 I was so excited to receive the acceptance notification of my painting "Along An Autumn Path" for the Yosemite Renaissance 33 exhibit at the Yosemite National Park Museum Gallery. The opening reception will be Friday, February 23, 2018 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. The Yosemite Renaissance 33 opens on February 24th. at the Yosemite National Park Museum Gallery and will be on display through May 6, 2018. The exhibit then will travel to other art centers across California: Kings County Art Center - Hanford, CA from June 4 through July 14, 2018 Carnegie Arts Center - Turlock, CA from August 8 through October 7, 2018 Yosemite Gateway Gallery Row - Oakhurst, CA from Oct. 13 through Nov. 28, 2018 I feel so honored to have "Along An Autumn Path" chosen to be part of this exhibit. There are 64 pieces of works chosen from 820 entries, including paintings, textiles, photographs and 3-dimensional works.
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Both of my whitetail deer paintings are now completed and available. When painting the two paintings together was easier than I original thought, as I stayed with the same theme and color palette, although I did not want them to look exactly alike. With my Whitetail Buck painting - "Winters Magical Moment" I had decided to paint more of the delicate dried goldenrod covered with hoar frost and less cattails. The buck looks stately and bold and with the frosted goldenrod gave the painting a more delicate and elegant look. When doing the Whitetail Doe I decided to add more of the dark cattails surrounding her since she is walking more sideways within the reeds, grasses and cattails. I felt the main cattails adds a lot of interest to the doe as her expression shows that something has "Caught Her Attention".   After many thumbnail sketches of a Whitetail buck and doe together next to a pond, I realized that with the two reference photos I had that I could not come up with a good painting for the two together. So that being said, I have decided to do separate paintings of each with the same theme, colors and settings. The is first time for me to paint two paintings at the same time. Here are the initial sketches and progress before the completed paintings. Whitetail Doe painting in progress before completion of the painting. At this point I decided to have more cattails around the the doe as it seemed to balance the painting. With the buck I decided to add more of the hoar frosted dried goldenrod for more of a delicate appearance to my painting. Hope you like them and will be posting the completed paintings soon! This painting of an agitated bull elephant inspired by my trip to Tanzania. While traveling to Tarangire National Park a rogue bull elephant came charging out of the bush and chased after the jeep we were travelling in. My guide reminded me of how unpredictable and aggressive a bull elephant can be. 
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This is the painting that will be debuting at the 7th. Annual Nature & Wildlife Art Exhibition in St. Augustine, Florida July 23, 2016 - August 28, 2016.
I am so delighted that this painting was selected for this prestigious event.
"Magnolias and Mocking", 16" x 12" oil on hardboard painting.
I am so delighted that this painting was selected for this prestigious event.
"Magnolias and Mocking", 16" x 12" oil on hardboard painting.
I had always wanted to paint a moose.....so here it is!
Normally I know how I want the painting to look like in my mind....I said normally! Although when I started to sketch my moose painting, I could not make up my mind if I wanted him in water or on land.
After a multitude of sketches on paper and a week later, I decided just to start applying paint and see what happens. Rarely do I start a painting like this, although I do like the way it turned out and as you can see, my moose wading in water came to like.
Normally I know how I want the painting to look like in my mind....I said normally! Although when I started to sketch my moose painting, I could not make up my mind if I wanted him in water or on land.
After a multitude of sketches on paper and a week later, I decided just to start applying paint and see what happens. Rarely do I start a painting like this, although I do like the way it turned out and as you can see, my moose wading in water came to like.
Morning Light - Moose
Here is the progression of this painting:
Have you ever taken a photo of your artwork and found that the colors did not match the painting? Was it sharp and crystal clear or slightly blurry? Do you see the edges of your artwork where it is slightly distorted? Do you see a glare or hotspots? Well I have when photographing my own artwork. I discovered years ago that photographing my own artwork was not the way to go for me.
When I looked into what I needed to photograph my own artwork, I found there was more to it than just point and shoot. Now I have never stated that I was a photographer, so understanding this process was a little overwhelming for me. And to be honest, understanding the camera seemed "Greek" to me. Now if I took the time and took a photography course or read hundreds of pages in understanding the camera and settings, then maybe I could get it.
But for those who do want to photography their own artwork, here are a few tips I have learned:
- Use the best camera equipment that you can afford.
- Use a stable and solid tripod.
- To minimize blurriness, use a self timer.
- Avoid putting your artwork in direct sunlight - overcast sky or indirect light
works the best.
- Set the white balance on your camera correctly.
- Do not use the flash on your camera.
- Make sure your artwork is photographed directly and not under glass.
These are just a few things to consider and I advise you to research more about your camera settings, lighting, etc. before deciding to photograph your artwork.
Here are a few examples of my own work taking the photos myself vs. using a professional photographer.
When I looked into what I needed to photograph my own artwork, I found there was more to it than just point and shoot. Now I have never stated that I was a photographer, so understanding this process was a little overwhelming for me. And to be honest, understanding the camera seemed "Greek" to me. Now if I took the time and took a photography course or read hundreds of pages in understanding the camera and settings, then maybe I could get it.
But for those who do want to photography their own artwork, here are a few tips I have learned:
- Use the best camera equipment that you can afford.
- Use a stable and solid tripod.
- To minimize blurriness, use a self timer.
- Avoid putting your artwork in direct sunlight - overcast sky or indirect light
works the best.
- Set the white balance on your camera correctly.
- Do not use the flash on your camera.
- Make sure your artwork is photographed directly and not under glass.
These are just a few things to consider and I advise you to research more about your camera settings, lighting, etc. before deciding to photograph your artwork.
Here are a few examples of my own work taking the photos myself vs. using a professional photographer.
 My Photo |  Professionally Photographed |
My photo seemed very dark in color, especially the blacks, which was not true to the painting. Even though my photo is focused, clear and was taken on a flat surface, the edges are still distorted. The photo taken by professional photographer is exactly how the original painting appears.
Here is another example:
 My Photo |  Professionally Photographed |
Again, my photos do not show the true colors of the painting as well as the professional photo does.
I spoke to my photographer and he gave me some really important tips as to why it is best to have your artwork professionally photographed that I wanted to share with you. I use Harrington PAF to photograph all of my artwork.
Why should you let a professional photograph your art?
"As a photographer who had devoted a lot of time to photographing art over the past several years I feel there are many reasons.
Here are some that top my list:
1.) Equipment and Experience
When photographing art it's important to have a proper lighting set up. Understanding light and knowing how to set up for art will produce an image that is evenly lit without glare or hotspots.
2.) Focus
It is very important to know how to photograph a piece of art that's in focus from the bottom to the top and corner-to-corner.
3.) Color
Accurately reproducing the diverse colors in artwork can be one of the most challenging aspects of art photography.
4.) Glare
Many times artwork has a shine. It might be a clear cote, varnish or a certain medium. It is important to know how to eliminate this to produce an accurate final image.
5.) Aspect Ratio
Getting the final size of the image to match the ratio of the painting size is a must. Having clean edges and accurate sizing requires a more in depth understanding of the process. There is much more to it than just pointing and shooting.
These are a few of the things I have worked through over the years. If you want clear accurate images of your art, it's best to let a photographer with experience in the field of photographing art." Dan Harrington
Because I offer Giclee prints of all my artwork, I personally find that using a professional is best for me. Also, since I enter many art shows, it is very important that I use the best photo of my artwork possible.
These are just my personal feelings and preferences and I commend those that can accomplish photographing your own art with high quality. Maybe someday I will take a course in photography and learn these skills, but for now I would rather paint and let my photographer do what he does best!
Do you photograph your own art? If so, please feel free to leave any comments or questions?
Working with oils wet on wet, the snowy owl was quite a challenge since each feather had dark to light and shading colors. I found it easier to paint each feather individually ----- sooooo many feathers. But as challenging as it was I enjoyed painting them as it was bringing my snowy owl to life.
"Solitude - Snowy Owl"
Close up view of the snowy owl"
Photos of the complete painting in progress:
In my next blog post, I want to discuss photographing your artwork yourself vs. a professional photographer, so please check back soon. Also, feel free to leave any comments or questions.
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The Wildlife and Nature Art of Johanna Lerwick. A blog about painting wildlife and nature. Topics including painting in progress, oil paintings, art prints, art licensing and painting techniques.
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Wildlife/Nature Art
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