Using Reference Photos
Like many landscape painters I take lots of photos to use as a reference when I’m in my studio. Of course, I enjoy painting outside whenever possible, but for me this is limited by the weather and sometimes you want to create a painting that would be difficult to do outside.
In addition I enjoy taking photos whenever I’m outside. Needless to say, I now have thousands of reference photos and I simply don’t need anymore.
2024 Challenge No 3: Not Using Reference Photos
I could just use the reference photos I already have, but instead I decided to challenge myself by not using any at all for 2024. It may seem like a crazy challenge, but I have a good reason.
I want to develop my intuitive painting, something I find hard to do. Furthermore, I love this style of painting. Can I do it? While I don’t doubt I can, the bigger question is whether the artwork will be any good.
Proviso: En Plein Air at the Lake
There is one exception though. I intend to paint outside at the lake. Not only do I enjoy it immensely, but I’ve painted ‘en plein air’ for years. It’s simply a tradition I want to keep.
My Intentions
It’s early days and at this point I can’t know if I’ll still feel the same way next November, but for the next few months I intend to paint what I call inner landscapes ( intuitive painting ) when I’m in my city studio and outer landscapes when I’m at the lake in the summer.
As always I’ll be posting my paintings on social media so please make sure to follow me on Instagram and Pinterest.
Marlene