Driving past an old farm house, a painting takes seed in my head. I could simply go with the country scene laid out before me but the big old blue porch with it old wicker furniture is so inviting I begin to lay out a story to hold my interest. No novel, just a simple little tale of who may live there and how the porch plays in everyday life. The garden beds and the bumpy brick walkway add to the charm of the scene. My mind starts turning this porch into a scene for one of my fantasy paintings where I build upon a real place making it mine. While still in the country snapping pictures I invite a lovely young woman to play a part in my fantasy. She will be a tired gardener dreaming her own dreams. Driving back into town I see just the garden I want and snap a few pictures.
Loading the new pictures of the porch and the garden over on Downer Place, into my computer I call upon Jordan to play the part of the tired gardener. I know just the photo I want of Jordan and set about looking for it. This is how I work when in the studio. Over the years I have built an extensive collection of photos to work from. I love working from life but for what I love doing I have to have references on hand. I cannot always count on models being available. When they are I have them over to the studio for a few days of work. Laying on the studio floor will come to be a painting of young lady laying in the cool grass under my apple tree. Bitter winds of winter may be just out my studio window but inside the model relaxes under my apple tree. In this case I transport Jordan to the blue porch that is two counties over from my studio. Takes a bit of work to change the perspective and incorporate the garden into my world, but it's what I love doing.
Annie, another of my models, I put into my dream living room with a cozy fire going in the fireplace. A bowl of popcorn handy and a good murder mystery, and Annie settles for the evening in my painting. Her nephew, Miles, joins her in the next painting. It's a bit of work getting them comfortable when they've never posed together before. Years of drawing from life lets me bring forth my dreams of life around me. Spinning yarns is what I do with paints.
