What I miss most about film......

I love the world of digital photography. However, taking the giant leap from film and darkroom to digital media was, for me, like convincing ancient man to stop carving on stones. I still miss the darkroom. The image on the left is a prime example why. I could be creative in ways I have yet to discover in the new world. I could layer negatives to achieve some really strange and provocative sorcery. This one combines doll parts, iron railroad bridge cross members, and cemetery statuary. I used Kodak Tri-X black and white film with a Canon A-1 35mm film camera. I always developed my own black and white film, and got enormous pleasure playing with the images. These are one-of-a-kind prints. No two are alike.

A Little Bit Of Heaven.....

As winter refuses to release us from her icey grip this year, I can't help but train my thoughts on Michigan's Au Sable River in the summertime. The photo on the left is one of my favorite overlooks above one of the greatest rivers for camping, canoeing, fishing, and of course photographing. (This was shot with a Nikon D50 with a 55-200mm AF-S DX Nikkor lens.) Although I usually spend a week here in July, I've decided, this year, to make the trip in June. I won't take the boat this time. It's more peaceful in a canoe, and I can get to places I normally wouldn't risk going in the boat. Of course, I'll be armed to the teeth with photo equipment....my trusty Nikon Digital SLR, several lenses, monopod, and any other camera gear I can lug around. I dream of days spent fishing for trout and bass as I walk the streams around Alcona County, and mornings and evenings shooting some of the most beautiful countryside I've ever laid eyes upon. Ransom me, Oh Summer, winter has held me captive far too long!

Understanding....

Sometimes we can understand our place among artists by choosing some point in the history of art and imitating techniques of past masters. Many art instructors require students to practice earlier styles and techniques....that's how an artist eventually arrives at his own launching pad. The painting on the left is oil on board. It's a self portrait by Matt Krease, and is certainly not one of his favorites. It's actually a sketch for more developed work. I'm not sure he even knows it's still around. Myself....I find it intriguing. To me it demonstrates where "My New Home", the birds in the nest in an earlier blog below, came from. Isn't it wonderful that as much as we would destroy some of our own practice pieces someone saved them? My own early stuff is long gone to the landfill. That isn't going to happen here. This is oil paint on particle board....the style reminds me of Rembrandt. It's about 12x14 inches in size, and the image you see does not do it justice. What you're looking at is a photograph of the original taken with a Nikon D50 digital SLR.

Always Fascinating.....The Art and Mind of Matt Krease.

Matt's art always fascinates me. It's obviously a wimdow to his soul. These are small quick sketches from his Moleskine sketchbooks. Mostly pencil, with the addition of some paint and other art mediums. Please check out more of this work at Gallery 321 in the Places of Interest on the right sidebar. I'll give you more of my impressions in revisions to this blog later today. And, I'll be posting some of the artists other works as well...oil paintings, mixed media, cartoons, illustrations, realism, technical illustration and much more. I hope you enjoy them, and please give me your impressions and thoughts. Thank you for dropping by.