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Art prints & fields of color more pleasing large as intended

Yellow Field Green Hills - digital painting / art prints - DB 2005

Like most the pieces in the Impressionist Art Gallery, the digital paintings were intended to be printed large - yielding art prints at a minimum size of a 24 x 30" framed print.

Although I don’t see this as one of my all time best, I do find it remarkably pleasing - particularly since it also seems a bit imbalanced in some ways.

The funny thing is that there are certain perspectives where the mountains feel this ludicrously tall and the fields were indeed this yellow.

Nevertheless, the piece is about impression not a snapshot of reality.

See Also

• in a day’s look - a snapshot of reality - www.mytruevision.com
  interesting snapshots of graffiti -and a take I wasn’t expecting on this phrase
• Press Releases - Unversity of Sunderland
  there is a small press release regarding snapshot of reality - but the stories were lots of fun
• Yellow Field Green Hills
  gallery page - enlargement and details - availability and purchasing options for art prints of above digitial painting

enhancing feeling of seasonal sunset

Glowing Sky - digital painting -> Art prints - Dan Beck 2004

I have always loved this digital painting. It is one I really felt like I had hooked right after it was done. My impression was my impression.

The gradient colored sky with the intense pink clouds - it gets that way here - at sunset - right about this time of year. And though the translucency in the mountains is my thing, it enhances the feeling rather than altering it.

We actually just stepped into sunset season - if there is such a thing - not that that is something one hears about - but here in the Salinas Valley - not only is the weather the best in the Autumn and early winter - so are the sunsets.

Fall is a great time of year everywhere I have lived - but sunset time - I don’t recall.

I have shown this digital painting in a couple of shows - 24 x30" matted frame - it makes truly beautiful art prints - with or without my bias.

See Also

• Glowing Sky
  gallery page - enlargement/details and availability of art prints and purchasing options for Glowing Sky
• Photos of Sunset
  Though this strikes me as someone’s journal - there are some striking sunsets photographed - and I think not that far from here
• VectorPoint Photography
  sunrise/sunset photos from area photographer

three different endings reveal a quandary and open an opportunity

Fennel Field & Sky - 1 digital painting, 3 endings, Triptych

Having already written on these three pieces, this is in some ways redundant - but not really.

This is very exciting to me - every artist always struggles with when to call a piece finished. When I reached the first stage, I knew I liked the piece as is.

But I wanted to continue working on it. I knew there was more to my vision. more to my impression, and more to be said. But it was also done.

The second piece has depth and texture and detail that is also exciting to look at - but it has necessarily lost the strong contrast of color.

The third piece goes on from there - capturing more of the original scene - truer to the experience - truer to the original intent - but not necessarily a better finished painting than the other two.

Perhaps their art prints should be displayed in sequence as some sort of triptych - and commentary on when to call it done.

See Also

• Figures Art Gallery
  Experimental Field and Experimental Fields also started out as the same digital painting
• ArtLex on Triptychs
  explanation of what is meant by triptych and a number of good examples
• Triptych: A Digital Initiative of Bryn Mawr, Haverford and Swarthmore College Libraries
  think this one relates to me more than to subject - Swarthmore being my Alma Mater - and the use of the term digital initiative - impressive undertaking I think

contrast of color, checkerboard fields, Santa Lucia foothills

Foothills Contrast - digital painting / art prints - Dan Beck 2006

While driving on River Road up and back along the Santa Lucia foothills last week - I was struck by the incredible color of what was some sort of neglected weed or cover crop.

Despite being essentially dead - it was a remarkably vibrant gold color with some brown mixed in - it was checkerboard strewn through the green fields.

The contrast was amazing and left a strong impression. The glow and contrast is what’s left - the composition pales a bit - but is close enough to communicate.  The grape vines in the foreground - were not in the scene of the impression, but are quite plausible for the area this is from - and it definitely makes for a more interesting view.

I do like the trees.

See Also

• River Run
  another impression from River Road - different time - different view - check out enlargement and details - really improves full scale
• Carmel Valley Road to Greenfield
  Not completely same road - but very close and very similar look and feel
• Cauliflower on River Road
  Vector Point and Scenic Visions gallery - numerous photos of area from local photographer Kirk Kennedy

depth confusion and overlapping colors created unique painting and art prints

Mount 1 - digital painting / art prints - Dan Beck 2004

I am surprised that I haven’t written about this piece.  It is one of my favorites.  I am particularly partial to the way the vegetation is portrayed at the base of the mountain.

There is a very strong collage quality to this digital painting. The overlapping of color gradient transparencies looks like it was created with tissue.

But then again - just the slightest bit of looking and one can see there is something more modern going on - in what is a take from impression of Fremont Peak.

I actually love the way it is unclear as to what is in front of what. I have kind of abandoned that in more recent works - but I actually enjoy that depth confusion here.

See Also

• Mount 1
  availability of art prints for digital painting Mount 1
• Fremont Peak State Park, San Benito County, CA
  Views from the peak itself - 3D or not - gives idea of the peak and mountain range
• Fremont Peak
  more nice views from the mountain - one can get a feel for the character even in reverse

image stays fresh from the Santa Lucia’s

Santa Lucia Impression - digital painting / art prints - 2005

I just finished creating a  guide to blog articles by image - link is also on left panel.  In the process I discovered I had never done an article specifically about this digital painting.

I am shocked because it continues to be one of my favorites. I must confess when I first completed it I was unsure. But it is amazing how well received this piece has been during its exhibitions and my appreciation had already grown prior.

It has been displayed both in a 16 x 20 inch frame and also a 24 x 30 inch frame. It is dramatic in both.

From the perspective of this piece - on the road just below - these mountains are incredibly lush and dramatic - not a specific place as much as the impression they made upon me.

See Also

• CaliforniaPrehistory.com — Post-Contact Esselen Occupation of the Santa Lucia Mountains
  Some history of the mountains plus one aerial image capturing the intensity of these mountains
• Big Sur Xtreme - Guided Hiking Tours of the Santa Lucia Mountains
  These are taken from the opposite (west) side of the mountains - but again convey some of the drama
• Santa Lucia Impression
  availabiltiy of art prints for digital painting: Santa Lucia Impression

balancing impression and intention with work itself

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

For me art is a give and take process. I had seen a strawberry picker in a similar posture - holding an empty flat and I wanted to capture that impression.

I created a backdrop - a non-specific but nevertheless somewhat accurate view of the Salinas Valley.

When I started I was expecting a larger figure and less background - but the painting pushed me in certain directions.

I may very well approach this theme again - to create something more iconic - but I actually find this image very pleasing and enjoy looking at it. I like the way my eye travels down to the other field worker and how it feels like the man holding the flat is on the verge of, if not already, moving down to join him.

See Also

• Salinas Valley - VR Panaramas
  360 degree views of this area - different sort of tour - San Miguel mission is closed from earthquake damage - so a treat to see in this format
• Figures Art Gallery
  view other work by Dan Beck

influence and innovation of the master

Last night I had the pleasure of watching a program on PBS about Paul Cezanne.  In  the show, Picasso was quoted as saying Cezanne was the "father of us all". 

Cezanne was his own man - he painted as he felt he should and did not believe in blindly following the style of his time.  His work is impressionistic but slips into abstraction before anyone else even thought to see that way.

Cezanne has always been one of my favorites - how could he not be?  There are plenty of places to buy an art print reproduction of Paul Cezanne’s on the net and elsewhere. 

On the other hand, it is also possible to buy original art prints  - affordable due to digital painting - and though not a now tried and true classic - perhaps innovative in the same way as Paul Cezanne was - at least it is my intent to follow my own path.

See Also

• Cezanne in Provence
  Info about the PBS special on Paul Cezanne’s life and work
• Cezanne in Provence - Image Gallery
  Some images of art work shown in show
• Impressionist Art Gallery
  Outhouse Studios gallery with more unintentional Cezanne influence

depth of field, workers, limited exposure, and time constraints

Break Line Hoe - digital painting / art prints - Dan Beck 2006

There is a lot of activity in the fields these days - too much to really capture. What I like about this piece is how the line of workers are being swallowed by the field.

For the record is was a field of immature romaine lettuce. What was also interesting about what I viewed was that despite the short visibility due to fog, you could still get a good sense of the depth of this field.

Those were the things I concentrated on conveying when I created this digital painting. The figures are simple, but then I only got a glimpse of them driving by - and time constraints made me need and want to create this more like a sketch.

For art prints of this digital painting, please email: specialorders@outhousestudios.net.

See Also

• Experimental Field
  a different image - figure harvesting mature romaine
• Lettuce: Romaine or Cos Produce Facts
  a romaine overview for those growing or interested

size of print can help you to feel the scene

Wave Spray - digital painting / art prints - Dan Beck 2004

As I look at this piece, I realize I have not been taking advantage of the close proximity to the beach. I know I am not alone in this - but I hate to think of myself as taking things for granted.

The above piece works beautifully large - no really large - where you feel the spray and imagine the smoothness of the sand.

This is both the beauty and the disadvantage of this medium. For some landscape art - large is what makes it work. The above digital painting is an all right enough composition - but it isn’t that exciting - but large and you have the impression you are there.

Well almost, I think I need to make my way to the beach soon - if you don’t live close to one, I am sorry - but more reason for me to not squander it.

See Also

• Wave Spray
  availability of art prints
• Percy Principles of Art and Composition
  This fits in more with “Promoting the Creative World” articles - but found it in conjunction with composition - good preaching