paul pardue photography: miniview

if you are a regular visitor here you know i like to talk about “falling into” the details of some of the artwork i feature. i liken it to walking around with peripheral vision and then finding something that you can focus on sharply as you stumble along your daily path. this is how i felt when i saw the work of paul pardue. the consistency within his collection is noteworthy. each photograph has a powerful combination of great framing, incredible lighting and compelling subject matter. i really enjoy his work, so i decided to investigate further…

q: where do you live, and where do you create your artwork?
a: i live in sacramento, california which is where the bulk of my work is created, though if circumstances allow i do try and get out and shoot. most recently i went on a three day camping trip and visited two state parks and two federal parks. since i currently shoot digitally i do almost all my “processing” at home on the computer though i do have a laptop that i can take with me as a portable darkroom. i generally spend a lot of time on my photos, i may take a hundred photos and only work on a few. it really depends on the shoot.

q: what is it about photography that you enjoy the most?
a: i love that in photography you have control over your final image, but at the same time you have zero control over it. it’s a balance where you’re forced to take what is in front of you and make it your image. being able to control your environment to suit your needs is a really cool thought, in some ways it’s like how a painter takes their scene in front of them and paints in as they see. the difference of course is that the painter is open to their interpretation and style whereas i am forced to the constraints of what i can capture through the lens and later, through the processing and printing.

q: did you think when you were a little kid that you would grow up to be a photographer?
a: i remember as a little kid playing with my mom’s polaroid camera, even if there was no film in it. there is always something magical about photography, i really got in to it in high school and the thrill of watching a print develop in front of your eyes in the dark room is something that very few people get to experience. but, it wasn’t till high school that i really thought of photography as anything. as a kid, i’m sure i wanted to grow up to be an astronaut like all other kids.

q: if you could shoot anywhere in the world, where would it be?
a: i’d love to travel and do more of the landscapes and visit the state and federal parks, and even leave the country, but until that day comes i’ll continue to shoot locally. i guess above anything else it depends on what i want to shoot, where i end up shooting. if i continue with the landscapes and such i can inevitably end up anywhere in the world or even all over the world on some world trip of photography. maybe once things pick up in the sales department i can consider planning a trip.

see what’s available for sale at paul’s etsy shop. if you enjoy the human form, he also does fine art nudes, and that shop is here. view his full portfolio on his website and while you are at it, say hello to him on his blog.

thank you paul!

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snowglobe sculptures by martin & muñoz

look at these beautifully sinister snowglobe sculptures from pennsylvania-based artists walter martin & paloma muñoz. each intimate diorama is crafted by hand with store-bought figurines placed in precarious positions (and frequently altered to suit the display), which clash wildly with the serene landscape backdrops made of sculpey clay. trees and other accessories within the pieces are made from plumber’s epoxy. once their imaginative scenes are assembled, walter and paloma assemble the globes and photograph them from varying dramatic angles, with remarkable results.

i get such an unsettling feeling when i look at these works, and the fact that i feel slightly panicked while observing a snowglobe is a true testament to walter and paloma’s precise and skillful techniques and vision. how about you?

view their portfolio and contact walter and paloma on their website, click over to ppow gallery to see more, and pop over to george adams from july 10th - august 8th to see their work in person as well.

via today in art

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adam normandin paintings

beautiful textures in these acrylic on wood paintings from los angeles-based artist adam normandin. adam is attracted to the beauty and subtle details in things people pass by on a daily basis, and is inspired by old and worn industrial objects. these freight trains are a perfect example. the cars, weathered by non-stop travel for years, possess just the right amounts of unique individuality, rich history and grace that adam seeks to expand on and show us.

see more of adam’s work in a variety of places: gallery 33 east in long beach, george billis in los angeles, and finer things in nashville.

contact adam and view more works online on his website.

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jennifer collier paper fashion art

look at this paper fashion collection from uk artist jennifer collier. she has mastered a multitude of techniques, including weaving, stitching and waxing, and has created a group of garments so fascinating to view. carefully crafted from bits of paper, plastic and assorted found objects and materials, these transient and disposable materials are skillfully transformed into items which have distinct and dynamic value.

see more works of art on jennifer’s website. she’s also exhibiting in well thread at the biscuit factory in newcastle from april 25th - june 1st 2008, just in case you’re in the area!

via craft

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daniel edlen vinyl art: let’s chat!

poring over liner notes, admiring cover art, studying lyrics and playing albums over and over again in my room was a beloved activity for me as a child and a teenager. it continues to be an intensely personal and highly satisfying activity. it’s a place to escape, a place to relax; an inspiring, creative, dynamic place that can unlock favorite memories, and be interpreted in myriad ways. this is why i love the work that daniel edlen creates, using white acrylic paint on vinyl. there is soul in these earnest portraits that honor the musicians we all know and love, and i think the technical skill here is as sharp as a needle on a turntable. let’s have a chat with daniel and find out more!

q: where do you live, and where do you create your art?
a: i live in gilbert, az and i create my art in one of our house’s bedrooms.

q: what is your background, and did you study art formally?
a: i wouldn’t call it formally, but i did take art classes at a private art school from the time i was six to the time i was 27. my background, if you mean academic, was regular old school and then computer science at ucla.

q: how did you ultimately come to work with vinyl and how do you choose your subjects?
a: it wasn’t really ultimately. i came up with the idea as a teenager following my acquiring a mess of records and doing a high school art project i made up involving white pencil on black paper. then a couple years ago, friends said i should try selling them and people wanted them for christmas, so i started doing commissions. i paint whomever people commission me to do, and ones i like and think might be popular, and ones for whom i find records that i know would be popular.

q: what is the price range of your collection?
a: they sell for $175 plus shipping, framed. unframed, they’re $100 plus shipping. i add $10 for each additional portrait beyond just one and i’ve done up to 4 (pink floyd, kiss).

q: do you think your love of music is stronger than your love of art, or vice versa?
a: honestly, i don’t really distinguish between them that way. it’s more my passion for creativity that drives me.

q: do you have a favorite piece that you’ve made?
a: the marley that i did the video of (below) was for roger steffens that i wrote about in my blog. that would probably be my favorite piece because of the experience of connecting with such a wonderful and passionate person.

q: who would win in a fight — led zeppelin or u2?
a: bonzo’s dead, and he’d be the only one i ever could see fighting, so i think they’d reach peace before even starting.

q: where can we go to see your collection in person? are you currently exhibiting in any shows, and is there anything else meaningful you would like to include here?
a: i’ve got pieces for sale on consignment at rockzone records in chandler, az, red dog gallery in phoenix, az, raw style in brentwood, ca, primitive kool in san diego, ca, and wild about music in austin, tx.

i just had a piece in the 12 inch art show in winnipeg, and I’ll be in that one again when it comes around next year. i’m also in the part art show at the agni gallery in new york now through april 15th, 2008.

i’ve really put a lot of myself into my blog since i started it, so i hope people will take the time to read it from the beginning. i have a link to that first post in the “who, me?” section. all that i would consider meaningful is there.

daniel is currently accepting commission work. check him out on flickr, see his website for more and make sure to stop by his blog to say hi!

thank you daniel!

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