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

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"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?

 

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.

Sugar with Lots of Spice

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A 12x12 print on Kodak ENDURA paper of "Sugar with Lotsa Spice" will be exhibited beginning December 6, 2012. This piece will be shown in a 16x16 walnut frame.
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I have other pieces featuring this horse, but wanted to try some new techniques and started this piece purely as an exercise. That is the mindset that frees my creative spirit. And, that explains why I most often avoid commissions. Every time I am approached to take on a commission, I feel my gut twisting into a knot and know that saying "Yes" means I will have to struggle with the voices reminding me to please the buyer. More often than not, I chicken out and say, "No" to the commission.  

Too often, I have let the pressure to please the buyer shut me down. The voices in my head warn, "Be careful. Stay in your comfort zone. Go with proven techniques." No good can come of that sort of thinking.

My favorite pieces—and the ones that most successfully connect with other people—are almost inevitably images that resulted from exploration and permission to experiment with new-to-me techniques, take risks, and test ideas that, at first, seem a little crazy.

Only when I give myself that unconditional permission to fail miserably, only when I allow myself to play with an image, to spend unlimited time with the piece and abandon all expectations—do I have any hope of coming to some understanding of the elements before me—only then can I remember the dream, capture something of the feelings of the moment, and manipulate the colors, light, lines, and textures into something that makes me happy.

Furthermore, if the final product doesn't make me happy, I can't bring myself to show it to anyone. The time invested is chalked up to learning. I move on and tackle a different piece. Sometimes, I don't get back to the "learning exercise" for months. Sometimes, a fresh look offers new insight and the piece comes to life. Sometimes, the image goes back in the file and waits. I'm not very good at predicting how an experiment will end.

Equus Cirruscumulus

(Click on the thumbnail for the larger version)

Equus Cirruscumulus is available. This 10x10 limited edition is printed on Kodak ENDURA Metallic paper and will be exhibited in a 16x16 walnut wood frame.
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"Equus Cirrruscumulus" can be loosely translated to "Cloud Horse". This piece has kicked off a new series for me. Actually, I think the collection had its beginnings with "Beach Ball Classic" posted on 1/19/12. But, with this piece—a departure from my typical darker, bolder, and dramatic style, the passion for this airy look hit full force. I am currently working on several pieces that will likely compose a group consisting of six prints, or more—all fitting into this "bathed in light" feeling. A portion of this series will first be exhibited early this summer. More information about that show coming soon. First, I have to deal with the show coming up the end of this month.

By the way, I am still struggling with descriptions for this collection such as "airy" and "bathed in light".  If you have suggestions for a name, please share. I am definitely open to possibilities. Any ideas off the top of your head? I would love to put them in the hopper to consider.

The young gelding in this image is half American Quarter Horse and half Arabian. He is a golden Palomino with personality to spare and I am sorry to say that he has been sold since I saw him, and I doubt that our paths shall ever cross again. I will do some pining over him, I am afraid. He moved so beautifully with such joy and obvious celebration of his power and ease. On multiple occasions, I have mentioned that I frequently fall in love with horses at first sight. This one stole my heart immediately. He danced, pranced, and showed me his best while I not only pressed the shutter button over and over, but became more infatuated with his beauty and spirit. Yes, superficial, of course—all about good looks. I have no experience with the Palomino's personality in hand, much less under saddle. Still, it is probably a good thing that I am not wealthy. Horses like him would rapidly make me horse-poor.

Dark Horses and Goblins

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A Dark Horse Came Running is currently available. This limited edition is printed on Kodak ENDURA Metallic paper and will be exhibited in an 11x14 opening in an 8 ply museum quality matte and a 16x20 frame.

                                                                                                                                                                

In mid-February we had house guests and the last wave of that adventure was the arrival of one of my  ex-students. S. is an absolute delight and we were so pleased that she took time out of her busy trip to California to spend some of it with us. As noon last Wednesday approached—her scheduled time to hit the road, she announced that she needed a few minutes to browse through my prints once again. I was thrilled that she wanted to spend a few more minutes with my work and I encouraged her take her time with her final tour. After all, her energy was a tonic for us and I hated to see her leave.

She moved slowly from one viewing section to another, hall to room to another hallway, then said, "I brought one blank check with me just on a whim." For several minues, I didn't grasp the meaning of the sentence and how it connected with her tour of the prints. It turned out she wanted to buy a framed print. I was taken aback, but obviously pleased at the turn of events.

After considerable deliberation, she returned again to the image above (previously posted at my journal blog), and said that she couldn't resist the one with the gremlin on his back. I chuckled because when I completed that piece, I hadn't a single thought about gremlins. Then a friend posted a comment and asked about the goblin on the horse's back. Well, of course, since that time, I can't not see the beast. How I ever missed it is now beyond me.

After the comment,  my first impulse, frankly, was to fix it. I seriously considered reworking the piece immediately, reprinting, and ridding the  horse of his gremlin burden. But, the more I thought about it the more I knew it wasn't the right thing to do. That gelding has had a demon on his back for years. He was, apparently, mistreated as a youngster and never fully regained his trust in humans. He was a one-woman horse. Had you ever seen the animal, you would have immediately sensed the wildness in him. Since I have often talked about allowing my subconscious mind to play its role in my creative life, it seemed quite hypocritical to deny all that by throwing out something that made it all the way to print and exhibit without my conscious mind ever catching on. To deny my work philosophy along with the horse's story and erase these influences after the fact didn't ring true. Ultimately, I let the work stand.

It seemed fitting that there was surprise to complete the strange story of this image. The last thing on my mind while our charming guest was with us was art sales. Her purchase was a delicious surprise and I shouldn't have been shocked that she chose a piece that had already offered some surprises.

A Cloud of Dust



(Click on the thumbnail for the larger version)

A Cloud of Dust is currently available. This limited edition is printed on Kodak ENDURA Metallic paper and will be shown in an 11x14 opening in an 8 ply museum quality matte and a 16x20 walnut frame.
                                                                                                                                                                

I love watching a horse just turned out and eager to work out the kinks. This gray is feeling good and relishing every moment of his freedom, as he unleashes all that pent up energy. The way the
light plays on the mane and tail along with the one eye in sharp focus are the visual focal points for me and underline the power in the gelding. You can almost hear him snorting and whistling as he kicks up the dust while coiling and uncoiling those muscles.

This one makes me smile each time I share in this animal's celebration of freedom.

Beach Ball Classic

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Some horses, like some dogs, love playing with toys. These large balls designed to look like beach balls are popular examples of toys that provide long periods of entertainment for some horses. Our horses have not shown an interest in toys, but play "war games" with one another. They play combat and pretend they are prepared to fight to the death one minute and the next they go back to grazing side by side.

The mustang pictured here is one of those horses who is attracted to toys and was having a wonderful time with the brightly colored ball. That is when he wasn't running around the turn-out ring, chasing—or being chased—by a couple of dogs. Or, running just for the joy of having more space than usual and running to be running.

Eclipse - A Velvet Darkness

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I had never met this horse until April 2010. It was love at first sight—but, then, I have been known to fall in love at first sight before—with horses, that is. It doesn't hurt that he is owned by a dear friend. The black gelding has an air about him of being quite in control of himself and somewhat detached from his surroundings. His energy and athleticism are intoxicating and who could resist those delicate little ears?

A print of my impression of Eclipse sold at our Autumn Art Show, October 8 and 9. The lovely lady who bought the print was buying her second of my prints to add to her sizable art collection. I always feel fortunate to send a print to a home where it will hang with a nice collection of art on the walls. May it bring years of pleasure to the new owner.