Inspiration Photos and Making Friends with Fixative
"Old Temecula Field" 12 x 16 in Pastel on flat canvas (oil/chalk) Click here to view large or purchase I started with a photo from my phone (it takes pretty amazing pictures if the light's right). I took the photo behind Pat and Oscar's restaurant in Temecula, because between the clouds, the light, and the open field, I felt like I was catching a glimpse of my childhood. We moved to the area in the late '80's, back before it had any stoplights (or malls, or SUV's). I remember the thrill of being allowed to walk home with my friends who lived close to school, tromping through empty fields to get to their houses. As you can see, I can't really call this a reference photo, as it's quite different from the painting. It was definitely an inspiration though, and I did refer back to it for some of the values and composition. I actually started the piece with a layer of blue acrylic before adding in an oil pastel underpainting. I then work