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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

controlling what at first seems uncontrollable

My Series 12 - digital painting - original prints - Dan Beck 2004

Simple, colorful, expression - not much in the way of form - not much in terms of movement - but it does have a good feeling nevertheless.

This was not a particularly thoughtful piece. It came from following a concept of being on the cusp between representation and abstract as well as having the smooth colors atop the beige textured background.

Original art, original prints - this has my characteristic comfortable strokes of the mouse - unique to the way I move my hand and wrist - controlling what was seemingly uncontrollable at first.

As a musician, I had to learn how to hear some of the odd scales my fingers had learned how to play - in some ways - this abstract piece is about the same process with painting on the computer.

See Also

• Abstract Art Gallery - other digital paintings from “My Series” as well as other fluid, playful pieces
• Success Express To The Land Of Plenty - while looking for something on the lines of gaining control by being an observer - I found this interesting article
• Fate vs Free Will - again not exactly the angle I was looking for - but a way of integrating determinism and free will in a way I hadn’t really thought of - astrologically

Creating Acceptability

Light Shining Thru - digital painting / original prints - Dan Beck 2005

Categories are not always helpful - they don’t help with treating people like individuals and they don’t always help with understanding what goes into making a particular work of art.

Technology and timing add a dimension to all art that is almost always controversial. The classical guitar was not considered more than a folk instrument until Andres Segovia came along.

Digital art is a bit like that - but perhaps even more confusing. In doing an image search for digital painting, I discovered four different takes on what that means in the first four sites I followed links to.

Whether one starts with a digital photo and manipulates it, simply scans or digitally photographs an image, creates from a blank screen, or combines these in some variation; it seems everyone wants to use the terms.

I don’t think the beat box warrants the appreciation of a real drummer - but it is not without requiring some skill just by setting the speed and rhythm.

I find myself bouncing back and forth about all these things. On the one hand, I respect the discipline and development of the skills to create. On the other hand, I would like to be able to appreciate art just for what it is without regard to how it is created.

See Also

• Original Prints - additional explanation about what makes original art at Outhouse Studios and the category breaking concepts
• New and free prints on images and original pictures - digital prints are not defined at all - altered photos - paintings from scratch? - the artist has clearly not spent the kind of time with this type of work as with his painting and obviously values it much less since he is giving them away with the purchase of his paintings
• Digital Paintings and Photo Illustrations - very different work than mine - but quite fun and the artist distinguishes where his work comes from - I value that - but given my findings - it probably matters little at this point

when people become pieces

Checkerboard Day 1 - digital painting - Dan Beck 2007

There is a light which happens on the Gabilan Mountains sometimes - where the shadows from the clouds above leave a checkerboard pattern of light and dark visible from all over.

Unusually, the clouds were very mixed checked black and white themselves.

On the same day - later on, I noticed two field workers - hoisting pipes in unison. Though not choreographed, it seemed like it could have been.

I am not sure why I tied the two together - it could have been two different digital paintings - but I think I saw a connection between checkers pieces and the two workers in sync or maybe I am adding meaning after the fact.

There is more movement, more dance, more transparency; but I only saw a glimpse as a passing motorist.

See Also

• Original Prints - though I have not made the art prints for this new digital painting available for easy purchase yet - please familiarize yourself

• Photo Essay - searching the checkerboard landscape of images on the web - yielded this fascinating glimpse of history

blurring lines of distinction

Fishies - digital painting - poster art prints - Dan Beck 2000

Is there a distinction between fine art and poster art? - between serious representation and caricature?

I can see a difference between my earliest digital paintings and my more recent ones. The first ones were bright playful colors with no pretence of trying to capture the feeling of someplace real - rather they were a place of their own though inspired by something seen.

There is a brilliance which fish have which can’t be captured - the above rendition is not from vision not from reality so much as from imagination and colors of the medium.

I imagine it more of a poster than a work of framed original art - but I never want to lose that sense of play - I want the lines blurred - I want my work to be low brow - high brow - no brow.

We need categories to make sense of our world - but after doing so we need to be able to not categorize in order to see.

See Also

• Original Art-chives - earliest digital paintings at Outhouse Studios and some as recent as 2005
• Under Water Photo Gallery - don’t know this photographer or his work until today - but Gary McCarthy has done a nice job at showcasing some of the incredible colors under water

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

continued exploration of original art

Jazz 3 - digital painting / original art prints - Dan Beck 2005

When I am not sure what I might want to write about, I frequently go to the home page of Outhouse Studios and click on the Gallery Chance card - kind of reminiscent of playing monopoly.

If by chance it takes me to a gallery like the Abstract Art Gallery - I might have to click on Image Roulette - which transports me to an original image and digital painting for that day.

What is fun and probably not accidental about the above piece is that I was thinking about this process in the last day or two. I did a multitude of abstract drawings and paintings long before I ever started working with the computer. They were mostly about trying to convey a feeling - more about the energy and thought I put into the piece than thinking about colors or form.

The piece above - was done listening to some jazz from my collection - I can’t say what at this time - but something I was in the mood for - and simply having fun - being both inside the music and inside the art.

It was done in the style of a meditation - little internal dialogue - observing without judging and being the connection.

See Also

• Jazz Time - other jazz related digital paintings and art prints by Dan Beck - these a bit more obvious
• Monopoly Rules - Chance and Community Chest - in case you don’t remember or somehow missed playing monopoly - Is that possible?
• Changing Places » Blog Archive » Dialogue (Repost) - more about internal dialogue than meditation - I like a lot of the people quoted here - and this gives some good insight into what I am referring

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

approaching the vast task at hand

Field Phlat - digital painting / art prints - Dan Beck 2006

The fields seem like they go on forever. Imagine the feeling of having to pick all those fields - imagine a world which seems to intertwine with your body itself.

Imagine both the magnitude of harvesting out of necessity and both the importance and smallness felt all at the same time.

Though my world is nothing like the strawberry pickers, I identify with this figure. His world is vast, beautiful and seemingly endless. His task is not ever fulfilled by himself but he must nevertheless start the process.

He is in pause - from beauty, from vastness, from being overwhelmed, by just the humbling nature of where to begin.

It is in our nature to work the impossible…

See Also

• Original Art - the unique nature of art and the original contradiction that multiple prints can be originals
• Wooster Collective: Taking a Moment To Pause and Take Stock in Life - a fine line between inspired and overwhelmed - happy and tragic - the search was “take pause”… there are many connections though I know none of these people
• Outhouse Studios: Original Art & Music - availability of original prints for the above featured digital paintings

original new knot

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