I wanted a permanent location for this special painting that is several years in the making. This process is a testament to how I have grown as an artist in those years; not just in my skills but also in my ability to use the equipment available to me. I specifically can see how I grew in my ability to take reference photos, how to interpret those photos, and how to compose a figure in a studio painting.

This is a painting that I had been considering doing ever since Wes and I started dating. I process a lot of my emotion through painting and I feel especially that using my loved ones as models helps to share my regard for them with the world. And that feels important to me.

I did a study of the painting that I was thinking of as one of my Strada paintings all the way back in January of 2022. I’ve wanted to do a painting of Wes for a long time but just never made the time for it. I thought starting the process with a little study would be a good way to jumpstart the larger painting. I chose to have him model on the trail near our house so I could get the backdrop of the valley and mountains below in the painting. I thought the light blue wintery landscape would contrast nicely with his dark pea coat, which is one of his favorite items and definitely a characteristic piece of his clothing.

*A closer look at my quick plein air study of Wes*

I did a quick study at the time, he had a hard time standing still for very long of course so I mostly took color notes instead of creating a finished painting. I then took some reference photos using my very old iPhone and that was that. I thought I had enough to go on. Little did I know that would come to complicate the whole process entirely.

After the month long Strada challenge ended I finally sat down and attempted my first plein air study to studio painting experience. It mostly went well, the landscape in the background was a breeze, the layers of soft atmosphere, greys and blues and purples were so fun to paint. I definitely did the whole background first because painting a figure that large was extremely intimidating (this painting’s final size is 18”x24”). I realize it’s not actually that big, but it felt big to me at the time.

Everything was going well as I finally moved onto the figure, until I had to paint his face. This is where technology had failed me. I felt pretty confident in drawing the face of my husband. But what I didn’t realize is that unless you have a really good camera, there are a lot of little details in a face that are important to capturing a likeness that cameras just don’t do justice to. His head was turned almost profile, but just enough toward the camera that his far eye and cheekbone were visible, and if you have ever tried to paint a face at this angle, you will know that that is one of the hardest angles to capture in person, and I was working from a slightly blurry photo that flattened all the color and nuance visible in the turn of his nose and cheek.

Needless to say, I was frustrated. I was so frustrated that I “finished” it, took pictures, let it sit for a while, realized I hated it, then completely painted over the face and hid the painting against a wall. I am proud of myself for this, believe it or not. It is hard to admit to yourself that something that you worked on for hours is terrible and needs to be redone. I didn’t have the stamina at the time to start over, but I just knew it was no good, and was brave enough to admit that to myself.

*The studio painting with the study. The blurry photo gives a good indication of how terrible my regency photos were.*

Fast forward THREE YEARS, and I finally felt an inkling to re-attempt this long planned painting. That was earlier this year, in February 2025. I pulled out the painting with the scratched out face and reevaluated what needed to be done. I still felt like the background landscape was where I wanted it to be, maybe a few minor shifts in color and detail, but not much more than that. What I really knew it needed was a new reference to work from. I still liked my color study I did for the Strada challenge, but I took Wes back out on the trail to take more photos. This time with a better camera and a better idea of what I thought I would be able to handle in a figure painting as far as pose and composition. Maybe someday I will master the almost-profile pose I first planned, but this was not that time.

With new reference in hand, and new motivation to finish, I sat down again to get back to work. In reality, the painting only took me a couple weeks to finish, once I’d decided to work on it again. I am happy with how it turned out, and we will forever have a snapshot of this time in our lives, and especially now that we are moving, we will be able to remember this area we lived in and the beauty that surrounded us here. I have titled the painting Backdrop of Our Lives to reference the view of the valley and lake that features in the painting. We hiked that trail countless times and being able to take that view with us wherever we go, to be able to remember our lives as they have been here will make moving on easier.

*Old and new versions side by side (New on the left)*

Painting Wes as one of my first figure landscape paintings felt like the right thing to do. I would love to continually paint figures in nature, and make that more of my priority in my work. Our relationship with the earth, and our place on it is something that really inspires me and I would love to continue to explore those themes in my work and career. I will always be a landscape painter, but painting the human figure was my first love and is still my favorite subject.

So look out for more humans in the outside themed paintings from me in the near future!

Painting Process: Portrait of Wes

Art Events: Healing Waters