It's just a plant......



Lone Promise
12 x 12 Pastel on PastelMat
©Randy Hamburg

Sometimes as artists, we want to take in the big picture and include everything in our reference be it plein air or from a reference photo.  When we paint a "large" scene in a small space, we can get away with only a few marks to indicate a tree, a building, or a mountain.  Isn't it the same way in life in general?  We all get so busy that we often don't see the small things.  Instead of a bloom, we see a flower garden or an ocean instead of a cove.

One of the things I constantly have to battle is painting the entire reference photo.  Think about it, we took the photo for a reason.  There was something we liked and inspired us from be it the composition, the colors, etc. 

Recently my daughter sent me some photos she had taken in California that she felt would make good references for paintings.  She really has a good eye for reference material and has sent me quiet a few from her travels.  One the Vasquez photos in particular caught my eye; good composition, lots of depth, a really good start.  As I spent more time doing thumbnail sketches from to work from, I kept coming back to this one plant that stood out.  It lead me to taking only a part of the reference photo for "Lone Promise".  After pushing the color a bit from the reference, I'm pleased with the way it turned out.  Here's the original reference photo.

I'd really like to hear from any of you to let me know what you think of my blog.  I've only been blogging for a very short time and would like your comments.  What do you like about it, what should I add and what would you like to see included?

Hope you enjoy and, as always,

Keep Painting!