Looking for the WOW factor!

For years I’ve always worked from my own photographs.  Over the last few years a number of people have commissioned me to paint from a favorite photo they’ve taken while traveling abroad.  Just the other day after a round of golf, my golfing buddy David broke out his iPad and shared over 70 beautiful images of Venice that he took on their recent romantic getaway.  I love seeing what others find picture worthy and as with David’s photos, sometimes there are some real gems!  I’m always looking for new material and new inspiration. 

The search for new material has become a big part of my passion for art.  I liken it to being a numismatist. It might be that one penny out of thousands looked through that is valuable and a collector’s item.  I look through hundreds of pictures before I choose one that I want to spend weeks if not months painting.  I have thousands of photos of Maine and ships categorized and stored in boxes, backed up on CDs and doubly backed up on flash drives!  My collection of European scenes is growing as is my passion for collecting new images. 

I’m working on my cottage series now but my mind is working overtime with images to paint in the near future.  I can’t paint fast enough which I find frustrating and at the same time very motivating!  I love seeing an image that has a Wow factor.  It’s what moves me to want to pick up a brush and go to work.