Some of my mixed-media works often begin with a photograph. Where the painting is an interpretation of a scene or an idea, the photograph becomes a more accurate copy of what the artist originally sees. It can be the inspiration for the artist who can’t always set up the easel on the side of the mountain or in the rain or snow.
The photograph is a study in composition and contrasts, both intellectual and visual. Photography began as the product of the artist, passed through the realm of the family scrapbook, and now I think has moved back to the artist. The photograph has become more than just a visual aid. It exists today as a complete artistic statement with all the intellectual depth and challenges of many paintings. It has also become a basic element in the development of digital art and printing.
By using the photograph as the actual basis for some of these mixed media works, a combination of effects and emotions can be delivered to the viewer that perhaps the photograph alone might not.
