A different touch

Hi friends! I want to show you Selena Wagner's photographs today. As we have said on other occasions, the same object can be portrayed in many different ways and this depends on the artist's vision. We can see many versions of famous monuments or emblematic sites, but only a few can show a different point of view. This is what happens with Selena's, she shows us a different and personal version highlighting the symbolic characteristic of the composition. Although the composition itself is extremely important, in this case we find certain elements that make the difference, sometimes because of its symbolic meaning, in others because of its aesthetics in combination of visual lines and because of having found the artist an out of place element that shows a different result than normally expected.

The best conclusion we can draw is that Selena has her own style, a style that comes to us through her own vision of the world and her great ability to rescue the symbology either through elements, shapes or lights. I invite you to click on the photos to enlarge them and to know more about this great artist.

Light and Beauty

Today, I want to show you  Joseph Kelly's artworks. Photography about nature is one of his main lines (but not the only one), nevertheless this artist is more interested in what a capture transmits or moves than in the forms themselves. 

Each photographer shows the world from his/her own eyes, so it is extremely interesting to know that external vision, from another perspective, that maybe we ourselves would not be able to see. In his works, Joseph shows us a world of color and light, perhaps as a representation of his interior through the external objects he captures. Beauty is the common denominator of his works, which, although at some point they have a touch of drama, this only highlights the beautiful. 

Click on the images below to enlarge the pictures and know more about him.

When elegance is present in all its forms

Hi friends! It's a pleasure for me to show you Scott Kemper's photographs today. On many occasions, when I write about an artist, it isn't difficult to choose some of the works to show them here, but this time it has been really difficult to choose. The first sensation I had when I looked at Scott's galleries  was that of wishing to be in the places he portrays.

The images he captures, all without exception, take us to the right place with elegance and simplicity of the shapes. The elegance is detached in each of his works creating a perfect balance for the eye. The balance of the composition is subjugating, and the simplicity I mention is that which avoids recharged elements and leaves, simply, those most important ones, which really mean something relevant and that, somehow, being the only ones existing inevitably lead us to place with which we identify those parameters.

This artist plays with one or more elements, all important for what he wants to express, as if he had placed them there on purpose. We all know the icons' (and landmarks) importance, those which our mind knows and identifies with a particular place or situation. In his photographs Scott recreates this icons in an exceptional way and with sublime elegance, there is no noise or confusion that disturbs or distracts the viewer, in his photographs there is only what must exist.

On the other hand, the choice of colors is exceptional (remember that they are photographs and not paintings, so you have to get those colors that exist in reality). We all know the importance of colors as well, as each of them tells us something special and takes us to a different feeling. Well, there is no mistake in the colors, there is not a single color that leads to errors and makes us feel something different from what the artist has intended. As if we could imagine something and turn it into reality, Scott Kemper that sensation transmits in his photos.

And so, it was very difficult for me to choose only 3 of his works to show here since all deserved it, but you can see that by yourself clicking on the images, enlarging them and visiting his gallery. You can also visit his site http://kemperimagery.com. Enjoy it!

Captures with style

Hi friends! I want to show you John Franke's photographs today. It's a real pleasure to see his galleries since it is as if he had captured the best of all the places where he has been and he has done it with style and a personal vision. As we have talked about before on this blog, as a good photographer, he has been attentive to everything that could come to surprise him making really amazing shots of what would have gone unnoticed by anyone else.

Colored pencils: The unjustifiably little admired way of expression

Surely we have all worked with colored pencils since this is practically the first thing given to a child start expressing him/herself. Perhaps that first contact of children has left an wrong impression, as it is a basic medium, we don't have to worry about how much water, oil, turpentine or other product to add, nor the drying time, nor so many other details that must be taken into account with other techniques to which we accede being already a little older. But, my dear friends, working with colored pencils is not so simple and the work that can be done with this medium goes far beyond what our nephews can do.

There is a whole spectrum, a range of works that can be done by the skilled and talented hands of those who know how to use that medium, which would really astonish us if we were only able to take these works to their proper level: the level of true artistic expression. This technique can be as realistic as working with oil and as abstract as working with acrylic, It only depends on the hands that perform the work. Personally, I admire artists who work with this medium, almost more than anybody they have be very clear what they want to show and shape, no mistakes are allowed since these are almost impossible to solve without spoiling the work.

This medium can show us the smallest details, or work with reinforcements of shadows, lights and contrasts, we can sail exploring all possibilities and these are, in truth, almost endless...

But words are insubstantial when it comes to talk about something visual, that's why I want to show you Maryann DellaRocco's artworks as an example, a talented artist who uses colored pencils for her works granting them all the expressiveness and emotion and even more that could be done with other mediums. As she says her work is an "emotional thing" and seeing her works they undoubtedly are the product of her heart and feelings, what I insist make the difference between artists. I'd love if you could visit her site: www.maryanndellaroccofinearts.com, where she tells us about her work, motivations and life and what could make us more understand her beautiful art. She also says that she enjoys capturing the joy seen through children eyes, which is very interesting since the vision of this artist has a very special load of innocence but not devoid of reality.

Let's enjoy her works clicking on the images below to enlarge them, that will make us know her better, as well as the wonderful range of artwork that can be done with colored pencils.

Art vs. Commercial Art - We all need to eat

"Creating" is one of the things that characterize an artist, but that term is rather ambiguous. We have the need to bring out what we have into our heart, our mind and our body in a different way. Sometimes people like our works and others don't, as well as we create works that are fantastic for everyone except us ourselves.

The problem raised in this post is that an artist also needs to eat. Based on the fact that everyone needs to pay their bills, rent, mortgage, food, etc., we find the great and terrible obstacle that must be faced by every artist and that is: earn a living with his/her art (it should be clarified that some artists have some styles and make works that are for the taste of almost all audiences, so these lines don't really involve them).

It is quite difficult to make a living with art, at least if we talk about the kind of art that comes out like a whirlwind of our interior and that makes us unique. As this is difficult, then we start working as commercial artists, making illustrations, drawings, pictures, photographs, among other things, that people in general consider nice or pleasant to have at home. People don't usually like to have a dramatic scene hanging on their wall, even when that scene speaks from inside, performs a social or internal criticism or establishes clarity to certain principles. Buyers prefer, in general, to see something that doesn't make them think too much and if it's so that has to take their thoughts to something positive, even if this is inconsequential in fact .

Then we have a great dilemma, we want to earn our living as artists with what produces our intellect and our spirit but we must adapt to the rules of consumption and "create" according to the buyers taste. Are we artists still doing this? Are we betraying ourselves? Is there a limit? Is there a balance between our artwork and our style and what we adapt to sell? Should we separate the type of work we make? I would say that depends on each case, but in general we should separate things.

We shouldn't change completely our style to fit with a fashion or a special buyer. It is our own style, the one we use to narrate and show our creations, the one that gives us an identity. We can't betray ourselves so much. So, how do we deal with it? Well..., let's continue working with our own and personal creations while creating a different line of works that we could call "commercial" but never let other people get confused. Otherwise, art itself is devalued and becomes a simple decoration product or a brand sale, among other things, but it isn't what it should be anymore: "a soul true expression".

I put myself as an example since criticism must begin at home. I have different lines of work, many ..., but I think that few of them really express art, even if some others can be considered like that for the rest of the world.

This is one of my commercial works, even this style can have some heart on it, but it is what it is:

And this is one of my paintings, perhaps it hasn't  so much details as my commercial works but it comes from my soul:

So, what is important here is to separate concepts, areas and works. We have to be conscious about our changes and the reason that leads us to make one or other kind of work. We should not lie to ourselves, our commercial work can be wonderful and even performed with a perfect technique but it's not coming from the original fire that burned our heart when we started with art. 

Nothing better for an artist (at least for those who aren't famous) than earn a living with commercial art but, please, never forget why you started in art, what took you there, what you felt when expressing yourself, in short, do not lose your identity and the way to yourself.

Find your style in photography - 8 - The right place and the right time

Hi friends!, here we are with "Find your style in photography" again, this time with an important tip that is: to be at the right moment at the right place.

As we have already talked about, there are too many photography styles and they all have their relevance. In this case, I imagine that usually happens to us of being specially looking for something that we have in mind and then we suddenly meet a different scene that captures our attention. No matters what we wanted, the composition we tried to work with or the previous idea we had, never let that new an unexpected capture go. We have (and need) to be really open minded with our camera, we never know when we're going to find something that could even be better than what we were looking for. An unexpected rain, a sudden flight of a bird or the feeling shown in a child's eyes.

We are surrounded by surprises and we just have to pay attention and be ready to shoot what comes to us. A good eye is the one that transforms a simple fact of life in an artwork, so don't wait for amazing things since simple ones make the difference sometimes. 

As an example of this, I want to show you Michael Hills' work that higlights for the spontaneity it reflects as if he always knew how to be at the right place at right time. Click on the images to enlarge them and know more about this artist whose works cover a wider variety than the ones shown here below.

Find your style in photography - 7 - Luck or creativity?

Today I want to talk about Alan Brown's photographs which could teach us a lot about how to create good images. He seems to find beauty everywhere, do you think that he's a lucky guy or that he is a talented one? You know, sometimes one is lucky enough as to live in a paradise and have the opportunity to take good photographs, but if you think this you're wrong. You don't need to live in a wonderful place to make good photos and nothing assures that you would make them so.

Of course, Alan's photographs show us wonderful places but that's not all, he captures a special moment with a special distribution of elements and a special perspective among other details that make the image different from all that could have been taken in the same place. As he tells us in his bio: "I learnt quickly from the harsh critique of contest judges that great images are not taken, they are created, and that each image has its own story . This mantra has been a constant throughout my many years as an avid photographer." 

In the same sense, he's driven to create exceptional images, he's self demanding what leads him to produce excellent works. So, we can learn two different lessons through his work, the first one is that it isn't the same taking a photograph than creating one and the second is that if you don't have the strength to exceed the average expectations about a photograph your work will be very similar to everyone.

I invite you to click on the images below to enlarge them and know more about Alan Brown and his fantastic works that takes us to unimagined places that whisper stories. 

Brushstrokes's Importance

I could have called this post "How to find your style in oil or acrylic...", but it's actually applicable for different techniques.

Artists sometimes think too much about brushstrokes, so much that they lose spontaneity, and it's not pleasant to see a non spontaneous painting, which has been too thoughtful, as if the hand had not known exactly what to do in each case. Others, try to make the brushstroke not to be noticed as if they were afraid of mistaking. All these is normal when we start to learn how to do things, but it's clealy shown in the final artwork.

Talking about this, there is a style that stands out by the force and the thickness of the stroke, without being impressionist, that plays with lights and shadows in such a way that the elements seem to shine from the canvas, almost as if it were a 3d effect. Obviously, only a very experienced hand can do this, taking the eye of the viewer to the whole work and giving it a relief that it still don't have.

It is surprising how this type of work, even without being realistic, may look like that providing an interesting visual game that leads us to complete the missing blur.

Therefore, it is important that we don't hesitate in every brushstroke, that our mental object can be represented by our hand beyond the hyperealist vision without losing the accuracy of what we want to show. Sometimes this takes months, other years, it all depends on how much we practice and how much we let ourselves go with regard to our own vision of things. We don't have to fear or hesitate when painting since sometimes it's better to make mistakes and learn from them than have lot of shy arts from which we learned nothing. 

As an example of this kind of artworks, I want to show you Samantha Black's ones. Currently, she basically works with oil and acrylic and she always knows how strong, thik, clear or dark the stroke has to be in order to give the viewer the perfect idea of what she wants to show. Click on the images to enlarge them and see her work on detail, you'll find she developed other styles with great skill to represent beauty as well. 

Beauty and Innocence

Hello my friends! Today I want to talk about Ashley Gore and her artworks. I use to give some advices and tips and then put an artist as an example, but this time I prefer talking about this artist since her work caught my attention in more than one sense. 

As you can read in her site: http://agore72185.wixsite.com/ashleyartgallery , she has a disease that she struggles with every day and which could be an obstacle for anyone but she decided to do something positive about it. What calls my attention the most in addition to the brave way she faces life it's how she transmits it through art. When we see her works, mostly made in acrylic, the first thing that comes to our mind is an innocent style that looks at life with a very particular candor. 

Her work is soft, delicate, feminine, with subtle lines and colors that celebrate life. Her works have a distinctive but not overwhelming symbolism, which leads us to see beyond the simple elements. In many of her works this artist seems to have a close relationship with nature, in how it is modified and what can affect it. She eliminates some superfluous elements of realism to add her own that give us a more intense vision of what she wants to express, such as a particular use of light that takes our eye to the right place, close-ups that indicate its importance and the playfulness between colors and lines.

Likewise, at some point she secretly reveals her pain, not as a complaint, but as a simple commentary on life which makes it even more revealing. In her work "She's gone" (you can find it below), for example, in that case she has an impressive creativity to show a fact of life (which can touch both physically and emotionally) from a symbolic and even surreal point. I do not like comparisons, but seeing that work reminded me Frida Kahlo's works in which her pain showed itself openly and not, since the beauty of the composition could only lead us to empathy. 

As I always say, I admire artists who go beyond, those that a flower is not simply a flower but rather says something else, who show us a series of colors that is not a simple composition for the visual but also for the spirit. 

I invite you to click on the images to enlarge them and know more about Ashley Gore, you can find her on facebook as well: https://www.facebook.com/AshleyGallery/ .

Simply amazing collages

Today I want to tell you about Alexei Gural and his artworks who says about himself  "I make digital collages using images I take from famous paintings, mix them up into scenes that are a little surrealist ...", but that isn't so simple as he thinks. 

Let's start saying that collage is a very widespread method in contemporary art and this, sometimes, makes the difference in what we can call "new art". Artists often use different materials, from clippings of magazines, photographs, or other less conventional as in the case of conceptual art. However, Alexei Gural's case is not conventional. I bet that if most of us tried to do the same thing like that we wouldn't get such an amazing result. 

To make the type of work of this artist, obviously, one has to know the classic works in depth and have a clear idea of what we need. In addition, we need an expert use of digital tools to show the aggregated elements as a whole in the set. Gural makes us fell that what we see is what was painting in fact, he has a delicate and sophisticated use of these tools which leads to convince us that it can only be an original work.

But the most important, in addition to the incredible skill with the digital tools and the softness that leads us to believe that we are really in front of a museum work, is his amazing creativity. Yes, it is "just" amazing. Alexei Gural's arworks are surrealist and are loaded with stories and emotions of what the artist wants to tell. The degree of symbolism of his works converts a conventional theme (from which he chooses his collages) into a complete and personal work that leads us to think and to ask ourselves as the best surrealistic artist can do. 

So, we come back with the question of what it is to be an artist. An artist, I have to insist, is who creates and transmits through his/her work what can not be seen with the naked eye, transmits emotions or makes us think, regardless of the method used. And now I invite you to click on the images to enlarge them and know more about Alexei, you'll be surprised by sure as I was. You can also visit his blog: https://alexeiguralblog.wordpress.com

Find your style in photography - 5 - Can photographs be more creative than some paintings?

It's usual thinking that paintings are more creative than photographs, but that isn't true, that depends...

I use to find out some photographs creations which deserve a higher range than some paintings and that's Lesa Fine's case. It's amazing how this artist captures the spirit of things and environment with her camera, she always has a special mood for each one of her works which makes us easily identify her. Lesa uses to tell us a story with her photographs since, as I use to say here and everywhere, it's not just about shooting everything we see around but finding those special details that make elements more esthetic and even touching. 

Lesa Fine has a personal style which, I believe, not only comes from her talent but from her way of seeing life and her feelings, and that comes out from her images. Her special mood, as you can see on the images below, takes us to her world as if she was taking us there by her hand. Beauty appears on her images which sometimes are warm and other cold but that always go beyond the simple elements. 

So, we could wonder what is to be an artist. Being an artist is taking a piece of your heart and soul and share it with the world, it's going deeper than the simple eye can go and it's making emotions flow in the others. That's why I say that, some times, photographs are more artistic than some paintings...

I invite to click on the images below and know more about this great artist that is Lesa Fine.

Art that Comes from the Heart

Artists have many motivations to paint and they are all valid. But there is one in particular that I, personally, have always considered remarkable and that is the one that comes from the heart.

It's interesting to see how people express their emotions and feelings in a different way. Some sublimate what they can not control in life through sport, excessive order, disorder, food, alcohol, drugs, ... among other things, while others, very few, do it through art. Art then becomes an extension of the spirit, of the soul. It is a way of dealing with pain, anguish,  uncertainty and all the emotions and feelings that the soul can shelter, which are almost endless. Sometimes situations or emotions overflow us and then our instinct leads us to behave either positively or negatively. 

Some people, I insist that few, manage to create beauty from the worst. While most would use all these destructive feelings in a negative way a few use them to create beauty. However, there are two ways of using pain and anguish in art: 1) create as a distraction and 2) get the pain involved in the work. The first case is one of the best ways to put our mind and soul somewhere else, outside us. But the second one, when pain revolves inside us and we're not even able to manage it but we instinctively throw all those feelings in a mass of creativeness, when we are able to pick up those sharping pieces of anguish transforming them in colors and shapes in a canvas, then my friends, then it is when you really are a great artist. It's about sensitivity and row soul, it's about your heart drawing and painting in an even unconscious way.

Of course art is a subjective issue, but paintings that tell us about inner stories are those that personally touch me since the author shows him/her heart naked. It's about courage and braveness as well, and that deserves all our respect and admiration.

I was inspired for this article on Emily Page's artworks, who knows much about feelings and emotions and perfectly managed to create beauty from sadness. Besides being a great artist she gives us a lesson as human beings. I don't want to talk a lot about her work since I prefer you to see it yourselves, I just have to say that she is a fabulous realistic artist who innovates in techniques, and artist with amazing hands and an amazing heart. Click on the images and know more about her, she deserves it. I also invite you to visit her blog  https://emilypageart.net/ and her site  https://emilypageart.com, where you'll not only  be able to know more about her artworks but also about "Fractured Memories: Because Demented People Need Love, Too", an Emily's book which I strongly recommend.

I leave you with this artist today who, by sure, will touch your heart.

The world around us

Artists often paint what surrounds them, sometimes realistically and literally while other times they show that world adding imaginary or symbolic elements. Personally, I prefer the second case. 

It always amazes me the way in which an artist can take to the canvas certain symbolic elements in a practically unconscious way, and not just the elements but the colors. Obviously, this shows how wonderful the plastic arts are since we extract visions and experiences from our deep interior.

Today, I want to show you Maria Woithofer's artworks, I think this could help all those who love painting to improve their ability and know a bit more about what they do and why. She started painting with oils but she currently works with acrylics and watercolor as well. The case is that Maria had two vivid experiences about what was around her as she was born in Poland but moved to Greece, what is a big change for anyone indeed, and we can see that in her paintings, she tells us about her world with her own vision and portrays the wonderful nature for us. 

There are two main things which mainly call my attention about her works and this are: elements and colors. Regarding elements, as you can see in her "Summer" work below, for example, she adds symbolic concepts that takes us to a complete world in a painting. It's her idea of summer, her feelings and experiences playing together to make us have a real sense of what she wants to show us. Besides that, there is some kind of joy in her work. If we visit her gallery we'll see that she's also a great realistic painter as she shows in most of her works, but it seems as if she resigned some perfection to highlight "meaning" in each of her brush strokes, what is in fact contemporary art. 

Regarding color, this calls my attention as well since she has a great use of it linking colors with moods, seasons and personal visions adding, this way, another symbolic element to her works.

What can we learn about all this? Well, in your paintings:

- Put your personal touch.

- Use non traditional elements in a composition.

- Take into account that colors mean emotions.

- Each brush stroke is important.

- Let yourself go ...

Click on the images below to know more about Maria Woithofer, you'll enjoy it.

Find your style in photography - 4 - When Everything can be Beautiful

Hello friends! Let's continue with photography and talk about a different style.

Maybe you go around with your camera for hours looking for something worth to be captured, you get tired, you find think there's nothing and get stressed. Have you thought that, perhaps, you've not been paying real attention? Beauty is around us everywhere, the matter is that we have to see it with different eyes. Everyone knows that a flower, a puppy or a sunset is beautiful, but there are many other things that deserve our attention and that are beautiful for other reasons than simply visual.

Things tell us stories, everything you find in your way has something to say, an old building, an abandoned church, even old tools tell us about themselves. But, how do we make other people listen and find the beauty? Well, that's called "art". Art makes things talk by themselves and tell us their story, it gives real beauty even to a piece of wood, so sometimes it's not just about what we capture but how. 

There is something called perspective that we should take into account and which can bring a melancholic, sad, happy, romantic, etc. touch to our shots. Let's imagine an abandoned and ancient building, we have many ways to capture it and depending on that we'll get a result: time of the day, light, from where, close, far, perspective, clouded day, sunny day, among other possibilities. The matter is that we can find beauty wherever we go if we have a good eye, a good technique and artistic sense.

There some photographers who are special for that, they exactly know where, when and how. They don't need a beautiful thing itself to show beauty, they find and show it wherever they go and on whatever they capture. This is Lisa Wooten case, her shots capture beauty as she perfectly knows it is everywhere, and even when she is mostly a landscape photographer she gives us the fresh air of beauty, feelings and emotion on everything she captures. If you click on the images below you'll know what I'm about and you'll be able to know more about this fantastic artist. 

Find your style in photography - 2 - Beyond Perfection

Some photographers show us reality in such an exquisite way that they make us wish things were like they show us. It is an elaborate hyperrealism that provides an added touch of beauty, which comes from their own eye and camera.

Let's see what are the most distinctive features of this type of work, regardless of the special talent of each artist:

1. The right moment: not any moment, just the perfect one.

2. The light that inspires exactly what we want it to: depending on the light we'll get different kind of emotions, sometimes we just find the proper moment for shooting while others we look for that.

3. Perfect element's combination: we have different elements or just one but, how and where do we place them? We'll get completely different results depending on the combination.

4. Perfect balance: balance is one of the most important things in photography, that makes the eye go in one direction or another,  gives relevance to the total composition or to certain elements and may change the general meaning.

5. Capture exactly what you want to capture: when we work outdoors it's possible that we capture what we can, but patient and an experienced eye take us where we and how we want. 

These simple tips usually make the difference between a simple landscape or a paradise one. Have you ever seen a photograph of an incredible place you've visited once but that appears to be more exciting and beautiful than what you've seen with your own eyes?, that's called "talent".

As an example of this, I want to show you Luigi Morbidelli's artworks. It's actually difficult to choose just one of his photograph as they are all beyond perfection. His work is error free and goes a step further by spicing the image with his own talent which adds beauty to everything he captures. Luigi is a landscape but also a food photographer and I can assure you that his photographs of food make what he shows more palatable than reality itself. If you click on the images you'll be able to enlarge them and see his complete gallery, which I strongly recommend. You can also know more about him at http://luigimorbidelli.wixsite.com/photography . Through his photos we can learn what  really a professional work is and how important are both talent and experience. Enjoy it!

Portraits that speak by themselves

Traditional themes never die since they are renewed by the technique used and by what they tell us. This is portraits' case. Artists have always been interested in perpetuating other people in their works, before photography technology there was no way to get someone to be remembered, but the most interesting thing about it is that due to portraits we are able to realize how faces have been changing over the course of history. 

Thanks to the portraits we can know what the idealization of beauty was at any given moment, which wasn't the same in the tenth century or in the sixteenth century, much less in the twenty-first century. We have an idea nos of what was worn, fashion, morphology and even the predominant expressions in a time that is not ours. It's like writing history but with pencils and paintings. Therefore, portraits have always existed and will always exist, whispering to the ear the secrets of a moment or circumstance of history and a character.

It is interesting to see how things have changed, not only in the portrait's subject but also in its realization. Personally, I feel great admiration for those artists who manage to make realistic portraits and are able to show up the emotions and feelings of a character through their eyes, for example, something that photography itself often can not get. 

Today, I want to show you Marina Pacurar's work, she is a traditional and digital artist specialized, but not limited, on portraits. She has a serie of portraits based on Games of Thrones' characters, which she used as well to create a Deck of Poker Cards ( https://www.etsy.com/shop/MarinaPacurar?ref=hdr_shop_menu ). One of the things that most caught my attention in her portraits, besides their great perfection, it was the expression that this artist gives them, they are live as they could speak and tell us how they feel and how they are, what is very difficult to achieve in fact. Click on the images below to enlarge them and to know more about this awesome artist who is able to make her portraits talk with their eyes and skin.