PaintMyPhoto Quarterly Newsletter - Issue 7

Autumn Edition 2013

Paint My Photo

7

‘Early Summer Morning Walk’ Photo by Sylvia Lang

PACKED WITH ARTICLES YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS...

Congratulations to, Julie Frye our winner of the July Monthly Challenge. Her winning painting, ‘Petal Poem’, takes pride of place on our front cover.

Where Photographers and Artists Meet

Original reference photo provided by Maria Balcells

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EDITOR’S WELCOME

Autumnal Greetings Welcome to our autumn edition of PaintMyPhoto’s newsletter. It has grown in size since we first launched it, so I think it’s time we started calling it a magazine!

As usual, we have some fabulous and extremely interesting articles for you to read, which are down to the generosity of our photographers and artists who have contributed. Thank you to everyone, past and present, who have generously given their time and for making this publication such a pleasure to produce.

Roy, PMP’s founder/owner, is looking at the feasibility of setting up PMP’s very first conference! It will be fantastic if he is able to take this forward and a great opportunity for members to meet in person and share their experience and expertise. Please take the time to read the article about this event and provide Roy with some feedback on the discussion he has created on the PMP website.

A Little Cup of Happiness

It is time for you to go and feast on our scrummy articles - I hope you enjoy them!

Ruth Archer Our demonstrations include this splendid graphic to help you spot them.

Our thanks go to Shawn, one of our artists, for creating this for us.

Blue Door & Lantern

If you aren't a member of PaintMyPhoto, then please have a read of our newsletter and see what you are missing. Are you are a photographer who would like to contribute good quality, copyright-free reference photos for our artists to use for inspiration? Are you an artist (a complete beginner or a professional, it really doesn't matter) who would benefit from being able to use copyright-free photos? Perhaps, like me, you are a bit of Venetian Busker

both! Membership is free and you will find the site a very welcoming and friendly community.

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Dave Webb Dave is a very talented photographer who lives in the UK. Visit Dave’s gallery on PMP to see more of his wonderful photos.

Go to his PMP profile to contact him.

MEET THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Dave Webb ‘Kingfisher on the River’

Dave’s Passion for Wildlife Shines Through in his Amazing Photos First and foremost, on behalf of all members, may we thank you for your generosity in sharing your wonderful photos! Can you tell us how you first discovered Paint My Photo?

Thank you for the welcome. I first discovered paint my photo via a friend of mine who was commissioned to paint one of my photographs for another friend and she sent me the link to the group. I'm really proud to be part of this group as everyone is so helpful and friendly.

What, if any, photography/image software do you use to manage your photos?

If I use a photo imaging software program, I will use Lightroom 4, mainly because its simple to use. I only use it to sharpen an image and never enhance the colour or dimensions of a photograph as I prefer to keep it natural.

What is your favourite photography subject?

My real passion is wildlife although I have started to get more involved with landscape photography. I enjoy the ways in which other photographers and artists portray the same picture in different ways .... its a real learning curve for me and it inspires me to try different angles and colourings to the photo.

What type of camera and equipment do you use for the photographs that you post on Paint My Photo?

My camera equipment is really simple ... I use a Sony A37 digital camera with a 170 - 500mm lens for the wildlife and also use a 70 - 210mm along with a smaller 55mm lens which is the one I use for my landscape photography.

If you had to choose just one photograph that you have posted on Paint My Photo, which one would it be and why?

My favourite photograph has to be the two Exmoor Ponies fighting. I just think that the moment was captured perfectly and the picture really tells a story of how these animals survive what is a fairly harsh environment. It also has lots of action and colour in it.

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DAVE WEBB Finally, we’d love to know a little more about you, do you have a personal website (or other online presence) where we can see more of your work?

Willow

I really got into photography after I decided to retire to Devon after a fairly long career in a search and rescue team where I was a trained tracker which was used to track missing and deceased people & children. Photography was a good way to forget the job and things that I saw and found. I bought a small, simple camera to mess about with and surprised myself with the results. Gradually, I bought a better set up and experimented more and am completely self-taught in photography. After moving to Devon, I was getting photos published in the national and local newspapers and as a result was asked to write a monthly wildlife article for a local magazine. I have been lucky enough to win several competitions and had works published as well as being on the television. I love my wildlife and I love living on Exmoor National Park and decided to start running wildlife photography walks and charging people to come out with me. It means that I learn from them and vice versa! ALL of the money made from bookings for wildlife walks etc. are donated back to local charities and nothing is kept for myself. I simply love being outdoors!

I have some websites which are:

Wild Boar on Exmoor

www.safarisonexmoor.com www.ukdwa.com www.nationalcorvidassociation.com www.ukwildboartrust.org I also have 7 facebook pages that I either own or manage and I can be found at:

www.facebook.com/ davewebbwildlifephotographyandconservation.com

Hare on Exmoor

Sheep in Early Morning Sun on Exmoor

Red Deer Stag

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DAVE WEBB

Baby Blue Tits Waiting for a Feed

Dave’s Choice Exmoor Sunsets

‘Exmoor Ponies Fighting on Exmoor’

Exmoor Sunrise

Tiverton Canal Boat Cart Horses over River Exe, Exmoor

Rainbow, Exmoor

Snowy Trees on Exmoor

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DAVE WEBB

Autumn Exmoor Lane Sunset on Exmoor

Exmoor Tree in Sunset

Sunrise on Exmoor

Molland Common Exmoor

Male Kingfisher

Forest of Dean Bluebells

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MEET THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Paul Sherman Paul is a very talented photographer based in the UK. To see more of Paul’s photos, visit his gallery on PaintMyPhoto.

Contact Paul at PMP.

Paul Sherman ‘Lion Haired Tamarin’

A Gallery Full of Inspiration for Everyone First and foremost, on behalf of all members, may we thank you for your generosity in sharing your wonderful photos! Can you tell us how you first discovered Paint My Photo?

I first discovered Paint My Photo from my friend Julia as she has referenced a few pictures in the past and forwarded me the PMP web address and so the uploads started.

What is your favourite photography subject?

My favourite photo subjects are the ones that don't move as then I don't have to chase them lol. The last couple of years I have taken to the challenge of photographing wildlife, which involve some research and a little bit of luck. It also helps to talk to people local to where the pictures are taken as they may know of things that are not always visible.

What type of camera and equipment do you use for the photographs that you post on Paint My Photo?

At the moment I use a Nikon D7000 camera body with different lenses depending what I am doing. I still also carry a Nikon D80 as a second camera. For wildlife pictures I use a Nikon 80-400mm F5.6 VR lens for the majority of shots, but as it is not one of the fastest lenses (See Expensive!!) it does better in the brighter weather, otherwise I need to use a tripod. For the macro pictures I use a Sigma 105mm f2.8 Macro for the flowers and insects. For general scenery I use Nikon 18-200mm F5.6 VR lens.

I should also mention that some of the pictures of the flowers on here are older ones which I have taken with a Fuji S7000 bridge camera.You should also use a tripod for macro work to give stability at short focal lengths.

What, if any, photography/image software do you use to manage your photos?

As I now take picture in both jpeg and Raw format I use photoshop CS5 to process/crop/adjust them if they require it. I don't like to do too much adjusting, but sometimes the picture does benefit from a bit of a crop down and you can not always get to the best position to

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PAUL SHERMAN

take the perfect picture. I also have my camera set to the maximum resolution which means less pictures on the memory card but more flexibility when working on them afterwards.

If you had to choose just one photograph that you have posted on Paint My Photo, which one would it be and why?

My favourite picture I have uploaded is one I called 'Shared warmth', which is of 3 cheetahs in the snow at Colchester Zoo all looking at the camera. This is a favourite as I love the big cats and I have wanted for years to get one of them in the snow, but normally it is hard to travel there in the winter weather.

Luckily for me, on this occasion I got more than I could have hoped for.

Sunlit Tulip

Finally, we’d love to know a little more about you, do you have a personal website (or other online presence) where we can see more of your work?

I have a flickr page where most of my better pictures end up and a large folder for ones that will probably never see the light of day lol. My flickr page is:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pes96/sets If anyone wants to they can add me as a contact on there as well.

Silver-Studded Blue

Echinacea

Snow Leopard

Family Picture

Dandelion Clock

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PAUL SHERMAN Paul’s Choice ‘Shared Warmth’

Not Bothered

Flower 3

Poppy Field

Foxgloves

Trust - Sleeping With One Eye Open

Howler Monkey

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PAUL SHERMAN

Wolfing it Down Life in Purple

Ripples

Sunset at Flatford

Poppies in the Mist

Put That Away!

Barn Owl

Grey Wolf

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Old Grey

MEET THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Neil A Kingsbury Neil is a very talented photographer based in the UK. You can contact Neil by visiting his profile page on PaintMyPhoto.

To see more of Neil’s photos visit his PaintMyPhoto gallery.

Neil A Kingsbury ‘Alert’

Extraordinary Historical Reference Photos Plus Much More!

Can you tell us how you first found out about Paint My Photo?

I was introduced to Paint My Photo by ESP (who is also a member of long standing). I have known him for over 20 years and he has mentioned the site several times.

I use a Canon EOS 550D. The two lenses that I have are the standard 18-55mm lens that came with the camera, and a Canon EF 100-400mm Ultrasonic zoom, that I treated myself to a few months ago.

Most of the recent portraits posted on PMP were taken with the 100-400mm.

As I have recently enrolled on a part time Photography course at a local college, he suggested I give PMP a go as up until then I had no real feedback as to whether I was actually any good or not!

What, if any, photography/image software do you use to manage your photos?

One of the unexpected advantages of being a student is that it enabled me to purchase the Student Edition of the full Adobe CS6 suite!

What is your favourite photography subject?

That’s still evolving, but at the moment I would say that historical subjects and re-enactment scenes are high on my list of favourites.

What type of camera and equipment do you use for the photographs that you post on Paint My Photo? What, if any, photography/image software do you use to manage your photos?

Up until then I had been using Elements 9, but it soon became obvious that CS6 could do a lot more than Elements – and this was the only way that I was ever going to be able to afford it.

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NEIL A KINGSBURY

If you had to choose just one photograph that you have posted on Paint My Photo, which one would it be and why?

The picture that I would choose would be Wraith. It’s a pivotal picture in the development of my style and was the result of a whole lot of things suddenly coming together all at the same time. There is a definite change in the way that my images look from there-on forward.

Finally, we'd love to know a little more about you, do you have a personal website (or other online presence) where we can see more of your work?

The Ring

I am a Software Engineer (which is a fancy name for a computer programmer) working for a large multi-national IT company. I have dabbled in photography on and off for 30 years or so, and to be honest my original SLR (back in the days of film) was far more advanced than I knew what to do with! With the introduction of digital I have found the missing bits (as it were) and things have advanced from there.

I have two other websites, one on Flickr and the other on Facebook. If anyone is interested, the Flickr URL is..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neil_a_kingsbury/ or search for Neil A Kingsbury Photography on Facebook.

The Rifleman

Smokescreen

Four

Kookaburra

The Wall - Extract

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NEIL A KINGSBURY Neil’s Choice ‘Wraith’

Bird in Hand

The Stare

Red and Yellow Shout

Take Aim

7000 at Rest

Sunset over Rundle Mountain

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NEIL A KINGSBURY

Apezocn7

Gladiators

Thirsty Work

Buggy Racing 4

Tabby 156

Harvesting the Sun

Head On

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All that Glitters

THE FIRST PMP CONFERENCE?

Roy Simmons Roy is the founder/owner of PaintMyPhoto and a fantastic artist too!

Contact Roy on his profile at PMP. View Roy’s paintings in his PMP Gallery.

Roy & Mike Simmons ‘Ty Canol’

It’s Time for a Gathering...

The First PMP Conference?

So, by the time you read this, PMP will be over 8000 members worldwide. We are, as a group, growing into what is, in my humble opinion, one of the best places for Artists and Photographers to hang out online. Now, while we do get to know each other surprisingly well over time, there is nothing quite like meeting in person to cement and grow those relationships. We are thinking that a conference is not only possible, but desirable so that I can be sure I am ‘on the right track’ with how PMP should continue to develop. However, that is only a small part of the reason to hold a conference. I envisage an event with talks on Art and Photography, delving into our shared passions and discovering more about our subject from people who have demonstrated a deep knowledge of their field.

The discussion on what should be in our conference will take place in detail when we can assess if there is enough interest in such an event. So this discussion is the place to go and have your say!

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THE FIRST PMP CONFERENCE?

by Roy Simmons

It’s Time for a Gathering...

The Venue We are fortunate that we have a ‘friendly venue’ to hold the event. My Brother Mike and his wife Viv own Ty-Canol, their home, and a suitable venue to hold a conference. See Mike’s following article and photos in the newsletter, which describe the facilities. I realise that for many of you a trip to South Wales in the UK is not possible. Even in these early discussions we are aware that as well as tickets to attend the event live, we need to have ‘virtual tickets’ to live broadcasts and on demand videos available after the event. I am excited by the possibilities on offer and we can make the event what it needs to be for us as a community, not relying on old models of ‘how things are done’ but embracing the technology available.

Many of you will also be aware that we have some incredible photographers and artists now using our site, and I hope to be able to persuade some of them to present at the conference.

So let me know what you think, if enough members want to attend we will take things further.

Roy Simmons

Editor’s Note: What a fantastic idea! Roy would like to hear from PMP members to establish whether or not there is enough interest to go ahead and organise this event.

The following article, ‘Sculpting Live’, by Mike Simmons is about the potential venue located in South Wales, UK. Please go to the discussion on the PaintMyPhoto website and let him know

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SCULPTING LIVE...

Mike Simmons Mike has provided some beautiful reference photos for PMP. Contact Mike on his profile at PMP. View Mike’s photos in his PMP Gallery.

Mike Simmons ‘Ty Canol’

The Art of Mike Simmons I was encouraged right at the start-up of Paint my Photo to add some of my photographs on-line for the community to begin considering as subjects. In those early days when the plan was to get the site off the ground, there was no daily limit on the number of pictures that could be uploaded. As a result, I added a number of folders to present different aspects of my photography.

One folder is entitled Ty Canol Gardens and has since spawned my website http://tycanol.org where there are a wider selection of photographs and articles about the gardens.

What I've come to appreciate is that I am a sculptor in living materials! Like many of the fine artists who have shown the creative process on the PMP site and elsewhere, I first had an idea in my head of what I wanted to achieve with my almost 3 acre field and it wasn't grass alone, which was how we started with our canvas.

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by Mike Simmons

SCULPTING LIVE...

The Art of Mike Simmons Boxing Day 1991, the year our last baby boy was born, saw us begin the planting of our first 1600 trees and the start of our new ‘baby’: Ty Canol Gardens, although that name was coined more recently. We had determined the major paths and walkways but the trees now needed time to grow, so the next 8 years were largely spent on a garden tractor cutting grass in and around the various shapes. In 1999 however, we were able to move into phase 2 and here we needed a little help with a big JCB, which carved and flattened and piled and dug until we had marked out the centre "four square" garden.

Thereafter, this artist had to move into sculpting with bricks.

Brother Roy and family visited around this time and using his computer graphic skills, Roy was able to capture the concept of the four square garden, top pond and central fountain, which now features as the logo on the gardens web pages. I cannot remember how many weekends and days off were spent with a brick trowel in hand but what I always thought of as a short 1 year job was probably nearer the 5 years that my wife anticipated.

Again, as we were working on the bricklaying, other parts of the gardens began to take shape with more trees and shrubs, laying down the foundations for the likes of the black and white hidden gardens, the bog garden and the woodland walk. I also began to think about colour, which by 2005, I was beginning to fret over somewhat - lots of architectural green shapes but very little colour and therefore we moved into phase 3: get the colour splashes going.

Colour is now an increasing feature but along the way, there have been further refinements with decking and boardwalk for the lower pond and bog garden, an area for a second bog garden, the development of the lower woodland stream side walk, linking of paths, defining the lower car park and creating the garden utility area at the bottom of the garden so my daughter’s log cabin could occupy the position opposite the main house.

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by Mike Simmons

SCULPTING LIVE...

The Art of Mike Simmons So why should you be interested in my sculpting in trees and flowers? Well the garden is there to be enjoyed. We currently hold two open events each year: a summer garden party organised by one of my daughters in June and then the bonfire party in November. Part of the facilities now include a marquee to allow for a larger number of people.

So, with all these facilities and a space to contemplate nature, Roy posed the question, "Would we consider opening the gardens for a Paint my Photo weekend?" And of course we would be delighted because, not only do we have the house and its additional marquee space within the gardens, we also have Middleware Catering on site, which is perfectly capable of catering for large numbers of people.

This article therefore is here to pose the question to all our members, is this something people might be interested in developing?

Editor’s Note: I think you’ll agree that Ty Canol looks like a wonderful location to hold a PaintMyPhoto weekend event. Don’t forget to go to the discussion on the PaintMyPhoto website and let Roy know what you think - all feedback will be welcome!

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PAINT MY PHOTO... CREATIVELY

Lorna Webber Lorna is a very talented artist and photographer based in the UK. View Lorna’s Gallery on PMP. You can contact Lorna by visiting her PMP profile page on PMP.

Lorna Webber ‘Maid of Manhatten’

A Celebration of Skill and Imagination that will Inspire You! When I discovered PMP last October, I couldn’t believe my luck. Here’s tens of thousands of photos begging to be painted, and with not only the permission of the photographers, but also their active encouragement!

Many of these photos are already superb works of art, so I decided to try to bring an equal amount of creativity to the way I used them. Nothing wrong with simply copying a photo in paint – something is always added - but it’s possible to take it further.

Reference Photo

Painting

Many PMP artists find ways to build on the inspiration provided by our generous photographers. Here are some ideas which I hope will inspire you to a little additional creativity….

Change the Photo There are many ways in which a photo can be adapted in order to create new, interesting, exciting images, or to deal with those annoying problems the photographer cannot technically avoid.

Shopping by Sandy Drexel

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Red Boots Escalation by Lorna Webber

PAINT MY PHOTO... CREATIVELY

by Lorna Webber

A Celebration of Skill and Imagination that will Inspire You! You can alter the composition: Perhaps crop to part of the image; move things about; omit or add elements. This Rock Pool painting was cropped from David Stribbling’s beautiful ‘Rock Pool 1’. I thought the painting needed something extra, so I added bubbles from Alun Davies’s cool photo ‘So Cool’.

Painting

Rockpool Ripples & Bubbles

by Lorna Webber

Reference Photo

Reference Photo

Rock Pool 1 by David Stribbling

So Cool by Alun Davies

Just be sure to keep everything convincing. If you remove a tree, take away its shadow too. If you add an apple, make sure it’s lit from the same side as in the main photo. A figure added to a cityscape must be in scale so it can get through the doors. And watch that perspective!

Remember Teddy from the PMP masthead? The balloon in Helen Ellis’s super photo was transformed, and girl, teddy and reflections added for the Storybook Challenge.

Painting

Reference Photo

Teddy & I Fly by Lorna Webber

Balloon by Helen Ellis

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PAINT MY PHOTO... CREATIVELY

by Lorna Webber

A Celebration of Skill and Imagination that will Inspire You! Why not change colours? Based on Steve Lyddon’s magical ‘Hobbit Path’, my ‘Happy Hobbit Habitat’ is only slightly more fanciful - but much more garish!

Painting

Reference Photo

Happy Hobbit Habitat by Lorna Webber

Hobbit Path by Steve Lyddon

Here’s one of Craig C Johnson’s evocative images ‘Cause for Celebration’. To give it more movement and general jollity, I boosted the colour and swirled things around the centre. I’m thinking … clinking glasses.

Painting

Reference Photo

Get Out The Good Stuff by Lorna Webber

A Cause for Celebration by Craig Johnson

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PAINT MY PHOTO... CREATIVELY

by Lorna Webber

A Celebration of Skill and Imagination that will Inspire You!

Combine Photos When we find a photo that ‘speaks’ to us, it’s worth spending some time working out exactly what it’s saying. Why does it demand to be painted? If you can identify the appeal, you can probably make more of it in your painting. One way to do this is to find another photo with the same idea and merge them together. Your aim is to reinforce the central concept.

Reference Photo

Reference Photo

Going To Work By Hot Air Balloon by Craig Johnson

Ballons Over Anderson by Craig Johnson

Reference Photo

Painting

Spring Botanicals by Craig Johnson

Montgolfier’s Garden by Lorna Webber

All photos by Craig Johnson, which combined to make this flight of fancy…

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PAINT MY PHOTO... CREATIVELY

by Lorna Webber

A Celebration of Skill and Imagination that will Inspire You! PMP’s search facility is invaluable for this. Type your main term(s) into the photo search and you will be presented with all available related images. Sometimes they surprise you. I was looking for photos of owls, when Rodney Campbell’s ‘Owl Butterfly’ appeared. Brilliant! I’ll take it! Main photo by Barry Haines.

Reference Photo

Owl by Barry Haines

Reference Photo

Painting

Owl Butterfly by Barry Haines

Owl by Lorna Webber

‘Maid of Manhattan’ is another example of this kind of synergy, if somewhat quirky... photos by Craig C Johnson (Manhattan) and John Robinson (Laura).

Reference Photo

Manhattan Veiled In Gold

by Craig Johnson

Reference Photo

Laura Liz by John Robinson

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Painting

Maid of Manhattan by Lorna Webber

PAINT MY PHOTO... CREATIVELY

by Lorna Webber

A Celebration of Skill and Imagination that will Inspire You! Look at a lot of photos. Just browse PMP and enjoy. You only get 100 ‘favourites’, but you can save any photos you like to your computer or in a separate PMP album. Occasionally, you will spot a photo which reminds you strongly of another, as in this case… Ruth Edward Anderson’s flower and Craig Johnson’s ‘Balloons over Anderson’. Is there a fit?

Reference Photo

Reference Photo

Painting

Translucent Orchid Cactus Flower

by Ruth Edward Anderson

Balloons Over Anderson by Craig Johnson

Anderson Flower Gathering

by Lorna Webber

Take it Further When you have strayed from the path of direct copying, you will find the feeling of power very seductive.

After all, as an artist you can create anything you can imagine. Terry Dekker’s spectacular photo of Bryce Canyon and a strange place I call Braskan Yon (unbelievable - over 1000 views on PMP!): Reference Photo

Painting

Braskan Yon by Lorna Webber

Bryce Canyon by Terry Dekker

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PAINT MY PHOTO... CREATIVELY

by Lorna Webber

A Celebration of Skill and Imagination that will Inspire You! Taking it even further, you can abstract from the source. Think about what you like most in the source photo and then make more of it. Try different materials, textures and supports. ‘Flutterby’ is a mixed-up version of a gorgeous photo by Kathryn Smith, ‘Butterflies 2’.

Reference Photo

Painting

Flutterby by Lorna Webber

Butterflies 2 by Kathryn Smith

Suzanne Wallick’s ‘Point of View’ made me think about the feeling of watching without taking an active part. I felt the strongest way to represent this idea was for the figures to appear as negative shapes – an ‘absence’ of painting. They are there, but not there, in my semi-abstract version.

Reference Photo

Painting

Watching - Not Taking Part by Lorna Webber

Point Of View by Suzanne Wallick

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PAINT MY PHOTO... CREATIVELY

by Lorna Webber

A Celebration of Skill and Imagination that will Inspire You! Barbara Tester’s photo, already a creatively adapted image, was the source for ‘Universe Explained– Schematic’. I had a lot of fun with this and I hope it clears up any remaining Universal mysteries you may have.

Reference Photo

Painting

Butterflies 2 by Barbara Tester

Universe Explained - Schematic by Lorna

Cherry Aron and Mary commented on Craig Johnson’s atmospheric “Winter’s Night” that the intertwining branches were just like black lace. A little bit of doodling later, and the trees are made of lace… oh all right, a lot of doodling later.

Reference Photo

Painting

Trees Interlace (With Moon)

by Lorna Webber

A Winter’s Night by Craig Johnson [27]

PAINT MY PHOTO... CREATIVELY

by Lorna Webber

A Celebration of Skill and Imagination that will Inspire You! Here’s one of Abner T Ibarra’s witty photos, “Slow Ascent”. These funny little terrapins, climbing up on one another, looked like something from Cirque du Soleil, so I decided to have them make an acrobatic pyramid. They’re not very good at it – in fact it’s a ‘Turtle Disaster’.

Reference Photo

Painting

Slow Ascent

by Abner T Ibarra

A Turtle Disaster

by Lorna Webber

Finally, (you’ll be relieved to hear), my last suggestion is to be open to transformation of the photographic content. Perhaps you see a completely different image with in the original photo, or it reminds you of something else that is related? This next one was developed from Donna Sommer’s lovely photo of a Christmas Wreath. Can you see the connections? I was able to mine PMP for loads of fantastic reference photos for all the bits and pieces, from a snow-globe to a sleigh. For some reason, no-one had a photo of three drunken snowmen.

Reference Photo

Painting

Floral Wreath

by Donna Sommer

Christmas Wreath

by Lorna Webber [28]

PAINT MY PHOTO... CREATIVELY byLorna Webber A Celebration of Skill and Imagination that will Inspire You! Ideas can start small and develop on to something very interesting indeed. Barbara Tester posted photos of her amazing piece of eucalypt sapling. Easy enough to see a face in this photo, but look more closely…

And the back of it?

Some further playing about resulted in this….

EDITOR’S NOTE I thoroughly recommend taking a closer look at this amazing piece of art: Mme Carte’s Projection - Framed It demonstrates how photographs can inspire fantastic and imaginative artwork!

(You need to be a PMP member to view)

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PAINT MY PHOTO... CREATIVELY

by Lorna Webber

A Celebration of Skill and Imagination that will Inspire You!

Well, that’s it. ★ ★ ★ ★

Change, combine and take it further.

Don’t censor your ideas too early.

Give yourself permission to do something daft or badly painted.

Every now and then, you will make something totally amazing.

Many, many thanks to all the generous photographers whose wonderful work I have used or abused, past, present and future.

Murano Bowls in Sunlight

Red Shoes

Playing Statues

The Optimist [30]

ART IN THE MAKING

Frances Anne Lewis Frances is a gifted artist based in the UK. To view more of Frances’ wonderful work, visit her PMP Gallery Frances can be contacted via her PMP page.

Frances Anne Lewis ‘Oriental Poppy’

Raindrops on Roses When I was asked to write an article for the PMP online magazine I was extremely flattered and, to be perfectly honest, shocked and horrified! Why me? I am just a new kid on the block with no formal training, just a few evening classes in watercolour at a local school. Until three years ago the only painting I had done in 40 years was glossing the skirting boards and emulsioning ceilings!

Although I had been good at art as a child, at 15, I gave it up to concentrate on Science subjects. I ended up at the age of 22 with a joint honours degree in Microbiology/Genetics and a second degree in Environmental Health. I have worked as an Environmental Health Officer ever since, all 35 years of it. - OK work out how old I am!

When I found myself alone after 30 years of marriage, I started socialising by going to night classes to meet people. And guess what - I took to watercolours immediately and haven’t looked back since.

I have a particular fondness for painting flowers although I do a few landscapes and seascapes too. As people seem to like my flower paintings, and with a bit of prodding from my darling daughter, I decided to accept the challenge. I thought you might like to follow my latest flower portrait step by step.

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Demonstration by Frances Anne Lewis

ART IN THE MAKING...

Raindrops on Roses Getting Started When I start a new project I look for flower photographs that have interesting shapes and colours with lots of light and shadow, or the potential for me to introduce additional depth and sparkle. The addition of rain drops can often give a flower movement and pizzazz.

I always bear in mind the colour values, where there

Tip: When adding elements especially shadows and raindrops, you must always be aware of the direction of your light source. Shadows must fall in the direction away from the source. You must also be aware of the direction of the light source when painting water drops as they are very dependant on light and shade to make them shine and appear real.

is sufficient tonal differences and where these can be improved.

I chose Suzanne Wallick‘s Tuscan Sun rose with raindrops because I love roses and I love raindrops. When you look at my other paintings you will notice I often pop in an odd raindrop or two. Suzanne grows the most lovely roses and then takes wonderful photographs of them. Thank you Suzanne.

Materials Bockingford NOT watercolour paper 14x10 inches.

300gms (140lb).

Sennelier watercolour ½ pans in Olive Green, Sennelier Yellow Light, Sennelier Red, Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Deep, Burnt Sienna.

Cotman tube watercolour paint in lemon yellow and cobalt blue.

Artco masking fluid, homemade wooden stylus and mapping pen.

Tip: Adding layers of shadows add depth and three-dimensionality. I have recently been experimenting with using positive and negative painting to create these effects.

Brushes - Royal Aqualon 2250 sizes 6 and 9 and a very old mop brush - a relic from my teenage painting years.

Tracing paper, graphite stick, and a propelling pencil with HB0.7 leads.

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Demonstration by Frances Anne Lewis

ART IN THE MAKING...

Raindrops on Roses Step 1 - Drawing I did a quick tonal sketch of the drawing to work out the values and the balance of the proposed painting.

This allowed me to decide whether I want to use all elements within the photo or to omit some or indeed whether I wish to add anything.

With this particular painting I decided to use tracing paper.

I did not add an new elements apart from the drip as Suzanne’s photo was well composed and the lighting near perfect for my purpose.

So after tracing the photograph, I reversed the tracing paper and used a graphite stick sideways to cover the reverse side of the paper. I then secured the tracing paper right side up onto the watercolour

Tip: If adding other elements I use this sketch to work out lighting directions and how added a shadow will fall. Shadows should be about 40% darker than the main body tone.

paper using bulldog clips. I drew over the original lines carefully -firmly but not so hard that the lines are embossed into the watercolour paper.

I then checked to see that it has transferred successfully. Where it was a bit faint I will lightly pencilled in any faint or missing lines.

Tip: Depending on the complexity of the subject I will either draw outlines and reference marks freehand or, if a complex subject, I will use tracing paper which makes it easier to get elements in proportion. I use the tracing paper to trace the main lines that I have identified and put in any additions. This enables me to mix and match if I want.

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Demonstration by Frances Anne Lewis

ART IN THE MAKING...

Raindrops on Roses Step 2 - Masking

Tip: Many people use brushed to apply masking but I always think brushes and masking fluid are an uncomfortable combination and avoid wherever possible. My wooden stylus is made from a broken brush handle sharpened with a pencil sharpener at one end and whittled into a chisel shape at the other.

Once I was happy with the outline on the watercolour paper I added masking fluid to the areas I wanted left

Tip: Always test your paper with masking fluid before you embark to on the painting ensure that they are reasonably compatible. There is nothing more soul destroying than to put in hours of work just to find that you paper tears when you try to remove the masking.

white (I used blue masking fluid so that you can see it clearly in the demonstration). I used the wooden stylus to paint on the larger areas of masking and the mapping pen for fine lines and marks. This was left to dry for several hours before moving onto the next step.

Step Three - initial wash At this stage I taped the painting to the board with masking tape (I find that with this particular paper I can just about get away without stretching it. There is sometime a bit of buckling but it is minimal and usually shrinks back as it dries).

I made up three weakish washes for my under wash.

Lemon Yellow, Olive Green with a touch of Ultramarine deep and Alizarin Crimson. I then wetted the whole of the paper. When the wetness began to dry to a sheen I started dropping in the washes, continuing as the paper dried so that colours became contained in areas. I let this air dry naturally, gently tilting the board as it dried. This stopped puddling and reduced buckling.

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Demonstration by Frances Anne Lewis

ART IN THE MAKING...

Raindrops on Roses Step four - Background Using various combinations of Olive Green, Sennelier Yellow Light, Cobalt Blue and Burnt Sienna, I painted the background, cutting in carefully around the petals.

I used a combination of positive painting - such as the leaf under the drip, and negative painting to give depth to the background. There are three layers to the negative painting. I use the same wash in each layer but a little more concentrated. I use different combinations of the colours in different parts of the background and rotated these. This gave a good variety of shades.

Step five - first stage petals Once the background had thoroughly dried I began modelling the rose. Starting from the outside petals, I painted them one at a time, always on opposite sides of the rose thus avoiding colour runs. The larger petals were worked wet into wet, I wet each petal in turn and dropped in mixtures of Sennelier Yellow Light, Sennelier Red, Alizarin Crimson, and Burnt Sienna. Roughly matching the colours on the photo.

Step six - second stage petals Working wet onto dry, I started creating the shadows and shading on the petals. I again did this one petal at a time. Cobalt blue was added to the shadow mixes to darken down using the 40% rule. To differentiate from the middle values. I placed warm mixes abutting cool mixes to try and get a bit of counter-change into the flower.

[35]

Demonstration by Frances Anne Lewis

ART IN THE MAKING...

Raindrops on Roses Step seven - Removing the masking and re-masking I left the painting to air dry completely for 24 hours.

This ensured that the paper was bone dry (removing masking whilst the paper is damp can lead to tearing). Very carefully, using my finger tips, I gently teased off all the masking ensuring that the exposed surfaces were smooth.

Using the mapping pen I carefully applied more masking to the spots on the rain drops where I wanted the bright highlights..

White petal edges left by the masking, I gently scrubbed just to take of the harsh whiteness.

Step eight - raindrops Each rain drop had to be done individually and, with as many as the rose has, this took the longest of all the steps. - I have done a demo of painting a raindrop separately below.

Painting Raindrops Most text books advise you to use the colour of the background as the starting point for your raindrop but I have found you get really bright shining droplets if you start with the white of the watercolour paper.

To do a raindrop - on the white shape where you have removed the masking place another dot of masking where you want your highlight to be.

The direction of light is marked with an arrow.

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ART IN THE MAKING...

Demonstration by Frances Anne Lewis

Raindrops on Roses Step 1: Using the shadow shade for that petal, paint a crescent shape at the end of the droplet nearest to the light source. Make sure that this covers the masked highlight spot.

Step:2: Clean of the brush and dry it, then run this along the inner edge of the crescent to soften it. Leaving the centre lighter than middle value.

Step 3: Using the shadow shade, paint a shadow outside the raindrop on the side away from the light source. Let this all dry and remove the masking.

Step 4: More complex raindrops can include where the light shines through the raindrop, where the background shows (you have to remember that any images seen in the raindrop will be upside down and reversed!) , drips and trickles.

Once all the raindrops were completed and the painting completely dry the masking on the highlights was removed. Using the white of the paper in this way really makes the raindrops pop.

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Demonstration by Frances Anne Lewis

ART IN THE MAKING...

Raindrops on Roses I left the painting standing on view for a couple of days, scrutinising it every time I wandered past.

These adjustments were made as and when spotted.

Tip: Having the painting on display makes it easy to spot where the final adjustments are needed. After t wo days I will sign the painting and after that I will not make any further changes. By setting myself this limit I don’t fiddle and therefore less chance of spoiling the painting.

And voila! The finished painting “Tuscan Sun Rose”

Tuscan Sun Rose by Frances Anne Lewis

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ART IN THE MAKING

Cherry Aron Cherry is a talented artist based in the UK. You can see more of her wonderful paintings and photos in her PMP Gallery.

Cherry can be contacted via her PMP page.

Cherry Aron ‘Killer Heels’

A Chat with Cherry and a Wonderful Demo...

How and when did your painting begin?

After a very serious illness I decided to compile a Bucket List and one of those items was to learn to paint.

And so began a passion for painting begun eighteen months ago when I joined a local art group and then, quite accidentally, came across PMP, and that was by far the best thing that could have happened in terms of improving my painting and creative skills.

Snake Charmer

Collette

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ART IN THE MAKING...

A Demonstration by Cherry Aron

A Chat with Cherry and a Wonderful Demo...

What is your preferred medium?

Right from the start I began using both watercolours and acrylics, alternating between them depending on mood or subject, and just recently I’ve added mixed media, specifically collage and textured painting, but I don’t have a favourite medium and I hasten to add that I’m still a relative novice in all of them. However, all are important to me in the same way that we might admire oils from the old masters or watercolours or acrylics from contemporary artists.

My Beautiful Watering Can

Sundown

How would you describe your painting technique?

I don’t think I’ve really developed a specific technique or style and I’m still experimenting with everything, so perhaps that will come with experience, but I’ve learned that art is not always about technical excellence, unless perhaps you want to create photorealism.

I’ve come to realise that often, a painting appeals not for the technical skill and how well it might be painted, but for the emotions it arouses or for its creative appeal. Art depends upon the observer I think. Of course, we all want to paint in the best way we can, but somewhere in there, the process has to be fun, enjoyable and satisfying and pretty often that will reflect in your work.

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ART IN THE MAKING...

A Demonstration by Cherry Aron

A Chat with Cherry and a Wonderful Demo...

What would you say inspires you in your paintings?

Since joining PMP, without doubt it’s the quality of the photos that are a constant source of inspiration and also the sheer diversity of the artists’ work. How could you not be inspired by the sheer beauty and creativity behind many of the thousands of photos and paintings? These photographers create their own art through the lens and capture an image for artists to try to interpret in another sort of way. For a long time I was always nervous of notifying the photographer that I had painted their photo, in case it destroyed their own perception of their image. Anyway, I needn’t have worried because everyone is always so friendly and helpful. Also, as I gain confidence I’m also beginning to see how two or more images might be combined to create something entirely unique.

Bowl of Cherries

Killer Heels

Sometimes it’s hard to get motivated, what do you find motivates you?

When I stare at a blank canvas, sometimes my mind is equally blank, but since joining various groups in PMP and taking part in their challenges and also the monthly challenge run by Suzanne, I’ve found it very easy to become motivated. For me personally, it’s within these groups that a significant amount of learning takes place, whether I participate or not, although I do try to. Everyone is extremely helpful, offering gentle critique and suggestions, giving valuable tips on materials, tools and techniques and generally just being friendly and supportive. The challenges are of real value as they are where you can share and compare artwork, have fun and learn. Also, within each challenge, it gives me the opportunity to set my own personal challenge within that challenge; for example, to improve on a certain technique or to use a new approach, or to think in a different way. In the beginning, I used to be reluctant to enter my paintings because I was comparing them to others and thinking that mine didn’t come up to scratch, but then I told myself I’m just an individual with a passion to paint, who wants to improve and that meeting a challenge would be the best way forward.

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ART IN THE MAKING...

A Demonstration by Cherry Aron

A Chat with Cherry and a Wonderful Demo...

Do you use or prefer a specific palette?

I can go crazy with colour and have to temper that sometimes, so now I have a few favourite colours and use those for mixing. In a couple of previous challenges the criteria was to use a limited palette. In the first we had to use just three primary colours, plus black and white and in the second I selected Monet’s palette for my painting. It was a tremendous learning curve for me and one I sometimes remember to stick to!

Cosmos in a Jar

Waterlily & Dragonfly

Birch Trees

Can you describe your textured painting?

Textured painting is a great way to stretch the imagination, get creative, get messy and achieve a lovely, three-dimensional and tactile work of art. Almost any dry materials can be used for texture such as ribbon, lace, string, beads, egg shells, leaves, dried seeds, dried pulses, paper, sand, fabric etc., as well as commercially prepared textures such as Galeria's Glass Beads gel or Black Lava gel.

Loosey

Venetian Dreams

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Skin Deep

ART IN THE MAKING...

A Demonstration by Cherry Aron

Demonstration - Creating a Textured Painting

Step 1 Collect your tools together. Below are the items I used for the Iguana. You will also need an art board or sturdy surface and acrylic paints. (Tissue paper, heavy structure gel, modelling paste, PVA glue, egg shells, lentils, mesh or use bubble wrap, pumpkin seeds, quartz crystal beads.)

Step 2 Roughly draw an outline of the image. This will act as a guide for applying the tissue paper. There is no need for detail as it will eventually be covered over.

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ART IN THE MAKING...

A Demonstration by Cherry Aron

A Chat with Cherry and a Wonderful Demo...

Step 3 Begin by applying the glue to your surface and roughly stick the torn and scrunched up tissue paper to your design. Make note where extra creases might be needed and apply more layered tissue. The more wrinkled and creased the tissue, the more detail will show through on the end result. Try to follow the basic shape of the drawing. I also apply glue on top of the tissue to ensure it's all stuck down well. Leave to dry completely.

Step 4 When thoroughly dry, apply a coat of white acrylic paint to the entire surface and leave to dry.

Step 5 At this point you might want to re-establish your drawing, (you may still be able to see the outline beneath the paint), otherwise make another rough outline. Now, on a plate mix together equal parts of the heavy structured gel and the modelling paste and using a palette knife begin to spread part of the image, much like icing a cake. Take the mesh, or bubble wrap, and press it onto the paste, wiping off excess paste. There is no need to rush as the paste won't harden immediately. Keep applying the paste then the mesh until the iguana is completely covered, except for its mane.

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ART IN THE MAKING...

A Demonstration by Cherry Aron

A Chat with Cherry and a Wonderful Demo...

Step 6 Place or sprinkle the pumpkin seeds and lentils where you think they will give the best effect. I used pumpkin seeds where the iguana's largest scales are and then the lentils and a few egg shells along his mane and on the cheeks. If you want to apply other items, now is the time to have fun. I applied some quartz crystal beads on the neck area. Press them down well and leave to dry overnight until the paste is firm to touch and completely dry.

Step 7 Onto the dried surface, apply a good coat of white acrylic paint, getting into and under those seeds. This then really seals the entire texture. When completely dry it is time to antique the iguana. Mix up some acrylic paint with a little water to a creamy consistency, (I used a mixture of Payne's Grey and Indathrene Blue). Using a brush, spread this onto part of the image and straight away, before it dries, rub it off with a dry paper towel, or moisten the towel if more needs to be removed. Acrylic paint dries extremely fast, so be sure to lift off the paint right away. Complete the image in this way.

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ART IN THE MAKING...

A Demonstration by Cherry Aron

A Chat with Cherry and a Wonderful Demo...

Step 8 Using your chosen colours, begin dry brushing the paint over the textures, making shadows where needed. The paint should just skim the surface of the texture rather than cover the entire image, as you want the antiquing to show through. You will also notice, that although you applied paste over the tissue paper, much of the paper's texture shows through as wrinkles!

Finished painting ‘Henderson’

Original reference photo ‘Iguana’ taken by Ann Campbell

I hope you have a go and I shall really look forward to seeing some textured paintings!

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Robyn Lovelock

RO’S HIDDEN TREASURES

Robyn (Ro) is a very talented artist and photographer based in Australia. She is also one of PMP’s superstars, helping to keep PMP running smoothly and looking after members.

You can view Ro’s gallery or contact her though PMP.

Robyn Lovelock ‘Wattle I Do?’

Robyn’s Been Busy Finding us a Fabulous Selection of Photos - Enjoy!

Link

Link

Hans Kalkman

George Gallocker

Link Link Link link link Andru Matuschka

Bridgitte Seiber [47]

Kathryn Smith

RO’S HIDDEN TREASURES

A Mixed Special

Link

Link Ahmed Farahat

Dave Webb

Link

Link Steve Lyddon

George Gallocker

Link Link Link Bridgitte Seiber

Ruth Archer

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Ahmed Farahat

RO’S HIDDEN TREASURES

A Mixed Special

LINK

LINK

Maria Balcells

LJ (Linda)

LINK

LINK Sarah Stribbling

Ahmed Farahat

LINK

LINK

Jane Best

Bob Keppel

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JULY CHALLENGE: - ZOOM - TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT FLORALS

Julie Frye Julie is a gifted artist based in the USA To see more of Julie’s work, view her gallery You can contact Julie on her profile page on PaintMyPhoto.

Julie Frye Our Winner!

‘Apricot Rose’

An Interview by Suzanne Wallick with Julie Frye, Winner of the July Challenge Hello everyone!!! I'm here to introduce our winner of the PMP painting challenge for July....her painting, "Petal Poem", is the one you see on the front page of this newsletter. She is a talented artist, and her name is Julie Frye, from Phoenix, Arizona. I have had the great pleasure of being able to interview her, and I think you will find she is a very fine addition to the PMP family!!!

1) As the winner of the July 2013 painting challenge, "ZOOM- A Closer Look At Florals," what was it that inspired you to join in the challenge in the first place? What drew you to the photo by Maria Balcells of a peony to use as your reference photo? Were you surprised that you won with your first entry to a PMP challenge?

Surprised is hardly the word! Flummoxed, flabbergasted, completely undone would be more like it! Very pleased indeed for my first entry! I am deeply grateful for it has opened a whole new door for me!

Julie’s winning painting - Petal Poem

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JULY CHALLENGE

An Interview with our Winner, Julie Frye

An Interview by Suzanne Wallick with Julie Frye, Winner of the July Challenge 2) You painted your macro flower in oils. Is that your favorite medium? Was it challenging for you to paint, not only in an "up close", or "magnified" style, but also in a large format size of 24" x 30"? That's quite large! Did you like painting like this and would you like to create more paintings in this fashion?

I do watercolors as well but oil is the first medium I tried and is my favorite for this type of subject. It was very challenging - size was a factor and a great learning experience since I painted shapes not the flower. I enjoyed the experience so much that I have already created two similar paintings, both posted on my own page.

Apricot Rose

3) Julie, you are relatively new to PMP....what do you think of the premise that photographers share their photos with artists around the world to paint, free of copyright? Is that helpful to you as an artist?

How did you learn about PMP? I consider it a fascinating concept! I take many photos and use them as reference, but so many of the PMP photos are incredible and are of subjects (like Maria's flowers) that I have never had the skill or equipment to capture.

"Is that helpful to you as an artist?� - immensely helpful - you have no idea!

4) What is your background in art? Is there a particular art movement/style that you especially like and try to embrace in your art? If you have your own studio to work in, what is your favorite thing about it?

What would you change?

My background: I have a longtime interest in art and began studying in High School, then college, but did not have an opportunity for further study until after marriage and two children who had grown to school age.

Particular art movement/style: I love and admire many different styles of painting and having taught drawing and painting in the Phoenix area for 35 + years, I saw and developed lots of different styles in my students, striving to draw out their inner spirit. In my own work, I feel my style is realistic but I strive for a "painterly" application of paint and good design. I am a colorist and focus on that. I am extremely critical of my own work and expect a lot of myself.

My studio: Built by my husband of 57 years, I have a designated space with pretty good light. Since it is just the two of us at home now (after 2 children and 13 exchange students) I love to retreat there and work away when I have a stretch of time. Undisturbed, I can accomplish a lot in a few hours.

Change: About my studio, bigger windows or a sky light. About my lifestyle, nothing but more time!

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JULY CHALLENGE

An Interview with our Winner, Julie Frye

An Interview by Suzanne Wallick with Julie Frye, Winner of the July Challenge 5) I see on your page you have a website for your art: http://www.noteworthyarts.com What do you like most about having one? Are there any drawbacks? Do you have any advice to other artists who would like to create one of their own, but need a little more incentive to "go for it?"

My website: It helps me showcase my art as well as my interest in creating jewelry and fine crafts. I also have a new blog:http://noteworthyarts.com/Welcome/wordpress/ which allows me to "teach" with articles about painting or just speak my mind. I love it!

I would advise anyone who would like a website to find a talented web designer like mine, Bill Jacobi who set it up for me and maintains it expertly with only my input of my body of work.

2nd Stanza

Editor’s Note: A worthy winner - I’m sure you’ll all agree!

Julie’s painting makes a great cover feature.

Fancy having a go at one of the monthly challenges? Go to the challenge page to find out more.

Go on, you know you want to...

Flowers for Sarah

That’s all for this edition - our next magazine will be the winter edition, which will be published at the end of November. I hope you’ve enjoyed the articles and will join me in thanking all our contributors for their contributions. Thanks everyone - you’re all super-stars!

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