From a photo...

My last painting was pre-planned, defined in my own mind as I forced the pigments and paper to conform to my will. I framed a picture in my mind of a barn, an oak tree and a couple of horses (see demonstration painting two). Then I found inspiration for each; a barn from a historical park in Grapevine, Texas; an Oak tree near the barn mixed with the look of Oaks from my own back yard; and two surprised horses from a neighborhood pasture down Pool road.

This new painting will be similar, pre-planned but defined in my digital camera then forced to conform through pigment with paper.

I began by rummaging through drawers and finding a sea shell, some clear glass marbles and a white pleated place mat. I arranged them pleasantly, took my picture and have my next painting. Below is the photo - my go-by picture.

My 3.2 pixel digital camera can reproduce what it sees with far greater clarity, color and detail that I would ever attempt. If I want a photograph of something, I grab my little Cannon and shoot it. A painting is another matter.

A painting is one artist's interpretation of what he/she sees. The artist may be observing something live like in nature, mental like in "making it up," or a photograph like this painting is going to be.

However, I do not hold myself to making the painting look like the photograph. I already have that image, the camera took it. What I want to do is interpret the photograph just as I would when looking at nature and paint what I see, letting the wonders of watercolor work their magic.

To begin, I sketched the image onto paper in the rough line drawing below. By the way, I used a compass for the circles that will become marbles.