On Friday I took a drive to the town of Murphys. Murphys is one of several "gold mining" towns in my area and probably one of the most well developed and visited. Ironstone Vineyards is here. I participated in their show last year and since I would like to try to get in again this year, it seemed natural to want to paint some typical Murphys scenes. The above view is of the Murphys Hotel. It has a very colorful history and is still a very active hotel and restaurant. Ostensibly I wanted a picture of that sign with the martini glass but I wasn't really able to get that shot.
This picture above is a slightly different view showing the street and corner along with the business across the street. As I was taking these photos I was not only thinking about composition but also about context. When I reviewed the photos I could see that some screamed "hotel" and some screamed "street scene" and some just kind of screamed in general. So often, like 99% of the time, I end up just capturing a picture of something and not really much else. I just record where I have been. So, I am trying to improve and be more thoughtful about how I put a scene together.
After being downtown, I motored up to Ironstone to have lunch. This has got to be the best kept secret in the county: 1/2 of a sandwich, a cup of soup and a glass of wine (a big glass) for just $10! You can't beat it, really. My purpose there though was to look for a picture that might be a quintessential and recognizable view of the facility. There is a pathway connecting the tasting room portion with the museum and other areas. The above shot shows part of that pathway headed to the museum. Most people who visit here would probably remember that car. I tried to include some elements that I thought were interesting. The shot may be a tic too busy. I don't know.
As I was leaving and feeling unsure as to whether or not I captured a good idea, I just happened to turn around as I was walking downstairs. This shot really appeals to me because of all of those lines going into the picture which I think creates a sense of depth. It seems too to be a good mix too of vertical and horizontal lines, a nice connection of light and shadow, and of course I love the red and green together. It is amazing to me just how often red and green show up together in nature. There is a lot about this photo that is occurring naturally that I find really interesting. The last thing too is that while this photo is of an Ironstone specific scene, I think it is just a nice scene in general. I want to paint something that is specific to my area but I also want to paint something that just might be enjoyable to look at even if you haven't been to this area.
I finished up at Ironstone and stopped at Chatom vineyards on the way home (pic above). We are wine club members and we had a shipment to pick up. One bottle is already gone!
As I was out and about yesterday, I was really conscious of the fact that I was talking to myself. A lot! I may be turning into that eccentric woman walking down the street and muttering to herself. This actually sort of fits in with where I live so I am not too worried. However, I got to thinking that if you spend a good portion of the day by yourself, actually liking to be with yourself is really important. I had a great time at Ironstone eating my lunch and sort of just staring into space and considering things. Having an active "interior" life is crucial. Honestly, if I found myself boring or tedious or something worse, I wouldn't know what to do! Maybe a good case of schizophrenia is the answer?
OK, hope everyone had a creative week. If you didn't see the Swingles piece I did, go back one post!
Libby
nice travelog! I feel like I was there! (having lunch by myself! lol!) Well, I agree, being alone is a nice thing...not a bad thing. I bet you will do some great paintings from your reference photos. Looks like a very appealing place!
ReplyDeleteYour house picture is going to be perfect (no pressure, of course) but I can already see the Libby spin on that one!
ReplyDeleteI envy your interesting places to visit. I can't say we have that around here.
I love these virtual field trips you take us on, Libby! Nice pics. I can see why you would want to paint the hotel. I don't think it screams hotel like a Super 8 or Holiday Inn (laughing). It has a very charming B and B feel to it, Libby. Even with the martini glass neon sign! I think if you experiment cropping the first two photos in different ways, you'll get your ideal composition of the place. If you crop off the just the right side beginning from the car and then on, you will have removed a lot of the things which might otherwise detract and throw off the balance from the subject in the first pic. In the second photo, you could probably get away with cropping out the car and all to the right of it, but a sliver off the bottom, too. While it's great to be able to take a pic like your fourth and fifth photo, that don't seem to need any editing in order to use them...a whole lot of pictures people take benefit from some minor tweaking and cropping. Especially if they are to be used in advertising, or in your case, for a painting. So I wouldn't get discouraged about a picture just seeming like a picture. You may just have study your photos in more depth to see if you can't make some edits to get it to where you want! :) Your perfect composition may be hiding in there, and you don't know it at first glance!
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