While flipping through some art books I came across what I swore was a photograph. The caption read, "acrylic on canvas by Audry Flack." That was a painting??? Photo realism to the max! Just then my teacher happened by and said to me "so you want to be Audry Flack for the next painting?" Sure I thought. I was only a second year painting student. Just learned which end of the brush to hold. Me paint like that?

Just then, my teacher got out a brand new airbrush and compressor and told me Audry Flack would photograph her still life then project it onto the canvas and use an airbrush to paint with. He told me "I don't have a clue how this works but your welcome to try it."

I had the college library order a book as per my instructors recommendation and meanwhile started photographing still lives to paint.

It took awhile for the book about Ms. Flack to come in. I only learned halfway into the painting that she would project a slide onto the canvas throughout the whole painting process. I used a projector to do the initial line drawing then just taped my photo to the canvas and eyeballed the rest.

The first part of the painting process I did use a brush. Mainly for blending the cloth background but I switched to airbrush after the painting was blocked in and used it exclusively for the rest of the painting. This was my first, and so far, only experience with an airbrush.

This painting did win in the student art show. I've never tried to show it elsewhere.