Photographing

I begin by photographing the property from a distance, to record how it all comes together. I use the zoom lens to get the details that are not hidden by the wall.

I then photograph the house in pieces from very close up.  I move across the whole place, capturing the details at my eye level.  When aiming up at roof details, I will have distortion to correct later in the sketch.

Sketch

With all my reference photos printed, I am able to reconstruct the house as my client wants to remember it.  She will be selling it soon, and as a gifted designer, the house is a glorious expression of her own personal aesthetic.  We work together closely to include her favorite details.

Sketch

We can pick and choose what foliage to show in flower.  Most trees will be open, but I will show a couple of dogwoods on the left with white and pink blossoms.  The large dogwood in the front of the wall obscures much of the house, so we decide to turn back the clock and reduce it’s size.

Finish

Work in Progress

I will post the finished painting in the next few weeks.  Cheers!

I have started this blog on the occasion of my 20th year painting Home Portraits!  It has been a privilege to be invited into your homes and to work so closely with you, creating paintings that I hope have become meaningful additions to your family histories.  Finishing a job can be bittersweet, as I know I inevitably lose contact with so many of you who I enjoyed meeting and sharing stories with.  My sincere thanks, and I look forward to many more years of working with wonderful people making memories!

Warmest Regards,
Susan