See Where It Goes – original digital art -Dan Beck 2010

A recent cloud formation was so inspiring to look at – I thought it would be fun to kind of bask in the memory – exploring my own representation of clouds without referring directly.

After all, no rendition can ever capture the experience – no memory can capture an experience …

but art can be experienced again and again – and in the process of making it – one can get lost in a world that is its own.

I am on a campaign of trying to be true to myself – not that this is a big departure.  I have painted the Salinas Valley landscape for a number of years now – partly to pay homage to the beauty here – partly as my own personal challenge to try to communicate the feeling it gives me – and partly because representational art has generally gotten better response than my abstract – but not always.

And frankly why do I care about response – because I am human and like to believe I am doing more than talking to myself.

Today, however, and in the art above – I know I am talking to myself – if anyone else chooses to listen – fantastic.

But today it doesn’t matter.

Spring Start – digital painting for art prints – Dan Beck 2009

In the Salinas Valley – if feels like spring starts in February – which is when this piece was created.  The crops are spottily coming in and the hills and mountains are beginning to show green.  As seen above, the dirt is still the most prevalent feature to the landscape, but the colors are becoming rich.  And though the change from winter to spring is much less clear than in most other parts of the country, it is nevertheless, a noticeable change and a welcome feeling.

If you are not from around here, you might not recognize the irrigation in the background – but this is the way it looks from a distance.  Many liberties taken with the emerging rows of young lettuce – but as I have written too many times – it is more about the feeling than the literalness.

I rely on no camera – just the lasting impression from what I spied.  Like the beginning of Spring – this is a first for me… a new article with a standard wordpress blog – instead of the customized version I had grown accustomed to – but had neglected. With the new standard blog – I have subscribers – but I don’t know what that means – perhaps one of you can explain it with a comment.  Are you informed when I post?

See Also

• Original Art – discussion of what it means and how it pertains to digital painting and its prints

Valley Comfort – digital painting / art prints – Dan Beck 2006

This is a well named piece on many levels. But as time has gone on, I find the comfort in the painting itself.

I didn’t invent these colors, but I sure find them pleasing together. The V of field and mountain is also nothing new – it is visible in nature as well as in other landscapes.

There is a warmth to the soil, fields and trees which hopefully makes one want to linger here. I really enjoy the Salinas Valley landscape and I suspect that that is the feeling which is coming through so strongly.

See Also

• Valley Comfort
  art print options for above digital painting
• Salinas Valley
  simply an image – looks like Spreckels – but similar to rendering above
• Longfield
  earlier work and landscape with strong angular feel