Many artists have argued about the use of the camera when it comes to painting. Some argue it’s a necessity others, feel it is misleading. I disagree I think the use of a camera in doing my artwork is important. The photograph becomes a tool in the process of creating a place in time, a response to an atmosphere, or a feeling about a place.
Sometimes when out for a walk with family or friends, I can be inspired by something I see along the route. It could be that the colours catch my eye or the shape of an object, a case in point is the shape and contours of a weed growing on the side of a country path. Sometimes it’s how a subject contrast with its background or the shadows that it casts.
So, while Art is subjective it is the expression of a personal perspective, and while photographs combine the senses so that we see and remember at the same time it’s an important tool for any artist to capture the essence of a subject. It’s how we translate that onto canvas is what matters.
My advice to all artists and painters is to keep an open mind.
