Photo
of Summer Rainbows Across the
Lake
Summer is fast approaching as I prepare these notes.
The image to the left is a photo I took a few days ago. It is one of
several such incredible broad bands of rainbow we’ve seen here in
summer. They often occur double like this one.
I’ve taken a few hikes along local streams, gathering photos of the
rushing water during spring runoff. They yielded several promising
images from which to work. It’s always exciting to have these images
in my head to “brew” for a while. The gardens are also providing
early painting subjects. I even bring my camera when visiting the local
garden centers and these lovely dahlias were captured on a recent
outing.
Here’s
how I work with photos to design a painting.
Lots of
parts!
Notice that I came in closer to the flower as I shot
more images. It is important to edit your subject. Don’t include
everything you see just because it’s there. Think of it this way: you
don’t choose everything in your closet when dressing. You design your
outfit. The same goes for making a meal. Just because a lot of foods are
in the refrigerator, you wouldn’t want to combine them all. Be as
discerning in designing your paintings as you are with dressing and
cooking!
| Getting better |
Even better |
 |
 |
Better
still