Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Indiana Covered Bridges painting phase complete. Sweet!

inishing up the final brush strokes on Indiana Covered Bridges took a lot of doing. I got stuck in the weeds painting some of the flowers and shrubs - weeds - around the bottom of the board. I wanted to ensure it had a sense of depth, and that is where my skills need improvement. Overall, when I stepped back away from the piece, I was very satisfied.

I've been working on this for a couple of months. Now I get to get down and dirty into the photographs and do some 3-D layer building for the next phase.

The progress is evident, and assembling a large piece like this takes time I've noticed. In between time, I've been having some fun creating some Robin Hood Sherwood Forest fine art greeting cards. I loved the movie and it inspired me to go green into the woods and attend Forest Fest in Louisville's Jefferson County preserve last weekend. Then I got out my paper and scissors.

Art rocks!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Through the (new) lens - Part One

I remember my first 35 mm camera. My brother, a curious blossoming engineer, bestowed the old relic on me in 7th grade. I then joined photography club and fiddled in the dark room with mysterious concoctions and chemicals watching images miraculously appear under the red glow of the darkroom light. It was by far, the most amazing activity I had ever engaged in. From there, I learned more about photography as my passion grew. Remembering how you became involved with your art gives rise to rediscovering the passion and the wish to continue to learn something new. I like to contemplate seeing how far I have come over the years - or over the months!

On my 47th birthday last week, my husband gave me the second best gift I ever received in my life - a new Nikon D-300s camera. It's almost overwhelming the bells, whistles, dials, settings and buttons, but not really. At first, it's easy to be overwhelmed when taking on something new. Opening the box was a near religious experience. I've owned four cameras in my life, two of them used - and as a photographer, that's a pretty low number. This new camera in its pristine box is something I revere and value, and I am amazed the manual is nearly two inches thick.

Our art, imaginations, our supplies are really gifts that we've all been given as artists to create or recreate what the world or our minds have to show us. I can't wait to share with you all, images and fine art through the lens!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Flooding in Ohio River Basin almost ruins watercolor painting?!

Uggh. On Sunday, after a horrific storm, I hot-tailed it over to my art studio at the old meat packing plant called Mellwood Arts and Entertainment Center. I have a prime real estate gallery/studio over by the windows - great light - but water typically seeps in through the windows. I keep my art covered in cellophane, but I knew this storm had kicked nearly 5 inches of rain. It made for a soggy Kentucky Derby, but that's another muddy story.

It was awfully damp at the studio, water on the floor as expected, but one water color painting got wet on the corner!!! I hate that!!! Not much I can do, but correct with acrylics, I guess. Any suggestions??!

PS It's warm and sunny this week.