Acrylic on 2 in x 2 in canvas board
This painting I did with the aid of a magnifying glass and tiny brushes. The subject was derived from a photograph I took one Christmas. A chipmunk had gotten a hold of some holly I had put in a plant arrangement outside. This painting was entered in the Blick Mini Masterpiece Challenge.

Graphic designers are used to working in a fast pace environment. And as one I have tools to my advantage. I worked up my different images and textures in a multi layered PhotoShop file on my computer. Not to do a digital painting – which this is not – but to work out shapes, color and textures and get a good feeling of how they could work together before dipping the brush in paint. The result; I have in my mind a finished image and along the way there are happy accidents that add flavor to the piece.

Here I have deconstructed my image using filters slowly working to less and less detail and one with the grain filter turned up for an extra texture view. I print them out on 8.5 x 11 in this case larger than the size of the painting. On my canvas I draw then paint what I see on my printouts in the reverse order. Cheating? No. They are just tools after all and on a two inch square you need all the help you can get.