I often do not begin images with a particular thing in mind. I start with a simple cloud render in Photoshop, and from there bend, stretch, fold, filter, push/pull the results of the previous action.
As this process continues, it often (much like a stone skipping across water) generates ‘bursts’ of visual recollection. These recollections often provide me with the impulse for the next step.
I have called this image “ripping sinew 1” because it makes me imagine what a muscle might look like from at a microscopic level during an intense weight lifting session. 