Finding Subject Matter

After going through the same stack of photos for the umpteenth time looking for something to paint, I suddenly thought, I wish I could paint some of my photos of Europe.  Only trouble is, they are on slides.  I didn't want to burn up the slide projector bulb finding and then sketching or painting the great scene.

I solved the problem by projecting my slides on the wall and then photographing the projected image with my instamatic camera.  It worked great, and now I have about fifty photos to work from this winter when I'm in Florida and the weather isn't cooperative.

I'm still a convert to the belief that a value sketch is a desired first step to creating a well designed painting.  So here is the value sketch and painting of a couple of tin mines along the coast of Cornwall, England.