Online Exhibition - MCAD Web 2.0 Class

Final Exhibition - "Passing Moments"
To see the complete exhibition see my Flicker site.

In this series of works I started with a focus of “Passages” for a series of visual pieces for a summer class with the Minneapolis College of Art & Design – (Art Education in the Web 2.0 World
After my initial “gatherings” of images for my focus on passages I found my self-becoming aware of paths and passing moments. Most of my gatherings were my summer "walks with dog" (Copper), so she became a focal point an inspiration for working with colored lines overlaid on the image to emphasize a concept of passages and provide a new view point on an otherwise “commonplace” moment in time.  I am striving to look at the different “layers” of reality that we construct. I want those who look at my images to “see” beyond this ordinary moment and see how much more there is ~ When you take the time to really stop, look around and observe the amazing world around us.

reflection and revision

After some feedback from Emily, I took a previous work with the colored lines and a person on a path - Passing "Away" and revised it with colored lines that tapered and receded to a point in the background.
I think the new effect is more dynamic and give more depth to the work. I found a cool technique using the pen tool in Photoshop. I used the free form pen tool to create the lines and then made them into tapered brush stokes using an option on the path palette. It is an interesting technique and I think I will apply it to a river way color overlay I have been thinking about.. 

Collaborative Challenge

I am working on the collaborative challenge from my classmate Lea Anne. After my initial burst of energy and ideas I was struggling to keep the creative ideas coming. I did not like most of the ideas I was coming up with, so the creative challenge has been good to make me explore some new ideas. I am not sure how effective some of the images are, but it is fun to play around with a focus and see what happens. I remind myself that for every successful piece that comes out, there are a lot of work that go into the "recycle" bin. I am intrigued by the ideas of showing energy and emotion to an otherwise static image, trying to give it the dynamics of passing moments and the flow of energy all around us. So time to sit back digest what I've done and bang around new ideas in the back of my mind. I do want to spend a few hours doing some drawings of secret passages, take a change of pace and media.. All in all it is good to be creating, reflecting and getting inspired. My favorite word is  Temenos ~ a Greek verb loosely translated meaning "sacred sandbox" some place where the magic, divinity, or spiritual can be accessed. I think making art is such a place..

Teaching and Technology

I have been teaching art for 33 years. Mostly at the high school level, although some college, and several workshops. I have seen different movements and emphasis in art education, but to me it has always been about creating works of art, studying works of art, and responding to works of art. But most important is creating works of art. I have always been fascinated with “technology” and teaching. I thought the innovations of the cross dissolve between two slide projectors with music playing was very cool. And through the last 20 years I have been very fortunate to witness and work with the incredible developments in computers, the Internet, and software. I went back to school for a M.Ed with a focus on computers in education. I am a geek at heart. I love what resources are now available and how is can expand our knowledge and understanding and enrich the "creative palette".

But skills and concepts are not the most important thing about making art - to quote Peter London again. “The making of Art can be the arena of your “becoming”, and that is the magic of creating something. It can transform how you see yourself and the world.

Focus Reflections

In reviewing my visual focus of ~ Passages ~ and the images I have come up with so far I am becoming more interested in adding layers to digital images, trying to add "a state of mind", emotional response to different aspects of visual passages in the world around me and personally.
I like trying to create images that can take on different meaning, more than just a pretty picture, and something with an interesting juxtaposition of images that can take the viewer different directions. A chance to play with color and design, and try new digital manipulation techniques.

About making art

In the first post I was focusing on the process of my images, but this morning I wanted to add something about the "spirit" element of creating something. The MCAD class has been good for me in that I have neglected taking time to "make art". I was to busy taking care of all the aspects of chairing an art department of 500 students, teaching 5 classes, and taking care of home and family. But I must remember to take time get in the studio and create. As a good friend of mine once told me being involved in making art is " The arena of Your Becoming..." Taking photos, thinking about visualizing a final piece makes me ~Show Up and Pay Attention~ to me and the wonderful world around me.

1st week reflections..

In reflecting on my collection of images dealing with my focus on passages some different things are occurring to me –
I started out with the idea of incorporating images the dealt with different aspects of passages and then combined them with text passages that seemed to reflect/embellish a digitally manipulated image. But during the last few pieces I am finding that I am more interested in adding different visual layers to get my idea across that adding text. I may go back and work with some text, but for now I am working on compilations of images to give a visual “twist” on passages in the world around us.