Is there life after JSS?

I have just been going through all my reference photos to look for my next piece. I knew that i had quite a few photos i wanted to do something with and had previously been excited about getting stuck into those.


After looking at the various blogs on JSS Project and his works i now see all my reference photos "in a different light" and i have come to realise that they just don't have the "pop" i thought that they did.


So, i am now left wondering is there life after JSS? Am i now forever to be looking at things in values and wondering where the brightest light is and the darkest dark and whether they are close enough to each other to make it work ???

It sounds like i am forever bound for it to be so, but hey that's a good thing right ??

I went to bed thinking of things to paint and wondering what i was going to do next that was going to satisfy what i wanted to achieve. Then this morning, life presents it itself as it often does and i was watching my son who will be 3 this week eat his breakfast. He was sitting at the table, the sun was pouring in the window he had light curtains behind him a green bowl and something about it was very "recognisable" so i got the camera out took a few pics.

When he was done i got a few still life type pics of various items from around the house. I was very conscious about the light where the bright objects were and where the dark ones were plus colours. I would think what would he say about the position of this or that, and i could here myself saying "No thats not right it doesnt work".

I think its so amazing how things can be stuck in our minds and a person i will never met can have an such an impact in our minds and our art.

There's alot to be said for learning :) And i think i have found a few new reference photos to work on.