Painting Like a Master

Taking a photo and creating a Van Gogh style painting

I have always loved working puzzles…like the really big ones…for days. That was in the BC days…the before children days. I could sure see better then too. I would lay all the pieces out and study the lid and start creating the picture…one little piece at a time. Often I would be up until my eyes glazed over.

Taking a painting from “the Masters”…the paintings you see in art books and museums…is a lot like working a puzzle. You study the details, matching colors and brush strokes…adding layer upon layer like the pieces to a puzzle.

This has been a favorite way I have learned to paint…by copying…yes…copying. You can do that! As long as you are not selling it or claiming it as your own original painting, it’s ok.

As a self taught artist, its been a wonderful way for me to learn.

You will learn so much about color. I could go on and on about mixing colors! That in itself becomes a therapy…heART therapy. You will notice colors in clouds, sunsets and landscapes that you never seemed to notice before.

You begin to train your eye to see how to “put together” a painting…to arrange your painting. This is the composition of your painting.

You will develop an awareness of the role of light and shadows. Putting more focus on objects and areas to create depth.

You will see texture and understand how it will give your painting a “feel”. You can create something soft…harsh…moving. As if you are putting actual life into your painting…one you could walk into.

I love being a creator…a mini me to my Father in Heaven. We are created in His image…so we all carry a gift of creating. I want to help draw your gifting out. It may be stronger in some areas of life than others.

Maybe cooking…gardening…organizing…I’ve even been told even math is creative, lol…maybe to come up with some of those answers I tried to help my son with…insert eye roll here. I am so thankful for math people…it’s just not me!

I’ll just paint, thank you!

Now it’s time to find a painting that you would like to try.

Here are a couple of examples of ones I have done. You will see they are far from identical…but still so satisfying. These two are both from Vincent van Gogh’s collection. His paintings are really fun!

Just in case you can’t tell…mine are the ones on the right ; )

“Good artists copy, great artists steal.”

―Pablo Picasso

Being a little vulnerable here…it has taken me quite a few years to get comfortable enough to start creating my own paintings. I still become intimidated. Especially when it comes time to schedule it as a class.

I can easily become overwhelmed with the thoughts of “what if no one wants to paint this”. Yet I continue to paint and stop worrying about the “what ifs”. I paint for the joy it brings me…and you…and my Father…the best creator of all.

Below is a video I want to share with you that I recently did.

You can paint along with me.

I took a favorite photo I had taken from a sunflower farm in our area and wanted to try out a starry night version of it. It was so fun to create…you will see I had a hard time wanting to stop.

An hour turned into an hour and a half…and I still wanted to keep going. I had 3 kids waiting for me to take them to the pool.

I love summer! And sunflowers!

Laurie