Painting from life gives me life.

I enjoy painting subjects from photos, life and plein air as long as I’m painting it’s all good. That’s what I thought until I painted 20 days straight using reference photos only. Reference photos are handy and have all the information you need and nothing else to distract from the image. It’s a smart way to learn to paint. After about 10 days straight I was tired and less inspired to paint which was different for me. I decided to paint a small vase of flowers I had in my studio as a quick break from the photo images, instantly I felt energised.

I quickly understood the life I receive from the flowers is a back-and-forth exchange that increases and builds my energy the longer I am with the life subject. It’s interesting for me to notice the subtle ways my energy responds in my studio, and then I get to decide what works best for me.