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No matter how wonderful they are, no one ever finds our fabulous vacation photos as captivating as we do.  Photos lack the human element that tells us what’s important.  It may be a beautiful shot, but it’s likely to leave us flat.  That’s where the artist comes in.  A painting can recreate the magic of a spot and make those scenes come to life in a way the photos simply can't. (To be clear, I'm not referring to professional art photographs here, I'm talking about the snapshots most of us take.)  

But where to begin, and how do we use our photos without simply copying what's there?  Whenever I work from my own photos, I begin by reconnecting with the physical memory of the place.  I jot down whatever sensations come to mind:  sounds,  weather conditions, how I was feeling.  This helps set the emotional content for the painting, and may influence color choice.  I then work up a thumbnail based on the photo, simplifying your design into a few larger shapes and values.

Here’s a photo from a recent trip to Paris, along with its evolution to a painting.  

I begin with a thumbnail sketch.  I jotted notes to myself in the margin, to set my intention for the piece and clarify my color choices. 

The snapshot is fairly drab, but I remembered the beautiful purple light of the twilight hour, and I’d taken the shot because I was attracted to the warm glow in the one lit window.  The photo, along with the words in the margins, are simply a boost to my own memory.

Note the lack of detail:  I've simplified the scene to four values, and while the architectural information included is all correct, it is minimal.  There are few windows, just a few perspective lines to indicate scale and depth.  

Note the focus in the completed painting on the elements noted in the thumbnail:  deep blues and purples; the inside/outside contrast, a sense of peace, the twilight.  What's not  in the painting?  Lots of windows and doors.  They simply are not necessary.  They are suggested, quietly, on the right wall, with turquoise strokes in the same value as the warm brown sanded paper.  This allows them to quietly be there without distracting from the main focal points of light and shimmer.

Here are a couple of other examples from my trip.  As you compare reference photo, thumbnail sketch, and painting, notice what choices have been made.  The evolution is from a mechanical recording (photo) to a vivid personal memory (painting.)  In the second, certain things have been left out, others emphasized--much as in a story retold.  As you work from photos, remember that the more personal your vision, the more interesting it may be.

Note in the above example that I 'turned on' the street lights, and deliberately did not render the parked cars individually, as I wanted the attention on the effect of liquid light on a rainy evening, rather than on the objects themselves.

In this scene I chose a warm rust paper as my ground, and eliminated the beautiful but potentially confusing draped holiday lights.

This painting captures the blustery, changeable weather of our afternoon on the bateaux-mouche on the Seine.    I was attracted to the patterns of the beautiful Parisian row houses, set against the upright trees.  

And, if you're traveling with family, it's always fun to include them in the narrative.  This was a visit to a stunning museum, the Orangerie, where Monet's masterwork, les Nympheas is exhibited in two stunning oval rooms.

My thumbnail comments here read: Stroll through park, real life vs. walls.  Splash of color.  My aim was to capture how my cousin's daughter felt so at home, as if she were strolling through the park--and we seemed to be outside, rather than in a museum.   The more specific the intention, the more vivid the memory, the more interesting and alive the painting can be.  

A little thought can push your painting a long way, and might just induce you to look at your own vacation pictures with more interest.

I would love to hear your thoughts and other creative ideas on how to use vacation pics.