For the first time, I entered the Art Bead Scene monthly challenge. I've always wanted to do this, but I'm normally so pressed for time that anything fun like this usually gets shoved to the bottom of my to-do list.
Each month, Art Bead Scene posts a painting or another inspirational piece. They award random prizes, plus they feature one designer each week. It's a great way to make something if you're stumped for an idea. For the January challenge, they posted a winter painting by Claude Monet. Here's a link to a larger photo and description of my entry.
I was astonished at how quickly this bracelet design came together for me. I will definitely try this "inspired by a painting" route again for future jewelry designs.
Not Just for Beading
Paintings also work well for inspiring writers. Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, for example, was inspired by a painting by Johannes Vermeer. The Wilmette Public Library has a brief list of novels that revolve around paintings. (Vermeer seems to be a favorite.)
Online Inspiration
If you aren't able to look at artwork in person, you'll find plenty of inspiration online. For my guest post at The-Writing-Bug I mentioned a few sources for inspiring prompts, including Every Photo Tells a Story. Art museums often have works online. Artcyclopedia provides links to museums, as well as images of famous works of art. Novica also has a nice list of paintings for sale that you can browse by subject, style, and medium.
If you're stumped for an idea, I'd encourage you to find a painting you like and brainstorm ideas. You'll never know if this technique works for you unless you try!