Field Notes | The Reference Is Just The Beginning

Written By Leanna Weber

June 29, 2026

Last Tuesday our Top Drawers group decided to stay indoors because of the heat. As often happens when I’m planning to paint on location, I showed up completely unprepared. 😂

So I opened my phone and scrolled until I found the first photo of flowers that inspired me.

What’s funny is…this painting looks nothing like that photo.

The flowers are different. The composition is different. The colors are different. The original didn’t even have a vase.

The photo did exactly what I needed it to do. It helped me get started. Then I let my imagination lead the way.

The flowers took on a life of their own. The colors came from how I was feeling that day. I wanted them soft and light. I even added a vase that came from nowhere.

I wasn’t trying to copy the photo. I was simply using it as inspiration.

I think that’s one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as an artist. A reference photo is a wonderful place to begin, but it doesn’t get to decide what your painting becomes.

Follow your instincts. Trust your eye. Make the painting your own.

That’s where your style starts to emerge.

Next time you paint, try using a reference as a starting point instead of a destination. You may be surprised by where your instincts take you.

Leanna Weber

About Leanna

Leanna Weber is an Oregon-based watercolor artist, fine art photographer, and creative encourager with more than 20 years of experience helping people see the beauty in the world around them. Her artistic journey began long before watercolor, building a successful photography business where she specialized in portraiture, storytelling, and creating meaningful artwork for families. That foundation continues to influence every painting she creates today.

Since discovering watercolor in 2019, Leanna has become known for her expressive, emotion-filled paintings that celebrate light, atmosphere, and the imperfect beauty of life. Whether painting florals, portraits, beloved pets, or landscapes, she is drawn less to perfect realism and more to capturing the feeling of a moment.

As a teacher and creative encourager, Leanna believes anyone can learn to paint. Her classes focus on observation, simplification, and letting go of perfection, creating an encouraging environment where students gain confidence while discovering their own artistic voice. Her teaching philosophy—The Magic of Expressive Imperfection—invites artists of every skill level to embrace the unexpected beauty that watercolor offers.

Drawing from decades of experience as both a professional photographer and artist, Leanna teaches students not only how to paint what they see, but how to see like an artist—finding beauty, emotion, and story in everyday moments.

Today, Leanna creates original watercolor paintings, teaches workshops throughout Oregon, accepts a limited number of commissions each year, and shares her creative journey online in hopes of encouraging others to slow down, notice the beauty around them, and discover the joy of creating.

https://www.leannaweberart.com
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