Surf and Sand

While we enjoy heading to the beach year-round, many make it a special event with summer fun and 4th of July celebrations. A favorite spot to catch views of two fireworks displays is sitting seaside on Studio Beach just on the south end of Cayucos, California. From that beach you can watch the colors fly above the Cayucos Pier to the north and over Morro Rock to the south. Get there early, claim your domain and don't forget all the necessities.

 
Beach Life-iPhone Photo from #MailArt Series

The Ocean is Calling-Watercolor on Paper, 7 x 9.5 inches (17.78 x 24.13 cm)
Original painting is sold-prints available at ALTAMIRA  or on imagekind and ACEO on Etsy

Bee Up

The Artisans Gallery Team was challenged by one of their own, Roxana Villa of Illuminated Perfume, to create honey bee inspired creations to celebrate her passion for beekeeping and draw attention to the dwindling bee population. Along with the variety of amazing handmade finds many of us are participating in a series of blog posts started on June 24th with the Artisans Gallery Team, Blog it Forward-Bee Up. Yesterday Jen over on Sewn Natural Studio shared some fascinating statistics as well as some of her bee inspired creations.

As a visual oriented person I am intrigued by the structure of the combs, the layers, the colors and the pattern that can be found in a honeycomb. My original acrylic abstract collage, Brood Comb, is a study in the patterns and shapes I see in the natural structure.

  
Brood Comb- acrylic paint and collage paper with metallic (gold) ink detailing
on 1 ½ inch deep, gallery wrapped canvas 16 x 20 inches (40.64 x 50.8 cm)

Here are just a few of the other honey bee inspired creations from my fellow Artisans Gallery Team~

 
1. Decorate the Diva 2. Illuminated Perfume 3. Piping Hot Papers 4. Jessica Torrant 5. Blue Bicicletta 6. Slinkymalinkicat 7. Star Bags 8. Jealousy Design 9. Knot Original 10. Ixela 11. Sea Pinks 12. The Joy of Color 13. Little Saplings 14. Sewn Natural

Check in tomorrow with Sharon of Knot Original as the Bee Up continues on Artisans Gallery Team Blog.

Take Your Camera EVERYWHERE

When it comes to being a "techie" I will admit to knowing more than most of the people I'm around but considerably less than a lot of other people. I'm utterly devoted to my Nikon cameras and head over heels with my Olympus waterproof camera for taking into the waves with me, but the camera that goes EVERYWHERE with me is my iPhone 3G. I couldn't be more excited about today's release of Apples most recent makeover for the iPhone with its most talked about updates centering on the camera upgrades. Included in the new iPhone 4 are a front facing camera for self-portraits and video chat (FaceTime), a 5-megapixel camera with an LED flash and 5X zoom as well as HD video recording.

...anyway, I thought you might like a demonstration of one of the photo editing apps I currently use on my iPhone photos, FX Photo Studio. With a simple snapshot I can manipulate with filters and effects to achieve a more artistic image, even before the fancy camera upgrades available on the new model.

Original iPhone Photograph

  …to see more of photographs taken with my iPhone check out my Flickr Set.

Painting Day

Every now and then I host a painting day with some friends, inviting them to explore and experiment. Recently we got together and went back through some basics in creating light and shadow as well as some color and composition studies.

We started with some "warm-up" paintings which in theory are supposed to be quick and expressive exercises to get you loose and feeling free with the paint. For us though, we were focused on having something we would want to keep when we were done and our "warm-up" exercise lasted a little over an hour.

 

After a while we moved on to slightly larger paintings with more abstract expression and intense color palettes.

Here are some of my results…

Jaunt-acrylic on paper, 10x11 inches or 25.4x27.94 cm 

 
Culture-acrylic paint and silver metallic ink on paper, 10x11 inches or 25.4x27.94 cm

Patina-acrylic paint and silver metallic ink on paper, 10x11 inches or 25.4x27.94 cm

The Rush

I am expanding my Surfer Series of paintings to include some new larger original acrylic paintings. The Rush is an original acrylic painting on 1 1/2" deep gallery wrapped canvas, 12 x 36 inches (30.48 x 91.44 cm). Working larger is allowing me to create additional dynamics in my scenes.

Suspension Series

Bubbles form and begin to rise as they float or flow within a fluid they travel along changing shapes while separating or merging. If you could stop that flow and capture a split second to see them suspended it would be an image like no other. From this image my "Suspension" paintings have emerged through the application of isopropyl alcohol throughout the process I can create a one or a kind pattern.

Nucleation is a culmination of layers to create the many bubbles for which are cornerstones in the series.

Nucleation-Acrylic Paint and Silver Metallic Ink
on 1 ½ inch deep, gallery wrapped canvas 16 x 20 inches (40.64 x 50.8 cm)

Artists’ Tools Aren't Just Brushes

Artist Extraordinaire Ali Herrmann recently had some questions about how I came to be an artist and the ways I market my art. As I reflected on how I got I started I realized many of my opportunities to succeed have come from connections with friends and family. While I don't consider myself a "joiner", networking and maintaining a supportive entourage has created a basis for success I could not have accomplished alone. A BIG thank you going out to all who have helped...you know who you are.

Click over to Ali's blog to read the interview.

A Summer Tradition

Camping in the Sierra's is a summer tradition for me and my Mr. We have a couple of secret* spots that allow us to get away from group campgrounds and really explore the serenity of escaping our busy schedules. Don't worry; I recognize the humor in running up to the mountains to get away from what are almost weekly surfing Sundays. But there truly is a calming quiet you find among the trees that can't be reached listening to the wind and waves of the West Coast beaches.

Being Human in Time-How This Generation Spends Their Time
iPhone Photographs from MailArt Series

One of our favorite areas is Chiquita Creek near Mammoth Pool Reservoir. There are many areas to explore without the crowds you may find in Yosemite National Park throughout the summer.

 Chiquita Creek-photograph

 Along the Path-panoramic photograph

 
The Water’s Edge I-Original Acrylic Painting on Paper, 7 x 15 inches (17.78 x 38.1 cm).

 
The Water’s Edge II-Original Acrylic Painting on Paper, 7 x 15 inches (17.78 x 38.1 cm).