Desert Glow – Hot Air Balloons Simplistic Abstract

This week I’m going back to a subject I feature periodically and that’s hot air balloons. Having been fortunate enough to live in a couple of locations that have hot air balloons frequently, I have seen many different balloons during various stages of flight. This week I wanted to feature three balloons I have done using a simplistic abstract approach. All three are inspired by a “Desert Glow” event we went to in the Phoenix area a few years back. Fully inflated balloons are tethered to the ground after the sun sets. As the sky darkens, the balloons illuminate themselves as they turn their flames on and off to music….incredible sight to see. Keeping true to the dark background of night, I kept the colors of the balloons bright as the envelopes are lit up by the flame at the base. The simplicity of this technique allows the eye to focus on the color of the balloon envelopes.

With this technique, I start with ink strokes creating the envelopes of the balloon and the basket. I use strokes of different widths to keep it more suggestive rather than just a linear sketch. Using the same technique, I add just enough at the bottom to suggest a crowd of people and keep a focus on the flame itself. The fun part is recreating the colorful designs of various balloon envelopes I encountered at this event. Of course I was going to replicate the balloon with the large Saguaro Cactus on it since this was inspired by an Arizona event.

Peach Hot Air Balloon Night Glow In Abstract

Hot Air Balloon Evening Glow Red and Yellow In Abstract

Hot Air Balloon Cactus Night Glow In Abstract

Thoughts?

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Abstract Sunsets

In keeping with the theme from last weeks post, this week I’m featuring some more abstract prints. All four of these prints have a common theme…..foggy coastal sunsets!! You’re looking at these prints thinking….really?….these are sunsets?

It began on a trip my wife and I took up the coast of California and Oregon. It was in the fall and as seasonal temperatures change along the coastline, it’s not unusual to have fog role in about the same time as the sun sets. What was really interesting to me was the way the colors changed as the sun would come and go through the fog as it settled on the horizon.  You go from a very strong gray to small burst of light creating moments of unique colors through the fog onto the beach. Some of the moments were very subtle and some were muted bright colors. I took a number of shots every evening to have a point of reference in what I wanted to create in the way of different abstract prints. Using digital drawing and painting I created these four prints.

“Blue Abstract Sunset”

“Orange Abstract Sunset”

“Colorful Abstract Sunset”

“Purple Abstract Beach”

Thoughts?

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More Flamingos

Carrying on from last weeks post, I wanted to share some more flamingo prints. Last October I shared a series of flamingos that I created using an impasto technique. This particular series uses an abstract watercolor technique with the same ink pen drawings of a flamingo as an overlay on the abstract watercolor background. 

To create the watercolor background, I used (digital) a brush that creates an almost airbrushed look with a variety of colors. Then using an ink pen “brush”, I drew the flamingos on top of the colorful background.

 

Prancing Flamingo Abstract

 

Abstract Flamingo Step

 

Flamingo Eating In Abstract

 

Neck To The Ground Abstract Flamingo

Thoughts?

(On a personal note, I wanted to thank everyone that responded with support and prayers on the passing of my father. My wife and I spent a week in Cedar Rapids, Iowa along with siblings, nieces, nephews and our three girls and their husbands celebrating his life. The service was incredible with the four of us siblings each speaking with what he meant to us as a father. I come from a large family and it was awesome to see all of them come in from all over the country. It speaks volumes to who he was!!)

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Abstract Sunrise and Sunsets – Featured Art Prints

I have been working on a project for a client encompassing abstract sunsets and now sunrises. I am featuring three of my most recent art prints, two are with the sunsets and the third is the first of some sunrises. I featured the first three sunsets I created for the project last September in two different posts. One featuring a lighthouse and another a sailboat and then the post about our moving back to Southern California, leaving the Arizona desert behind, which was a group of Saguaros in the desert at sunset.

If you follow my blog you will remember that the move was precipitated because our granddaughter and her parents were expecting a little brother for her….which fast forward…happened this last week. Our grandson was born last Monday 10 days early and when he decided he wanted to come into the world…he wasted no time…very quick delivery. Mom, Dad and grandson are doing great as are his grandparents.

So back to the project, I had a client who wanted a series of abstract sunsets and sunrises done in this abstract style with a variety of subject matters. From my moving post, I put eyes and smiles on the cactus, which prompted a comment from one of my blog followers (yes, Brad that was you!!) about using them in a children’s book. At the time I had actually just finished a children’s book, which I wrote for my granddaughter and had my niece (great artist) illustrate it. I casually mentioned Brad’s comment to a source who helped me with the first book and they encouraged me to pursue it. So, as I complete the initial request, I am already planning on what “tweaks” I want to make and how that would fit in a children’s book. So, more on that as I go forward, but more importantly I wanted to thank Brad for his comment and let him know how it is being played forward (the power of positive input).

With these three, the first one is Serengeti Sunset with a group of giraffes on the Serengeti at sundown. With the sun on the horizon, I chose to stay close to primary colors creating a bold look, but darkened and softened the orange and yellow as they pulled up and down from the horizon line. I did the three giraffes in black silhouette to complete the look of this abstract representation. The digital drawing of the silhouette figures in all three prints looks simple, but trust me the drawing is very tedious and time consuming done digitally (if only I had the drawing gift free hand).

Sunset In The Serengeti

The next art print called Mountain Sunset is done using the same general technique with the bright primary colors filling the sky.

Mountain Sunset

The third one is done using the same concept, but to depict a sunrise, I changed the sky to blue to create a different look. This one features Flamingos feeding under palm trees.

Flamingo Sunrise

Thoughts?

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Architectural Lines – Abstract Fun

In creating abstract art, I like to take simple subjects and create bright colorful art prints. I have attached four art prints that started as simple linear architectural lines. I used a fauvism technique which lends itself to abstract art with bold surreal colors and exaggerated shapes.

The first print is architectural detail around windows on a Frank Lloyd Wright designed home in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Frank Lloyd Wright Windows

The second art print comes from the same home…

The Pedestal

the third art print is a row of flood gates along a river…

The Blue Flood Gates

and the final print is an old railroad car.

The Red Railroad Car

Thoughts?

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Colorful Sky with the Space Needle – Featured Art Prints

As a departure from last weeks black and white photography, this week I want to look at a very colorful sky I created as a backdrop to the Seattle skyline. Using a fauvism technique to create the bright colored sky and abstract look, I have attached two art prints that are just slightly different.

In the first print “Space Needle Colorful Sky”, I centered the Space Needle as a focal point with the buildings of downtown part of the background.

 

Space Needle Colorful Sky

In the second print “Space Needle Fauvism Style”, I put the Space Needle off-center to the right to allow the downtown buildings to become more prominent in the overall look. 

Space Needle Fauvism Style

My initial reaction between the two was the Space Needle centered, but then I was pulled to the Space Needle on the right side for the reasons I stated…..Thoughts?

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Abstract Flamingos – Featured Art Prints

While helping Mom and Dad introduce our granddaughter to animals at the Los Angeles Zoo last fall, the Flamingos caught my attention. I have always loved the look of Flamingos and their coloring. Looking at some of the images I took from a photo shoot, I visualized them in a unique abstract colorful form. I started by drawing the Flamingos in various stages of walking and feeding. I then filled the forms with a variety of vibrant colors. I took those creations and ran them through a digital painting process that creates strong “impasto style” brush stokes. The attached art prints are the resulting images.

Stooped Over Abstract Flamingo

 

One Step At A Time Abstract Flamingo

 

Feeding Flamingo In Abstract

Thoughts?

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