Painting sideways

Something novel to try.   The next time you are drawing or painting from a photograph, try turning your image upside down, or sideways.  It forces you to look at the image completely differently.  I had a interesting photo of a pond, that I thought would make a nice basis for an abstract, so I turned it sideways, and then proceeded to paint, using pastels, the colours and lines that I saw, without any regard for making it 'real'.  To my complete surprise, when I turned it back the 'right' way - I discovered this...   and I really love the luminosity pastel gives the water.

This was an interesting experiment, and one that I will probably repeat.  I wonder if it will also work with faces too?

Although I am on holidays, it has been so cold and miserable weather I havn't ventured much into the studio.    However we are getting quotes to replace the two garage doors with glass windows and a glass sliding door - which face north / north west - which means a lot more natural light coming in - they will really make a difference in here.   During holidays we are always up late, sleeping in, doing other things, that I havn't been able to find a good routine for being creative.