The Carbon Project: COLORS

So, some of you know about my Carbon Project which I started last Spring and spoke about in a recent post.  The Project which originally started out being strictly black & white very soon incorporated slight color toning, and then full color -- first desaturated, but finally, full candy tones.  It's surreal living in New York City, sometimes.  Why shouldn't my depiction convey a similar sense?   Above are a bit of this color portion of the Carbon Project, along with detail shots.

My only problem now is the rendering in print... inkjet printers are not always capable of the subtleness of my colors, with green-blues to full greeny-greens coming out particularly flat.  Bleahh.  Something I have to work on.  Might have to do this part off-site [have someone else print them.]

Vitamin C

It's that weird time of year when the Spring season pops its head in the door to remind you it's right around the corner, yet doesn't actually drop in for long before ceding back to the chill, and you let your guard down and stop wearing hats and gloves, and everyone at work is sick, and next thing you know you've got this funny feeling in the back of your throat.... Well, normally I don't get sick from others, and I will go with wet hair in an ice storm (cold does not make you sick, germs do) but this winter I have had one really bad cold, and a couple of yucky under-the-weathers.  Prevention time?  Maybe.  So I am trying to remember my Vitamin C, or perhaps I'll just take a picture instead.  I think creativity heals all.  :)

It Starts With Doodling

Like so many great ideas I have... the pencil works idly on any little scrap of paper I can find.  I use the edges of cards at work which only allow me spaces of about 2inches x 1/2inch to work on.  Birds continue as well as a series of scaredy cats (to be seen later... or not.)  Here's my sketch which I scanned much larger into my computer and added texture there.  Finally, I uploaded the final full-color painting today on my Flickr account.  Goldie is also available in my shop.

My Metropolis

This is a glimpse of a series I started last Spring (2009) entitled The Carbon Project.  It involves photographs of random (preferably non-famous) Manhattan buildings processed in Camera Raw (no filters or special effects) to look like etchings or drawings.  You can see the project slowly unfold HERE.  Or you can simply click on this photo for a better look.

As the World Flickrs: Anita Dominoni

L & A, originally uploaded by Anita Dominoni.

The wonderful art created by Anita is a recent discovery for me. She does exquisite collage types of mixed media which seem to pop out like dioramas. Check out her papier mache sculptures as well!

Birds

Some recent illustrations I've been working on concurrently with another ongoing series (something completely different from this which I'll talk about hopefully soon.)  They are titled from left to right: Bird Bath, Hoping For a Sign, and Shabby Chick.  [click the photos to see better]

Here's a better view of some details of each one.

As I've spoken about in the past, I'm an avid doodler, particularly at work.  Little pencil (these) or ballpoint pen sketches (and I do mean little, these are about an inch tall!) made during the day get tossed in my bag to be scanned larger once I get home. These I'll work on for hours, upon hours painting, adding texture and so on.  It's a process I love to get lost in; the time elapses and I'll suddenly realize I've not yet showered, or eaten, or run my errands, or.....

Some Jumbo sMacTacks Available

In one of my shops while supplies last.  Neaten up and organize that refrigerator now: Just stack 'em up, and slap it on; it's art that works.  Happy first day of February!