Idea to Image: Finally
'Finally' (detail), 2016-17 acrylic on canvas, 36 x 36 x 1.5" I began this painting last summer, exactly one year ago. It sat unfinished for half a year until the beginning of this month. The composition was completely overhauled; originally this painting featured a family of five tiny house sparrows. I loved the birds in this image, but couldn't find a way to make it feel 'finished.' They were lost on the large and heavily patterned canvas. Inspiration struck in May when a pair of barred owls took up our backyard as their home. My neighbors captured some great images from their back porch and about a week later, the same owls perched outside our guestroom! I've never seen an owl so close before. I drew directly from those photos and inserted the drawings into my unfinished painting from last summer. The rest of the greenery was inspired by my garden. On the left is the original state of this painting, as I left it in Decemb
