Archive for January, 2009

snapshot sunday

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the paintings of michael ward

i am truly enjoying these well done realistic works in acrylic from california artist michael ward. michael dedicated a good deal of time in the 1970’s roving around southern california and taking photographs, which resulted in this ongoing series of walkabout pieces. since the pulse and landscape of the area has evolved and changed over the years, many of these scenes no longer exist, and the once banal subjects take on a surprising and new nostalgic meaning. i just love the earnest quality about them, not to mention the appealing pops of color and pristine detailing (especially in the vintage fonts). and let’s not forget the light either.

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see more and contact michael on his website, and purchase select prints of his work right here.

foux de fa fa

it’s 10 degrees here today with an even lower wind chill, all this snow shoveling had left me with a cold and i wish i was splish splashing Ã la piscine right now, anywhere.

can’t wait to see the fotc’s new season starting sunday the 18th!!!

gecko decorative wall stickers

supercute wall fun from brazilian designers leonardo conrado and gabriella rocha for gecko, who have enhanced their collection with geckondiae, featuring 20 different designs from a select group of artists including fabio lopez and mariana mansur. the decals have a color customization option, and you can mix and match the different parts to suit your room.

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see more on the gecko website.

newness, and two new art blogs from me

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though you all know by now that this blog is not about me, today this post is. i’m ankle deep in some new creative projects right now that i want to share with you…

1. my new digital painting blog.

i have had a burning curiosity about painting for a very long time. just last year i finally took the plunge to do something about it. i bought some mini canvases and paints and brushes several months ago, and while i had intended to start my resolution to really go for it and put paint to paper last year i never managed to make it happen. i’m not sure why. maybe it was the slightly intimidating fact that i have never painted before? i was always intensely involved in my academic studies as a child, all the way through my college years, and i guess i never really pursued balancing that with creative studies. i’m not going to say that i wasn’t encouraged, but in my house, the emphasis was always on academic excellence. that’s just the way it was.

so fast forward to now. when my husband bought Art Rage 2 for the computer i thought i’d give it a try, because i was already spending copious amounts of time in front of the computer writing and researching for this blog. i tried it, and you know what? i love it. seriously love it. it could be the greatest thing that i have discovered doing in a very long time and i can’t believe i never did it before, virtual or otherwise. it is so relaxing, and has quickly become a regular part of my daily routine. it adds surprisingly pleasing balance to my life. from a beginner’s standpoint i will declare that the program is wonderful. it is so user-friendly and thoughtfully designed. we have it on my hub’s christmas present, the new HP touch screen computer, and i can even put a brush up to the screen to paint instead of using a mouse if i want. quite novel! i highly recommend it.

anyway, here is one of my digital paintings. i call it Structure.

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i still have yet to paint on actual canvas while sitting at my table, but i know that’ll come this year and soon, because i’ve started digitally. i really want to sort out the differences between the 2 methods. right now, i know at the very least that using actual paint for the pieces i’ve made so far would take much much longer, because everything is so heavily layered and drying time would be distinctly different. it’ll be fun to discover all the nuances of each style, and my style in the process.

from a painting perspective, i am attracted to and think in abstracts. if you want to see more of what i’ve made so far, my blog is called because i can’t draw. because it’s the cruel truth.

2. my new photography blog.

yup, that’s right. a daily photo blog. no words, just pictures. i’m not chattering away on my painting blog either, because i talk enough. i do welcome and enjoy YOUR clicks and comments though, anywhere you want to put them!

eventually i’ll get myself a fancy photography website with flash and make the images much bigger, but i’m not committing to that yet. i think i need to approach my photography in a more orderly and logical way before doing that, think more in terms of thematic structure. i like the images i’ve put into my etsy shop but it feels more loose than i prefer it. i would give it a good edit but i don’t have a large body of inventory to pull from, so some thoughtful building of the portfolio (as well as my skill set) is going to take place this year. i got the incredibly powerful nikon d90 camera for christmas, which makes the little kodak i had been using look like a fisher price toy. it is a beast that takes incredible photos, and i am enjoying the learning process of growing into and (hopefully eventually) mastering it. it also has great video capability, so don’t be surprised if i bust out into that mode this year either. i will continue to use both cameras as appropriate, as well as my iphone, but the d90 is totally suited to what i am talking about with regards to addressing photography in a more encompassing, thematic way; it was the perfect gift for me.

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my photo blog is just a bit of what i see around me in my daily life, and it continues to aid me in slowing down enough to enjoy the present. some of my shots on that blog might cross over with snapshot sundays here, though i am trying to avoid overlap. each place is a different facet of me, and i am trying to respect that. the blog is called rods and scones, because rods and cones was already taken.

that’s enough about me for now. i’ll clam it up and talk about others next time. 🙂

snapshot sunday

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jennifer spelman photography

look at these gorgeous photos from santa fe-based artist jennifer spelman. jennifer, a former district attorney evidence photographer, has since morphed her love of photography into an entirely new career as a photojournalist. she has a beautiful portfolio of portrait, editorial and black and white imagery, resplendent in subtle light and shadow and rich amounts of intimacy.

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see more and purchase these pieces on jennifer’s website.

jay kelly paintings and sculpture

i need order, some defined sense of balance and neutrality today and what better way to get it than through looking at these mixed media sculpture and oil works on vellum from artist jay kelly?

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