Stephanie Birdsall: Lemons and LeavesOne thing any accomplished artist will tell you is that you can experience a complete transformation in the quality of your work when you paint from life. Though photos are a common reference for painters, until an artist learns to paint from life, his or her paintings will never really look right. Photographs dont show true, vibrant colors or truly realistic light, and they tend to darken shadows. Once youve mastered painting from life, all of your