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celebrating the plowed earth

Field 2 Mount - digital painting and art prints - 2005

I actually have already written a good article about this piece. But as I was both looking at all the recently visible dirt and also my most recent painting - I was thinking about “Field 2 Mount”.

Here more than anywhere is a celebration of how cool the earth looks in its plowed formation - the remarkable height - the remarkable texture.

It is strangely inviting - despite being so brown. I don’t understand it - but I choose to honor it.

See Also

• Field 2 Mount
  art print sizes and purchasing options for above digital painting
• Search Results - Stock Photography and Images from Tom Myers Photography - Sacramento, California
  Never seen this site before - but looks like there are many ag photos and some of that moon terrain dirt I referenced earlier today
• Picture/Photo: Yellow field with curved plowing patterns, The Palouse. Washington
  Less related than photo by same group - link within article - but this is a wonderful plowing photo - worth sharing

abstract world viewed close -mountains from a distance

Madras Mountains - digital painting / art prints - Dan Beck 2004

We are both at a slight disadvantage with this piece. This is intended to be quite large - large enough to be on a large wall and viewed from a distance and large enough to be able to see the abstract and pleasing art style up close.

I have the advantage of having seen sections while painting it and even seeing a print with a 12.5 x 16 inch image.

However, I have not printed this large - I have deferred to other pieces which are also more interesting small - figuring they are better pieces.

But I know this to be quite cool - and perhaps someday I will get the opportunity to place the piece in a setting which will do it justice and allow for the size print it warrants.

See Also

• Madras Mountains
  See what a big original art print would cost - for the giant wall aching for some Madras Mountains
• Understanding Abstract Art
  Sometimes artist does a good job at explaining abstract art - good selection of pieces to illustrate - his own work is generally about feeling - color - texture -and no or little form

Impression of scene accurate - piece falls a little short

Shades of East Boronda - digital painting - Dan Beck

Creating art is a lot of times about solving a problem. What I saw was a crazy incline of dirt and as a result - nothing behind it except the Gabilan mountains.

I saw it as a glance - quickly while driving but it was a rather profound image at the time.

Having said that - I don’t think this is one my better pieces.  It achieved exactly what I set out to do - but turns out in my eye to not have been enough.

Despite that I like the feeling of the mountains and the feeling of the dirt - even the composition is ok - balanced but not too symmetrical.  And of course, the art prints are also better than the digital painting.

I see art as a metaphor for life - I am not alone in this - I did what I set out to do - perhaps this is akin to "being careful what you wish for".

See Also

• Shades of East Boronda
  In case this piece speaks to you anyway or curious - availability of art prints
• Stephen Frisch Photography portfolio image - Foot of Gabilans Mtns
  Particular angle from Mountains quite interesting - but photography on site worth checking out
• Re: Be careful what you wish for
  Looking at the phrase - explaining a bit - and asking more

First attempt reminiscent - openness part of creativity

Pen 1 - digital painting 1st try with pen pad

This is more like a fabric than a painting - process than finished piece. I was offered a graphics tablet at about a third of its normal cost and as much as I’ve been proud of using a mouse for my art all this time, I thought I should try it.

What is fascinating to me, is that I am every bit as uncoordinated with the pen pad as I was when I first started painting with a mouse - laughing - thinking - no one could paint with one of these.

I continued because I liked the results.

Whether the graphics tablet becomes my friend or not isn’t the issue - but it is noteworthy that part of being creative is not to close oneself off to things which are new.

See Also

• Before You Buy a Graphics Tablet - Advantages and Features of Graphics Tablets
  Looks like might be worthwhile to check out - if these interest you - course I might have one to sell
• Second-Work
  without digging in my computer for first mouse painting - this is the second and accesible - nice piece despite lack of coordination

same and different painting - both can be shared

Fennel Field & Sky 1 - digital painting / art prints - DB 2006

This is both the same and a different painting from what can be found below.

This piece is more developed - the mountains have a distinct shape and some depth - the fennel field has more of its distinct texture - and the sky is more the way it looked that morning - with a crazy shimmering and shifting quality.

I am quite intrigued with this multiple pieces along the way approach - I don’t think it will work in a lot of cases - but here I have distinctly different finished stages which I can share independently or together.

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

See Also

• Afternoon Overlap
  another piece which is similar in a number of ways
• Batista Moon Agriculture
  Commercial photography for agri-business - referenced his fennel shot twice today - good commercial photos in other areas as well
• Whole Foods Market : Products : Produce : Fennel
  for those who don’t know about the anise or fennel - good place to find out - and basics on cooking

saving early stage of digital painting as complete

Fennel Field & Sky - digital painting / art prints - DB 2006

This is a fun piece for me - because I decided to create 3 pieces out of one. I stopped at the above place and saved it - because I knew I really liked it where it was.

As the artist creating the piece, I was neither done painting or done trying to create my original vision or intent.

What a great thing to be able to save a piece but continue taking it somewhere else. I like the idea of different stages of calling something done.

As an art print, I find myself particularly drawn to the undulated field of fennel and the equally worked sky and mountains - very pleasing with the blue, purple, and green.

If interested in art prints or availability for this digital painting, please email: specialorders@outhousestudios.net.

See Also

• Longfield
  an earlier work which is reminisent of this piece and nice in its own right - please view enlargement for texture
• Digital Art
  artist comments on when it is done - in collage section - different methods of course - but interesting to understand some of his process

an element of chance and a new way of doing

Scribble Demo Part 2                       Color Gradient Filled Part 2

I am not sure exactly why I took as many screenshots as I did. These shots were mostly to give an idea of how the lines fill in with color. But I guess I was hoping also to show some of the way the colors overlap.

Frequently, once I have worked a piece to where I want it - the overlapping is only noticeable if you are looking for it. With just two gradient colors overlapping it is extremely clear.

It is also should be clear that digital painting using this tool is not anything like using a paint brush. Note I can’t even see the color as I am creating the lines. That is one of the things that I found so fun initially and still do - an element of chance and a new way of doing.

Painting in this fashion is not really like anything else I had done. There are similarities to conventional painting and drawing - but for me it is a new learned skill and language.

See Also

• Color Mixing
  This is interesting enough to browse through - but raises and interesting observation - painting on a montor uses both kinds of color mixing - though from a painter point of view - colors mix like regular paint would - pretty curious
• Impressionist Art Gallery
  art piece pointed to within article is in this gallery

progress of piece reflects development of technique

Next stage in making of digital painting: Mound 2 Mountain

I am not sure what inspired me to take some screen shots as this was in development - but I think it was because it had an interesting look from the beginning.

Without even looking back, I can see this has changed by the addition of a great deal of texture. Some of which looks like it was painted on and other parts look like they were more gently added using a paintbrush with a tint setting.

I had worked with the program a couple of years before I figured out how to do that. I just recently figured out something new and keep thinking there may well be a lot more I haven’t discovered - even though I am not bashful about experimenting.

The sky with the texture in it is most unusual for me.

See Also

• Material Mount View
  another piece with textured sky
• Textures in the Sky - Noctilucent clouds by timlu - DPChallenge
  I had thought my textured sky whimsical - perhaps it isn’t? Nice photo anyway
• Allison Marles - Computer Graphics Project
  Someone else documents progress of work - different type but I found it interesting and somewhat related

creating composition from a section of scene

CrossFields - digital painting / art prints - Dan Beck 2005

Everyday I drive by this scene, I think I should really do another piece - the fields are all different colors right now - including bright yellow.

But the scene is not inspiring me right now - just intellectually. When I did this - I was wrestling with a problem. I knew the stripes and different level fields fascinated me - but wasn’t sure how to turn it into a painting.

When I saw how small the figures were and how much further away it all really was - I had no choice.

The challenge was to make a piece which at a glance would be interesting. One that would hold a strong enough design to be compelling even without seeing the entirety.

I felt like I accomplished what I set out to do - though like most work - not everyone will see it that way.

See Also

• CrossFields
  availability of art prints from digital painting “CrossFields”
• Horizontal Arch Cliff Dwelling
  The relevance here is the 4 or 5 photos which establish the size of the cliffs by the size of the people
• Albert Krehbiel, American Impressionist: Figures Exhibit
  Site came up in searching for small figures - worth sharing an early American impressionist I must confess I am not familiar with

unique figures - identical dress - same theme - different feeling

Sea of Backs - digital painting / art prints - Dan Beck 2006

When I first wrote about Bent Over Crowd I mentioned that it could have been entitled “Sea of Backs” - I knew I had to do it again.

So I started with a landscape orientation and starting painting in figures. I wanted them rather monochrome - but not so simple to be silhouettes.

It is interesting that the piece which came before has so much color but the figures and dress are so copied throughout.

This painting has unique figures throughout, yet they all look the same. Either way, I think it is my point that despite knowing better - it appears that the pickers particularly when they are bent over and in mass - look like a swarm, a crowd, or a sea of backs.

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

See Also

• Image Guide 1 to Blogsite
  thumbnails of images on blogsite - includes most recent work
• Untitled Photo Gallery
  Powerful images - found through crowd shot of Ku Klux Klan - that powerful and a little disturbing
• Old Photos of Denver
  Image search yielded - crowd of men in 1920’s - old photos worth looking at