The Purist

I love painting from life. It has taught me so so much. But, once you've painted, O say, 9 still life's, you MUST do something else. So, in lieu of my friends coming and sitting for me (they will, cuz I'll make them...)I opted to do a painting from a photo I took in Mendacino some years back.
Now I know the purist really wants artists to exclusively paint from life AT ALL TIMES, but sometimes it's just not practical in this day and age. For one thing, I'm prolly not going up to Mendacino any time soon, so if I want a painting of Mendacino, pictures is all I have for the time being. Sometimes it's just to stinkin' windy and cold to paint at the coast. If I want to do a nice painting that I will like of Venice Italy, I will have to do it from a photo. A photo that I, myself took, or a friend that is not going to be published. That is only right. But there is no sin in doing a painting from a photo in this economically challenged day and age. In fact doing ALL THOSE STILL LIFE'S really paid off in the end when I was doing my beach scene. All the principals applied and my beach scene looked better than the photo. I knew what to do with my color mixtures. Plus it WAS SO MUCH FUN not doing a still life!!
I STILL have miles of canvas (or panels) to go before I even consider myself a "good" artist, but I couldn't have progressed this far without a workshop with David Leffel and his books being my constant companions on my couch along with a Gregg Kreutz video and book I frequently refer to. It is worth finding an contemporary artist you relate to and taking a workshop from him/her and buy their books, and go over and over them till you understand.
Always be "the observer" in any situation. You watch, whence you start yet another painting these things will be recalled and you will be the better painter for it.