Where do paintings come from?

There are probably as many answers to that question as there are paintings. For me, it can be as involved as an extensive field trip followed by research, or as simple as a sighting along the road. My current painting had its birth from the latter. Some huge Bighorn rams could be seen from Interstate 90 in Montana. A quick exit from the freeway and a few back roads led to some nice photos, but not a painting ....unless I made some artistic adjustments.

The background is uninteresting. While the 3 rams in the photo are nice, there were five. Four together and one a little distant. A painting with a fuller grouping will be more dramatic. The curls on their horns were impressive and might need only a little tweaking.

I have some distant mountain shots from the Rocky Mountains which I think will add some depth to the piece. The sky is a little busy, but I like the shape of the mountains. With some color adjustment and painted as a mirror image, this might work. (Of course if it was a distinct mountain scene like the Tetons or an individual mountain like the Matterhorn, I wouldn’t think about a mirror image.)

The next consideration is size. It this a showstopper piece? A large signature work, a medium sized painting, or a miniature? Sometimes the idea dictates the size. Sometimes I look to see what sizes I need to achieve a varied inventory. Sometimes I just want to paint a particular size. This time I thought it would be fun to paint an expansive scene in a small format. I have chosen 10" X 17.5"

Stay tuned for the finished painting.