Further Along Tree 1 – Dan Beck – digital art painting 2008

This digital painting was finished over a month ago. The previous article showing the version of this painting which felt finished, balanced, and worth saving, – based upon the piece itself and not the original vision; was written over two weeks ago.

I guess it is rather apparent that my writing is not keeping up with my creating. Actually I find everything takes longer than expected – my head is generally way ahead of my physical world – but then that makes sense. How could matter move as fast as thought?

And why do we expect things to take the time we think things will take – even if we have done something before – it might take more or less time – circumstances are always different.

But most of us, including myself, have expectations about how long even things we have never done will take.

The finished painting above matched my concept and vision more closely as well as my expected timeline for doing a painting – there is more texture, more depth, more visual confusion – and more what I had in mind to begin with -

What is wonderful about art and life – is that sometimes the head gets to follow the body – follow the physical world – and sometimes the timetable of the physical world is smarter than the head.

See Also

• Timing Innovative Music – previous article about time and timing and sharing my own creativity
• Time Expectations – though I do not completely share the capitalistic sentiments, I whole-heartedly concur that our expectations affect the timeline of completing a project
• Digital Art Prints – about art prints, digital painting, and what it means for outhouse studios to produce original prints

Remote Tree – digital art painting – Dan Beck 2008

I am working on a new project which I am not quite ready to reveal – but should be coming along rather quickly. Until I get the pieces in place, I am keeping a bit of a lid on it.

Like a lot of the art I do – I like that moment of unveiling – that moment when the image becomes printed – that tad bit of out of control and luck which can be better or worse, but is mostly better than one anticipates.

This is one of the first images from a new template which I am most excited about – size wise. This image was about a specific tree – a place – a feeling – more than an actual – but also about fitting the new project. I believe I have improved upon the template since and it will prove to be an invaluable size – opening up many new doors for a larger range in the size of art prints.

In any event, this digital painting was fun enough to warrant sharing – and so I am.

See Also

• Treework – first tree image with digital medium – still strong – but certainly not as developed with the medium. Innocence is worth noting
• Moment of Unveiling – a strange link to be sure – but google keeps getting more interesting in its results – part of a book by Nietzsche – one of my favorite (though unfortunately misunderstood) philosophers
• Opening New Doors – not so related but an interesting read and another link between art and life

Compressed View – pigment print from Digital Painting – Dan Beck 2006

In conjunction with the National Steinbeck Center and Artistas Unidos – Artist United, I am showing this work at a pretty optimum sized art print (30 x 20 inch image).

This blog announcement comes the day of the opening; but the work will stay up until February. I chose this pigment print because of the intimate size of the gallery and for what I thought would blend well with the other artists in the exhibit – Faces and Places: Salinas.

This is also a good work for being representative of Steinbeck Country – it captures the feeling of the land but by utilizing the language of digital painting and enough of the traditions of art to have been selected by the Monterey County Arts Commission for the 2007 calendar.

People in the area have seen this piece – but many, if not most, have not seen it at its proper size – and the Steinbeck setting certainly can’t hurt.

In some ways, I would have preferred to show a work which shows more of the human condition, that Steinbeck so beautifully wrote about – but there will be another time I hope.

See Also

• Compressed View – original print options for above digital art – exhibit piece is framed slightly different – special orders are possible
• Harvest Depth – original print options for work with more of a people aspect of Steinbeck country
• Artistas Unidos – Artist United – grass roots organization partnering artists with local businesses with a goal of bringing all cultures together through the arts

If I were branding cattle, what would I want my brand to look like? Logos and brands are not exactly the same thing. But in the image at right, which I have taken to using as a brand on my artwork – is that kind of literal ‘burn on the cattle‘ kind of thing.

Since I only starting using it in the last month or two, it will not appear on all my art – though I can go add it for future printings of older digital paintings.

The brand has my initials – includes a musical note and/or 1 depending on how one reads – hints at ‘1danband‘ a musical name I use and also abstractly looks like a worker carrying a hoe – a common image of mine.

I have not yet decided on the name for my brand – not sure if it will be read as dB or d1B or if it even needs a name – but I like the identification in addition to my signature – it seems fun. It is also part of the double side of having work which is original art – but is also able to be produced in large multiples – and remarkably – art prints which will always be original prints.

See Also

• joomla – Your Logo is not your brand – discussion of the difference – pointing out that a brand is more about public perception rather than a stamped image
• Is My Logo a Brand? – another article defining the differences quite clearly
• Logo Pogo – this issue has been discussed by me as well – I don’t always follow the rules – even when they are my own rules

More Warm Hills – digital painting / art prints – Dan Beck 2005

The last digital painting – below – reminded me of this piece as well. Many artists can capture the illusion of 3 dimensionality in a 2 dimensional world. But I think I am like a little kid in this regard and am always pleased when a piece reads that way.

These are also foothills I suppose but not the same ones and I don’t believe the nearby mountains were that obvious. But the way the hills mound up together is a pretty cool land formation and as I have written elsewhere make one feel like you want to hug them.

The connection to yesterday is that the hills have a similar quality although achieved in a different way. Original art – my subject these days – is in many ways an oxymoron (since everything comes from somewhere else) but then again – creating a piece should ideally always feel new to the artist – and as an outcome to the viewer as well.

See Also

More Warm Hills – availability of art prints for above digital painting

About Art Prints – discussion of different types of prints and print surfaces and how broad a term this really is

OxymoronList.com – pretty much the long and short of it all – fun work getting through it – original art is a little too subtle for the list but original copy made it…