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Archive for June, 2006

Looking at a Song

Friday, June 23rd, 2006

writing music, revisiting song, discussing lyrics, nothing’s wrong

Cover: 1danband | dansingnew – recording and digital painting – Dan Beck December 2005

I have written several songs in the last week and so my mind is a bit on music. I have been hoping to record some of them – just simple guitar and vocals which would be relatively quick – and informative to those who have only heard my overdubbed tracks.

Since I haven’t, I thought I would feature a recently revisited song from my last CD. The song is about the super hot day and the writing of the song itself – too hot to sit still and still not able to move. Needless to say, a lyric like that begins to look like anything and everything else in life. The chorus:

Patience, Virtue, Assertiveness
Listening, Asking, Believing in
Connecting to what counts

was what I was recently struck by. I love opposites – how we need to be both patient and not hesitate to act, listen but be ok with asking – having faith and try to maintain what is truly important.

In any event, I really like the song – enjoyed playing it again recently, and even listening to it. It makes me feel good and the final chorus kind of sums up that stuck paradox, by saying nothing is wrong.

Please have a listen – link to full song is below.

Digital Paintings

Thursday, June 22nd, 2006

sunsets, climate, better art, faithfully produced as original art prints

Sunset Impression – digital painting / art prints – 2005

There are a lot of wonderful sunsets here. A lot of the reason is that I have an unobstructed view across the fields up to the hills and mountains this side of the ocean.

The sunsets are nice here also because they are – it is an amazing climate – guess that is why the vegetables like it so much too.

Earlier today, I was thinking about how with each piece I hope to create something which outdoes the last piece. I think that is the hope of any artist to create the better artwork or write the better song or dance the best dance etc.

We all know that each piece can’t be as good as the next – but it is not sustainable to think that one’s best work is behind one.

I am not sure that the above piece I ever felt was my best – but I do know it has been viewed favorably by a number of people. What I also know, is that I can print this digital painting - as numerous different sized art prints - and have every one be as original as the next.

To say this isn’t magic would not be accurate – because it is magical to be able to paint using a computer and create digital paintings which can be produced (not reproduced) faithfully every time.

Nothing New

Thursday, June 22nd, 2006

are art and music meant to be proprietary?

Jazz 1 – Digital Painting and Art Prints – 2005 – Dan Beck

I noticed an article about music piracy today. Actually to be more accurate it was noticed by Google Alert.

When I started blogging, I was advised to write on topics of my interest that were showing up in Google news or Yahoo news or as mentioned above. Actually, I now have real time news for both, but specifically for art prints and digital art.

So now that you have both the background and the link-fest – I can get to the point.

The truth is that all art and music are borrowed and/or stolen in some fashion. In most instances, the artist is not fully aware of all the influences, but can’t help but reference others by the nature of living in a culture.

Stealing outright is on the surface quite wrong – but the proprietary nature of an artistic work is a direct result of capitalism and only exists because of the money making nature of our world – people profiting off of someone else’s work.

My understanding is that Latin American authors use each other’s fictional characters – no one gets sued – it is cultural. Stealing of course, is wrong – and the article is about reselling, not creating something new with the music. But it prompted me to thinking and sharing these thoughts along with the above work which was obviously not created in a vacuum.

Digital Painting Recreates Feeling

Wednesday, June 21st, 2006

creating what can’t be recreated … but with feeling

Foothills Terrain – digital painting – Dan Beck 2006

The thing about this art print which strikes me the most – is how it pulls me in. I find the hills and mountains to have both the depth and warmth that they have in person.

I can’t say that the image or its prints is impeccable – that is not for me to say – but I know if makes me feel like I want to reach out and hug those hills and mountains – and that is what I feel when I am in the Santa Lucia Foothills.

This is a place which always blows my mind – I am always stunned by its beauty – I cannot copy or recreate such beauty – and I don’t believe any artist can – what I can do in a digital painting or at least try to do – is paint what it feels like for me to be in the scene.

I feel successful in this venture, but this is not a particularly trafficked area – and I suspect does not look like it even exists.

For art prints from the above digital painting, please email specialorders@outhousestudios.net.

One, Two, Tree

Wednesday, June 21st, 2006

images of significance – digital painting references development

Treework – digital painting – Dan Beck circa 1999

Earlier I wrote that I try to strike the balance between create and created, artist and audience.

Earlier I had written a complete article about the significance of trees for me – pointing out how there were three in the art-chives where the above digital painting is housed on my site … about how trees were so significant because they were one of the first things I could draw which looked representative of what it was and also be interesting.

I also wrote about family trees and branching out and having established roots – how trees are such a fine metaphor… and even the Wizard of Oz – where trees talk and pitch – wonderful.

A tree was also the image for the CD cover of my previous album: About Time – showing the concept and passing of time in an image itself.

But that was earlier – and that entire article was lost – and that is also part of being creative – making the best of bad circumstances -

earlier I might have even agreed with that.

Inspiration for Digital Painting

Tuesday, June 20th, 2006

observing the lowest point and the artist’s role

Wheel of Fields – digital painting for art prints – 2006

This is a real view from a position just at the bend in the road. I found it amazing that the fields from this angle really look like spokes of a wheel. It is equally amazing that the pattern of the hills finds the lowest point to be the circle – where just as amazing the ever present strawberry harvesters were at it again and only in that area.

A mouthful indeed, but it is clearly the reason why I felt the need to bring the painting to life.

Inspiration surrounds me. I feel lucky that so many things make me want to create. But I am also lucky that I can’t help but look around me.

I have said in other places – that observing is much of the artist’s role – and listening the musician’s.

I don’t see myself as trying to record as a photograph would, but rather as someone more inside the experience – with feelings and confused perception in tact.

For art prints from this digital painting, please email: specialorders@outhousestudios.net.

Light and Remembrance in a Digital Painting

Monday, June 19th, 2006

how it strikes me now – the lightness of mountains and fields

Field 2 Mountains – digital painting / art prints – 2004

It is interesting for me to be writing about this piece today – not because it has any great significance, but more because it doesn’t.

As I look at this digital painting now and recall the art print (which I don’t feel like looking for at this moment), I am struck by the light and the lightness of this piece.

The subject matter is the mountains, but they are light and airy – a bit translucent though flavored with a bit of texture here and there.

The stream of light seems to illuminate part of the fields and almost shine right through the mountains.

Although I don’t really remember creating this digital painting, I am pretty positive I didn’t think much about any of these things – but it looks to me like I knew when to stop.

Clear Digital Painting

Friday, June 16th, 2006

perspective, vivid primary colors, and subject

Two Pick 2 – digital painting / art prints – Dan Beck – 2006

When a piece works well both small and large, I really feel like I’ve hooked it. To me, this digital painting is quite strong.

There is a boldness to the image which is quite iconic. As though the piece was practically clear enough to be a logo.

The perspective is incredibly clear and straightforward and I think that is part of the reason it reads so clearly. The colors are also vivid and primary – nothing confusing about the immediate perception. Even the two figures are immediate.

In the spirit of double talk – there is complexity but it is masked by simplicity.

Art prints for this digital image are available by request – please email: specialorders@outhousestudios.net.

Art is a Destination

Friday, June 16th, 2006

capturing energy – creating something else

Orange Sky Purple Clouds – digital painting – Dan Beck 2005

The sky was on fire the night this impression came from. I had never seen a sky quite like it. The horizon was orange – glowing and fireworks for clouds hovering over the dimming sky.

And I didn’t even come close to capturing it. But I did succeed at capturing the energy I felt from such an incredible post-sunset array of colors.

In creating this abstract art, I remember building color upon color upon texture upon texture to try to emulate the show that the clouds of the evening produced.

I am not sure I understand what I am looking at still – it almost looks like a dust devil in the desert.

What is incredibly clear by this digital painting, and more-so from its art prints, is that art is not necessarily about something else even when it tries to be – it is itself both a place and destination.

Spinach Harvest Cycle

Thursday, June 15th, 2006

digital painting documents men on their knees and conflicting interests

Spinach Harvest – Digital Painting – Dan Beck – 2005

I have already written about this piece and even featured the image more recently as illustration for one of the points on being creative.

I am featuring this digital painting again today because the spinach crews were harvesting again in the same field next to my house.

Not so much a full year cycle but a growing cycle – for the crops are in full swing here and the men who bunch spinach do so on their knees. They are experts and you can be assured this is what they do each day.

Growing food and working the land is probably the most grounded work that anyone could think of – but with markets, business, and making money – men are made into parts just like other aspects of our world.

I am sad we have built a world where people are treated like things – sad that money is like god – sad that with every image, I feel obligated to give options to buy art prints – sad there are so many conflicting interests.

Outhouse Studios Weblog

Archive for June, 2006

Looking at a Song

writing music, revisiting song, discussing lyrics, nothing’s wrong

See Also

Digital Paintings

sunsets, climate, better art, faithfully produced as original art prints

See Also

Nothing New

are art and music meant to be proprietary?

See Also

Digital Painting Recreates Feeling

creating what can’t be recreated … but with feeling

See Also

One, Two, Tree

images of significance – digital painting references development

See Also

Inspiration for Digital Painting

observing the lowest point and the artist’s role

See Also

Light and Remembrance in a Digital Painting

how it strikes me now – the lightness of mountains and fields

See Also

Clear Digital Painting

perspective, vivid primary colors, and subject

See Also

Art is a Destination

capturing energy – creating something else

See Also

Spinach Harvest Cycle

digital painting documents men on their knees and conflicting interests

See Also

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