In September 2008 I was invited to paint with the Atlanta Plein Air Painters in Monteagle, TN. We painted there for three enjoyable days. While there I met several older artists who had trouble getting to the more remote areas, so I shot photos of places like the "Fiery Gizzard" canyon in the South Cumberland State Park. Later I sent a CD of the photos to some of the Atlanta painters. The response was so positive that I decided to develop a web site for artists who need reference photos to inspire paintings. The canyon is very narrow, with tall stands of pine forming a thicket overhead. The thicket and several cool streams give the place a climate surprisingly different from the surrounding plateau. Even on the hottest summer day, the Gizzard is pleasantly cool. The canyon is famous for its huge hemlock trees.

After traveling to paint for more than 6 years, I now have a treasure trove of thousands of digital photographs, which are now featured on the easily searchable web site, http://www.aphototopaint.com. I am now offering 10-inch, 300-dpi versions of these photos, to be transmitted via email, at $10 each for purchase by other artists. Now artists can paint while referring to an inspiring photo displayed on their computer monitors. Artists do not have to worry about copyright infringement because anyone who purchases a photograph from me receives a license to paint from the photo. I have categorized my photos according to such subjects as landscapes, flowers, barns, figures, cows, birds, cats, dogs, clouds, churches, hay bales, gardens, rivers and creeks, architecture, and location, etc. I shot the digital photos in Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Idaho, Maine, Maryland, New Mexico, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Wyoming, plus Canada. A free 10-inch 300 dpi photo of an image is available on the web site's front page. More photos are being added to the web site almost every day.

It is always best to paint onsite when possible, but sometimes the weather does not cooperate. If any artists do not have photographs that are suitable to inspire paintings. I hope that we have some that will provide that inspiration for them. If you know any artists who may need this service, please pass this link to them: http://www.aphototopaint.com. If you teach painting and need postcards to distribute to your students, just send an email to us, and we will gladly ship as many as you need.