Find the painting in the photograph!

When it comes to taking pictures of water and waves on the beach, it can seem overwhelming to find what you're seeking to paint. There can be so much confusing wave action, varying light and values, and sometimes the entire water can seem all turquoise, and it's hard to tell the subtle differences that give it form and dimension. Let alone translate that into paint and a painting. I thought I would share a little about this process and what I've learned by showing two paintings and their original photographs. The most recent painting is number XV of my Beach Wave series. and the painting at the bottom of the page is number VIII. Each with their own original photos and then an edited one that brought that scene to light.

Below is a photograph taken on a windy day on the east coast of Florida. I was looking to develop better skills at finding close-up sections to paint smaller pieces. I wanted to train my eyes to see multiple potential scenes within one photo. Talk about maximizing references!

At first it was frustrating and wearing on my eyes.! But like anything, it takes practice. I finally have a little better ability to look for the gems within my photos. Looking for composition candidates is always challenging. I don't know if you feel the same, but it can feel like there are so many rules to painting and composition that I tend to go with what feels right. Yes, I am self-taught. So if anyone has some great cheat sheet material, I will take it!

Boy, I seem to hit the beach on windy days! I find it most satisfying for photographing waves. Yes, the calm, gentle waves are nice too, but give me some sand in my teeth and spray in my face, and I'm a happy girl. The east coast of Florida is great for movement, color changes, and great skies. On my coast, the Gulf Coast, it's more of a gentle lake effect. We barely get waves higher than 6"!

Below is the original photo of another piece in the beach wave series, number VIII. I expanded the photo as my laptop is touch-screen—I love that, by the way! I saw this very interesting line of small wave action moving in to the shore with just fabulous activity and color variations. The swirling was mesmerizing. I honed in and edited a closer view, then did my interpretation from that photo. I find it exciting to have so much information in a single reference. I look forward to what my new eyes will find for me as I go through these at another point in time.

Beach Wave VIII, my final interpretation Thank you all for visiting my art website. I appreciate all the kind words and encouragement. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me or leave a comment. I love to hear from you. So for now, I will say to be continued... until the next topic, stay safe, healthy, and happy.