Rumaging for Subject Matter

While looking through some of my old sketchbooks for something to paint, I came across this sketch of Stormy, the long-time engineer of the St. Louis Zoo train. Later I found a pastel that I had done from the sketch.


Not only does a sketchbook provide memories of a particular day or experience, it can provide you with subject ideas for paintings down the road.

I have a filing system for old photos, too. "Boats", "Architecture," "Farms," "Animals," "Trees," "Docks," etc. Sometimes I use one photo for the main subject and another photo for background material.

I also collect postcards of places I've visited. Be careful with this one; copying a composition is considered plagiarism. I use them primarily for one item in the picture: a building, figures, mountain shapes.

When I travel, I also look in antique stores for interesting items to include in still life paintings.

But the sketchbook is the thing. It is my own take on a scene or object that I had a reaction to and that is in my own "handwriting". My sketchbook is always in my car, along with a little makeup bag filled with pencils, markers, charcoal, and conte crayons.
When I am unable to get outdoors to paint on location, rumaging through these sources is a good way to get my creative juices flowing.