Location Location Location

I have a simple, straightforward tip this month, in the hope of generating fresh inspiration.

When it comes to finding new subjects to paint, I’m guessing we’re all guilty of gravitating towards what we know. Not that there is anything specifically wrong with revisiting subjects that are familiar to us; even subjects that we have painted many times before almost certainly have an angle that we haven’t yet covered.

As a landscape painter, I often revisit favourite, and familiar, locations, but it is when faced with new, unfamiliar locations that I find the creative juices really start to flow. Of course, I’m not only talking about different locations of a similar type; after all, when you’ve seen lots of waterfalls, for example, there is a natural tendency to employ the same techniques and shortcuts to achieve the same effects; it is just that the elements are arranged differently.

My recommendation is to seek out locations that break all those boundaries of familiarity and comfort. Think laterally, and instead of settling for the obvious composition as it is presented to you, take a peak at the dark dusty corners to see what you might find. I don’t mean put yourself in any Stranger Things ‘Upside Down’ sort of danger or wander down dimly-lit streets where you might get mugged, but instead, when considering a ready-made scene, stop and take a look from right to left… and even behind you. Sometimes we are blinded by the obvious, and may be overlooking a real gem of subject.