Beware of Little Blue Dots

Arizona by Susan Wakeling
16x20 Acrylics

Susan choose another beautiful spot to paint but unfortunately she went with a PHOTO from the Google map and not the Street View.  This place is in Sedona called the Slide Rock Area.  I have been there many times and I'm glad that Susan got a personal look at it.  I'm sorry it isn't eligible for the contest, but I hope Susan joins us in November.

AzState Park
by Gerry Sargent
8x10 Oil on Canvas

Gerry Sargent of WI went out and "discovered" a couple of things this Columbus Day Holiday.  First of all a place called Patagonia Lake State Park.  I have to say I didn't know the place existed and I've lived in Arizona for nearly 30 years. The second discovery is not a happy one for Gerry because the entry is NOT VALID. But there are still plenty of opportunities to enter the contest. 

Gerry's view isn't from Google Street View.  It WAS FOUND via a Google Map but it was one of those little blue dots that opens to a photograph of something in that area, NOT a Street View of the area.  Looks like the closest the Google Truck came to the lake was a mile or two.  The photos are submitted by other users and there is no implied right to use them.  I doubt if many of the image takers would deny any of us the right to paint them, it's just whether or not you can/should "sell" the work at some time.  It's too bad because it's a  lovely painting.  So lovely that I wanted to share it AND the lesson.

Gerry and any others who make this mistake will have another chance to submit an entry this month as well as well as be in drawing for a random prize just for making the submission. So all is not lost, and anytime beautiful art is created can never be a waste of time.

Thanks Gerry, and everyone else reading and painting along. Here's a Street View link to give you a place to start looking again.

View Larger Map

Share the Joy,
Kay