Boat bits . . .

 It may be an artistic flaw, but I easily fall in love with simple line and design, creating images that don’t necessarily convey deep thoughts, contain heavy ponderings, or relate to life and the universe.

Give me a dock to walk on, a little boat in the water below, and I end up with something like this. The bright yet rich red color, the solid white vertical line, the movement of a diagonal element — all make me happy. As do the little dark triangular shapes upper left and lower right.

Sometimes it doesn't take much, does it? 

 

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.

What I'm working on . . . artist books

I've always wanted to make a series of artist books, small booklets that contain handpainted/handprinted papers.

The process begins (at least for me) with the papers, so I've been using a gel plate and a limited color palette to make the pages.

Using the pages as a substrate, I will add additional items and then create the signatures. The signature thickness will determine how the books will be bound. For all I know right now, each book may just be a single signature!

The colors are luscious, the possibilities for embellishment limitless. Here's the layout right now for simple page-making.

An oversize gel plate is where it begins (top), where I make the individual pages (middle). In the bottom picture you can see close-ups of three pages.

This is fun! No pressure, no time constraints, and the results are beautiful. We shall see!

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.

Latest work: "Dockside"

As usual, I've been experimenting with various photos and techniques, attempting to create something new, different, and interesting.

This composition came from various marinas in Anacortes, Washington, where I found textures as well as subject matter to photograph and then bring together in the computer.

It went through at least six different versions before I considered it "done" and I uploaded it to Fine Art America this morning.

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.

One photo, three possibilities . . .

When I was conducting online photo classes, one of the assignments I gave my students was called "squarification."

The objective was to encourage them to look at their images and/or subject matter to see if it could look good not only full-frame, but also as a square. A square image often has a completely different -- and appealing -- effect.

Here's what I mean:

The top photo show you my original composition of colorful graffiti I found on the side of a railroad car.

I liked the bit of red paint up toward the top that leads our eye down into the rest of the picture.

And then I began experimenting with a square format, as you see in the middle picture. Again we've got the red at the top. But we also have blue lines over at the left that lead our eye down to the bottom third of the square photo, where there's a patch of cool-looking rust.

And finally, in the third photo, I return to the top part of the picture and concentrate solely on that red section.

In this version we have the red line beginning upper left, then continuing diagonally down into the middle of the picture, where it makes an abrupt turn to our left before heading south again.

And, as a bonus, we have the blue lines on the left that also encourage our eye to move down to the bottom of the frame.

There you have it. One photo, three different possibilities. Ta da!

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.

Around the Island: Autumn on Whidbey

The weather has been classically wonderful (big blue skies, no rain, plenty of sunshine, temps ranging from the upper 40s at night, upper 50s/lower 60s during the day). Perfect for getting out and exploring the island.

Farm stands display freshly picked apples and pears as well as wheelbarrows, shelves, and baskets full of pumpkins. The produce is fresh and locally grown (except for some pumpkins I spotted at a local nursery, each one proudly displaying a sticker from . . . Woodburn, Oregon!

Scarecrows line the streets in Coupeville and painted brooms, looking like candy corn, add color to the overlook in downtown Langley.

People are selecting their pumpkins in fields here and there; the dahlias are just about finished blooming; and the air is fresh and clear.

Here are a few pictures I've taken over the past 10 days or so. What a happy time of year.

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.

WHAT I'M WORKING ON: "Bunker Art"

Another in my series of photographs depicting the details of military fortifications along the west coast. In this case, I converted the image to black and white and then let just a bit of the underlying color image come through. Gotta say, I like this effect!

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.

What-Iffing . . . sketches

Spending time wondering "what if" is time well spent. How else will you know what will work, what won't, what sorts of photos work best, and what techniques produce the best results.

Sure, you might create a LOT of really bad work, but so what?

If you don't experiment, you will be in the same artistic box, day after day.

Here are three of my latest experiments with turning photographs into sketches (sort of). I'm not 100% pleased with them, but there's something rather appealing (at least for me) about what I made.

I like how words and tiny details show up clearer in the sketch than they do in the original photograph. I like the outlines. And I like the transparent-ish colors.

The only way I know how I made these pictures would be to go back to my original photographs and take a look at all the layers -- which I leave intact. I have yet to develop a "recipe."

Yes, experimentation is time-consuming. No, this isn't for everyone. For me, however, it keeps my mind and my eyes active, and it keeps my art changing. I hope!

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.