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Off to Boston to attend Photoshop World.  Of course there is a delay at Newark Libery International.

Flying over the Hudson River

Flying over Scituate Harbor in Mass.  I’m in a new fiber group, and our first image needs natural lines.  This may serve as some good inspiration.  We’ll see.

I’m not sure where … but coming into the Logan Airport area (I’ll have to look on Google maps).

Arriving

Derry

Ahhh …

Looking through the ceiling at the Shops at the Prudential Center building.

A quick shot of flowers while passing by a flower stand (no flash and a slow shutter speed such by accident – a happy accident.

Okay, work is caught up, blog is caught up, it’s time for food and classes.  Sorry about the obnoxious looking copyright symbols.  It’s part of the script I use for resizing images, and I’m too lazy to redo the script right now.  :)

Last week I had the pleasure of taking a few hours off from work, meeting up with Colleen Bell (a quilt artist and a gifted nurse practitioner), and visiting  the New Jersey Statue Museum located in Trenton to view a show called “Transformations.”   The Museum organizers  selected the theme to reflect the “renovation project that has transformed the infrastructure of the building.  … Participating craftspeople were encouraged to consider transformation – of ideas, materials or space, and how the products of these transformations themselves trigger additional change – of art forms, perception or society itself, in the work they submit to the jurors.”

Sadly I have no photos from the show.  I made the mistake of asking if I could take photographs.  After some consideration, the guard said no.  I had the feeling that if I didn’t ask, and shot with natural light, it would not have been a problem.  It wasn’t that I wanted to photograph each individual piece of art (although I did have a couple favorites),  but rather the art within the Museum setting.  I so enjoyed the structure itself, how the large windows and natural lighting enhanced the experience and displayed the work to its best.  For example, there was a piece made by Joan Dryer, an American flag,  composed entirely of x-ray film.  It hung under an archway.  The large window behind it was tinted (probably to protect work from UV light), although the Delaware River was visible and glistening from sunlight dancing on the water.  Everything had a black/white/silvery quality to it, complementing Joan’s piece beautifully.

Although I didn’t take any photographs within the building, I did wander around outside to take some.  The show runs through mid-March.

This past Wednesday I was in NYC photographing he annual kick-off party for the Parkinson’s Unity Walk (I’m proud that we also designed their website).   This was the third year it was held at the Gabarron Foundation Carriage House Center for the Arts located at 149 East 38th Street.  The Foundation specifically serves the Spanish and American communities and specializes in exhibitions and various cultural activities. It also serves as a meeting place for people and organizations.

The exhibition currently showing is “I Have a Dream — International Tribute Exhibition to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.”  The above work is “Dr. Martin Luther King — Love Revolution, 2008″ by Lee Pei.  It is oil on canvas, 43.3″ x 43.3”.

“The question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be … The nation and world are in dire need of creative extremists.”

— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968)

The exhibit runs through March 8, 2009, and it features the provocative work of over 70 artists.  I was very fortunate to get a 141 page color catalog of the show which also includes poems and  commentary by several individuals such as Maya Angelou and Cora Weiss.  If you go to the Foundation’s website, you can download a PDF of the catalog in black/white. While my photos are primarily of the event, I did have permission to also photograph throughout the Carriage House.  The following is a taste of the venue.

I love the interior space of this three-story structure,  with its spiral staircase and the open floor plan.  It is a fabulous venue for showing off art.  Under the stair case is a large sculpture made of painted wood called “El Suneno de Jonas, 2008” by Francisco Leiro.

Up the staircase to the second floor of the luscious interior (oh, how I’d love this to be my home!).

The work on the far left is “I Had a Dream Somewhere in the Cosmos, 2008″ by Josep Puihmari.  It’s oil on canvas, 76.8″ x 51.2”.  The work to the right of it is the bottom portion of  “Doble Rostro, 2008″ by Anton Patino.  It’s mixed media, 39.4″ x 78.7”.  To its right, is the bottom portion of “Lorraine, 2008” (you can see the “I am a Man” area) by Javier Balda.  It’s mixed media on canvas , 70.1″ x 51.2″.

To the far left is a portion of “Flowers for MLK, 2008″ by Ciria.  It is oil on canvas and measures 78.7″ x 78.7”.  Otherwise, the art is as noted in the above image.  On the far high wall is “Angel No. 13″ by Cui Xiuwen (no year noted).  It is a print, 43.3″ x 50.8”.

If you look straight down under the “Flowers for MLK” print, you’ll see the opening to the far room which is a state-of-the-art looking kitchen (as least in comparison to my home kitchen).  I didn’t photograph it because the catering company was hard at work preparing the evening’s delicious food, but I had to take a photo of the glasses.

The piece on the left is called “Soul Brother 1, 2007″ by Willie Cole and is made entirely of shoes (nice ones, I must add).  To the right is “Si, M.L.K., 200″ by Arranz Bravo.  It is oil on canvas, 47.2″ x 47.2”.

Up on the third floor in the corner was this provocative piece “I Had A Dream, 2008″ by Charlie Sartwelle.  It is a mixed media collage, 15.7″ x 24”.

Back on the ground floor level.

Even the glasses waiting to be filled looked good.

The main floor area with guests enjoying the reception.

Carol Walton, the CEO of The Parkinson Alliance, the parent organization that runs the Unity Walk.  Carol is incredibly focused and driven, and I cannot even begin to describe what an asset she is to everything she gets involved with.

As an aside, I’ve been doing work for the Alliance since early 2001, and I highly recommend this organization to donate to.  Yes, times are difficult, but this organization matches every dollar you send — meaning you get your money’s worth — and they are committed to funding the research to find a cure.  Click here to learn more.

“Let Freedom Ring 2008″ by Blanca Benitez.  It is collage on wood, 35.4″ x 39.4”.

It was not difficult photographing people in front of the art, especially since most wasn’t covered with glass.

Throughout the evening, this beautiful woman played harp.  The piece to the right is called “Seeds of Peace” by Sharon Kopriva.  It is mixed media,  37″ x 29.9″

It’s difficult seeing the piece to the left.  It’s called “Dream (Homenatge A MLK), 2008″ by Enric Ansesa.  It is acrylic and oil on canvas, 39.4″ x 39.4”

Please note that the works of art are all copyrighted by their respective makers.  Again, the photos here are just a little taste and they in no way reflect the beauty of seeing the works in person.  If you’re in NYC, contact the Foundation for information on how you can view the show.  For more information on any of the artists or their work, contact the Foundation.  And, again, click here for more information on the Parkinson’s Unity Walk and click here for more information on The Parkinson Alliance.

You can also see pictures that I took last year at this event by clicking on the February 2008 link to the right and scrolling down the page.

Often when I need to relax and break away from client work, I zone out and focus on my own work.  There is an assortment of things I’ll bury myself in, including digital doodles and designs.  One idea generally flows into another and another and another.  In this case, I was doodling inside of Photoshop, playing and experimenting.

I like these two.  While they are okay alone, I will return to them on another day to explore them further, seeing where they can go.

The above images evolved into something looking more like feathers or a flower.  The biggest problem I have when doing this work is using so many layers and filters and blend modes that I am not sure how I got from point A to Z.  Worse, if I create something I like, it can be tricky figuring out to enlarge something for a large print or the basis of something in fabric.  I do hope to create something with one of the above images, if even if a starting point to something else.  However, in all likelihood I’ll print them on everyday paper, put them into a sketch book, and return to them another time with fresh eyes.

The new season of Torchwood.   Click here to get up to speed.
Can The Doctor be far behind?

“It’s about Time –  2009”

I’m mega aware of time.  Am I wasting it?  Packing enough interest into my hours?  I never feel like I’m utilizing my time as well as I could.  And I’m very aware of time ticking by. I often play games with time.  For example, if I’m in a situation that I don’t want to be in (like, getting a root canal), I tell myself “this time tomorrow all of this will be a memory.”  Or if I need to get something done that I don’t feel like working on, I use a timer and tell myself to work on it for 20 minutes and then stop.  I’ve also long since stopped wearing a watch because I tend to time things.  Sick, I know.

On a good note, however, I also like photographing clocks, especially capturing the time that the image was taken.  As a result, I have a cool collection of clocks from all over the place.  The small quilt above (10 x 10″)  was created from a digital collage of clocks.

After I printed the image on cotton, I then overpainted areas for some extra interest.  When quilting this, I sort of overdid the area on the left.  It bugged me.  Rather then tossing it,  I decided to cover it with a sheer fabric.  I then tacked it down with additional quilting.  It calmed the area enough, keeping the focus on time and stopping me from tossing it.   I’ve a bunch more collages in this series.  One is ready to be quilted, and another is a larger, strange version that I may or may not make.  We’ll see if I have the time.  <smile>

This is my 2007 Journal Project, displayed at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas and, I believe their sister shows in Chicago and Long Beach.   It’s called “Know Way Out,” a play on words as many of the pictures in the collage are various exits and ways out.

I took the photographs for this piece while in England and in France.  The bottom image was taken through the plane windows as the plane was descending into Birmingham airport.  The sheep was in a field probably in Worcestershire.  On the far right is a picture from  the Gare du Nord in Paris, the middle is from a tube station in London, and the far right is from a subway exis area in either Paris or Lyon.

The blue that frames the image is painted tyvec that was then burned.  While I burned some of it before stitching it down, I burned the edges after stitching it down — and I did this *very* carefully.

In this you can see lots more images collaged together.  I do think there is so much going on that much is lost in the small 11×14 inch format of the quilt.  The excitement of collaging the images together was quickly dulled by my disappointment of the overall finished piece.  It was too late to toss it, as I was down to the wire on the deadline.  So I finished it and sent it off.

I do have all of the various files that made up this piece, and I think about doing another version, removing some of the layers altogether, and printing it either on large textured paper or again on fabric, but in a larger format – maybe 24″ wide.  We’ll see.  I did learn a valuable lesson in this piece:  Sometimes less is more.   Another day I’ll post my 2008 piece.

“The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea passed on from generation to generation:  the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

… at this moment, a moment that will define a generation, it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.  For as much as government can do, and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies.”

— excerpt from the Inaugural Address,  President Barack Hussein Obama

While going through some images that I had taken while in San Francisco, I remembered the peace I felt while watching the sun rise and cut through the morning fog.

With tomorrow’s exciting inauguration growing near, it feels symbolic too.

Today was another day of informative and inspiring sessions.  The first was with Lesa King was taught “graphic secrets for creatives using Photoshop.” She is the authos of Photoshop CS4, The Missing Manual, published by O’Reilly.

The next was with Deke McClelland.  Deke is considered one of the top Photoshop “guru’s” – along with Scott Kelby and some others popular in NAPP circles.  His session was on Photoshop CS4, going over the new features that make an upgrade worth the money.  He also has several published titles with O’Reilly.

The final session was a panel discussion called “digital art pioneers and trendsetters.”  Above is Jeremy Sutton (and me) next to an incredible painting he did of Barack Obama called “The Speech.”  He also signed a smaller version of the art for me (which I’m thrilled about).  Jeremy’s artwork is very recognizable with its vivid colors and bold brush style, and he’s a clear master of his digital tools, with Corel’s Painter program being a favorite.  If you’d like to obtain a limited edition poster of “The Speech,” visit his site here.

Jeremy was born in London (received a degree in physics from Cambridge) and now lives in San Francisco.  He teaches classes on using Corel.  While I’ve not taken any of his long workshops, I have taken some of his shorter sessions.  If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend a class with him.  He teaches with gusto and treats everyone with with a sincere interest in who they are and how what he teaches may be beneficial.  He also loves dancing and will often treat the class with a soft shoe should there be the time.

The panel was hosted by Rob MacDonald who is the project manage for Corel Corp.  Included was Bruce Dorn, Andrew Jones, Jason Manly, and Fay Sirkis.  Each are incredible artists creating jaw-dropping work.

If the work wasn’t enough, my eyes widened when I saw the Wacom tablet belonging to Andrew Jones (shown above standing).  He added a guitar strap to his tablet, and he modified it to musically respond to his pen stylus stroke.  He does digital live paintings at concerts (he also has, among other things, worked for George Lucas at Industrial Light and Magic and has his art is on the cover of Corel Painter X).

Each artist shared how they got involved in working in a digital media, what trends they see, and they addressed the misconception that digital art isn’t real art.  That discussion focused on how we are on the cusp of a paradigm shift and how with each shift comes questions and doubt from others.  Bruce discussed how traditional galleries have always been behind the times when showing artwork.  Faye gave a quick but fascinating overview of art throughout various stages in history and how technology played a role in the tools used for the creation of art.   She explained, for example, how Vermeer (born 1632) used a “camera obscura,” a lens-like device that helped produce perspective.  The chain of events continued to today’s use of digital tools.

They weren’t suggesting that traditional media is going away, but rather than there is a powerful array of digital tools that artists can use.  And, just because you have digital tools doesn’t mean you are instantly an artist.  They weren’t talking about using various filter recipes to create one look or another look, they were talking about using the tools as a way to further your passion and to authentically create — no different than using a charcoal or a machine stitch.

I was absolutely awestruck by the artwork they shared, and I left the session feeling very energized and very good that my work is taking the direction it is.  It is exciting to witness how digital technology is changing our world and how we incorporate it into our artwork.

Tomorrow is the last day of the show … more to follow …

Another day at MacWorld.  I took three sessions.  The first was from Ben Chen, a photographer from Southern California, on “DVD montage on the go.”  It focused on creating a “live DVD” primarily for wedding photography.  He spoke about the need for an excellent digital assistant who would be one step behind the photographer.  Once the photographer was finished in one area, for example, shooting the bride getting ready, the assistant would collect those cards, import the photos into the computer, and begin sorting them.  The goal was at the end of the night there would be a DVD to present at the reception.  Part of the class covered workflow, preparing things ahead of time – such as the music and graphics – and so on. While this isn’t for me, there was one tidbit of information I found extremely useful:  The issue of music and copyright.  Obviously using someone’s music is a copyright violation. But, get this: If you publish something with YouTube using a particularly piece of music, you immediately get an email from them stating that you are using so and so’s piece of copyrighted music. Then it extends permission to use this music.  In turn, you allow others to view and republish your video clip.  This is under something called “Universal Music Group and YouTube Forge Strategic Partnership” which came into effect October 2006.   Thus, if you first publish on YouTube, you can then republish on your website without fear of copyright infringement.  Excellent to know!

I took a session with Derrick Story on working more efficiently in Photoshop CS4.  It was geared to photographers, with tips on importing, sorting, cataloging, correcting (if needed), and, eventually working in Photoshop, if needed.  Another words, it took full advantage of Camera Raw and Bridge.  I’m fluent with both so this session was much better suited for my needs.  A great thing to learn in this was that metadata (copyright information) is no longer stripped in the Save for Web function.

On the show floor, many others were giving shorter sessions.  Bert Monroy, was at the Peachpit booth.  I’ve taken many classes with him over the years and highly recommend him.  He does the most incredible artwork using Photoshop and Illustrator as his tools.  He’s light years ahead of anything I’m capable of, but he is incredibly inspiring.

I then took a session with Rick Smolan, Harold David, Derrick Story, and Amit Gupta.  It was the best session of the bunch, covering “the state of the art of digital photography” with each speaker talking about his take on things.  Rick Smolan (that’s him on the left – bad photo, I know) spoke about his “Day in the Life” series of books.  He approached some 35 publishers who all turned down his idea.  Eventually a publisher accepted his idea, and some several million copies later, the series continues.

Derrick Story talked about various hardware.  Many people often ask what’s a good small camera to use rather for those times when you don’t want to carry around a heavy DSLR. He answered:  The Canon G9, the Canon G10, and the Panasonic LX3.  They shoot RAW, decent video,and  each has a good lens.  The caveat is that the ISO shouldn’t go over 400 because of excess noise.  Good to know.

Harold Davis talked about trends.  He sees two: The ISO in DSLRs being so high that flash will no longer be used except for special effects (I’m a fan of fill flash and don’t plan on giving flash up anytime soon <g>); and photography being merged into a new art through combining digital photography and manipulation.  However, many of us quilt makers and mixed media artists already know the power of digital tools!  Amit Gupta from Photojojo talked about some of his favorite finds.  I liked the bottle cap tripod and the white balance lens cap.  Fun stuff.

In the middle of sessions, there is a huge area in the West building to relax.

Moscone at night … tomorrow is another day with more classes.  I’m particularly looking forward to another panel session with digital artists.

Today MacWorld officially opens.  This is the first year in probably some 8 years that I haven’t gotten myself up at some silly early time to stand in a long, long line waiting for Steven Jobs to deliver his keynote speech.  My decision wasn’t based on Jobs’ decision to skip this year’s show but rather because  – despite the excitement – the wait has become longer and longer over the years, meaning one needs to get up earlier and earlier.   I have seen various artists perform at the end of the shows – John Mayer twice, Randy Newman, – and I am sorry that I missed listening to Tony Bennett who performed this year.  But, so it goes!

After having a nice sleep, I arrived when the show opened.  It was crowded, but not nearly as much as I expected.  Although, again, because of being within the masses crunched in during past keynote speeches, any walking space seems unusual.

You gotta love all of those apps!

Crowds are always around the Apple theatre to learn all about the latest and greatest.  These include iLife ’09 — including  many improvements  such as face recognition in iPhoto (don’t care about), music lessons in GarageBank (very cool), and video stabilization in iMovie — and improvements to iWork ’09.  Great news to music lovers is the “new standard” on iTunes – DRM free music.  Then there is the release of the 17″ MacBook Pro, called “the most powerful Mac notebook ever” with a battery boasting 8 hours of use on a single charge.  You can learn all about these things by visiting Apple’s website.

More tomorrow …