Sun Prints
...now browsing by tag
Sunday, November 27th, 2011
Transparency, tone, and value, important while creating art or while creating a life”. ~ Bill Hendricks
A Tribute to Grant Woods
I started with a photograph too dark for my taste but nice. I loved the reflection of the sun on the water but the weeds in the foreground were too dark. So I played. As I experimented, I realized that I was working with value/tone; so I pushed it and this mezzotint like image was the result.
In my design and drawing courses, I discuss color and value because most of my work is done for the web, color can be an issue due to the variety of color profiles out there. So I emphasize value instead of color. Lynda Weinman on Lynda(Dot)Com produced a video about color several years ago that I use frequently–Color Principles. The chapter on Value is terrific.
As I searched for a quote to bring home my point and came across an article that put an entirely different spin on this topic. The title is You’re a Human, Act Like It. Unless You’re OK with Being a Digital Marketing Failure by Andrew Hanelly. Seems the idea of transparency, tone, and value has as great of a meaning in another context.
Posted in Backlit images, Bill Hendricks, Daily Entries, Lake Superior, Minnesota, Painted images, Process, Surfside | Comments Off
Tags: Autumn-2011, education, lake superior, Minnesota, Quotes, reflections, Sun Prints, Upstate Minnesota
Thursday, November 17th, 2011
Drawing is still basically the same as it has been since prehistoric times. It brings together man and the world. It lives through magic.”
~ Keith Haring (1958 – 1990)
Play—The Ultimate Exploration
When real seems unreal…Last week there were reports that the Cave of Lascaux’s spotted horses were actually representations of actual horses. Researchers found studying genes for coat color were the present in six of the European horse fossils. Seems Keith Haring wasn’t wrong. Even though, after hearing this initial report I thought sometimes… We think too much. If you want to read more check the article on MSNBC’s web site.
Posted in Backlit images, Daily Entries, Keith Haring, Lake Superior, Minnesota, News items, Painted images, Quotes, Sabbatical | Comments Off
Tags: Autumn-2011, branches, lake superior, Minnesota, Quotes, Sun Prints
Tuesday, November 8th, 2011
No artist is pleased… …There is a queer, divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.”
~ Martha Graham
The Blessed Unrest...
Never a musician, but was exposed to acting and dance when I was in high school and early on in college. I found that a dancer seeks that freedom that ease of expression that any fine artist or designer seeks. The ultimate test is whether or not one can quiet that internal voice that tries to blot out the sun—the confidence that is required to keep creating. I enjoy Martha Graham’s words because she recognizes the fear that the artist confronts and acknowledges it, nods to it, and passes it by.
Posted in Backlit images, Daily Entries, Lake Superior, Martha Graham, Minnesota, Painted images, Photography, Quotes, Sabbatical | Comments Off
Tags: Autumn-2011, clouds, lake superior, Minnesota, Quotes, reflections, Sun Prints, Upstate Minnesota
Friday, November 4th, 2011
Perfection is boring. If a face doesn’t have mistakes, it’s nothing.”
~ Kevyn Aucoin (February 14, 1962 – May 7, 2002) Make-up Artist and Photographer
Few Things are Perfect
After Steve Jobs passed on, his biographer said he took pride in his own demand for perfection, but I doubt Steve Job ever looked at any one of his products and said, “This is absolutely perfect, as it is. There is no room for improvement.”
If that were the case, as an instructor long ago said to me, “If everything is perfect there is no room for growth.” That was Mrs. Helen McKenney, my high school art teacher, and her words have traveled with me all these years. So if you don’t see a mistake or no room for improvement… You probably tried nothing new. If you don’t see how your work can be improved… You’ve stopped growing. We are imperfect creatures, it is fine to strive for perfection… Just hope you never achieve it.
Posted in Backlit images, Daily Entries, Kevyn Aucoin, Lake Harriet, Painted images, Photography, Process, Quotes, Sabbatical | Comments Off
Tags: Autumn-2011, branches, Lake Harriet, Minneapolis, Quotes, reflections, Sun Prints
Friday, October 28th, 2011
To create one’s world in any of the arts takes courage.”
~ Georgia O’Keeffe
A Fall Morning on Lake Harriet in October
Moving ahead with my studies and had a great couple of weeks. The prep work for the new courses that I will be teaching next semester has challenged and excited me. I’ve updated most of the required text and spent time developing new assignments and lectures. I haven’t forgotten about the interactive site either. Not sure of the exact title for the site yet but I’ve collected good bit of data and having great fun with my camera and Adobe Photoshop.
As I continue to work I am finding peace through the art. The walks around Lake Harriet allow me to reflect on my life and work. As I walk I am doing my level best to stay in the moment and be aware of the surroundings and listening focusing on the Light Within.
Posted in Backlit images, Georgia O'Keeffe, Painted images, Quotes, Sabbatical | Comments Off
Tags: Autumn-2011, branches, Lake Harriet, morning hours, Quotes, reflections, Sun Prints
