Posts Tagged ‘creativity’
Thursday, September 14th, 2006
jazz and art – timing of MJF and the timeliness of music and art
This isn’t really my genre – in that I’ve only done four digital paintings which show elements of instruments, playing, and the energy of jazz.
I feel qualified to paint on such a subject – I love to improvise – musically as well as artistically.
Improvising is the stuff of creativity – it is the heart of being a creative being. We use it when we converse, when we write, when we communicate in any fashion – because how else would we convey the world which is uniquely our own perspective.
So the article I saw today – pointed out the Monterey Jazz Festival starts tomorrow. Whether I end up catching any of it or not – (yes I too can let life get in the way) it is a pretty exciting event – with a huge range of performers and music over three days.
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Tags: Art, creativity, music, painting, perspective
Posted in Promoting the Creative World | No Comments »
Friday, August 25th, 2006
uniqueness and acceptance
Four digital paintings for art prints – Dan Beck 1999 – 2005
Since I can, I thought I would write about a subject which has been on my mind. It has to do with following one’s creative path and the balance with being received.
When is unique too unique? Is there such a thing?
The truth is most people like what they are familiar with – people seek out bands which play all songs they know.
Art in a geographic area typically looks a lot like other art in the area – is it because that is what sells? Or is it communal influence. And after all, we expect beach paintings at the beach…
None of us lives in a vacuum – creativity is always influenced – but sometimes I wonder whether we have evolved enough to not starve Van Gogh.
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Tags: Art, creativity, mountains, painting, prints, Salinas Valley
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Tuesday, August 1st, 2006
misspelling and exaggeration make for something special
Mountain Headress – digital painting / art prints – DB 2005
My attention has been elsewhere and it has been a few days since I have been able to paint – a few days since I have been able to write new music. It is not a dry spell but rather I have been preoccupied with other things.
I feel that the above piece is actually quite strong. The concept was what I saw – the cloud as a headdress for the mountain. I didn’t spell it correctly in the first place and never changed it. I think I like the way the word looks with one d better even though it is wrong.
And like that statement, the above piece exists – almost a head – bold contrasting – billowing cloud of a headdress and more obvious or visible than the original scene itself. I like it better with one d.
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Tags: Art, creativity, music, painting, prints
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Saturday, July 22nd, 2006
Classical Music & Web Design for Monterey Bay Symphony
Monterey Bay Symphony – Concert and Logo Overlap
Sometimes being creative is about other people. Playing classical music is an example of that type of creativity. The music is someone else’s, but tone and interpretation lie in the hands of the musicians and conductor.
My diversion today is because I just completed a website for MBS. They are a non-profit organization and my work was a gift because I am grateful to have an orchestra in our area that plays free concerts open to everyone.
The website is missing a couple of key informational things at this point – but the format, look, and navigation is what I brought to the table.
I am particularly pleased with using their logo for the navigation system – hopefully others will want to click it as much as it makes me want to.
Creativity being about other people applies to web design too – for it is someone else’s words, images, and intent that one is being creative about getting across.
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Tags: Art, creativity, music
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Tuesday, July 11th, 2006
finding lesson in an early digital painting exploration
Sailbirds – digital painting / art prints – Dan Beck circa 1999
One of the early playing around on the computer pieces; the motion of my hand on the mouse produced these shapes caught somewhere between sails, birds, and nothing whatsoever.
Today I am noticing that I used a technique then which I apparently forgot about and I believe didn’t utilize again until 2003 - the line pattern with the gradient color filled between.
I advocate play as a method for propelling one’s technique as well as creativity – but it is interesting to note that one can stumble upon something really worthwhile and not recognize it until later.
I guess that is just another reason why I keep reiterating how being an observer is so important.
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Tags: Art, color, creativity, painting, prints
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Thursday, June 29th, 2006
gaining perspective by walking away and coming back fresh
Ticket-Outhouse Studios
Digitally created composite image from digital paintings – 2003
This morning I started writing a song – if I had finished it – I might have recorded it to share it; but like most creative endeavors it requires my walking away and coming back to it.
I was in my kitchen making coffee – enjoying my dog’s company – because no one else was home – besides the cats. I heard words and music – yes I admit it – in my head – together.
To me this is not strange – but it was quick and could have easily been missed. I had no intentions of writing a song today. I diverted not so much because I wanted, but because I had to – a gift perhaps – words and melody to take where.
I do believe it is going to be a good song – their are difficulties to still work through – and as much as I want to have it complete, I can only finish it by walking away for a while and coming back to it fresh.
The same goes for art or any difficult project – we must get some perspective to see how to proceed.
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Tags: Art, creativity, music, painting, perspective
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Monday, June 26th, 2006
carving out time, taking on challenges, and balancing with known success
Sunset Seen – digital painting /art prints – Dan Beck 2005
I was thinking about one of the aspects of being creative which doesn’t get talked about much – discipline. I have talked about needing structure to be free in – but discipline is something different. Many even feel that discipline and being creative are rather opposite.
As for me, I think that one needs to be disciplined first off in just doing one’s art. I am not the first to say that if you want to write – you need to sit down and write. Writing music, creating art, etc. are the same way. One just can’t be creative unless one blocks off the time to do so.
Perhaps this is a bit obvious, but discipline can be found in other ways too – because every creative experience can take the easy way or one which is challenging with potential pitfalls and unknown solutions.
Part of being disciplined is taking enough challenges to keep the skills and work growing but knowing how to balance that with known paths of success.
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Tags: Art, creativity, music, painting, prints
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Monday, June 12th, 2006
Side by side harvesting provokes creativity and digital painting
Two Pick – digital painting / art prints – Dan Beck 2006
If you have been following any of the recent postings, it should be obvious that the daily harvesting of strawberries all around me is greatly affecting my current art prints.
This piece came from a drive by around the bend from my house. Two women were bent picking berries side by side in the same row, practically in unison sporting different colored same color clothing and baseball hat.
These were not the colors, nor did I catch exactly what I had intended. But nevertheless the resulting digital painting is worth sharing – as it does capture enough of what I was describing.
My additional hope is that their energy and focus and what is really a beautiful scene in the midst of hard labor comes through clearly.
For art prints of above digital painting – please write specialorders@outhousestudios.net.
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Tags: Art, color, creativity, fields, hills, painting, prints, strawberry
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Monday, May 22nd, 2006
Importance of do no wrong attitude and luck
Tall Side Mountains – digital painting – 2006 – Dan Beck
It is the case with creativity, that sometimes a piece feels like you hooked it. And sometimes a piece is completed, but just doesn’t speak to you as strongly.
It is the most fun when one is on a roll – when you create a piece you like and another and another etc. It is akin to being in the zone as an athlete.
That feeling of being able to do no wrong is awesome – and like most things in life – latching on to the attitude can bring on the right results.
Sometimes a
creative endeavor – like life – requires luck. In this piece, I was lucky because I did not save the digital painting along the way as much as I normally do – but I overworked and botched it. I didn’t plan on painting the same piece again - but found a new approach – and it worked.
Ah yes, don’t be afraid to get lucky!
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Tags: Art, creativity, mountains, painting
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Tuesday, May 16th, 2006
Color in art prints create pleasing finished product
Treework – digital painting – circa – 1998 – Dan Beck
When I first starting creating digital paintings, I didn’t know very much about the program I was using.
I didn’t know I could adjust the dimensions to create a landscape or adjust the dimensions to have more or less pixels.
I didn’t even know how to adjust the colors in much of my palette. Less can sometimes be more – limits can be valuable for being creative.
In fact, I find it remarkable at how good these originally formatted pieces look enlarged to fit the 13×19" size watercolor paper which is used at Outhouse Studios.
This particular piece has some really remarkable color in it. The creativity in manipulating a stock palette still pleases me and despite limited offerings of art print sizes – this piece still works.
The colors are even better in person and for sure the "tree work"s.
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Tags: Art, color, creativity, painting, prints
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