it's been a good week....
we were lucky enough to shoot a fabulous little wedding on st. john, followed by lots of fun and games with new friends at the villa. this island can steal your heart in a hurry. been paddling everyday and praying for more waves. we've decided the north shore is always best wherever you are.
our giant kitty just got chased by the chihuahua next door and quickly unleashed her claws in defense. i wonder if he will ever learn? it got me thinking about this baby chihuahua all alone in a birdcage down in san juan. i could have sat there all day watching people as they spotted the teeny tiny puppy in the window. it's spring break and we are off to the cabin to hang with family. rain rain go away!
i think everyone needs a wedding painting inspired from their favorite wedding photograph.
this beautiful piece of art was painted by my friend susan adam, who works on commission creating original paintings inspired from photographs. susan joined me on my trip from maine to massachusetts to photograph shaylah and jonathan's delightful wedding. after seeing their final set of wedding photographs susan felt compelled to paint this 24x36 oil painting.
together we make a pretty good pair. susan is a gifted painter and an aspiring photographer. while i have always dreamed of wearing a shirt covered in rainbow paint smudges. this year we decided that susan would help me experiment with painting and i would help her take control of the settings on her camera.
susan helping me get the right color mix. below my unfinished first painting. it's waiting for me in maine.
during our painting lessons susan ignited something new in me. jon sensed this and surprised me with an awesome painting easel for my birthday. tubes of paint and supplies have been arriving in the mail. our kitchen nook, otherwise know as cafe heather has become the future painting room. i like this idea of really sitting inside of a single image and studying every little detail. analyzing the tilt of a head, the color of the shadow, the texture in a white sheet. after shooting hundreds of photographs every weekend, i now enjoy staring at just one and envision how i would paint it.
i find myself worrying about how long it will take me to feel confident in painting. i think about what a long path i have been on with photography. i remember my first studies with my camera and all the mistakes i made. sometimes it makes me not want to start. but i'm trying to silence that negative nelly in my head. i've decided that this will be my one thing that i do just for me. good is not the goal. i'll do it just because there is a little patter in my heart. for now i am studying brush strokes and color theory while i sip espresso in the morning. painting a few strokes whenever i can steal an hour or two.
susan sent me this painting as a birthday gift. it's a painting of her and her husband's gallery. it was on a random visit to their gallery where I first saw her paintings and made a new friend. when i look at this painting i see friendship and possibility. thank you susan, I love staring at your brushstrokes!