Captured Moments by the Square Inch
by Diana Avergon

Ever think about the last time you were photographed with your mom, took that “playing ball” picture of your black lab or got a close up shot of your newly reconditioned chrome green 1967 VW Bug? Does a special photo come to mind for its beauty,its content or its emotional impact? Would you like to “live into” this special photo and experience it as something that you love? Try painting it... by the square inch.

Here’s how it goes. Select a photo of which you have fond memories. Lay a clear plastic sheet protector over it and make a grid using a ruler and a permanent marker. How many squares are on your grid? Are there 32 or 36 or 40? Whatever the number is, now you will grid a large (12 x 18 “ or larger) sheet of drawing paper, using a ruler and pencil. Make the same number of squares on your drawing paper as you did on your clear grid. Now you can copy, by the square inch, each little square of the photo, by painting it onto the bigger corresponding square on the gridded paper.

Tape your gridded drawing paper onto a hard surface--cardboard or a drawing board.
Mix or select pre-mixed acrylic paints and keep them covered to keep them moist.

It might be helpful to start with the upper left hand square, and the corresponding square on the grid paper. Paint, on the corresponding square on the paper. what you see in the little square covering your photo. Sometimes it is something recognizable, sometimes not. At times, you might want to paint two or more squares at a time. Whatever you do, try to get in touch with the essence of the captured moment in the photo This is going to slow you way down, get you to investigate each corner, sequence and nuance of the photo. You will come to know each square inch.

Plan to spend a month or more--try to work a little each day. Stand back. How do you feel about your painting, the photo,your experience? Did you capture the moment?

The above project is one of many which appear in Packet for Painters, What’s Your Style?, copyright 2007, NASCO. www.eNasco.com/artsandcrafts