A Bit of Gallery News

(Click on the image above for a larger view)

"Autumn Splendor" is currently exhibited at Gallery On The Square in Wimberley, Texas. The 11x14 metal print is mounted on a 17x20 leather matte. Prints are available in various sizes. See my website for additional information.
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Because I am lucky enough to have a fantastically generous and determined cousin in Texas, I am now represented by a gallery in the Texas Hill Country. Gallery On The Square is showing my work at two locations in Wimberley, Texas.

Wimberley is a charming little village right in the heart of the Hill Country. The village is a favorite of tourists and perfectly located for a day trip from two large cities, Austin and San Antonio. I fell in love with Wimberley many years ago and, recently, I had indulged in daydreams about representation at one of the galleries there, but never followed up on the idea. My cousin, along with his lovely and gracious wife—neither with any previous experience as art reps, took one of those day trips and lo and behold, my work is now hanging in a gallery in the Texas Hill Country. I should be listed on the website soon.

I can't tell you how grateful I am to L and E for the time they have put into this. As I mentioned, I had daydreamed about having by work in additional galleries, but daydreams without action don't get us very far. I continued to put off approaching galleries by focusing on things that were easier to do. Besides, I am quite certain that I wouldn't be nearly as good at selling myself as this dynamic duo.

Thanks again, L and E.

Sugar with My Turnip Greens—and Facebook



Well, I finally did it. I got myself on Facebook. It is one more tool in the toolkit and I am doing all right with it so far, even though I have whacked my thumb with this tool more than once. Never having been one to learn any type of software effortlessly, I am still learning the quirks of the thing. No cover photo and no profile picture, yet—definitely under construction.  Still, virtual whacks on the thumb heal more quickly than the real-life ones, so I am hanging in there.

Besides finding a way to sweeten the Facebook experience (let's keep count of how many weak metaphors I can cram in one post), I am exploring more ways to add to my newsletter mailing list. Speaking of my newsletter (look, I can do hokey segues, too.), I want to be sure to invite you to subscribe. 

Subscribing is easy. This link will take you directly to the sign-up form. For your protection, MailChimp requires a double-opt in. A tiny bit of a hassle, but worth it to feel secure that no one can sign you up without that your confirmation. Recently, I started drawings for gifts to go out coinciding with each issue and a fellow blogger, Mark G. won the very first drawing. Mark won an open edition print of "Light Amongst the Shadows." The fun provided with the drawings adds to my enjoyment of preparing the newsletter. I suppose that is a selfish, but it's the truth.

Updating 2013 News

"Midnight Visit" will be exhibited at Gallery 'n' Gifts as of June 6, 2013. (16x24 on metal)
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I always have a wonderful time at the Cultural Arts Association Spring Art Show. This year was no exception. I met new people, visited with people who are beginning to feel like old friends, and enjoyed seeing work from artists who hail from the Tehachapi Valleys. A lady who took home a piece of mine two years ago, added "Midnight Visit",  (above) 12x18 inches on metal, to her collection. "On Cloud Nine", 12x18 inches on metal and mounted on a chocolate brown leather backing, sold to a new friend from Bear Valley Springs. Since "Profile in Bronze", 12x12 inches on metal, was sold at the gallery that meant that by the end of April, three pieces of my work had been added to private collections. Looks like I have to hustle if I have any hopes of reclaiming that momentum.



When Two Is Better Than One

Click on the image for the larger version

"Midnight Visit" is currently displayed as a 6x9 Lustre Print in an 11x14 matte. This piece is available at Gallery 'N Gifts, Tehachapi, CA. Prints are available in various sizes. See my website for additional information.
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About the Image
I have lost track of how many of my pieces include this black gelding. His was a tortured spirit and and the barely subdued madness in him has always translated into some form of energy in the photographs we made together that I couldn't possibly manufacture on my own.

Old Habits and Productivity
Finally, a couple of months ago, I began working with two monitors. Don't ask why it has taken me so long.

Sometimes the answer to increased productivity or greater creativity has been under our nose for months or years and we fail to see it. This is certainly what happened to me. It isn't as if working with dual monitors is a new and iffy concept. I just lagged behind and kept doing things the way I had always done them. Yes, I considered a computer even with one monitor pretty cutting edge in the early 1980's. But, I had fallen way behind the times. And, yes, I upgraded to larger and more sophisticated displays. Just not more than one at a time. Old habits getting in the way of progress.

Sound familiar, anyone? I wish I could say that I don't often make such bone-headed mistakes, but I would be flattering myself. More often than I want to admit I finally come around to trying a new technique or piece of equipment and then kick myself for dragging my feet.

For so many of us it is easier to keep repeating the old familiar mistakes than to try something new. We tell ourselves that we don't have time to master the new tool, or get used to doing something a new way. But, it is based in some sort of fear.

It is particularly interesting to me that, more often than not, I eventually face down that resistance and jump into what I have carefully avoided for sometimes years. Yes, occasionally, learning the new way of working is frustrating and takes time as well as patience before it becomes as natural as the old familiar habits. But, often, the transition is a non-event and the switch-over is painless. The latter was the case with adding a second monitor. Within a couple of minutes I was having a wonderful time and wishing I had made the move years ago.

The real embarrassment is that I changed my ways mostly by happenstance. Months ago, I had purchased a second monitor so that I could get into the old machine without having to disconnect my monitor from the new computer. It seems that reports of the old computer dying were more than slightly exaggerated. After that one terrifying day when I was treated to the gasps of a faltering machine with only hours to survive, the old machine has cooked along nicely. Of course, it is no longer being asked to manage Photoshop and power I-forget-how-many external hard drives. That could explain the revival.

As time passed, I asked myself why I should let that perfectly fine new monitor sit there day after day waiting for the rare call into service when I wanted to search for something on the old computer? Why not try working with two monitors every day? What a novel thought. Not!

Now that I have two lovely, wide monitors lined up side by side on my desk, working on an image like the one above is a whole lot easier. Phew? Late to the party, a little embarrassed that it took me so long; but, having a grand time. Ain't technology grand?

 

Saying Goodbye

I am at an age where I have attended a sizable number of memorial services and you would think one would learn to cope better as you have more life experience. It hasn't worked that way for me. This most recent one has shaken me to the core. 

Arnold was a very special man—an extraordinarily talented carver, but, more importantly, his life was a work of art. He left many behind who loved him. His adoring family, old friends, new friends—he embraced us all with the same enthusiasm he had for the outdoors, his family, and for his carving. He was a big man with a big booming voice, a big smile, and a big heart to go with it. My heart is heavy, but I manage a smile when I  realize that Heaven will be a noisier place now that Big A is there. 

I hope you will take a moment to look at a sample of Arnold's work at the Gallery 'N Gifts site. 

Playing at 2.8

 

(Click on the image above for a larger version)

 

A couple of days ago I decided I wanted to make this image—probably because I saw something somewhere that triggered the thought. But, I have been so busy and distracted that I continued to push the thought aside. Today, the thought wouldn't slip into the background. Regardless of what I attempted to concentrate on, the still shiny new 7D has been begging for attention, and my trusty 100mm 2.8L was begging to be called into service.

I resisted, reminding myself that I didn't have time to play; but, my resolve was weak. This afternoon, everything on the to-do list got shoved down a couple of notches and I had my fun. Yes, it's still all about animals at the moment. What can I say? This one, however, was extremely patient about posing. Maybe I should reconsider the route I have taken.

Turnip Greens and Facebook

A Snapshot

 

 

Galen-Awakened From a Nap

Most everyone knows that turnip greens are loaded with nutrients. But... Doesn't mean we all like them. I, for one, never found them palatable. Not quite true.

When I was in graduate school, I was able to treat myself, ooccasionally, to a meal at a nearby family-owned restaurant. The prices were dirt cheap and the food was decent. The limited menu offered turnip greens as a side dish, and when I worked up the nerve to try the dish, I found it rather tasty. But, I suspect the greens were loaded with sugar—not featured on anyone's list of healthy foods. Besides, I never could talk anyone into giving me the secret on how to prepare them. The result is that I haven't eaten turnip greens since I got out of grad school—and that was looong ago. 

How does Facebook figure in this post about turnip greens on a non-cooking site?  Well, "everyone" (whoever they are) tells me that I should be on Facebook. I want to like 
Facebook. I try to like it. I believe that it is probably a good idea. Several times, I have almost talked myself into it. But, ultimately, I drag my feet, then think up umpteen projects that are far more urgent, and I still don't have a Facebook page. 

Obviously my comparing Facebook to turnip greens must be way out of line, since millions of people can't get enough of the social media rage. Maybe it's more akin to me not liking chocolate, or ice cream. Or, just plain old fear of tackling yet another bit of software. 

What is the equivalent of adding sugar to Facebook? Anybody have the recipe and willing to share it?



A New Camera for the New Year

BlackHawk-A work in Progress
(Click here for the larger image)





Note: Although I have added this version of this image to my portfolio, I consider it a work in progress and this version may end up being replaced. I haven't lived with it long enough to be ready for the final steps. A few more days, at least one more test print, and then we shall see.

I have only begun to become acquainted with my new Canon 7D and needed action shots for testing the new-to-me focusing system on this camera. BlackHawk, the 2012 addition to our little herd of three, is always ready to accommodate with action. With his winter coat he isn't at his sleekest and showiest, but, believe me, he needs that warm coat. For example, Sunday (January 13) morning our temperature was 9 degrees. I know that doesn't compete with Monte's recent -1, but it's more than cold enough for me.

The 7D arrived late the afternoon of Tuesday, January 8, and the next day I was out for a test run. Out of that afternoon's brief shoot with BlackHawk, this one is my favorites. The expression is so much who this young gelding is. Typical of his breed, Arabian, he is deeply curious. He is just over 5 and, as is common for that age, he is a bit full of himself. But, he has a sweet nature and is mostly a joy.

Like most of my work, this is a photograph with many layers added. The layers for this piece consist of starting with basic processing for lighting and general enhancement—jobs that were not completed during the Adobe Camera Raw processing of the RAW file. Once the file was moved to Photoshop, I gradually added multiple painting layers using the Wacom tablet and pen. In this case, about 90 percent of the painting was done with a couple of the oil mixer brushes.

First Friday Fun



 




"Lost in Thought"

(Click on the image for the larger version)

 

"Lost in Thought" is currently displayed as an 8x8 Lustre Print in a 12x12 walnut frame. This piece is available at Gallery 'N Gifts, Tehachapi, CA. Prints are available in various sizes. See my website for additional information.
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The First Friday art-walk is always a night of discovery, good conversation, and entertainment. These days, I rarely get out to the other venues in town. Instead, I spend the evening somewhere within close range of my work. The event offers an opportunity to observe, and sometimes engage, the folks who stop to spend time viewing my work. 

Not surprisingly, some of the viewers have questions about process. I have seen, more than once, that slightly puzzled expression before the person says, "How do you make these?" or, some cases, "What is this printed on?" When I tell them that the image is printed on metal, the next question almost always is, "How do you do that?!"

Obviously, those who stop to critique, dissect, explore, or enjoy all have one thing in common. They enjoy looking at horses. Many have never owned horses and have only admired them from a safe distance. Others have had horses for years.

Whatever the connection, the conversation, if there is one, usually begins with a question and eventually wends its way to swapped tales about horses we have met. In some cases, the viewer/questioner/storyteller's eyes roam from one piece to another as they relate to the collection of stories on the wall.  

Then there are those who are smitten by one piece. Those people clearly need quiet time to spend in front of their chosen image. Sometimes, just as the reverie comes to a close, I will ask if they care to share impressions. Not surprisingly, some folks are articulate, others dodge the question. Many of the responses come in the form of the viewers impressions and an analysis. Perhaps the viewer spots patterns or shapes that I missed. Those conversations are eye openers for me and I often end up learning something about what I made. In other cases, the comments are loaded with personal experiences and emotion. For me, those exchanges add yet another layer of meaning to that piece of work.

Last weekend, I met a number of nice people that I had never talked to before. For example, there was the lovely couple from a part of the Tehachapi Valley area. I had observed them from some distance and noticed that they had spent some time looking at my work and were engaged in animated conversation. My curiosity was burning. I knew that I had to work my way over there to at least meet them. 

He was drawn to the piece above—a small and personal image of a quiet moment. She was caught by a different  piece—currently the largest in my portion of the gallery. They had lots of questions and we had a great conversation. Now I have met two more of the fine people in my community. Who knows? This story may have more than one chapter.