Analog

What a week it’s been- and it’s still going on! I managed to sign up for THREE photo related online classes/summits that are all happening within the space of a week: Drew Steinbrecher’s Digital Art Summit (one new class on using 3 iPad creative apps- especially Procreate- a new class every day for a week), Kim Klassen’s class, Digital Meets Analog, and Hazel Meredith’s Creative Photography Conference (all weekend).

It was also the week of our photo club’s free raffle of our dear friend, Jerry’s photo equipment. Jerry passed away unexpectedly at the end of the year, and his family generously donated everything the family did not want to our club to give away to members. Every member got 25 tickets to use for drawings for 69 individual items or groups of items that had belonged to Jerry. I didn’t think I wanted anything- but then I saw this wonderful monopod- and I won it! I’m thrilled to have it, because I’ve wanted one- and especially because it was Jerry’s.

Today was the second day of Kim Klassen’s Digital Meets Analog. Back when I was learning photography, I fell in love with Kim’s textured still life and flower images online, took an online Photoshop class from her, and bought her textures. Everything I know about Photoshop started with that first class. After we moved here and I joined my photo club and then my weekly photo group, my photo interests became more varied. It has been years since I took a class from Kim, but this one sparked my interest- how to shoot and edit digitally to create a more film-like, tactile look. I’m talking diffusion, less contrast, paper-like textures, added grain and beautiful vintage frames! As a lover of everything vintage, I feel very much in my comfort zone using these processes.

The old photo above is from 2016 and is my first editing attempt- and I forgot to add a texture!

Fragments Exhibition

I realized that I have not yet posted a link to the Fragments Exhibition from Find Your Voice! Above is “That Morning”- the image they selected from the three I submitted. We were told that they would not be choosing our “best” or “strongest” image, but one that would fit with others in a grouping on the virtual walls.

I guarantee you will be blown away by this virtual show! Abstract or expressionist art tends to evoke reactions from the viewers- ranging from “I don’t get” it to “That’s beautiful” to “I would/wouldn’t hang that in my living room” to just pure admiration! There are so many that inspire me- I hope you feel the same!

Here is the link. After you enter, just click on arrows to move around and click on the art pieces to view more information. Enjoy!

https://assets.artplacer.com/virtual-exhibitions/?i=15829

Create!

I haven’t been out yet taking photos, except for a few documenting our snowfall, but I have started a new project. I am taking an online class in making textures to use in photography! So far I have created a set of textures painted with acrylic paint (still have to scan most into my computer) and a set of photographs of the textures on my cookie sheets and pizza stone. I used textures from both sets in the image below.

 

Big Wow!

For the last month, three photos of mine have been hanging at ‘Tis, a downtown gallery right on the square. I must admit I have visited them there more than once.

Below, you can see my husband, the art critic, analyzing Dandelion Dreams.

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And here are Moonburn and Daydreaming (I think I overuse the word dream in my photo titles. . .):

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This whole gallery experience has felt like I’m playing at being an artist, and I’ve enjoyed every minute.  I still have one photo on display in another gallery at Prescott Center for the Arts, and I was awarded an honorable mention for that one (I didn’t even realize there were awards). The planets must have aligned just right!

Yesterday, the last day of the show at ‘Tis,  I went to pick up my photos. The curator said I could only pick up one, and when I asked why only one, she replied “Because the other two are SOLD!” You could have knocked me over with a feather! I’m pretty stoked!

So Dandelion Dreams and Moonburn didn’t come home- and that’s more than okay with me!