Sleeping in Soft Light

The Sleeper #1

24" x 30"

October 28, 2010

Oil on Canvas

$700.00 CAN

   I have wanted to do a painting of a person sleeping in bed for a while now and finally had the perfect opportunity to gain some reference material.  No one in my life seems to be safe from my artistic endeavors. There is just no escaping it. I am influenced by life and light around me. The light was perfect the morning that I came upon this scene. There was cool light coming through the blinds after a snow fall and I had a small side lamp casting warm light. When I downloaded the images they were extremely dark, and while beefing up the light it distorted the image and made it incredibly grainy which was perfect for painting from because it forced me to get over small details and gave me the freedom to make it my own. Those are the best types of reference photos. They encourage a painting instead of dictate it. Which is what reference material should do. In the end no one really sees the reference material only the finished work.
I am up early this morning writing this before anyone else is up in the house, trying to work in peace. It's hard because the above is my bed and I want to crawl back in.