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Archive for February, 2006

Digital Differences

Wednesday, February 8th, 2006

Part 3 – discussion of digital options and song

Bottles In the Kitchen – Digital Painting – 2006

For illustration purposes, I decided to do a quick painting – digital painting, of the wine bottles in the kitchen. Normally when I paint, I use no photo – only memory – in this case I used the photo as a basic design – but really didn’t refer to it much.

Digital refers to photography, manipulated photography, images created through the use of computer formulas and geometry, and digital painting which could also incorporate some of these things.

As I have already said – I would never want to belittle any form of creativity. What I am trying to do is differentiate to some extent. The work I do has limits like a physical painting and requires imagination and a certain level of physical skill to do. I use a program – Appleworks – which is available to lots of people – is not particularly technical – but has limits.

I like these limits – but also do not feel I have hit the ceiling as far as its capability.

This is a new arena – and terms don’t always clarify. Both these are digital – but they do not require the same level of skill or vision.

Digitally manipulated photo Bottles In The Kitchen - Digital Painting 2006 - song illustration

Digital Meanings

Tuesday, February 7th, 2006

Part 2 of Digital Confusion and Song Celebration

Bottles In the Kitchen – 1 more manipulation to photo

This is part 2 of a series which starts below or at this link. There are two subjects – first the different kinds of meaning around the digital medium and second, since I am focused on a particular image – the song which it relates to.

The above photo has 2 manipulations done to it to create the look of a painting. In this case it was simple and took very little time and voila – painting or is it? The second filter is a crosshatch. I actually think the image is kind of interesting – despite what I know to be done mostly by the computer.

I try to have the attitude of being open to anything which allows people to be more creative – the auto bass line of a keyboard – or the instant painting effects of photoshop.

But as an artist I don’t want people to think that my work – not what you see above – is generated by the computer. The computer provides gradients and textures for me to work with and some tools – such as cutting and pasting, resizing, moving, tinting etc, when I choose to use them.

But in the digital paintings I do – I start from a clean canvas – and the color and form is my adding – the computer program and the archival inks provide the new medium.

Digital Confusion

Monday, February 6th, 2006

Digital Photography, Manipulation, & Painting

Bottles In the Kitchen – Listen to Song

This is the beginning of a series which will cover a wide array of topics.

Through demonstration, I will try to show why there is such confusion surrounding digital art and also focus on a song which is the inspiration for the above photo or vice-versa depending upon how you look at it.

Technology is amazing these days. One can play instruments without knowing how to play and paint without knowing how to paint. Notice what a simple one button filter manipulation does to the above photo.

Bottles in the Kitchen - Manipulated

For those curious, this is a palette knife filter in photoshop – one touch painting – making a mediocre photo look interesting.

Years ago and probably still to this day – you would here people looking at an abstract painting saying "my kid could have done that". People understandably expect a level of expertise from an artist or musician – that is not to say a novice can’t hit something wonderful – but this is the normal expectation.

The only thing special about someone doing something anyone could do – is if that person thought of it first – otherwise – so what.

Landscape Art Gallery

Saturday, February 4th, 2006

New Landscape Art in Gallery

Grape Rows & Mountains – Landscape Art Gallery

This piece demonstrates beautifully some of what I particularly like about this medium. The sky demonstrates what is known as a gradient – where you can see the transition from one color to the next most clearly.

The computer makes this gradient color quite accessible, but what it also allows me to do – because I have figured out how – is to paint with such gradients and overlap them so they create new colors and shadings which would be quite difficult, if not impossible with traditional painting methods.

My feeling is that this piece captures a peacefulness and serenity of the foothills of the Santa Lucia mountains. There is no attempt at literalness – but the beauty of the translucent colors and the simplicity of the design captures what is going on.

This is one of the new pieces found in the Landscape Art Gallery at Outhouse Studios. It was created in the Spring of last year and is now making to the site.

There are over 50 new works on the site and a great deal of growth with the medium and fortunately with my own vision as an artist, as well.

Impressionist Art Gallery

Wednesday, February 1st, 2006

Modern Day Impressionist Art – A Fair Term?

Enlarged View Sunset Impression – Digital Painting -2005

Part of the Impressionist Art Gallery at Outhouse Studios

The Impressionist Art Movement began in the second half of the 19th century. For me to title a gallery by this name is a bit of a misnomer. However, it is with my understanding of where impressionism came from that makes me use the term.

I don’t think I can improve upon my explanation on the gallery page, but quite simply it is about capturing an impression of a moment in time. There are styles we associate with the movement and that is also a lot of what the term refers to; and in some cases the work in this gallery references that style.

Given these things, I believe it is fair to give this gallery this name – it was previously called the "Large Works Gallery" (though many works have been changed with the name change) because I didn’t feel comfortable using the "Impressionist" term – not being in France at the end of the 19th century.

My current thinking is that I would like people looking for Impressionist art to get an opportunity to see some of this modern day work.

Outhouse Studios Weblog

Archive for February, 2006

Digital Differences

Part 3 – discussion of digital options and song

See Also

Digital Meanings

Part 2 of Digital Confusion and Song Celebration

See Also

Digital Confusion

Digital Photography, Manipulation, & Painting

See Also

Landscape Art Gallery

New Landscape Art in Gallery

See Also

Impressionist Art Gallery

Modern Day Impressionist Art – A Fair Term?

See Also

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