Wrong time of year, but I have been wanting to do this painting for a while. The beauty of painting from photos is that you can capture the image any time you want. Also, there is the advantage of not having to haul an easel, paints, etc., etc., around with you. The disadvantage is in not being there in the changing light with the sounds of nature and wind and breathing in the beauty of the experience. When I paint from photos, I use them as inspiration and almost always change them by adding things or subtracting or rearranging. I am grateful to feel confident to do this now. When I first started oil painting I was a bit nervous about adding or subtracting. Now it part of what I look forward to. It is the exciting part. The setting of this painting is a local sugarhouse. I will let you use your imagination to guess what I changed about it.
Gourd Painting acrylic
I also painted this gourd, which I will now varnish. It is about 15" tall. I did one last year and I really like painting these, so I might make an effort to get more. They are gooseneck gourds which is why I painted it like a weird bird. The design was inspired by my love for my family with symbols which give a nod towards some of the things we love doing together.
I started this one plein air and finally finished it in the studio, after making some changes. I find I really enjoy just letting a painting tell me what to do. If something isn't working, change it or eliminate it. This really gives me a feeling of creative freedom. When I look at this I can remember how it felt to be there;what the temperature was and how the air felt.
The morning was chilly and I stood in the shade painting and shivering. As soon as I finished I stood in the bright sunshine all afternoon trying to warm up. I didn't pay much attention to my location, other than facing directly into the sun, but this is what I saw: a lovely bridge with flower baskets over a beautiful river lined with rocks and boulders. It was a good afternoon!