Day 2 of 30 Day Challenge Jan 2015

Red Room, oil, 6 x 6, Day 2 of 30 Day Challenge, $85

click here to purchase

I've had a few friends ask me where I get my reference photos. And the answer is... everywhere! It seems to me my radar is always "on" when it comes to seeking new, interesting, colorful, creative images. I use my i phone a lot to either snap a photo or click a "screen capture" when I'm scrolling through - websites like Pinterest or Google Images. I'll work from photos but rarely will I try to paint it exactly - the "essence" or "feel" of the image is what I'm after.

Another great place to look is http://paintmyphoto.ning.com, I can't remember who told me about this site but if I had to guess...  I probably heard it on Leslie Saeta's Artist Helping Artist Blog Talk Radio Show because that's where the majority of my art marketing/business/career information has come from in the past 3 years! I started listening to Leslie's show in the spring of 2012. And I can't even begin to tell you how much the AHA show has helped me grow my business! Hands down - there isn't a blog, website, seminar or book that I have read or attended that has provided as much resources for me to grow my art business as well as have a broader scope and understand of what's happening in the art world today. I absolutely love the interviews with professional artists such as Carol Marine, Karen Jurick, Camille Preswodyck (sp?), Peggy Kroll Roberts, C.W. Mundy... and the list goes on and on and on... Sherry McGraw, Ellie Boyd, Dottie Leatherwood,.. It's such an inspiration to me to hear about other artists, how they got started, the stories they tell about their career, their advice and tips... 

ok... so back to reference photos... my simple advice.. keep your eyes wide open and cell phone camera ready  -
Thanks for viewing my artwork,
Peace and blessing to you all! - Linda