Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Koan




Sometimes, I throw self portraiture into the mix.  What is it like to put your work 
on display?  Artists open up and lay down plenty of emotions that many people
bottle up.  I think our audience likes to distance themselves and perhaps prefers 
to view this on a canvas as a way of expressing themselves when they display
 our works.  My photo here is something I shot when contemplating a Zen koan. I still 
haven't thought of a way to bring this image to a final concept.  Any suggestions? 
"Master Xiangyan said, suppose someone is up in a tree, holding on to the branches
by his teeth, his hands without a grip on a limb, his feet without a toehold on the 
trunk.  Someone under the tree asks about the meaning of Zen.  If he does not 
answer, he is avoiding the question; but but if he answers, he loses his life.  At 
just such a time , how would you reply?"

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Pots and Kettles



The great thing about a few days vacation is the opportunity 
to collect some new photos.  Our trip to Block Island provided
that chance.  The picture I worked on today started as a nice 
little shot taken on one of the beaches.  We found this little
beach called Pots and Kettles.  Over in Photoshop I played
with various filters, blending modes and the unsharp mask.
For the last several months the theme of my digital work is 
to create an 'hyper real' look to my photographs.  Hopefully
it takes a second look to to realize there is something
'odd' to the photo.  


Sunday, April 20, 2008

Sorcerer's Apprentice




Four days of vacation are great.  Karen and I haven't been on a 
vacation since last May, when my mom took a bad fall.  Many
changes; way too much medical responsibility; way too much
involvement into her care, wishes etc.  Hint to the wise,
talk early to your children and keep talking.  We finally had 
the space to go and do something for us!  Great beaches, hiking 
nature trails, an afternoon nap; laps in  the pool until the 
grandma squad interrupted us with the daily "walk across " and 
asked us to join in.  Oh well - we swim laps and they bound back and 
forth.  Just giggle and leave: We're never going to be that old - are we?
Enough of that - my post is a photo taken not to long ago of some 
brushes with a mystery setting of tea candles - of course some 
drama provided by Photoshop.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Visual Influence



 Blogging has become a very interesting part of my life since
I started this year.  I have met many online artists that inspire me
to create something each day.  I have to admit that before 
blogging I was in the habit of waiting for inspiration to
hit.  I realize now that slogging through bad days and
nights of the rubbish I produce is a healthy process.  
I was browsing my hard drive for photo's today; trying
to find a thread to begin a digital work.  I was stunned to find 
a screen shot from a video I made back in the summer of
03.  For this one scene I had used marker on a variety of 
flower petal to write on.  In my hand is the word visual and
in the for ground is influence.  Think four years later and
I have run into a very creative person, Sarah Elizabeth, who has 
 a wonderful site, full of creative thinking, that has the 
name Visual Influence. Karen and I are off for four days of
vacation on Block Island, so no posts until Sunday.  

Friday, April 11, 2008

Times Square



Ok - enough of the sumi-e.  Too easy to come up with a little 
sketch each post.  I want to throw something out there 
that I'm just beginning to experiment with.  Solarplates
are a light sensitive material bonded to a metal plate.
You can use these in a variety of ways, but I've been 
making some layers in photoshop and printing on acetate.
The acetate is placed on the solarplates and exposed to 
sunlight. Water is used to wash away unexposed areas.
The plates are inked and can be run through a regular
etching press or a lighter paper can be used with a pin press
or baren.  My "Subway Attire" print is 8" x 10.5" and 
printed with Akua Kolor pigments designed for 
Japanese style printmaking. 

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Spring



It is finally starting to feel like spring here in central CT.  
a couple of more weeks and I can actually paint from 
life rather than memories.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Bamboo



I have some antique journals that seem to record financial
transactions.  I've been taking scans of them, then
 combining them with other images in Photoshop.  For the 
most part I've combined them with other scanned objects 
or photographs.  In this instance, I reversed the image,
printed it in on rice paper.  I flipped the paper
and did a quick bamboo sketch.  The numbers and letters
are readable from the front side, faintly behind the bamboo.
When I view oriental scrolls, I am taken with the beautiful
 calligraphy that often make up part of the composition.
I suppose I was trying to re-create the flowing "grass
style" of Japanese calligraphy I am so drawn to.  This
image is 11.5 x 14.5.