I signed off on my Virginia Beach surfer Wednesday. This is a detail for a larger work I eventually want to do. And as I said before, the beach gallery has fostered a renewed interest in marine paintings. I like how this worked, the Matador is elegant in its simplicity - he owns this moment.... so surfing, at least for a while will be part of it.
#641 The Matador 48x48 oil on linen 3/7/2012
Which brings me to an interesting alliance I'll need to make if I want this to work...especially at 70 years old. No way I'm taking on the Atlantic at the beach. Have you seen those waves...got my attention!!
Sometimes when I'm first developing a subject such as this and I don't have references of my own, I will go on on Flickr. I'm a member and occasionally upload my photos for sharing in creative commons. I search the subject and look at hundreds if not thousands of photos: mostly to get a feel for it. If something gets my attention and it's in the creative commons I'll download it....possibly even use it. These are mostly used for what I call learning pieces and never meant to hit the market.
This was an interesting situation: I kept coming across this one photographer, but it wasn't in the commons so I didn't bother....until this one "The Matador" - I down loaded it. Afterwards I kept coming back to it, it fit something I wanted to do.
While I was at the gallery we got into surfing and I told them I was thinking of doing a surfing series - found some stuff I liked but it was "all rights reserved". I asked Page if he knew any photographers....he threw out a few names and one sounded like my guy...spooky. A best friend and someone he grew up with. I came back to my studio and e-mailed him the Matador photo. Didn't hear from him but, felt comfortable he could get the release so I started the 48x48 study. Tuesday I was at the gallery and he said, it wasn't his guy....I had the last 15-minutes left on what I thought was more than a study. Possibly, ad quality for American Art Collectors June Marine issue..............Nuts!!
Using the same search word - I came back hoping to find the photographer again - I got lucky, within 5-minutes I found him - I went into one of his favorites collections and there it was. I read his information; he was also an artist and I contacted him through his website asking for permission to use his photo and possibly forming an alliance - I needed a photographer. Asked if he was interested?
More than a few days went by and no word. I resolved myself that this was a dead issue and the painting simply could not be used or shown at a gallery...
Got lucky yesterday. As I was leaving an e-mail came from Matt, the photographer and here's what he said.
Hi Chuck,
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you…been pretty busy this week. I would be honored if you want to use my photos as reference for a painting! I Googled you and found your website and me and my wife are both very impressed by your work. Then I discovered your blog from your website and found the piece you did using my Matador photo as reference…it's gorgeous!! I really really like it. You captured the light and atmosphere of the image perfectly, perhaps even better than the photo itself! So yes, you have my permission to use any of my surfing photos as reference. And I appreciate you contacting me about this too. Some don't always give that courtesy. When you are finished with the piece I would LOVE to see it. Please send me a photo. I'll probably even want to get a print of the final work. Thanks again Chuck, keep in touch!
Matt Haddaway
www.matthaddaway.com
GAME ON!
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