Sometimes, you just have to find a new way to look at your subject to help you stay fresh and not just imitate what you see. The first time I realized this was painting a still life for a class. My painting teacher in Santa Fe was a big proponent of the idea "Paint From LIFE!" She hated to see any student working to reproduce a photo. "If you want it to look like a photo," she'd say, "take a picture and be done." I realized she was right and began to try to work from life when ever I could. I still do. Photos stifle the creative process.
After my props were set up for this painting and I began to draw, she came by and suggested I find a new way to present my piece. I've spent years learning to make things look on canvas and paper just like they, well.. LOOK. Changing it up was a new concept. I stewed on it awhile and finally decided to draw it out in three point perspective. What a difference it made in my finished piece. This piece reminds me to stay fresh. Sometimes, you just have to shake it up.
Study Time, Oils, 20" x 24"
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