I keep thinking that as Christmas Day draws near and there is all that getting ready - you know house cleaning, cooking, getting in the spirit that I really ought to be putting my brushes down and focus. I am not ready yet as I awake each morning so full of ideas for subjects and ways I would like to experiment and create so I guess I will push on this week until I have a real deadline and then maybe I will stop painting.
As I have mentioned before I really prefer to work from real life and next best to is use my own photos as then I have a good connection with my subject but sometimes I am really inspired by photos of others. There is a site called Paint My Photo and it is here that talented photographers share their photos for artists to paint. I have been a member ever since I took up painting again and I frequently visit the site not just for reference photos but to also enjoy seeing artwork produced from them.
Today I share two paintings completed two different ways using one inspirational photograph I recently spotted on PMP - thanks Carla for your great Green Tree Frog shot
"Being Green" is the first painting I did. If this had been my reference photo I would have known what plant he was sitting on but as I didn't I followed the photo and at the end felt as if I had been a bit stifled and tight in my result.
"Seeing Green" is my second attempt and I approached it in a more carefree manner and made him sit on a branch. I also incorporated a salt texture for the background foilage that had pleased me when I experimented trying several different salts and various pigments.
I have had some very mixed results this past year using table salt so this week I tried rock salt, salt flakes and lastly and for me the conclusive winner "Murray River Gourmet Salt Flakes". They are a pinky colour and besides the fact that I live on the river Murray what I love most is they say by using this salt you are also improving the environment and assisting with Australia's serious inland salinity problem. No matter that they cost heaps more than regular salt if they work I will pay!
As I have mentioned before I really prefer to work from real life and next best to is use my own photos as then I have a good connection with my subject but sometimes I am really inspired by photos of others. There is a site called Paint My Photo and it is here that talented photographers share their photos for artists to paint. I have been a member ever since I took up painting again and I frequently visit the site not just for reference photos but to also enjoy seeing artwork produced from them.
Today I share two paintings completed two different ways using one inspirational photograph I recently spotted on PMP - thanks Carla for your great Green Tree Frog shot
"Being Green" is the first painting I did. If this had been my reference photo I would have known what plant he was sitting on but as I didn't I followed the photo and at the end felt as if I had been a bit stifled and tight in my result.
"Seeing Green" is my second attempt and I approached it in a more carefree manner and made him sit on a branch. I also incorporated a salt texture for the background foilage that had pleased me when I experimented trying several different salts and various pigments.
I have had some very mixed results this past year using table salt so this week I tried rock salt, salt flakes and lastly and for me the conclusive winner "Murray River Gourmet Salt Flakes". They are a pinky colour and besides the fact that I live on the river Murray what I love most is they say by using this salt you are also improving the environment and assisting with Australia's serious inland salinity problem. No matter that they cost heaps more than regular salt if they work I will pay!
These are cute and I like the two approaches. Salt is exciting to use. I saw one artist's blog where she used rice, may have been you. Thought I'd give it a try. Have a great Christmas.
ReplyDeleteThanks Polly, no I have not tried rice might too give it an experiment and see what I get - best not cook it LOL
DeleteLove your painting of both these frogs, Lorraine. I can't decide which one I like more. I admire your explorations with the salt, and I like that you're thinking local!
ReplyDeleteCheers Terry, both frogs are fun to look at to me but guess I like the second one because I did some composition and creating of my own
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