Category Archives: Art

Covered Bridges: Exterior and Interior

Today I’m sharing three prints of covered bridges. The first two showing exterior aspects and the third one interior. We see so many captures and prints of covered bridges showing the exterior which I clearly understand from an architectural aspect…they are beautiful structures. I have shared a number of my own prints on this blog in various forms of painting styles. Today I’m sharing three different bridges where I used a more abstract watercolor technique (sharper lines and distinct borders).

All of these prints are covered bridges located in the south central portion of Oregon where off the beaten path you can find numerous covered bridges. I’ll start with the Neal Lane bridge. The viewpoint of the art print shows the perspective highlighting the shortness of the bridge.

Next up is the Stewart Bridge. This bridge is slightly longer than the prior one and doesn’t have any windows as many of them do.

And then the third one is the interior perspective of the Grave Creek Bridge. The amount of windows and the openness of the interior really caught my eye.

Thoughts? As I have said before, everyone reacts to visual art techniques and looks differently, so I am not in the least offended by opinions.

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A Setting for Wine Tasting

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The setting for these prints was a winery in Northern California. No actual wine here (sorry), but I wanted to present another group of prints that were created off of the same photographic capture. I am posting four art prints each with a slightly different presentation method. I was working with two photographs (one horizontal, one vertical) of the same setting using different digital art techniques.

I’ll start with one where I used a basic watercolor technique.

Using the same capture as the above print, I created the next print using an Impasto style of painting. The impasto style uses thick paint to create a texture that is almost 3D.

And then continuing with the same technique, I used the other “shot” I had taken which was more horizontal showing more of the area to the right of the table. Again, the same impasto style.

Then sticking to this particular horizontal capture, I used a fauvism style which was an art movement established early in the 20th century. This style focuses on bold colors, textured brushwork and slightly surreal depictions.

Thoughts? As I have said before, everyone reacts to visual art techniques and looks differently, so I am not in the least offended by opinions.

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Fauvism

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I have done a number of my digital art prints using a fauvism technique and I thought I would share what that means. The “fauvism” technique was introduced in 1905 by a group of artist. It used bold colors, strongly textured brush strokes and non-naturalistic depictions. I like the style as it created more freedom in depiction of subjects versus just straight forward presentations. In my opinion it works well with certain subjects and not so well with others. Unfortunately that still comes back to the eye of the beholder versus any hard set rule, but actually that’s the case with almost all art. Having said that I am sharing three prints that were created using a fauvism digital art program.

This is a good example of shape, color and texture in that the bud is painted in a slight surreal shape and the colors and brush strokes are very strong.

This particular print highlights the brush strokes and bold colors with just a slight abstract shape element.

Again, slight shape element, but very bold brush strokes with surreal background colors.

Thoughts? As I have said before, everyone reacts to visual art techniques and looks differently, so I am not in the least offended by opinions.

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Same Picture with Four Different Looks

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I thought it would be fun to share different styles of digitally altering a single photograph. I’m starting with the original photographic capture. The setting is an outdoor “kitchen” in Los Angeles. (I call it a kitchen as it has different grills and ovens for a variety of barbeque experiences which are not included in this photo). So starting with the print below….

I cropped it eliminating unnecessary aspects to keep it focused on the table, fireplace and wood door. I then took the cropped picture and started playing with different digital techniques. After trying numerous looks, I settled on the four following prints to keep in my gallery.

I’ll start with this colored sketching presentation. This technique re-creates the look of an art print that was sketched by hand, using colored pencils.

From there, I pulled all colors and created the same sketched picture in a black and white format.

With this presentation, I used a fauvism technique of oil painting. Fauvism creates somewhat abstract shapes, bold brush strokes and surreal colors creating this look.

In this final print, I used a gothic style of oil painting using earthen colors creating that old world look and feel.

All four created totally different looks and some will appeal to your eye and others not so much as we all have different tastes and preferences in art. I just wanted to share how I go about taking one photo and create various digital versions to end up with the final look or looks of any one photographic capture!

Thoughts? As I have said before, everyone reacts to visual art techniques and looks differently, so I am not in the least offended by opinions.

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The Continental Divide in Colorado

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For anyone that follows my blog, you know I like to try various styles and methods in my art prints to compliment the subject matter. This week, I’m featuring 4 prints I created using a sketching technique. The subject matter is the continental divide in Colorado due west of Denver. If you follow interstate 70 west from Denver you end dealing with the continental divide in one of two ways. One option is to get off the interstate and go over the pass on a two lane highway that climbs to the top and then down the other side. Some of these prints present that aspects. The other option is to go through the divide in the Eisenhower tunnel. Both methods bring you on the western side by Lake Dillon. The setting is beautiful and these prints display that.

The Colorado Continetal Divide On Loveland Pass

This view represents the top of the pass over the continental divide.

This depicts a single sailboat on Lake Dillon.

The Mountain Range Behind Lake Dillon Sketched

Looking west at the next range of mountains from the east side of the lake. Similar perspective as the prior sketch with the sailboat only further down the same mountain range.

Then to finish up, I did a sketch of the boating marina that sits on the northern side of the lake.

Thoughts? As I have said before, everyone reacts to visual art techniques and looks differently, so I am not in the least offended by opinions.

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Three Lighthouses – Different Presentations

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I love lighthouses as I have a high appreciation of architectural features, especially the uniqueness in these types of structures. For this post, I am sharing three different lighthouses that I created using different techniques.

I’ll start with the Cape Meares Lighthouse along the Oregon coastline. For this print I used a basic technique which focuses on traditional watercolor, but uses a precise drawing technique that creates sharp pockets of color in an almost abstract manner.

Then moving up the coastline to the state of Washington, I have the North Head Lighthouse. For this print, I used a more abstract approach with stronger lines drawn to create the shapes with strong pockets of color.

And then for the third lighthouse we move further north into the Seattle area to the West Point Lighthouse. This lighthouse sits on a piece of land that juts out into the Puget Sound and marks the northern end of Elliot Bay which lines the downtown waterfront of Seattle. For this art print, I created it using a color pencil sketching technique.

Thoughts? As I have said before, everyone reacts to visual art techniques and looks differently, so I am not in the least offended by opinions.

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Hot Air Balloons in Abstract Style

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I not only love flying in hot air balloons, I love the look of them. I’ve done a number of posts over the years on them and today’s post is of a couple different abstract techniques I used depicting them.

The first one was created using a fauvism (Fauvism: a style of painting with vivid expressionistic and non-naturalistic use of color that flourished in Paris from 1905) technique. This technique uses abstract shapes and variations of colors to create a unique look. The event is the annual Hot Air Balloon Festival in Avondale, Arizona (Phoenix metropolitan area). The balloon envelopes are inflated in the early morning hours for flights and races. After that series of events, the balloons are deflated until the evening hours when the envelopes are again inflated, but this time they stay on the ground. As evening turns into night with the darkening sky, the balloon operators shoot large flames up into the envelope of the balloon illuminating the brightly colored balloons.

Hot Air Balloons Night Festival In Abstract

Using a minimalist watercolor and drawing technique of the same evening event is the next one.

Then using that same technique depicting a single hot air balloon preparing for a day time flight.

Thoughts? As I have said before, everyone reacts to visual art techniques and looks differently, so I am not in the least offended by opinions.

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Floral Color for 2023

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I thought I’d start the New Year with a simple, but beautiful post featuring bright colorful floral blooms.

I’m starting with two orchid blooms.

Then on to Camellia blooms…

Then a pretty pink Dahlia bloom…..

And finish with a soft yellow rose bloom.

May your new year focus on the simple beauty nature has provided us to find the inner peace that comes with that.

Thoughts? As I have said before, everyone reacts to visual art techniques and looks differently, so I am not in the least offended by opinions.

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The Peace and Tranquility of Snow Scenes

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This week I am sharing two snow scenes that give me a sense of tranquility. Both are from the Seattle area taken a couple of years ago right after a Christmas snow. I have shared these scenes in the past, but since then have added some inspirational thought. As we head into a busy holiday season, to me it’s important to take a step back and appreciate all that we are and all that we have. Sometimes we get so tied up in the current events of the world and our individual lives that we lose sense of any calming peace.

Just take a step back, seek the peace and beauty within your life. Take it in…take it all in to appreciate what you have. Perfection doesn’t exist and there will always be issues and challenges dragging us down, but only if we let them.

Seek His Peace: Snow Clearing In The Woods

This is a challenge I put upon myself on a daily basis as I start each day. Am I always successful? No, but more times than not, I am. And when I am…..the world and my life look completely different.

Thoughts? As I have said before, everyone reacts to visual art techniques and looks differently, so I am not in the least offended by opinions.

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Pointillism in a Variety of Settings

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Pointillism is a unique method of using small dots of paint that collectively form a subject. It was developed in 1886. Click Wikipedia for further detail. With the onset of digital art, it is a style that can be replicated. I have created a few art prints with this technique and have shared some of them in the past. Today, I wanted to share 5 prints where I used this technique. The prints represent a variety of subjects and I thought it was interesting to show all five to see how this technique works with the different perspectives. Pointillism generally softens and lightens almost any subject it is applied to.

The first two prints are fall based subjects.

The setting in the next print switches gears from these subtle fall colors as it’s a farm setting in Iowa during the winter months. No snow, just earthen tones.

The next print takes us to a mountain meadow lake near Whistler, British Columbia. The color mixture (still softened) brings in natures basic colors

The final two prints move us into the heart of Denver, Colorado with two famous landmarks in downtown Denver. The first one is the D&F Tower which sits on the 16th Street Mall. This pedestrian mall connects the State Capital on one end of downtown to Union Station on the other end with lots of office buildings, stores and hotels in-between.