Beach works
 

Here are a few beach images that I think would make a nice painting. Figurative, or, if I get lucky a portrait of this little girl and her dog.

I love the image of the girl and would try and incorporate one of the more convincing shots of the dog chasing down the ball. I like the first of him coming out of the water. However, I think the original image as is could work.

The only problem I see is that the water is different depths.

This ones just for fun ...

I think the girl's pose is a bit confusing. It looks like she has just thrown something but that something isn't in the image. I think her foot seems a bit awkward too. It would be better if it was pointed. Nice color, nice concept though.

How bout this? With a ball and a more pointy foot.

Much better, though I'd move the ball closer to her so your eye doesn't go out of the picture.

Mike,

Isn't photoshop great for composing. I like your redo of the girl but think a frisbee might be better as you could make it a nice accent color. The first shot of the dog by itself leaping to the right would work great. Either place the dog further in the backround to explain the difference in water depth or fake the legs and feet to fit if the dog is in plane or placed in the foreground.
it should make a great painting.

It's not the right throwing motion for a frisbee --but the ball could be any color too. . .

Thanks for the look Richard. Photoshop can be a real dandy tool.

Terri I think you might be right about that. I was also thinking that she could throw a cat by the tail. OK maybe not, I just heard a bunch of hissing.

I don't have a lot of variations of this. I think I took a total of five shots. This one I thought had a good light on the little girl. I'll be doing variations on this over the summer I'm sure.

I saw this one scene that looked completely Rockwellian. This little girl tugging on a leash with her bottom almost touching the edge of the water. On the other end was a little wiener dog that was tugging equally hard with it's bottom almost touching the sand. The little girl wanted to drag the little dog into the water and it was having no part of it. They had a perfect balance between the leash.

Did you see the green flash? I fear it has something to do with the glass of absinthe.

OK Ms. Chris, I've read that eight times and looked up all the words. You're going to have to aim a little lower.

Well, Mike--
Chris could've been referring to the Green Flash restaurant on Captiva island a couple hrs south of you...

But the legendary 'green flash' is described here)
You mean you haven't seen it? ;)

Mike I think you are just trying to make us incredibly jealous!

I do think this might work as a figurative, but it is kind of Greek discus thrower for a little girl. I would just do one of the dog in the water, you have some lovely reference there!

Watch the movie "Moulin Rouge".

;)

And I thought I was in charge of the obscure reference. I couldn't make it through the end of Moulin Rouge, even with Nicole Kidman. If they can't blow up a car, or have someone dismembered in the first thirty minutes, well what's the point?

As far as I know I've not seen this green flash. Except for maybe a few nights ago, as I lingered near the curb after leaving this apple martini bar.

They do gather up at the beach to watch the sunset. From around 7:30 until whenever they're all lined up taking flash pictures of the sun.

Now that's lovely!

This last shot was taken on new years eve last year. I had set up to snap shots of the birds and the sunset. It was almost dark when this little girl came running through the frame. I was able to snap off a few shots.

This was taken with a pretty long lens and there was a good bit of distance between she and I, not to mention the water. For ten minutes I chased the little girl and her father down the beach. When I was finally able to get close enough to approach them the guy seemed scared to death seeing this nut running behind him calling to him. I kept wanting him to look into the camera at the image that I had taken, and for him to allow me to send it to him by e-mail. I have a weakness for guys out alone with there daughters. He finally looked at it but said he didn't have an e-mail. I gave him my card and asked him to e-mail me when he got the chance and I would send it to him no charge.

Days later I heard from him and I was able to send him the image. After that I started getting e-mails from grandmothers, sisters, aunts all wanting a copy of the image.

This is original image before I was able to bring it back. I could not have done this with a lesser camera - Nikon d70.

OK Mike. Way too much time at the beach. Time to get back to the grind like the rest of us poor and envious slaves. :)

Mike,
this latest detail is very fine. There is something going on among "The Birds On The Beach"
Do you mind if I steal it ? :sunnysmil

Allan

Allan,

Thanks, and, if I haven't said it before I'll say it here -- your latest paintings are some of my verrry favorites. Your sense of color, combined with your excellent technique should be exposed to the widest possible audience.

If not a theft, perhaps a swap.

Thanks Mike,
I would so like to swap it.
Thanks also for your kind remarks about my other swappings, be careful with that absinthe. :D

Best Allan