I'd like to encourage my students to keep their camera handy because you never know what you might find that will spark your creativity and inspire a great painting. There's planned photography, such as my trip below, and there's spontaneous photography. Several years ago, I went to my bank on Alpharetta Hwy. There was an empty field next to the bank. I spotted a tree that looked like it could tell a thousand stories. The moody sky behind it and the golden field below and around it made for the perfect shot. I just happened to have my camera with me. That photo inspired one of my favorite paintings that hangs in my studio today.
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| ©2015 Jill Saur, all rights reserved |
Two years ago, my husband and I were in this very forest on Kebler Pass in Colorado (above). When we left, I was determined to return to this magical spot. Two years later, two flights and a four-hour car drive with my sister, Gina, I returned to that spot in September. As I was lying on the ground with my camera and photographing the incredible cyan sky behind the brilliant aspen leaves, I thought, "It just doesn't get any better than this!"
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| ©2015 Jill Saur, all rights reserved |
A short distance from Kebler Pass, Colorado, is Ohio Pass. My sister and I ventured up the steep narrow road to find a treasure of aspen trees with their gold leaves quaking in the gentle breeze. Truly, Kebler Pass and Ohio Pass are two very special places that may be one of the best kept secrets in Colorado.
It will be interesting to see the paintings that emerge from this special trip. As in years past, I've come home with tremendous photographs and a vast memory of blessed days and starry starry nights.
How about you? Are you looking for those special moments right where you are? Remember, one of my best paintings was inspired by an empty lot next to my bank. Sometimes, it's the ordinary things that are truly extraordinary.
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