Walk with a painter

The painting of this English Setter (Rusty) in his field of dreams was done purely as an exercise on my part and not a commissioned portrait. It most assuredly is not for sale! Why? Because I used several source materials for reference while attempting to portray this regal bird dog on point ready for action. Early on, when I was drumming up business for my portrait work, I would use this demo as an example of the kind of projects I felt could be accomplished given the chance with my recent entry into the world of animal portraiture. I’m not a hunter but have always thought the setter breeds were truly magnificent looking dogs.

Now, with all that said, artists creating an “original” work of art using another person’s photo or artwork and then attempting to sell that art has always been a burr under my saddle and I’ve seen that cute practice put into play more times than I care to remember. When I was an art student, some fifty years ago, it was acceptable to try and copy the works of old masters in order to help understand color and composition. But, it was understood that this method of instruction was left at school when we ventured out on our own. Sadly, this has not been the case with a lot of artists.

In the watercolor classes I’ve conducted over the years, I usually tell the participants that it’s okay to bring in family or vacation photos as subject matter but limit it to using their own material. There is a world of difference between being honestly creative vs. being a world class copier.