Archive for July, 2007

Comfortable Movement and Original Art

Tuesday, July 10th, 2007

how movement defines artwork

My Series 6 - digital painting / art prints - Dan Beck 2005

My Series 6 – digital painting / art prints – Dan Beck 2005

We are unique in many ways – but one of the things which clearly makes us different is the movement which each of us finds comfortable. As I look at this piece which is original art – yet number six in a series; I am struck by the distinct shapes which fill the space.

They are my movements using a mouse – they are flowing, comfortable strokes which yield this cross colored digital painting which hints at mountains and clouds, but never quite gets there.

It was meant to be on the cusp – that place that totters in between abstract and representational. It was meant to be done fast and with some abandon. It attempted to have the spontaneity of the first in the series. Everything follows something else and everything is followed – but intention is important – and at least with the original prints from any of these – they maintain the integrity of being original art.

See Also

  • Abstract Art Gallery – the best works from this series are found here – examples of other more free form explorations as well
  • Types of Sculpture in Stone – Though the main jist of this page is about Stone Reliefs Sculptures & Sculpture in the Round – there is a wonderful paragraph at the bottom pointing out – how it truly is best to not think about these rules or differences as an artist
  • Art & Perception – a more scientific look at the evolution of abstract art coming from perception itself

Audience and Artistic Climate

Monday, July 9th, 2007

changing views

Nestling Grape Rows - digital painting - Dan Beck - 2005

Nestling Grape Rows – digital painting / original prints – Dan Beck – 2005

As with many paintings, my feeling about this piece originally is not the same as it has come to be. Often one is either more ecstatic about the results or even more humdrum about the results.

It is a very clear to me the importance of audience and artistic climate. When one of my original prints is well received by other artists, other viewers – it is not difficult to change my view on the work.

When a piece is not well received; what was successful may remain – but it is more difficult to hang on to. In the digital painting above, I liked the 3 dimensionality in particular, the texture, and the way the composition itself tends to push the grapes and mountains together.

The subject matter has been tackled by me and will be again – but the strength in this particular interpretation has the uniqueness we tend to look for in original art.

See Also

  • Impressionist Art Gallery – gallery the above digital painting is found in and a good glimpse of works from a glimpse
  • Andorra & France – someone’s trip to France – had a really nice photo of grapes (as much in the mountains or more) than my rendition – and the rest is just a recording – I assume for friends and family – which I am neither – but what a wonderful trip they seemed to have had
  • Photos – same kind of thing – snapshots of a trip from someone I don’t know – but the photo of grapes in the mountains near Exeter, CA and the two countryside photos of Lindsay are worth looking at – and maybe more just to get a sense of the area

Right Work, Wrong Time

Friday, July 6th, 2007

continuity more than a thought

Valley Work - digital painting / original prints - Dan Beck 2005

Valley Workdigital painting / original prints – Dan Beck 2005

I don’t know if anyone but me plays “gallery chance” or “image roulette” found on main pages of Outhouse Studios and in some galleries on the site. I seem to like random – I both like the leave it up to chance thing and don’t believe in chance – all at the same time.

In my mind, there is nothing particularly random about this piece coming up today. It is a work, I have wanted to print large, but haven’t had a good reason. I most recently have put up an exhibit in a local coffee roastery with very big walls – and was planning on including this work in the show – but didn’t.

Intellectually, the work fit – both about the workers and the abstract look of the valley – but stylistically – it didn’t fit with the rest of the work. Fortunately, my art keeps evolving – it doesn’t make an older work like this one not work – but it does date this one as being from a different time.

See Also

  • Original Prints – discussion about what makes an original print and the use of the term at Outhouse Studios
  • Yahoo Answers – What things do you deliberately leave up to chance? my search, my selection – just shows to go you – how many levels of meaning really exist

Comparing Originals

Wednesday, July 4th, 2007

we have to ask which is better

Quick Study 2Quick Study 0
Quick Study 0 Quick Study 2

The second painting contains all of the first but is built upon – in essence, these are the same digital painting – but I saved one and stopped and continued working on the other.

I like them both – although as in most cases I tend to lean towards one version over another. Being from the same place makes them more in competition than even otherwise.

It has been drilled into to us – that there is one right answer to most problems – one best way – one best work etc. – it is built into our grading system in schools – we rank and compare. I think this is also why we tend to think of original art as being one of a kind.

Truth is there are many solutions to problems – many different ways of getting to the same place – many different ways of doing – and they all have advantages and disadvantages.

If we didn’t know these were the same digital painting to start with – would we compare so hard?

If we truly saw each other as individuals …

See Also

  • Foothills Terrain – a different take on the same general place; however, I have made original art prints available for sale for this digital painting
  • Psychologist studies what stimulates creativity (11-03-94) – I found this interesting and also to the point – rewarding for doing little leads to doing little
  • Outstanding Doctoral Mentors: John Holloway – I skimmed this article – but thought it pertinent – because it points out how important creativity is in science. The creativity has to be nurtured in graduate school because it is drilled out of us – this doctoral mentor realizes how important and necessary it is

First Figures: Original Art

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007

figures at once – one stroke initial creation

Fielding - digital painting / original prints - Dan Beck 2005

Fieldingdigital painting / original prints – Dan Beck 2005

This is the first time I looked at the landscape and was struck that I had to start including figures. I saw the field workers picking strawberries and the unnatural curvatures of their backs and knew I had to paint them.

I created a backdrop – colorful, abstract, and hot.

At the time, I had not done much with drawing or painting figures using a mouse and the computer and wasn’t even sure I could pull it off. The skill involved in painting on the computer – though related to drawing with pen or pencil is different.

Each of these figures was done with basically one big stroke of the mouse – the colors imparted fall on the inside of the curve. I am certain I took a few stabs at it – I typically can erase one such stroke.

I still create figures mostly this way – the first outline of a figure needs to capture the essence of the individual I am creating. I don’t know exactly how I see the figure or even how I have made the process rather unconscious. Understanding is useful, but much of the time with art and life it is a tool to make things more intuitive.

See Also