Putting It All Together- The Many Pieces That Create a Home Portrait

by Susan Stillman April 16, 2019

A Dreamy Backyard

This is the third painting I’ve done for this wonderful family over the course of twenty years. How lucky am I?!

Painting this backyard was an adventure for me. You can see the modern structure and cascading fountains from the infinity pool presented a difficult challenge, to make it look as if you can see everything at the same time when that was not possible.

This fisheye shot was the most comprehensive view to get a sense of the many elements to be included. The problem was how to adjust the relationships to overcome the distortions?!

In addition, the house was situated at the top of a hill, so the view was distorted from below as well. I took a series of shots in pieces from three different levels to understand how everything fit together. My client was able to assist with some plans from the construction.


Essentially, I imagined myself as a drone, hovering in midair! This is why I emphasize that these paintings are not copies from life, but idealized versions, combining our favorite aspects and memories in one whole image.

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