by lofosparalogos
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Winning design – Scifi/Fantasy scene for an post apocalyptic Artificial Intelligence book cover
Scene where a group of robots carrying spears is crossing a post apocalypitic world on a journey.
by GIRMEN
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Create Change Girl’s Education Illustration & Stencil
A motivating Banksy style stencil and an illustration for girls’ education street art in Africa. Charity organization Create Change.
by Piasecki
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Calavera Girl Poster Canvas Print
Dark but still feminine and sexy
by Black Arts 888
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Steampunk Fantasy Book Cover Illustration
Had a lot of fun with bounce light and transparency in this piece. Painted using Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint, and Paint Tool SAI. The brief requested that the baron character have a massive head 🙂 Looks a bit like Rufus Sewell.
by jerryhiggy
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by miridi
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Oil and Watercolor
This design was produced with dualities in mind. To create dark and light on a battlefield. The artistic genre is a mashup between traditional oil painting style and watercolor. The concept behind this technique was to give the design a ancient feel but in a contemporary representation. Something straight out of the renaissance.
by Vesper
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Majestic face of an empress for a fantasy book cover
by MWart
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Lucca Lucian’s Key Visual
A self-drawing picture for Lucca Lucian, speaker & illusionist
by Piasecki
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Wood burn art or mural line art
Line art, krakens , mural painting
by LizYee
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Illustration for canvas painting “be patient with yourself, don’t give up, big things take time”
by -Z-
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by yulianzone
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by GPclandestino
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Ninja and Samurai Playing cards
by Executor
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by CriDascalu
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James Lee Baker-Impressions album cover
James Lee Baker-Impressions album cover illustration. https://www.jamesleebaker.com/
by -Z-
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Doves digital painting
Painted in Photoshop using approximately 10 dove photo references – no tracing, of course. The client wanted a vintage style digital painting of two doves where the background can be changed. The doves are not being affectionate, but also not really fighting.
by Pixeleiderdown
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by M. m.
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van gogh stylized for 8bit brewing company
by -Z-
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Children book Illustration “In Search of Christmas”
my client made a Christmas-themed book with a figure of a group of rescue dogs. He wants a detailed illustration style with watercolor techniques.
by RVST®
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Wall canvas contest
Jinx ( League of Legends) cosplay portrait
by CriDascalu
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Boris Johnson as Uncle Sam
Boris Johnson portrait
by tomcept
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Wedding in Mexico
Sketch illustration for wedding card with sugar-skulls
by R28
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Watercolor illustration for fashion lifestyle pet brand
Fun yet classy watercolor sketch for luxury pet brand
by Tetiana @tannikart
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Yuka and the Universe by Wade F. Wilson
Solar eclipse and the inuit village
by A n a
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Set of illustrations for Website.
Set of illustrations for Website. The journey of a company with a mission: to integrate the human element with technology. The future can count on cybersecurity. The illustration-style drawings that tell a story were asked to present color as the factor that represented this integration. The characters were also asked to show the diversity that the company values and operates.
by J u h D.
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Beer label illustration.
by miridi
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Let your imagination run free with diamonds, a starry sky and a yurt.
by Nandita Pal
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Key Visual Illustration for Soprano Opera Singer Anna Netrebko´s new album
Cover Illustration Classical Music Book Flyer Postcard Art Music Opera Painting Brush Lines Soprano
by bananodromo
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illustration cover art book postcard album painting
illustration cover art book postcard album painting
by bananodromo
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Potrait Illustration – Frank Elaridi
Frank Elaridi is a journalist and content creator who tell a story about spirituality, health, and beauty with 90k growing subscribers, as the channel grow he need something unique as opening on his video. And here we go, The Idea is to reveal the “spirituality” and the “beauty” aspects for this intro that feels magical, dynamic and alive. Animated Version: https://99designs.com/profiles/bubupanda/designs/1342754
by bubupanda
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Joyville Coffee Roasters
hand drawn lettering / hand drawn font, and a hand drawn town
by Alina Ally
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ilustration for internet page
Work had to look like it was cut out of paper, so I decided to do this job completely by hand. Each element is cut from paper and painted with paints. The whole is placed on a piece of paper. I created a mini-scenography design which was later photographed.
by Katarzyna Doszla
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Yuka and the Universe by Wade F. Wilson
Meeting the Sun
by A n a
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Retro Gouache advertising for wine
Gouache painting evoking the 40’s – 50’s style of advertising illustration. Wanted to keep the painting interesting by leaving a fair amount of brushwork visible and evident.
by jerryhiggy
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by GPclandestino
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A graphic illustration for kayak company
by Black Arts 888
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Traditional media portrait
Portrait done as a leaving present for a staff member. Faber Castell watercolour pencils and acrylic paint on French tinted paper.
by Pixeleiderdown
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Conteporary Aurora ( known as the sleeping beauty)
Part of a fantasy princesses pack, based on contemporary standards in my interpretation. Women dress up for other women, they give each other compliments. Is not about the story, is just about the character; just gives a remember of it
by CriDascalu
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by unreal studio
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peach blossom and local birdies
by CriDascalu
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Keith Haring for Sandwich
This is a Keith Haring’s imitation conceived to illustrate a calendar for the client’s restaurant chain. He give a list of favorite artists and/or paintings so we can choose. I went for the blunt style of Haring, trying to make a homage.
by Fafahrd Deustua
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Sentimental travel portrait from working life to retirement in Costa Rica.
by Konstantin Kostenko
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Fulani Tribe Woman Illustration
Digital illustration as portrait of a beautiful woman; gave a personal touch by creating this goddess fierce woman
by CriDascalu
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by GPclandestino
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Fantasy Role Playing Game Screenshots for the iTunes App Store
This was done for a mobile game. Main image in the app store
by GIRMEN
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by Black Arts 888
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by mmmoaaa_
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peach blossom and local birdies ( my fav version, looks good as a print)
by CriDascalu
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Book cover design
Client wanted a new book cover for his Ancient Hindu History. He also provided a detailed brief to work with, specifying reference images to make a full-scale painted image.
by untitled_pics
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Illustration for Design Community Finalists
Design Community Finalists # SPEAK UP 4 UNITY “When designers and artists RISE, UNITE to uphold and speak up for UNITY & INCLUSION” UNITY among the DESIGNER COMMUNITY in diverse cultural, sex, races, and COLORS difference, LGBTQIAPK+, free of discrimination… We pass on hope… * RAINBOW is a symbol of peace… * A symbol of magical, the energy of blessing, intuitively to hold on hope… * A very powerful and important message; speak up directly to the heart and soul, filling with awe and energies of liquid love pouring… WHO we are & WHAT’S inside us: The naked truth, plain unadorned facts, without concealment or embellishment… * Art for the NAKED truth… * Art for FREE EXPRESSION… * Art for the good… * Art for the beautiful…
by LINART logostudio™
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This company is a leader in outdoor product development. They ask for designs and ideas that breaks away from the traditional blue and gray tent or camp chair. We want to incorporate art; abstract or realistic, the beauty of nature.
by Gagilend
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by GPclandestino
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Just like a woman
just like a woman song cover.james lee baker album : impressions https://www.jamesleebaker.com/
by -Z-
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Snapchat Illustration Art
Snapchat Illustration Art GeoFilter Face Swap
by bananodromo
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Magnolia design for a ceramic mug
Digitally drawn Magnolia branch.
by M. m.
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Design Album Artwork
This project is for album artwork. Rock band
by aSveta
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Key Visual Illustration for Opera Singer Anna Netrebko New Album
Key Visual postcard cover book album opera design illustration painting
by bananodromo
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Illustration for Hawaiian Community Festival
Illustration for Hawaiian Community Festival
by bananodromo
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by J u h D.
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Digital illustration based on a real person
by CriDascalu
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13 Futuristic Card Illustration Art
Healer MOBA-like fantasy card game where a player has a team of warriors with special abilities to battle
by GIRMEN
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A classical style portrait of a german shepherd.
by miridi
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Art for 2017 Temptation of the Succubus silver coin
by Khalima
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Truth thaBrainchild – album cover
by [tsg]
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Star Wars Xmas Card Illustration
by LollyBell
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Cover-art for debut of Dragon series
Illustration to be used for the cover art in debut of a dragon series; the title of the novel is Catalyst. Idea: white dragon to be standing clearly visible in the foreground , overlooking an impregnable expanse of jagged rocks and distant streams , at the end of which lay shining towers represented in a dream-like quality , a symbol of hope and the character’s goal.
by GIRMEN
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Australian garden landscape
by NinaĆu
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Illustration for Baby goods retailer.
This image, done in traditional acrylic paint on illustration board, was to be used in product marketing for a baby gate retailer. The style of this design was to be from 1950’s era, when advertisements were done by hand as illustrations. It captures the joy of a young family, enthralled with their baby playing safely and comfortably in front of them, while they enjoy the moment. The client loved this design and I’m glad it met their needs and exceeded their expectations!
by TraditionStudio
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Botanical art print
Vibrant botanical garden
