Painting from My Own Nature Photograph: A Watercolor Study

I've been wanting to practice more watercolor, so I decided to revisit one of my old nature photographs from 2010. I took this photo years ago, back when I was more active in nature photography, and I thought it would be a good subject for another painting exercise. This time, I wanted to try a wide format, something different from the usual paper sizes I work with. The painting measures 38 × 13 cm, on 300gsm cold press watercolor paper.

One of the challenges I encountered was painting the flowers in the background. They're blurred in the original photograph, and I had to figure out how to recreate that softness in watercolor without making them look out of place. It's interesting how something that looks simple in a photograph can become a little tricky when you try to paint it yourself!

One of my favorite parts of this painting, though, was the busy little bee on the branch. At first, I almost left it out because I thought the flowers should be the main focus. But as I worked on the painting, I found myself enjoying the process of adding that tiny detail. I'm glad I kept it in. It adds another point of interest to the composition, and I think it gives the painting a little more life.

Working on this piece also made me revisit my old photographs, and I found myself missing those days when I spent more time doing nature photography. Looking through those photos brought back memories of the things I used to enjoy capturing, and it reminded me that photographs can hold more than just an image of a subject. There's a reason we take a particular shot, why we choose a certain angle, or why something catches our attention in the first place.

I think painting from your own photographs hits differently because you already have a connection to the subject. You remember what caught your eye, even if it was years ago. You're not simply choosing a pretty reference photo from the internet; you're revisiting something you personally noticed and wanted to preserve.

This was a practice piece, and I learned a few things along the way, especially about working in a wide format and painting blurred details. But more than that, it reminded me how my different creative interests can come together. Photography lets me capture a moment as I see it, while watercolor gives me another way to interpret that same moment.

I hope I can spend more time painting and taking photographs again. For now, I'm happy to revisit these old photos, pick up my brushes, and see where they take me.