December 12th, 2005 by admin
Creating from memory - true to experience
Cactacious - Digital Painting 2005
This is a painting from memory of the Joshua Forest Parkway on US Highway 93 between Kingman and Phoenex, AZ - more specifically, the section where there are both Joshua Trees in the foreground and the Saguaro Cactus on the slopes behind.
The Joshua Tree had a big impact on me. They look like they are from another planet - tree-like at the bottom - they are spiked with ferocity. Not only do we need to be careful or distant, but it seems they need space from themselves as well - as they do not grow close together. They are also very slow growers and can get up to a 1000 years old.
I keep saying that I am more concerned with feeling than literalness of what I am painting. Though I am fairly true to the landscape and look of the two species, some of the colors and specifics of the scene are created to be more interesting to the eye.
With that said, I still believe this is a piece mostly about recording/recognizing a really wonderful experience and keeping alive some of the feeling.
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Relevant Tags:artistic expression, cactus, desert art, desert colors, digital art, digital painting, feeling, joshua tree, memory
December 9th, 2005 by admin
Definition, How the art reads, Final Flourish
Desert 1- Route 66 - Digital Painting 2005
From the last version to the finished version are some fairly clear changes which help pull the piece together.
I added rocks/stones to the precipice of road to make it read a little better. I also gave the mesa more solidity giving it more texture and definition. Creating a 2-dimensional piece from 3-dimensional world is about creating illusion.
Though my work is not a particularly realistic approach to painting, it still requires the interpretive look of whether something reads the way I hope it will.
As in listening, any sort of seeing, any sort of interpreting - one cannot imagine all the ways someone might look at something. Noted in the Daily Yomiuri Online(The Natural World of Olafur Eliasson - no longer available): "Contemplating a work of art, we each bring to it our own memories and experiences, creating a mental image that is uniquely our own."
With that said, it is our job to try to be clear - just as it is our job to try to understand all the possibilities.
The final thing I did to the piece was tint it a color which gives it more of the mood I was looking for and additionally pulls the piece together like a varnish might. It is kind of a final hurrah - a bit like an unveiling - or unwaxing a batik - a final coat making it just that much better.
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Relevant Tags:Art Prints, desert art, digital art, Final Touches, finished art, impressionist art, Interpreting Artwork, original art, poster art, sunset art
December 7th, 2005 by admin
Different Perspectives Add to Completing Work of Art
Desert 1- Route 66 - digital painting in Progress
This is a three part series showing the development of a piece. This is where I stopped after the first sitting. How long a piece takes varies, but in this case it was two clear sessions and one small session to finish - I am guessing 5 or 6 hours to the completed piece.
Although I like sometimes creating a piece in one sitting, I also find it particularly valuable to come at a piece from different perspectives - i.e. different times, different days, different attitude, different ways of looking.
I think the test of time and perspective can make something that much stronger. I believe it is akin to having different people appreciate the same piece. In a sense, we are different at different times and places and the piece must satisfy those different selves.
As far as the piece itself, it is about capturing a mood, a vastness, and a specific time. Standby to see how it develops.
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Relevant Tags:create art, creative session, desert art, desert painting, impressionist art, painting sessions
