Sculpture, Illustrations, and Berry Stains

The past few days have been full of extremes. Lots of different projects, with differing degrees of success. Here's the shells:

Pretty crazy, huh! Clear plexi cleats will be epoxied to the back, and they'll be cleated to the wall in a grid pattern.

And in the mail today came this:

That's one of my first paintings gracing the cover of this academic book. I licensed that image last year, and totally forgot about it until now.

The carving of the boot top is completed. I met with the designer yesterday so she could give it her blessing; instead she made a couple changes -- now it's done. Next step is the mold, then casting and painting, and it's ready for the model room.


While working outside on that piece I got berries stuck on the bottom of both feet, and thought I was tracking paint in the house, but couldn't figure that out since I wasn't painting. Nature's paint, I guess -- red berries!

Tomorrow I head to south Texas to visit my dad for a couple days -- for his 93rd birthday!

Hybrid Photography

I admit that I am not a purist in any artistic endeavor. I use multiple mediums, separately and in unconventional combinations. At least at this point in my career I mostly know the "rules" and consciously break them in ways that still allow the resulting artwork to maintain its technical integrity. Meaning it won't fall apart over time.

As someone with a short attention span and a home studio, I constantly track back and forth between the studio and the computer (with a stop at the kitchen in between!). More and more I am spending design time at the computer instead of sketch book. I need a more comfortable chair.

Since photography is a hot design trend right now I've been working to get more images online. I want to keep this gallery more traditional and expected. I want my crazy digital designs to stay on my own hard drive, and sent out for concepts for specific projects. It's too easy to steal digital imagery, and I'd like to have a line that really is my own.

I've been tagged by Judy Vars. Following her instructions:

"...all their wonders, were an extension of the PCs and modems already in use -- AOL had trained millions to use email, and word processors were popular applications on those computers." From "the myths of innovation" by Scott Berkun. I have that book on my desk because (1) it's a good book and (2) he used a photo of mine as illustration in it.

Otherwise, I don't see the point of this "tag" -- and I don't think I'll be passing it on. Sorry, Judy.

Illustration

I wasn't trained as a fine artist. That's one of the reasons I accept challenges to create things I have no idea how to do. Most things are fairly straightforward. Like these drawings for a hotel in Hawaii. This is the drawing of the taro (elephant ear) which is native to Hawaii. There are three other images, all crustaceans.

Now that this project is completed, I'm back to the design for the cast piece for the giant resort project. I finished a design this afternoon and sent it off to my client. I won't hear a response until tomorrow. I went ahead and ordered the modeling foam so I can carve the positive to make the mold from. Another thing I've never done before!

Setbacks and Opportunities

Digital Composite - two layers, one a photo of a painted background, the other a beach photo.

My plans to have a design of my making plasma cut into steel have been thrown a curve. I got a couple of price quotes. Whoa! The piece is big (36 x 36) but still. So that gave me another opportunity to be creative, and now I think I'll be carving the darn thing out of balsa foam or something similar. Don't even have the design approved yet, so at least I won't be slaving over it this weekend.

Instead of doing that, I'll be creating illustrations of sea creatures. See? I never say no to an unusual project.

When I should have been working on that this afternoon I've been making digital composites of paintings and photos. What fun!

I delivered the balance of a purchase order today, so once again my studio is clean waiting for the next thing. Since I picked up a check today, I splurged and bought six colorful pairs of reading glasses. Big splurge, huh. I was reminded of my artist friend Annette who layers her glasses if she needs more magnification, and I selected several strengths.

Ahhh - Friday afternoon and no weekend stress. What a great feeling!

Published Again

Sunrise on Hawley Lake

Twice in a week I've had my work published as illustrations for books. Last week it was a painting for the catalog of University of Massachusetts Press, this week a photograph is used for one of the chapter headings in the highly entertaining and insightful new book from Scott Berkun, "Myths of Innovation" (available at Amazon). Both times they found me on the internet. Amazing!

The image above is neither one of those, but one that I took in Arizona in the White Mountains. A client has a need for Arizona photography so I'm looking through my inventory and came across this idyllic image.

I'm working on my newest grid painting today. It's based on travel, and the first square is Niagara Falls. Fun!

Went to the gym this morning, trying to work out some of the soreness in my back from all that purging I've been doing.

Sharing Books

What I forgot to mention about my technological challenge yesterday was that one of the AT&T installers was an artist! He was so not what you would expect. Big African American who plopped himself down in front of my computer and speed-typed his way around the system. He talked jargon the entire time with his buddy, who was in training. They were making polite small talk and asked me what I did for a living (probably impressed by my 44" printer) and I showed them my studio. Taylor was dutifully impressed and announced that he was trying to teach himself how to paint. During a lull in the installation I led him over to my bookshelf and invited him to pick a book to take home. He chose a detailed book on painting watercolors. Hope he puts it to good use.

Speaking of books, I'm happy to announce that one of my early paintings, "Confession" has been chosen to illustrate a book in the Massachusetts Press catalog. They sent me a stack of copies. Nice to see my work in print like that.

I'm working digitally today. Indeed I've had requests from two different clients for digital imagery -- so I'm polishing my skills in that area.