"Belize Shack"

9" x 11" Oil on canvas panel
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This painting is a representation of the houses that line the sand road to Hamanasi Resort in Belize. The painting makes it look a little more idyllic than this particular area was. In reality, I was a little stunned by the conditions I saw along the way and this made me wonder if Belize was the right choice for a honeymoon destination. My skepticism was compounded by a feeling of complete isolation that grew during the small plane ride from Belize International Airport and the hour and a half long bus ride through the Belize countryside to get to Hamanasi. But, like I've said before, it was well worth it. Hamanasi and Belize in general is amazing.

When I say that I worked from a photo, this is what I mean:

I work from photos quite often, but that doesn't mean that I'm copying photos. Most artists work from photo references if they are not observing a subject directly. I think there is a misconception out there that true artists somehow create scenes out of their heads. An experienced artist may be able to improvise where a novice would not be, but photo references are quite common. As you can see, my painting doesn't look much like the photo. The bright white light on the side of the building on the left caught my eye. I had to rearrange things to make the painting work.