Magazine Week

What fun a theme is! 

Having a purpose, an enjoyable thing to do as part of my day is proving to be wonderful. As I gather up a few summer editions of “Yankee Magazine,” (dating from 2021-2023), up pops a 2004 edition of the “American Art Review.” (The local library use to have loads of great magazines at their book sales.) 

My feast of reading about art starts with the article, “The Western Massachusetts Art Trail.”  The border to Massachusetts from here in Vermont is about a 2 hour drive (200 miles +/-). I feel giddy with dreams of going on an art excursion someday.

As it goes, it is a learning experience to select a painting from which you paint your own similar scene from life, in the style of that artist. I did that once using as inspiration a tree painting by Van Gogh. Below is my painting of a local tree.

Be inspired, read about art.

The Tree 
9x12 inch acrylic

 

Refreshing an art minded altitude

A post started early this morning, edited…

Trying to pull up a visual emotion to paint from is difficult for me. Impact worries take over, is the artwork meant to be or not. Painting a scene as the source of reference has issues, but not as much emotional mining as an image that at first sight of it, was a big wow moment. 

A 40 inch by 53 inch canvas physically feels stronger than  5 inch by 7 inch canvas you hold in your hand.  Bigger impact. 

Now that I can (almost) easily navigate around my easel space to paint again, I’m pondering what I want to achieve instead of what can I do. Do I continue with old projects I let go that were started months ago or start fresh? So, I gave myself permission to just grab what’s around and let worry take care of itself.

Ink & watercolor drawing started last year 
It was on the floor between cabinets. 
Placed in front now for me to see
and consider what next. 

In the photo, my stuff on the floor next to my recliner. Tissue box on the right and charger cord hanging down on the left.  

Art on a Monday

With the TV off, I fell asleep for the entire evening. Waking after 11 PM, I was surprised it isn’t morning. I missed all the Sunday night PBS shows. What to do!?

Putter? Watch YouTube? Snack? All three are good. Near 2 AM, I want to change up and do the sketch on this week’s new painting from an old photograph. The funny thing is, I don’t remember where the photo is. 

Back tracking, ( a few times), I find the hard copy folder of printed out photographs it was with. I went through them 2 or 3 times making sure it isn’t stuck to another paper. I give up. 

Sitting there clearing my frustration out, I see a white piece of paper sticking out of my catchall basket on the bottom shelf of a side table. I pull it out.

TaDaaaah! It is the photo I’ve been looking for!

🥳😂

Lake Champlain

Photographs of people. I do not take or post identifying photos of individuals without their permission unless the person is a public figure or celebrity. Even then, if they are on their free time, it is highly likely I will not take a photo. 

I will post pictures of people when the subject is a crowd, a gathering, an event. Even then, I will edit features, change colors, blur numbers and such. 

My people photos are figure studies like the one posted above. 

Note, I also ask owners for permission to take pictures of their dog. 

About the scene. Space is the celebrity in the landscape. An 11 x 14 inch canvas is not the ideal size suited for the painting’s story. I have images of the area to use. The canvas will be the study for a larger artwork. 

18 February update
in progress

More Paint From a Photo Considerations

Adirondack Mountains 
a Vermont view

Update 28 September 2025: I just realized that the above mountains may actually be the Green Mountains up in Lincoln, Vermont and not the Adirondack Mountains. A photo posted on the 24th are the same location. I will check my folders for time and dates.

Below Snake Mountain

The Green Mountains
Addison Vermont View

The search continues for a photograph to paint for a blog series this year. Painting them all is a thought. Asking myself what am I looking for, my answer is clearly that I will know when I see it. 

In this selection, my heart goes wide viewing the first picture. The chicory tucked in the maple leaves has a cute kitten vibe. 

The last photo feels to me like taking in a big breath of crisp autumn air on a frosty morning.

As a painting, out of all the images posted thus far, The Green Mountains, is my favorite.

Possible Photographs to Paint From

Paint from photos I'm 

Thinking about for composition

Digitial photographs under Copyright

Adirondack Mountains 
Sorry, I think they are the Green Mountains. 

New Haven River
2024 runner up

Ripton Vermont
Robert Frost Interpretative Trail

New Haven River
Lincoln Vermont

Milkweed
Addison Vermont

Art In Autumn

Middlebury River
Acrylic detail

Last year I posted about the painting process, from a photograph, for the larger painting above, Middlebury River. 

This year I will do the same. Starting next Wednesday, 1 October 2025, I will begin the new series with posting the winning photo sketched. I am searching photo folders for a few images to consider. There are more pictures of fall than the other three seasons combined. 

A canvas is on my easel at the ready.