What a beautiful world you have to paint! This is Kristie chiming in again. Each of you wonderful artists helps make this world an amazing place to live.

I just watched the critique webinar with all your stunning paintings and felt inspired by what you’ve accomplished. Thank you for making our art community such an uplifting and encouraging group of friends.

I don’t know if I’ve ever gotten through the hymn “How Great Thou Art” without shedding a tear or two.  It’s such a powerful anthem about the beauties of creation.

During this season of Thanksgiving, I think it’s very appropriate to be thankful for all the wonderful things in nature that inspire us to paint, write, sing, dance, photograph and sculpt (and every other art form).

You’ve helped Master Oil Painting take on a life of its own. You touch my heart every day through your art and kindness. Let me use this blog post to explain how you uplift me and so many others through your art and caring natures.

 

Take a Trip Around the World with the Reference Library

One place I enjoy going to on a dreary day – which in Indiana, happens quite a bit in the winter – is the reference gallery. Monthly Members generously share photos of their travels and home painting turf for other members to paint and enjoy. Wow, you live in some incredible places!

The gallery is full of images artists can use as copyright-free references – it’s a glorious collection.

I thought I would share some of the images with the world. I may not get to travel personally to meet each of you, but I love that I can connect with you through your photos and paintings.

Let’s take a journey together to some of these beautiful places around our planet.

This is just a small sampling from the reference library:

 

beach scene

Winter Snow at Rehobeth Beach

mountains

Spanish Peaks – Spike

Spike’s photo was used as a reference for the Membership Paint together.

painting

Diane Hunt- Spanish Peaks

Bill also did a blog about the steps he took to paint it.

painting

He also has a free step-by-step lesson to learn how to paint the Spanish Peaks here: https://www.masteroilpainting.com/spanish-peaks-lesson/

The photo reference library has an amazing variety of seascapes. Looking at the photo below makes me want to be there feeling the mist from the crashing waves.

Canada’s Victoria Island

There are so many beautiful photos of flowers to use as painting references. I realize this might not be the right time of year for flowers but I thought the drops of water on the iris’ petals were fun.

flowers

Purple Tears, Newburg MD – Renee Fuqua

 

mill scene

Photo of Mabry Mill

Mabry Mill was another inspiration for a Paint Together. The members created some outstanding paintings.

Linda Brantly’s Mabry Mill

The Spanish Peaks and Mabry Mill paintings are part of the Members’ library of instruction videos. The Mabry Mill painting was one of his favorite pieces.

Mabry Mill 8x10 oil painting by Bill Inman

The Wheels of Time – Mabry Mill 8×10 inch oil painting by Bill Inman

 

lake at sunset

Sunrise on Lake Huron-Rick Manthei

Those orange sunset colors on the water are incredible! Thank you Rick for the beautiful photo.

 

sky

Ozark Sky – Jane Osborn

 

canyon

Near Big Indian Gorge, OR – Lee Blair

That gorge looks like a place I want to go hiking! What a view.

 

cactus

Colorado Barrel Cactus

 

barn

Marianna, FL – Linda Croom Smith

 

Rocky Mountain National Park – Kathy Pohl

 

Garden of the Gods – David Inman

 

arch

Cabo’s Famous Arch – Kathy Pohl

 

trees

British Columbia -Azita

We used Azita’s photo for a Paint Together event as well.  And there’s a wonderful blog post for painting Cypress trees.

Bill Inman’s Cypress Trees

 

Blue Ridge Mountains

 

flowers

Arcata Farmer’s Market – Melissa Lefebvre

 

boat

Balboa Island, CA – Elisa Arancibia

 

trail

Barksdale AFB LA – David Inman

I hope you enjoyed our journey through a small sampling of this wonderful world we live in!

 

~Kristie

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