Quick Study 2 – Dan Beck – digital painting for art prints – 2007

The process of creating is almost always interesting. By the time I got to this stage, this digital painting was no longer a quick study… but it did start out that way.

I have had enough of an absence from painting – that I did not want to retrieve a subject – this is no place in particular – something I do from time to time – but it definitely is here.

I am happy with the composition – the eye-flow – the richness of color and the feeling it evokes.

See Also

• Filming In Monterey County – Location Library – Location Photos, Listings
  photos of Monterey County from the Film Commission
• No Particular View
  art print options for a different but similar piece – have not yet created purchasing options for above piece

All That Jazz – digital painting / art prints – 2006 – Dan Beck

I happened upon an article today – actually it happened upon me by having ages ago signed up for related stories at googlealert.com.

The story is about how it isn’t enough to be a good musician, one must make oneself heard – creating or developing venues as necessary.

Art is no different I think – it is not enough just to create wonderful art – it must be viewed. By its very nature, all art requires an audience; and even the artist as audience, though sometimes sufficient, views in the context of his own culture.

But having said all that it doesn’t make it easier for an artist to both have to pioneer with his art and with creating his own audience – they are sadly not always compatible.

See Also

• All That Jazz
  art print options for above digital painting
• Cecil Bridgewater: Where to Create Music
  musicians needing to create venue and audience – nothing has changed
• Relationship 2.0: Build Your Audience and Create Fans at Business Performance Coaching
  mostly about creating an internet audience but connected I think

Self Portrait – Dan Beck – digital painting 2007

I was asked to do my self portrait. An artist friend of mine was interested in seeing how I would deal with the face I think. Seeing all the color in my work made him wonder – since (I am guessing) most of his current work is about portraiture.

So there I am – with the obligatory somewhat troubled artistic look – not that I am happy all the time – but probably more than appears here.

But then again, I think this is accurate to how I view myself when I am alone – there is intensity and desire for something better – but there is also a slight smile.

See Also

• About/Contact Page – Outhouse Studios
  Brief bio and couple of photos from a couple years ago
• cezanne self portrait – Google Image Search
  Found this interesting how many images here as well as Van Gogh, Picasso, Monet, etc.

Field Hand – digital painting – art prints – Dan Beck 2006

I am realizing that this is the last piece of last year for me. I wanted to take the concept of the man with dirt in his hand to another level.

Obviously, I could not resist the Field Hand pun. I worked on this piece quite a lot – sometimes a mistake as many will attest. But I don’t really care about that today. Suffice it to say that although the piece was fun – it did not come easily.

As a result, I am not sure if I hooked it or not – but I do know that there is a great deal of movement and a great deal of color …

and I think Marc Chagall would be pleased -certainly not the same but quite reminiscent.

See Also

• CGFA – Marc Chagall
  a number of images and biorgraphical information
• Field Hand
  Art print options and availability for above digital painting

Winter Colors – digital painting / art prints – Dan Beck 2006

This is my first painting in quite some time – a few weeks anyway. It is fascinating how the urge to create works.

On the one hand, one feels a kind of craving than is difficult to describe – but then for lack of practice – it feels enormous just to get started.

Deciding what to paint or what size – all these things seem big. Being creative like most things is about striking a balance – being relaxed enough to not care about mistakes – but still be able to create with the importance a piece deserves.

To create this digital painting, I drew from things I have been seeing over the last few weeks.  Today, it is not the piece I thought it was yesterday – but it has captured the blues and browns of winter in the Salinas Valley.

See Also

• Mistakes Art Quotations – The Painter’s Keys Resource of Art Quotations
  Many quotes about mistakes – but much agreement
• Winter Colors
  Art print options for above digital painting

Enlarge DeSkies – Digital Painting / Art Prints - 2006

I am feeling a little hidden – winter hibernation perhaps – working too hard on what seems a futile website reconstruction – and thought – this piece with a pun on disguise kind of fits the bill.

It also looks a bit like my hair these days, not that anyone should care. But what I like about this piece more than the word play was that I was able to take a dramatic sky – portray it dramatically – portray it abstractly – but portray it much as I experienced it.

The painting was a success from the standpoint of problem solving – from the standpoint of wanting to live with – I can’t speak for anyone other than myself.

See Also

• DeSkies
  art prints options and availablity for above piece
• Dramatic Sky Photo Gallery by martin trachsel at pbase.com
  some photos or skies worth taking a peak at

New notifications image

Well … this is not an example of fine art – rather a quick piece of play to replace a stock image for the Outhouse Studios shopping cart.

I am sure whoever created them meant well – they aren’t all bad – in fact, I left a couple a bit enlarged – and altered a few others.

Like most creative folks, I don’t like to just leave things alone. I like to make adjustments, I like to leave my mark, I like the process of getting something to look and feel right.

The above digital piece was fun … and that of course is a big part of being creative and why it is such a big thing.

See Also

• Digital Fun
  a different kind of fun no doubt – but right name for this kind of creativity
• New All Works on Sale Page
  beginning of the new catalogue – soon to house blog works too.

digital play – trying to portray "What’s new?"

I read an article today about prisoners who in their need for creativity and having no art supplies used coffee, fruit, chocolate etc to impart color – in some cases using their own hair to create a brush.

I have always felt that necessity is a great part of the creative process – improvising, making do, finding another way. Creativity is about problem solving.

For most of us, we have to create some of our own limits to emulate this kind of creativity.  On the other hand – without any exposure like many growing up these days – there aren’t enough crayons for kids to even plant the creative seed.

See Also

• Hair, fruit used by prisoners to create art at Lincoln Center
  about the creation of the art, the artists, and where it is displayed
• Catalogue of art print and cd availability at Outhouse Studios
  above art was created for heading “What’s new!” – it may not stay – but it felt new to me at the time
• The Power of Emotions
  This is the quote which made this feel pertinent:”Emotions Are The “Creative Seed” That Determine Your Experiences In Your Day To Day Life” -Chuck Danes – don’t know the author – read some of site – much seems true – but more interesting that I see this connected – attitude and creativity are also connected

Quick digital image – for Forgotten Password

Being creative is both about being controlling and being accepting. It is an interesting mix. For there are many times when accepting the seemingly accidental is the best move.

The creative person by necessity makes his mark on the world by communicating his or her perspective.

In the process of rebuilding the shopping cart database for my website, I have felt the obligation not just to get it working but also to make the stock images be unique.

There are things I need to let be – because of time considerations – but I find myself changing most everything – even if it is quickly.

I just can’t help it – who wants to be the same?

See Also

• Quick-draw
  another quick image – a little more artsy perhaps
• NLP, OODA, Creativity, Mastery, And Other Magical Stuff – Sketchpad
  Image of “making mark on world” is how this applies – but rather fun blog
• It?s time to make your mark on the world…
  it’s the saying – clever advertising – not advocating the advertisment though

First Big – digital painting / art prints – Dan Beck 2003

I have resisted featuring this digital painting for a couple of reasons. First, I never felt it was that strong of a work – even though I like it enough to have framed it and enough to have it as part of the Abstract Art Gallery.

But more importantly – since its placement on the web, it has received too many hits for people looking for something quite different than what I am offering.  Oh well … and "gay" was an excellent word for happy for many years – such usage is tricky at best these days.

This piece is about change and rolling with it – a good reminder for me these days. The piece was as large a template as I could create with the program I paint with – thus the title. The first marks were done with black and opaque color – the default settings of the program –

but I chose to go with it – not caring that it was not the way I normally worked … and I think it is that kind of flowing freedom that I love about this work.

See Also

• First Big
  gallery page – enlargement – art print options
• Meditation and Satsang
  Not advocating her seminar – don’t know her – but her words were to my point from a different place
• Poetry for the Soul – Fog and Frantic Flowing Freedom
  I liked this poem – a curious freedom perhaps in not being able to see clearly?