One of the fantastic things about putting photos out to the world is seeing other people's interpretations of them. It's always exciting to hear from artists who have drawn or painted one of my photos. As a former pencil artist in my youth, I am blown away by the skill of some of these people, and I'm very envious of their talent. In truth, I'd be drawing now if I was good enough at it. But I did find my medium in photography, and it's rewarding to hear when someone else has felt inspired by my picture. I also like the idea that my image has taken on a new life in it's alternative form. I'm sure I only see a fraction of what people get up to with my work, but it's always a buzz to hear from someone who has recreated or re-imagined it. So I thought it would be fun to show my appreciation and share a selection of these artworks here.
The Gallery
Thanks to all of the artists who sent me pictures to share here, and best of luck with your art in the future. Here are some of my favourites...
Kaylan Betten
I was stunned when I saw this. Initially I thought it was my photo! But on second glance you can see it's been hand-drawn, to great effect. I love the blending here, and the skill to convey the differing textures of the antlers and the fur. Kaylan has a store on Etsy where she sells some beautiful hand-crafted homeware, and she share's photos of them to Instagram; @kaylanbetten_art.
Louise Davies
Louise uses coloured pencils and pastels for her pet & wildlife portraits. This is from a few years ago now, but I always think of it when I see my original photo because she captured the detail in the eye and the beak so well. You can find more of her work at www.louisedaviesart.co.uk.
Kirsten Lauer Karahan
I love this. In truth it doesn't bare much resemblance to my original, but I think that's why I like it. Kirsten has taken the idea and run with it, making her own scene, with this melancholic feel to it. I particularly like the addition of the sparrow in the foreground. Kirsten shares more of her work here: Of Paint And Prose.
Tony O'Connor
Tony is an accomplished equine portrait artist, and his paintings of horses are simply awe inspiring. In some cases, just plain inspiring. This is a drawing of one of my oldest photos, and my first 'On Black' portrait. It's incredibly accurate, and again, it's easy to get lost in the texture of the antlers. Check out more of Tony's work at White Tree Studio.
Sue O'Mara
Sue is an art teacher, and I love what she did with this photo. The range of textures in the different lengths of fur really draws the eye. And speaking of which, she added that brilliant silhouette reflection, which I think provides an extra layer of narrative to the image. Find Sue at SueOMaraArt.co.uk.
Nava Volov
This was another one I mistook for the original photo when I first saw it, as the proportions are so accurate. I love the texture of the face here, and the boldness of the red against black, even more so than mine. And the blue wing feathers genuinely convey that natural iridescence. Nava is on Instagram at @NavaVolov.
Thanks again to those featured here. And I hope it made a little change from my usual type of blog post, not being all about me! If you do draw or paint one of my photos, do get in touch, I love seeing them. You can find more info about artistic reference here.
Next month we're back to me, and my photos. I have a new set of animal portraits to share, with a farmyard theme. Intriguing....
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George
