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art builds upon itself

Foothills Anywhere - digital painting - Dan Beck 2007

When I started this painting I was thinking somewhat of the article I had written yesterday and the featured digital painting.

I was thinking about the character of the foothills - not just the Santa Lucia’s but the Rockies as well. I worked on a farm in the foothills of the Rockies in Colorado and the character and impression it made was quite similar.

I had fun with the colors and tried to work boldly and quickly - knowing that part of the results are contingent upon that.

But original like original art will always remain an illusive concept - because there so obviously isn’t any such thing. Even if one borrowed from no one other than oneself - art would still build upon itself.

In truth, we can’t even work in our own vacuum as we are our own audience as well.

See Also

• More Color Than Typical - guess you can tell this is by the same artist too
• Original Prints - no matter how original a piece is or isn’t - prints are always originals at Outhouse Studios
• Transpo Man Photo Blog - I really like the way he set up this notebook - lots of fun - feels like you are flipping pages

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

Between Abstract and Representational

Feeling of Rain - digital painting - Dan Beck 2005

There was no impending rain today - I decided upon this piece as a result of the random gallery button (gallery chance) and random gallery page button - and I thought why not - it’s the time of year there could be.

This piece is a nice bridge between representational and abstract - the two are not opposites - but I think this straddles the line nicely nevertheless.

Titled as such - because it is more about evoking the feeling than the actual sight - but it is easier if one uses some visual clues - and the overcast and hues of this piece do bring about the feeling of rain in my mind.

See Also

• Feeling of Rain - art print options for above digital painting
• Santa Lucia Impression - inspired by the success of this piece
• Bridge the Gap? - at this time I have only read selected areas of this article - this is google’s cache - highlighting my search terms and perhaps, though most likely not, the most pertinent part… Have read this since - perception is fascinating stuff - you might find it worth the time to read!