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Mock Hats Make Great Fun

First Night Sketch - digital sketch - laptop finger painting
12/31/2007 - First Night Monterey - Dan Beck

Last night,

Last Year,

- a small group from Salinas made a showing of some of our art and culture at First Night Monterey - the giant hats you see - were made from foam rubber by some Everett Alvarez High School Students.

From what I understand they dove right in to recreate the Claes Oldenburg sculpture found in Salinas - Hats in Three Stages of Landing. Its current state is loaded with under-rim graffiti - not pictured here - but the kids put the authentic finishing touches on.

The views and interactions with the foam hats were sketched on a laptop with finger painting in- precision - quick and childlike - like the interactions - the scene with young man’s torso covered, kids underneath, photo ops for everyone - dogs - Santa hat - flashing bunny ears - different hats and hair - and a later seen person on stilts added to the scene quickly with this almost cartoon-like feeling.

See Also

• Claes Oldenburg & Coosje van Bruggen: Large-Scale Projects - photo index of many large scale public works
• Digital Art - the broad definitions and thus the amusing aspect of finger sketching what could as easily be documented digitally by photography

Relevant Tags:art and culture, claes oldenburg sculpture, digital art, first night, foam rubber, night monterey, Salinas

 

View of Salinas - part of Steinbeck Exhibit

Compressed View - pigment print from Digital Painting - Dan Beck 2006

In conjunction with the National Steinbeck Center and Artistas Unidos - Artist United, I am showing this work at a pretty optimum sized art print (30 x 20 inch image).

This blog announcement comes the day of the opening; but the work will stay up until February. I chose this pigment print because of the intimate size of the gallery and for what I thought would blend well with the other artists in the exhibit - Faces and Places: Salinas.

This is also a good work for being representative of Steinbeck Country - it captures the feeling of the land but by utilizing the language of digital painting and enough of the traditions of art to have been selected by the Monterey County Arts Commission for the 2007 calendar.

People in the area have seen this piece - but many, if not most, have not seen it at its proper size - and the Steinbeck setting certainly can’t hurt.

In some ways, I would have preferred to show a work which shows more of the human condition, that Steinbeck so beautifully wrote about - but there will be another time I hope.

See Also

• Compressed View - original print options for above digital art - exhibit piece is framed slightly different - special orders are possible
• Harvest Depth - original print options for work with more of a people aspect of Steinbeck country
• Artistas Unidos - Artist United - grass roots organization partnering artists with local businesses with a goal of bringing all cultures together through the arts

Relevant Tags:art print, digial art, digital painting, national steinbeck center, original prints, pigment, Salinas, Steinbeck country

 

a fresh spin on which came first

Spinach Harvest - Digital Painting - Dan Beck - 2005

Generally when I write - my inspiration comes from a choice of artwork - its implications or origins - but it is about the artwork - looking outward.

In an unusual twist, I am thinking about the climate of fear we live in. Living in Salinas (and even if I weren’t), I felt the hype over the 3 deaths and multiple illnesses related to E. coli tainted spinach a bit over the top.

I heard Jay Leno recently say that there were thirteen deaths caused by vending machines last year -

So basically there is over four times as much chance you will get killed by a coke machine than eating spinach - without even talking about health risks from too much soda.

Each year - approximately 35,000 people die in the U.S. of flu-related causes -

I painted the above digital painting - long before any E. coli spinach scare - it was a time consuming painting to go along with the time consuming task of harvesting. I have tremendous respect for these workers - they work incredibly long hours and just about always wave a hello if they see you - and most of them do work which no born and raised American would generally even consider let alone try.

So call me reckless, but I am more afraid of fast food than spinach, bigotry than illegal immigrants, and worst of all (in this climate of dwindling civil rights) - speaking up in a voice that might be heard.

See Also

• Death by Vending Machine - a tongue and cheek look at some of the stupidities in our world - but my take is “fear of litigation”
• Figures Art Gallery - original prints are available for all works in this gallery from 2005- in addition to this piece - others which were actually meant to be a bit dissenting

Relevant Tags:artwork, climate of fear, digital painting, e coli, original prints, Salinas, spinach, vending machines

 

the problem and thinking behind the artwork

Morning Light - digital painting - 2005 - Dan Beck

I chose this piece today - because it came up when I clicked image roulette. I had not written about this particular piece and I can’t always write about brand new pieces.

This particular digital painting has some really wonderful qualities. It was inspired by the incredible light after sunrise that morning - the slight pinkish glow and crisp air making promises of a wonderful day.

I am particularly happy with the clouds in this piece and the way it feels like it is morning.

Because the view was disturbed by buildings from strip malls and full malls alike - I opted to represent them as these giant slabs of rock. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time although I haven’t done it since.

It must have been summer here in Salinas - everything is so brown.

See Also

• Morning Light
  Options for art prints
• Boston Globe Online/Table of Contents
  Quotes from John Steinbeck and old but true article about his relationship with Salinas and vice-versa

Relevant Tags:art and representation, digital painting, John Steinbeck, morning light, problem solving, Salinas, summer brown

 

A well received piece and learning how to print it well

Salinas Valley 1 - digital painting - first art print

When I first got a high quality wide-format printer - this was my favorite piece. It was fairly recent at the time and it was what I wanted to see printed first.

I am sure you can imagine that type of excitement of a new printer and printing on watercolor paper for the first time.

The first print actually came out beautiful, but it wasn’t accurate. It was way too bold and bright - although part of its beauty.  Like most artists and creative people, I was looking for a larger element of control.

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Through a great deal of controlled experimentation, the printing quality and color accuracy that Outhouse Studios can achieve is artistically perfect - I don’t think I could ask for better.

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Salinas Valley 1 is a well received piece, and I have had the opportunity to refine the printing and also have it printed larger - 22×28 inch, matted and framed. The blue is even more incredible printed and the row crops in the Salinas valley hills have a great deal more depth.

See Also

• Salinas Valley 1
  Art print options for Salinas Valley 1
• Epson 2000P Printer
  Archival Pigment Ink printer - currently being used for exceptional 13×19″ art prints

Relevant Tags:Art Prints, color accuracy, digital art, digital art print, digital painting, framed art prints, printing quality, Salinas, Salinas Valley