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(To see all attached prints, click on more information. That link will take you to the original Wordpress Blog Post.)

Sometimes the simple approach to a print is the best way to go, whether that is the composition of the subject or the subject itself. If you look at still life art prints, the subject matter is usually very simplistic like a bowl of fruit or floral arrangement. In composing the piece, the artist or photographer keeps the print clear of unrelated objects to allow the visual focus on the main subject.

In taking this approach with other items, you can create art prints or photographs that have a very defined visual focus to tell a story. The manner in which the presentation is created can also help keep the focus on the subject or object you are presenting, by creating an overall mood or look.

I have attached two samples to highlight what I’m referring to. The first example is a bookcase located in a log cabin from the Sharlot Hall Museum in Prescott, Arizona. By it’s very nature there is a lot of objects in this print, but by keeping the composition of the presentation limited to the bookcase, you have simplified that aspect. To further tone down the variety of objects, I chose a sketching technique to soften the presentation. The overall result is a more simplistic presentation with a simple subject matter.

The second attachment has less subject matter to begin with and the composition keeps the eye focused on this part of the log cabin. By having a suggestion of a window with a small desk and chair between that and a door, it creates a small intimate space where you can imagine someone working at the desk. The sketching technique softens the overall look, creating a simplistic warm and inviting visual effect.

Thoughts?

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(To see all of the prints, click on more information. That link will take you to the original post in Wordpress)

Carrying on from last weeks post, I wanted to share some more flamingo prints. Last October I shared a series of flamingos that I created using an impasto technique. This particular series uses an abstract watercolor technique with the same ink pen drawings of a flamingo as an overlay on the abstract watercolor background.

To create the watercolor background, I used (digital) a brush that creates an almost airbrushed look with a variety of colors. Then using an ink pen “brush”, I drew the flamingos on top of the colorful background.

Thoughts?

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(To see both prints, click on additional information link and it will take you to the original blog post on Wordpress)
I’ve been working on some of my “animal shots” from the Los Angeles Zoo. I worked both the giraffes and flamingos into abstract sunset features for a children’s book I’m working on (click on the link back to that post). Today I’m sharing one of a giraffe and a flock of flamingos where I used a very traditional oil painting style, which is a 180 from the prior look I created with them.

I was testing several different styles as I was doing the abstract approach and as part of that process created these two prints. Although not what I was looking for in the project, I actually liked the final result on these two prints for completely different reasons. I think a lot of animals make great subjects for photography and art prints and can be presented in different manners depending on the look you like and/or need.

Thoughts?

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(To see both art prints featured, click on more info...it will take you to the actual Blog Post on Wordpress)

I wanted to liven it up a bit this week so I’m posting some abstract style prints featuring “Street Scenes”. Anyone who follows my work knows I love bright colors and abstract styles in a lot of my prints, so this week I am featuring two where I used a fauvism approach.

The first print is Whistler, British Columbia. Whistler is so pedestrian friendly and the capture depicts one of the main streets in the village during the “off-season” (non-skiing time of year). The fauvism approach brings surreal colors in abstract type shapes. In this print that really pulls-out and highlights architectural elements with the pedestrians more a secondary feature.

The second print does the opposite. The color and abstract approach highlights the crowded pedestrian traffic in a square near the sports stadiums in lower downtown Seattle. Again, I love the surreal colors making the print a very interesting visual experience.


Thoughts?

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(To see all of the pictures referred to, click on "more information" and the link will take you to the original blog post on Wordpress)

When you go with a monochrome presentation of a picture, you are presenting a scene, structure or object in tones of a singular color. I use black and white presentations usually to create a mood. In a sepia tone presentation it usually creates a “vintage” look since we associate that color tone to old-fashioned pictures. To illustrate this, I chose three shots of a subject that I have done in black and white and sepia tone.

The first picture is of Cape Blanco Lighthouse along the Oregon coastline.

The second capture is of an adobe located on the grounds of the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas.

And the third shot is of a barn nestled in a valley in Iowa.

Thoughts?

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(Click the link to see the full blog with all of the pictures)
I was working with some new equipment this week and decided to test some things out with a quick photo shoot. I didn’t get any further than our front and back yard. This time of year Camellia’s are in full bloom and the house we have in Los Angeles happens to have a few mature Camellia trees. I have always admired the blooms from our daughters garden here in Los Angeles. This is the time of year they come into full bloom and they do make for great macro shots.

The first picture gives you a feel for the various stages of bloom the trees are in at this time of year. You can see buds from the formation stage through the various stages of opening up including full bloom.

This bloom is just opening up and as you can see is a bright red blossom. This bloom comes from a neighboring tree to the one above.

From the same tree as picture number two, red blossom fully opened.

A completely different tree with soft pink blooms.

End of day sunlight hitting this bloom….

Same late day sun, but back to the first tree which has pink and white blooms.

Thoughts?

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I have attached two sketched scenes I created from a trip we took a few years ago to Henry Island in the Pacific Northwest. We were staying with our daughter and her husband in Seattle and were headed to Henry Island where our son-in-law’s family had a couple of homes. To get to Henry Island, we took a ferry from Anacortes, Washington to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. We then drove across the island to Roche Harbor where their was a family boat docked for the final leg of the journey over to Henry Island.

The first art print represents the scene I saw as we came into Friday Harbor, which is on San Juan Island. The second art print was a sailboat I saw as we headed back going by Lopez island. It was a beautiful day for sailing.

Thoughts?

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I wanted to feature this print for a couple of reasons…the first is that winter definitely has a grip on large portions of the US and Canada as we head into the last week of January and the second is the verse itself.

I like this verse as it reminds me in layman’s terms to follow my gut….listen to that voice within to guide you. I can reflect back over my life and so many times I have followed that inner voice when I have needed guidance facing major choices, even when that voice was directing me to something that didn’t make sense or wasn’t the logical choice. I found that things opened up as situations I knew nothing of led to doors opening I never knew existed and if I had gone the other way (logical in my opinion), events changed to where that direction would have been a dead-end. Even when personal tragedies occurred throughout my life, that inner voice would get me to just put one foot in front of the other and keep going. We all face these issues and obstacles as we journey forward on this walk called life.

I like this reminder of faith, faith in purpose and faith in the direction that has been given to me. None of us really know what is right around the bend and we spend way too much time and energy worrying about it. The faith part keeps you focused on the present and gives you reassurance you are being kept on the right path.

Thoughts?

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I have been working on a project for a client encompassing abstract sunsets and now sunrises. I am featuring three of my most recent art prints, two are with the sunsets and the third is the first of some sunrises. I featured the first three sunsets I created for the project last September in two different posts. One featuring a lighthouse and another a sailboat and then the post about our moving back to Southern California, leaving the Arizona desert behind, which was a group of Saguaros in the desert at sunset.

If you follow my blog you will remember that the move was precipitated because our granddaughter and her parents were expecting a little brother for her….which fast forward…happened this last week. Our grandson was born last Monday 10 days early and when he decided he wanted to come into the world…he wasted no time…very quick delivery. Mom, Dad and grandson are doing great as are his grandparents.

So back to the project, I had a client who wanted a series of abstract sunsets and sunrises done in this abstract style with a variety of subject matters. From my moving post, I put eyes and smiles on the cactus, which prompted a comment from one of my blog followers (yes, Brad that was you!!) about using them in a children’s book. At the time I had actually just finished a children’s book, which I wrote for my granddaughter and had my niece (great artist) illustrate it. I casually mentioned Brad’s comment to a source who helped me with the first book and they encouraged me to pursue it. So, as I complete the initial request, I am already planning on what “tweaks” I want to make and how that would fit in a children’s book. So, more on that as I go forward, but more importantly I wanted to thank Brad for his comment and let him know how it is being played forward (the power of positive input).

With these three, the first one is Serengeti Sunset with a group of giraffes on the Serengeti at sundown. With the sun on the horizon, I chose to stay close to primary colors creating a bold look, but darkened and softened the orange and yellow as they pulled up and down from the horizon line. I did the three giraffes in black silhouette to complete the look of this abstract representation. The digital drawing of the silhouette figures in all three prints looks simple, but trust me the drawing is very tedious and time consuming done digitally (if only I had the drawing gift free hand).

The next art print called Mountain Sunset is done using the same general technique with the bright primary colors filling the sky.

The third one is done using the same concept, but to depict a sunrise, I changed the sky to blue to create a different look. This one features Flamingos feeding under palm trees.

Thoughts?

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Every time I capture an image that I think would look good in a painted type format (digitally created), I usually try a few different versions to determine what presentation looks best. Each style creates a completely different look of the same subject matter. As an example I have attached three styles I used on a roadside cafe in New England.

The first example is a very subtle impasto style. Usually with the impasto style the brush strokes are bold a colorful. In this case, I toned the brush strokes down to a very subtle look.

In this next version I went with an old world “Gothic” style, which stays with strong earth tones.

The last example is a fauvism style, which creates abstract oriented shapes and surreal colors.

Same setting, completely three different looks. You may or may not like any of the looks which is ok…art is interpreted by the viewer and we all have different tastes. From my perspective I try to narrow it down to the presentation I think tells the best story and sometimes I simply can’t narrow it down to just one as I like the presentations each style presents.

Thoughts?

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