What's New

originality requires rethinking

Sun Blowin Bye - Dan Beck 2003 - digital painting

As an artist and musician and the person that I am - I always want to do things differently - do it my way - lay down my own tracks, as it were, and be a pioneer.

What I know as a teacher both of others and even myself - repetition is a necessity for being able to improve on the execution of the same subject matter or even new subject matter.

My goal for a new piece of music or artwork is to create something to live inside - but even then, I must keep playing the new work of music - keep painting some of the same old things - keep exploring the same ole medium - keep revisiting the same old works …

I need to see how I view or hear them from where I am today. There are never enough hours to be new and be revisiting - so though I am in a time where I have plenty of new work - though not recorded - plenty of old work - not yet shared - I am revisiting a song I have offered and a digital painting that I have had on my website…

because it is the way I am feeling today - and it is worth it for me to revisit it.

Listen or View

• Can’t Stand Still - original song - Dan Beck / 1danband - 2005 - music is a refuge and can take over - no matter what else is going on
• Original Print Options - for above digital painting - Sun Blowin Bye
• On Repetition - Supercharging Your Affirmations - perhaps even more necessary to repeat when what is learning requires some unlearning as well

Creating Changes Rules

Self Portrait - digital art - finger painting - Dan Beck November 2007

I have not been writing much - rather formulating some next moves - next art - next music projects. Too much of the blogging time, we write just to write - to bring attention to our work or simply share into cyberspace.

Whether I am able or not - my hope from here is to write when it is right - when I have something new to share.

My previous self-portrait done earlier this year was done the way I do most of my work - from my head with some tweaking from visual inspection (when available).

This self portrait - also an exercise - of how well can I paint with my fingers? utilized the camera of my new laptop.

I don’t really like the idea of painting from a photo - seems a step removed to me - but I couldn’t resist the technology. And although it is a perfectly acceptable practice in digital art to paint and alter a photograph - that is not the tact I took here - just used it as a model.

See Also

• Art Not to be Sold - recent artwork, work for other purposes, and work I am undecided on how I want to sell or am simply saving for local purchase only - a guide to blog articles
• Creating Changes Rules - whether the verb is “Changes” or “Rules” - I am not the only one who has noticed

Another Perspective on Strawberry Flat Racing

Field Run - original digital art - Dan Beck 2007

I decided I wanted another take on the Flat Racing. I really enjoyed being a witness, but I also wasn’t sure I had said all there was to say on the subject.

The first version and digital painting captured the movement quite well, but the scene around was rather abstract and unknown. Here I have tried to give more of the perspective of looking up the rows of the strawberry fields.

This is a more detailed version of what I had seen. I am not sure if I like it more or less, but it required more time to play with it and more time to convey another aspect … that the other workers weren’t even paying attention to the race of strawberries right next to them.

I often talk of perspective and understanding - both of these takes on the same scene are original art and a unique view - they are just coming from a different perspective albeit both are mine.

See Also

• Related Artwork - some related digital paintings that are set up for purchase of original prints
• A Different Perspective - good article about looking at the positive in life
• A Different Perspective - Dada without Duchamp - for the art historian who really does want to grapple with the questions of original art

a fresh spin on which came first

Spinach Harvest - Digital Painting - Dan Beck - 2005

Generally when I write - my inspiration comes from a choice of artwork - its implications or origins - but it is about the artwork - looking outward.

In an unusual twist, I am thinking about the climate of fear we live in. Living in Salinas (and even if I weren’t), I felt the hype over the 3 deaths and multiple illnesses related to E. coli tainted spinach a bit over the top.

I heard Jay Leno recently say that there were thirteen deaths caused by vending machines last year -

So basically there is over four times as much chance you will get killed by a coke machine than eating spinach - without even talking about health risks from too much soda.

Each year - approximately 35,000 people die in the U.S. of flu-related causes -

I painted the above digital painting - long before any E. coli spinach scare - it was a time consuming painting to go along with the time consuming task of harvesting. I have tremendous respect for these workers - they work incredibly long hours and just about always wave a hello if they see you - and most of them do work which no born and raised American would generally even consider let alone try.

So call me reckless, but I am more afraid of fast food than spinach, bigotry than illegal immigrants, and worst of all (in this climate of dwindling civil rights) - speaking up in a voice that might be heard.

See Also

• Death by Vending Machine - a tongue and cheek look at some of the stupidities in our world - but my take is “fear of litigation”
• Figures Art Gallery - original prints are available for all works in this gallery from 2005- in addition to this piece - others which were actually meant to be a bit dissenting

the mark of origin - cultural as well

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

original image - original prints

Santa Lucia Impression - digital painting / art prints - 2005

As I continue to write about different aspects of original art, I keep trying to feature digital paintings which are either brand new or archetypal or both.

When I finished this piece, I wasn’t sure about it - but a couple of artist friends were. They knew I had captured something dramatic, bold, and special.

It is definitely original in that sense - my attempts to create something with a similar flow - Feeling of Rain and Tall Side Mountains were not nearly as dramatic.

I have done plenty of other bold pieces - ones in which I worked fast used deep colors - but the above piece does both so well - plus there was this element of chance in the way the fog came out - that I am not sure I could repeat even if I wanted.

To me - good original artwork - is not easily followed - even by the same artist.

See Also

• Santa Lucia Impression - art print options and availabilty for original prints of above digital painting
  
• Visionary Art - the art might be a little more interior design oriented than fine - but I like the concept - particularly the printing surfaces. Searched for “good original artwork” figuring on finding pretentious - some links lead me here
• What’s Visionary Art? - compare definition and website of American Visionary Art Museum - another original difference

time equates to value - should art stand on its own?

Hoe Dance - digital painting / art prints- Dan Beck - 2005

I think it is pretty obvious that my artwork is not starting from a photo. I think by definition digital painting is starting from scratch. But I also think the lines are blurred.

On the one hand, a work of art or music for that matter should stand on its own - one likes it or doesn’t. On the other hand, it seems to have more value as we grasp the amount of time that has gone into the preparation (study and practice) and the actual amount of time spent on a piece.

The general formula and thinking is the more time the more valuable - an equation like we use for most work in our world. Curiously, some of my best music and best art comes quickly at the time - but that does not take anything away from the work which lead up to it.

I am sure that I have taken some shortcuts along the way - I think that actually is normal . But I am proud of the work I have done to hone my skills and develop my vocabulary in both art and music - it is not pressing a button for a bass line or tracing a photo as the author of this article (which prompted today’s discussion) was so disturbed by.

But as much as I believe in my developed skills and taste, I want my work to stand on its own.

See Also

• Creative Fine Art…Is It Or Isn’t It? - article which prompted today’s blog - artist is unhappy that tracing should be even considered on the same level as fine art. I’m not sure how I got on this magazine’s mailing list.
• artSIG » Approaching a digital painting……… - another artist defends digital painting as a viable and valuable medium
• Hoe Dance - art print options for above digital painting

connections to 9/11, and how seeing only the small picture is misleading

Looking at the small picture (thumbnail) of any of these digital paintings above, practically lies about the artwork. Together stacked up they are even more confusing and even a bit ugly.

It is the fifth anniversary of 9/11, a perpetuated climate of fear, and a day of grief and remembrance.

There are no poignant words to help someone grieve - there are no surefire steps to help someone move on.

What I can offer today -is a piece of my own grieving process - a song I wrote in the spring of ‘03 - having gone through divorce, my mother’s death and on the eve of having to put my dog Max down. He was with me when I wrote the song, but already gone when I created this image of him for the original Outhouse Studios logo.

There is an additional connection to 9/11 - which is that I finished mastering the song "Has Life Turned a Corner?" on 9/11 the following year for the About Time CD. 

I believe it to be emotionally accurate.

See Also

• Has Life Turned A Corner? from “About Time” CD
  First time in my life I ever really had thought the past might be a better place to be living than the present - how I have dealt with grief - words, music, performance by Dan Beck
• Original Art-chives
  above images are all found there - archived partially because their thumbnails show such a misrepresented image
• 9/11 was a Hoax: The American government killed its own people
  stumbled upon this article - I personally don’t understand evil - and haven’t studied 9/11 enough to recognize what is true or not - but I have seen money and power corrupt - who knows?