When Color Is Stripped Away

"It encourages me to pause, take a closer look at what is right in front of me.."

Another quick post for the Picture A Day Hive community. I quickly realized that posting a photo every single day might be a goal better suited for someone far more disciplined than I am. Instead I have decided to post whenever a photo jumps out at me from my ever growing archive and gives me that familiar spark of inspiration. This way I avoid the feeling of failure before it even has a chance to set in. That seems like a win to me… lol.

Today’s photo is one I stumbled upon while scrolling back through older shots. It is a Phalaenopsis Orchid in bloom, captured in sepia. Removing the color changes everything. The image immediately slows you down and forces your eye to focus on form, texture, light, and shadow rather than being distracted by the vibrancy of the blooms themselves.

When I paint, I often begin in a very similar way. I like to use sepia toned values to establish structure and map out focal points before color ever enters the conversation. It is a quiet stage of the process, but also one of the most important. Seeing this photo instantly made me think, hey paint me, which is something I have seriously considered doing with orchids more than once.

Beyond the painting inspiration though, this image carries a much larger reminder for me. It encourages me to pause, take a closer look at what is right in front of me, and appreciate both the subtle and complex details that often go unnoticed. When color is stripped away, what remains is honesty. Shape, movement, balance, and intention all rise to the surface.

There is a bit of a life lesson hidden in that idea. Sometimes beauty lives in the details that are easily overlooked when we are distracted by what is loud or obvious.

By slowing down and really observing, we start to notice things that were always there, just waiting to be seen.

Thank you for swinging by my blog and checking out the post. Have a great day!

All words, pictures and art pieces are the sole property of B D Miller Gallery, unless otherwise noted and credited, and are not to be reproduced or copied without the prior written consent of B D Miller Gallery.