Painting from Photographs

Today I will finish a rather late Christmas present or a very early birthday present for my mother in law! It is a three-canvas array of purple flowers and has been a really fun challenge of color shades and detail!

She wanted hydrangeas, but also wanted a long narrow piece. In order to make a very round flower, narrow, I decided to make the painting a close up shot of the flower-which actually looks like several little flowers put together (I have recently gone through a O’Keeffe phase. Possibly my inspiration?)

In creating the design for the painting, and any painting for that matter I am always challenged to make sure the picture I am painting is truly original. This is a subject, which can delve deep into legal arguments on copyrights. If I find a picture of a purple flower, am I allowed to paint it? What credit is due the photographer? What if the picture is denoted “free access” can I still feel like the work is all mine? (I believe there was a similar situation recently with the iconic Obama campaign painting—It was painted from someone else’s photograph.) Well in providing myself peace of mind, and a bit of a compromise, I found a picture online that I liked, and I manipulated it in Photoshop. UPDATE (7-31-13): I contacted the photographer of this image, Jennifer McGregor, she has given me the rights to use this image and show you all online. She gave me great insight from her perspective as a photographer on when artists should and should not use a photographer's work. She said her photographer friends generally believe a rule of 20%. You can take up to 20% of an image for painting. For example, use a sky from one picture, flowers from another, and a tree from another. Check out her great photos! You might even see me use her work in the future! She has given me full permission to paint several of her beautiful flowers. ; )

Below are some pictures of my painting process step by step from her image to my painting: