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

Play Print 1 with Dog – digital art painting – Dan Beck 2008

This is a very recent piece of digital art – playing around with a new template – hoping to introduce a new option for sharing art – more interested in the template size and corresponding original prints than the actual painting.

As a result, I have approached this work as the title suggests – from the point of play. Despite the play – and the landscape painted with abandon – it wreaked of a particular area I had been taking my dog, Bogart, to get some exercise.

Though he probably should have been scampering around the hillside – I ended up putting him in the corner pushing my brand or symbol around – kind of indicative of our relationship I guess – teaching him that I am in charge yet him pushing and resisting most of the way.

some sort of weird karma – reminds me of myself when I was adolescent… and sometimes still am

See Also

• Digital Art – ambiguities, distinctions, and open ended meaning of digital art
• Sharing Art – search result finds blog – nice image – traced from a photo – not at all like my work – but creativity needs to be encouraged
• Tour of Youth Arts Collective – art fosters problem solving and thinking outside the box – I have seen the yaksters work and I it points more towards the kind of world we need …

On Halloween, I thought for a costume, I would shave and pull my hair back – was planning on putting on a suit too – not my normal look – if there is such a thing. In any event, it is getting to be time to put the beard back – not into the daily shaving routine and my partner likes the less scratchy beard.

So the above is a laptop snapshot – I used it for a model for the finger-painted digital art below

This digital painting – not the way I normally work, was painted using a photo model. Digital art like digital painting could mean a lot of different things. My work starts from a blank page but the field is wide open – it is new and wide reaching in possibilities.

I know many people who might have taken the photo and altered and painted on it in photoshop and quite likely come up with something quite cool. I am in favor of all creativity – but I simply used the image as a model to challenge my abilities to render an image using my fingers as a mouse to paint with – a new challenge for me – and I think a pretty good likeness. But of course I’ve seen myself.

See Also

• Figures Art Gallery – last years innovative gallery – figures
• Digital Finger Painting – article I was emailed today – not at all what I mean by the term – but these are new terms, new technology, and everyone has to coin his own terms at this point

Foothills Anywhere – digital painting – Dan Beck 2007

Some pieces of original art feel more serious than others – more in a tradition of fine art than colorful poster art or illustration, cartoon, or folk art.

Just as my music has influences of jazz, rock, folk, blues, and classical – my visual art tends to have more than one influence.

Even though the above digital painting is intensely colorful and painted in a quick bold fashion, it is more serious. There is an intentionality of communicating a feeling and mood which is not always there with an abstract piece or a more fantastical piece.

I have been working on other types of art and creativity and this still feels like my most recent work – original prints are not yet available.

See Also

• More Warm Hills – a piece I am reminded of – translating the hug-able quality of the hills and a similar type of 3 dimensionality
• Fine art – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia – for lack of a better place to refer – this offers many a category of distinction – though the point is all categories overlap

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

Three Way Figure 3 – original digital painting -Dan Beck 2007

This is the last of three digital paintings. Each one was done while working on the others once they diverged into three. As I was doing them, I was certain I would end up liking this one more than one or two, but at this point I am less sure.

In any event, it was the first time I had ever seen any one using a small sickle and it struck me enough to do such a figure – how it developed into three I have discussed elsewhere.

What I think I am having the most fun with is the fact that not only is each digital painting original, but each art print is also original art. I like tweaking our understanding.

Nothing is completely original – in truth every print is slightly unique even – paper and ink don’t always mix the same. But like all the work I do in this medium – the art is intended to be printed in multiples and is the way it is intended to be viewed … as original prints.

See Also

• Half an Hour: Copyright and Creativity, Again – on the pretense the intellectual property somehow fosters creativity
• Aqua Boogy – thoughtful discussion of original moves in what on the surface might seem an unlikely place – dance on!
• Original Art – discussion at Outhouse Studios along these lines but tailored to this medium

Typical Mountain Color – digital painting – Dan Beck 2007

Well yes – this really isn’t typical mountain color – but is more a case of saving a piece with a title before knowing exactly where it is going.

The mountains are beautiful here and they have this look and feeling which I try to communicate frequently. They change a lot, but there is always this wonderful patchwork of color.

When I started painting this piece – I was drinking out of a pseudo Van Gogh mug. I approached the painting with more abandon and colors than I might normally – it felt like the right thing to do.

The figures came in to play because 1) I wasn’t done painting, 2) I felt it would make the piece more interesting (colorful), and 3) because I caught two men resting on their hoes recently (even though these are shovels) – something I don’t normally see.

The third figure seemed necessary with the rest of the composition. His posture will be discussed at another time.

See Also

• Field of Hoes – how could I not think of this piece – a number of people have said it looks like a band of musicians out in that field – plus original art prints are set up for purchase
• Van Gogh – an interesting take on his use of color – with imbued meanings throughout – perhaps even more credit than the spontaneous style we can all see – but such a lovely image to make the discussion come together

Jazz 3 – digital painting and art prints – 2005 – Dan Beck

Music exists in time and space, but not so much in vision – though one might not know that with the advent of music videos and of course live performance from the get-go.

It is not two dimensional and it is more than three – and I am not sure exactly why I say that. But like vision it can stay with us and reappear at a later time even though it is long gone.

How the above is like music is a tough call, but I know it to be. I know it was about the music I was listening to – moving to the beat and feeling the place inside.

Sometimes I feel art is time based as well – only working in a certain place and time – but creativity fortunately seems to be endless.

See Also

• Jazz 3 – art print options for above digital painting
• TBA Festival 2006 – apparently there is a time based art festival in Portland – last years offerings demonstrate the breadth of the concept
• Introduction to Time Based Art (course offering) – my understanding of time based art was always – limited time and changing over time – such as using organic matter – this course is almost the antithesis.

Red Eye Recordings – cover art – Dan Beck 2007

I like the phrase art before the cart – just like I enjoyed art cart rather than shopping cart.

I am hoping to record some of my music from the last year or so. I came up with the concept above for a CD because my eyes got infected and I felt well enough to play guitar and sing – and even felt quite inside the music.

I was also concerned about using my eyes too much – though obviously not so concerned that I didn’t do the art work first. So naturally – I have a cover without the recorded content. Well I have recorded one piece – to be shared another day.

The other aspect to this phrase “Art Before the Cart” is that there will always be new pieces of digital art on this site – visible but not set up for purchase – it is the way it is – despite my best intentions.

Expectations of impulsive got to have an art print of that digital painting having seen it once on the internet are not really mine – but please don’t hesitate to write if something strikes your fancy – just email or comment below.

Just thought it should be said…

See Also

Music at Outhouse Studios – listen to music, read about the process – and get a flavor for that aspect of my creativity and of course – 1danband

Art Before the Cart – in the interest of saving my eyes – I did a google search for this phrase (in quotes) – only been used once. At least I am in good company.

Vertical Jazz – digital painting /art prints – Dan Beck -2006

Having strategically placing this piece in the new blog banner, I thought I would feature it again.

It was included for two reasons. First, I happen to feel like this is a strong piece – it reads well and is fun. There is the sense of flying sticks and it has the energy of music itself. And even small it is understandable.

Second, I wanted it to be obvious that this is also a site for music – it has not been the main focus but as I record more and get the podcast thing down – I anticipate this site becoming a fun place to listen as well as view.

In the course of my own developing creativity, I have found that art and music play off each other – and I in turn off them.

See Also

• On Developing Creativity - Good quotes about creativity – if you can read through the jungle

• Vertical Jazz - purchasing options and art print availability for above digital painting

• Can’t Stand Still - not all that jazzy but it does have some improvisation and it seemed right to put up a track – even if it can be found on the website – a taste of 1danband