Tuesday, February 1, 2011

About re-emerging

an image I found on tumblr

I've been out of the art "loop" for some time, especially here in Michigan. This is my home state (born and raised here). I lived in Louisiana and Connecticut and moved back here about 6 yrs ago. Now everything is digital. On one hand I marvel at how easy it is to access artist's work, website, and images (Tumblr blogs). At the same time I feel greatly challenged in learning how to understand the tools I need to know to make this blog what I want it to be.

My new camera came about a week and a half ago (not expensive, but more than my little one, and what I can afford). Talk about being illiterate in photography (!!!) when it comes taking pics of my work . . I only just learned how to make the pics I post of my work look more like what they are in reality in I-photo!! I have learned that when I take a photo of a painting I'm stumped on and put it on my computer, I'm able to "see" what is needs, or at least where the problem is. I took a photo of the current piece I'm working on (acrylic) and it looked NOTHING like what it is.

I'm in my second week of a ten week course on digital photography basics, and I'm wondering if I spent enough money on my camera. Learning new mediums (mixed medium, working on paper, photography) takes $$$ . . . books, DVD's, online workshops. I love encaustic and didn't mind spending that money, but when I found out that shipping paintings needs special transport and packing to galleries (e.g. climate controlled art handlers), I turned to acrylic (and acrylic on paper). I would LOVE to attend the Encaustic Conference coming up in Provincetown, MA (it's near where my son and his family live), but . . too much $$$.

So what is left . . is . . trust the Universe to guide me in the direction I need to go, and that what I need will show up, if this is what I'm meant to do . . and . . LET GO!!!

4 comments:

  1. Hi Jann,
    There certainly is a lot of art to be found on the internet. A person could get lost for hours . . . days even. And I do. Often.
    About your camera: I have a good friend - Elizabeth Bunsen - who lives in Vermont and posts the most amazing photos on her blog (http://www.elizabethbunsen.typepad.com/). Photos she takes with a little point and shoot Kodak. I remember being so surprised when I saw her camera. Now, in fairness, Elizabeth knows a lot about how to manipulate her photos in Photoshop, but still. Check it out!

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  2. I think it might be eternally difficult to make something before our eyes look exactly as it does to our eyes via the camera. But really I know nothing and have never used photoshop. Just too right brained perhaps.

    I will try to look up that encaustic workshop as P-town is quite near where I lived for 30 years and I love it there.

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  3. Jann I went to the conference website and it looks fabulous. as best i can glean the three day conference is mostly talks and demonstrations and the post-conference section consists of hands on workshops. There are so many it is overwhelming. I am not sure if I am a beginner or slightly experienced either. I took one encaustic workshop at an art center and the rest i mostly used wax with collages. anyway, something to ponder. thanks for the tip.

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  4. Small world, Leslie! I follow Elizabeth Bunsen's blogged images on my Tumblr site and she follows me. And Tumblr(!!!) talk about spending a lot of time on the internet(!) - yes - hours and days! Viewing all those images is helping me figure out things in my own work.

    Suki . . I think you would love the conference, and it wouldn't be too advanced. I would LOVE to attend. I'll have to think about it.

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