Conversations about Art

The Fine Arts America website has some very good article on art. I enjoy going out and talking with other artists no matter what medium in which they work. I love the conversations and tips and how it makes me think more about my own artistic practices and marketing. There isn’t any one true way and every artist has to find their own way in developing their own techniques and styles. A number of topics come up for discussion and this morning, I found myself asking questions.

When does art go from being an enjoyment of creativity and exploration to producing almost a mass market inventory to sell? What is lost, is anything lost, when the artist focuses on selling and doing art with the sole goal of what will sell? Does something change within the artist when the joy of creativity is taken over by the need to sell/make a living? What happens when every piece of work is only “good enough” if it’s considered saleable?

For many artists, selling and making a living is the ultimate goal. For others, that kind of work is “selling out.” Many develop techniques that will permit them to be able to produce many pieces throughout the year. Some are able to push out painting after painting. Others may take a long time to create one piece of art. I am curious about what “makes the artist tick.” Why do you do what you do?

It doesn’t matter what side of the fence you’re on; whether you’re in with those who produce many items a year or only a dozen or so. I want to know the story behind what you do. I want to Understand. (Capitalized on purpose.) And it’s not about one way being right and the other wrong.

Maybe it’s because I am constantly asking myself questions about my own art. I am one of these artists who cannot focus on one style or technique. I love what I do, but I can also see where it does hold me back. But I LOVE what I do, so if it makes me happy, why would that be wrong and does that make me less of an artist?

Yes, my goal is to sell my work and because my work brings me much joy, I want others to enjoy it as well. Does this mean we base our worth on others purchasing our work? If our work doesn’t sell, does this mean we are not good artists?

Looking deeper inside, I often wonder what is said to “defend” our work and who or what do we try to defend ourselves against? If someone gives a negative comment, is that because he doesn’t personally like the piece or is his own creativity threatened somehow. What triggers the negative response? Is it total technical advice or a personal opinion? What is the intent behind the negativity? Is it to degrade the artist? And does a juror realize that even giving “constructive criticism,” it is still negative and her words can be more destructive than helpful?

There are more artists now than ever before and competition is stiff. Marketing strategies have turned into their own art form. Do we make our work better by putting someone else’s down? Do we make ourselves feel better by downplaying another’s technique? How can we market ourselves when there are many others out there doing similar work? If we are not good at marketing, does that make us less than professional artists?

I am very pleased to have numerous artist friends and I love the camaraderie, support, and good conversations that we have. I enjoy meeting other artists and learning about their styles and techniques. I enjoy hearing about WHO they are on a deeper level, not just the artist persona they present to the public. Does this help me be a better artist? YES! Because it broadens my views, teaches me acceptance, and I am more comfortable within myself to be the artist that I want to be.

Writing Descriptions

Describing What I See

I often find myself struggling to describe what I see. I envy those writers who are able to put wonderful written descriptions in their work.

This… lack of mine… really struck me while I was on my journey south this winter. I did not have the words to describe much of what I was seeing and on highways, everything went by so fast. Then when I did stop, there was so much to see that I didn’t take the time in the moment and hurried along to see as much as I could.

This morning it hit me. Some of my problem is because I don’t STOP. It seems that even when I’m not in a hurry, I hurry. I jump from one ah moment to the next, take a few quick photographs and move on to something else.

In thinking this further, I reflected on the outing to Windsor the other day. What did I first experience? When we got out of the truck, the heat of the day struck us. Gayle was immediately drawn to the waterfall and my eyes were drawn upwards to the tall, unusual electrical towers. Both our attentions were caught on the back of the building where we could see the outlines of old windows and doors. Gayle liked the one big door near ground level that was still operable while I looked at the one three stories up wondering where that once led.

So, I can write a description like that whereas others might go fully into what those doors and windows really looked like. How could the back of that building be described so the readers could fully understand what was seen? Me, I’m ready to move to the inside of the building. Again, though, I tend to be like the butterfly flitting from flower to flower. Even if I did want to describe the machinery, I don’t always have the proper words. I can tell a gear from a wheel and I’m fascinated how these lathes and gear making machines were made… but I can’t really describe it.

Maybe I need to fully stop and examine one thing. What would I find? In that case, I would have needed to have one of the museum people give me proper terms for what I was looking at. I couldn’t be saying things like, “…that big black thing fitted into another big black thing which turned that little silver piece…”

Taking the time is the lesson. As a photographer, I should already know this. Many times I hear other photographers talking about how much time it takes them to get good photos. In this aspect, I’m like a little kid who can’t sit still. I’m one of these people who snaps, snaps, snaps because I want to see everything. I take the chance that I get a few good photos while others take the time to make sure they’ve gotten great pictures.

Hmmm……

Photography as Art

The internet, having a website, and access to Facebook, etc., has made it easy for artists to share and sell their work. For a professional photographer, the images posted are works of art. Our photographs are not just quick snapshots of friends, families, and vacations. We just don’t shoot a picture and post it. We are happy when someone loves our work and shares the photos; so helpful in getting our “names out there” and we appreciate that.

However, there are times when people will just take an image of an artist’s work to use for their own purposes without giving the photographer the credit. I don’t know if these people think that a photograph posted to Facebook means it’s free for the taking, so I thought I would share a few thoughts on the subject.

A lot of time is spent in the art of photography. Photographers develop their own styles and methods and nothing is “quick” about it. Some may spend all day in a shoot just getting one or two perfect shots. (And I do mean ALL DAY!) Others may work quicker in the field, but they all carefully study lighting, angles, and composition. A lot of thought goes into capturing that perfect picture and this takes time.

Back in the studio, it’s not just a quick import to the computer and posting to Facebook or websites. There are many options and different programs for photographers. Just because, for the majority, work is now done on the computer and not in a darkroom, doesn’t mean it’s fast and easy.

Time is spent in editing. Sometimes the camera and the computer don’t correctly capture the correct “real” color. If you are printing your own photos, the type of printer, ink, and paper determine how the picture needs to be adjusted. For instance, if I am printing cards or using matte paper in my Canon printer, I have to add more saturation to the image, but if I am printing on the HP printer using gloss or luster paper, I need a different balance of the color curve.

Sometimes there are flaws that need to be removed. The photo might need to be cropped to give a closer view. There are a myriad of things that need to be done to create a great photograph. Next thing you know, an hour or so has gone by and you’re still working on one or two photos.

The bottom line is that photography is not just a quick snap of the shutter and you’re done. A lot of time goes into creating a stunning photograph. For photographers, their work is ART and like other artists, photographers also put a piece of themselves into their work, so when we see that someone has “taken” one of our images and used it to their own purposes without permission or purchase, it’s heart breaking.

(Remember, this does not mean “sharing” our photos as long as the photographer is still getting credit.)

There have been a couple of instances where someone has downloaded someone else’s image onto their computers and done their own editing totally changing what the photographer intended. Maybe these people think they are enhancing the image, but it’s heartbreaking for the photographer to see it. Some photographers have even found their photos on other people’s websites after cropping out the photographer’s copyright.

There is no way to stop this from ever happening, but I wanted to mention it so that people are more aware. Just because an image is posted, doesn’t mean it’s free for the taking.

I love sharing my work and love showing others images that excite me and sights that bring me much joy. As an artist trying to make a living, I hope that people will like an image enough to offer to purchase a photo or cards. I am also very pleased when someone likes my photos and will post and share with others. I thank you.

Book Update

After months of working on my book, I am getting down to the nitpicky final editing. There are still many questions to answer and details to narrow down. I wish I knew a “real” publisher/editor with whom to talk about this.

Thirty three days is a long time to put into one book. My goal of personal story, history segments of sites and cities, and the many photographs make for a lot of pages. I really want to share with you as much as I can, but is it realistic in a book? I love to see the photos while I’m reading about places and I like to see it AS I’m reading and not having to refer to other pages later in the book.

How much time am I wasting doing things that are not normally acceptable or affordable in a book?

I think about doing a companion photo book to go with the travel writing book, but I’m not sure that’s even feasible. I’ve currently filled two 2 inch binders, one with photos and one with the manuscript.

Yesterday, I cut out almost the entire beginning section that had to do with planning the trip. I currently have 183 photos in the manuscript. Guess I’d better start cutting some out. But how do I decide which to leave out when I want you to see everything?

Backtracking Again

I am still undecided exactly which direction to choose with the photos and this morning, I have to re-do previous edits. It’s difficult to move forward when I keep having to backtrack.

A couple weeks ago, I’d printed a couple chapters of the book with photos included with the text. I brought the pages for show and tell at our weekly artists’ breakfast. I printed on regular paper because and was disappointed that the photos came out too dark. The next morning, I went and re-edited them to lighten them up.

This morning, I decided to try to print just the photos. There are a couple different layouts in the PhotoScape program and I decided to do pocket b which is about 6 x 9 cm and will print eight to a page. This will give me margins to make notes and I will put the photo id#, which chapter in the book, and other pertinent information. The photos themselves will be just big enough to inspire me with the story.

I also wanted to see what the photos would look like on matte paper. My HP printer wouldn’t print. Don’t know what’s up with that. Having to deal with these technical issues drives me crazy. I’m thinking that maybe the computer to printer connection is out again. That happened a couple years ago. It’s bad enough to spend time setting things up the first time, but having to re-do it frustrates me. Is it because I’ve not done any printing on that machine for awhile? I usually use that printer when I’m doing professional prints under 13 x 19.

Not wanting to deal with it now, I printed on the Canon printer. On the matte paper, the photos come out too light. Oh, no, I’m going to have to go back and re-edit because the book will print on better paper than regular copy paper so the pictures will need to work on that. I should have known that. I also know that photos will print differently from printer to printer. Photos edited on the laptop are different from ones edited on the pc. The color isn’t exactly the same. I prefer the pc, but most of my workday is spent with the laptop.

So, this set back has discouraged me a bit today. BUT, I WILL get through this! Maybe if I get all these issues straightened out in the beginning, the rest of the book will go quicker. Okay, maybe not, ha ha. It is a timely process, for sure.

It’s fun writing about the journey and looking at the photos. It makes me think of things I missed. It also helps me realize things. For instance, I was in such a hurry to see as much as I could, I skipped many sites. I didn’t take my time to really get the ambiance of the places visited.

As I keep saying, I want to go back and do it all again.

Working on THE book

 

I’m moving along with the writing. I’m working on Day 8 of the actual trip. So many questions run through my mind. 

I chose the book size, 7 x 10, and I downloaded the template from Createspace.com. I put a couple of pages in, but decided to do everything in Word first as I keep making changes. Adding photos as I go along with the actual trip is a challenge and the photos slow the documents, but the pictures add to the story. I want readers to see some of what I saw as I visited places. 

One question that keeps popping into my head is if I should keep a separate file of photos and one of text only. The photos help remind me of the journey as I am writing. Would this be redundant work? Plus, it would be more work. I’d have to remember to save in three folders; full copy, text only, photos only.

Then I begin to question sizes of photos. With a 7 x 10 book, should I do full page photos, half page, or smaller? Should I do a companion coffee table book of just photos? I don’t particularly care for coffee table books, but this would be of the very best photos and I could use some that I won’t be putting into the story book. I could put more of my artsy photos in this book. Would a coffee table picture book sell better than my travel book? I still could say a little something about each photo and about the area. Should I do it at the same time? 

Should I just run through the book with the text only getting the gist of the story put together from blog and journal notes? Once I get the basic story written, then I can go back and add photos and embellish and edit the writing (which I keep doing anyway.) Currently, I am spending so much time on one chapter going over and over and then I end up going back to previous chapters and adding lines to those.  

Thirty three days was a long journey and will make the book many pages. Should I do it in two parts? I’ve already divided the book into three parts; Planning, the actual journey, and the coming home. 

Am I crazy for even attempting to do something that writers don’t do? (Combining pictures and story.)  

Oh, these decisions that roadblock, have me doubt myself, and cause me to re-do portions over and over. 

Still, this is an excellent way to re-live the journey. Oh, I so wish I could go back there right now while flowers are starting to bloom and before it gets too hot and buggy.

 

 

Back to the Book

After having other issues hinder me from my book writing, I am back at the job. One problem is that I spend so much time re-reading and editing further what has already been done, that I have a hard time getting anything new accomplished.

After again re-working chapters 16 and 17 which are Days 1 and 2 of the actual trip, I am trying to get Day 3 finished. I’m a little disappointed in myself. Although I tried to record much, I know that the more time goes by, the more that I am not going to be able to also pull from memory. Already the trip seems like it happened years ago.

I’m trying to work with photos and my mind is reeling with options. Working for the newspaper has taught me to pay more attention to space; the more space used, the more expensive. At the moment, I’m stuck between doing two photos per page or if I should do smaller pictures. The size of the book will be 7 x 10, so to do more pictures per page might make them too difficult to see.

I’m also concerned about the size of the book. I want to include so much. Story, a little history, lots of photos… I can’t help but wonder if this endeavor will end up being too expensive. I’ve also been putting a black frame around the photos to make them show up more. I know that also takes up more space.

I’m working on the Skyline Drive story and photos. Oh, I want to use a lot of photos. I just wish I wouldn’t get so stuck in my mind on whether to do this or that. There’s a part of me that doesn’t want to do what is the norm, what everyone else does. Most of the time, it’s either a picture book or a story. I want to do it all together. I want people to see the pictures as they’re reading the text.

Will it sell?

Well, back to the grind. I am thinking that if I get the text done and pictures placed, I can worry about actual size and alignment later. It’s hard when I don’t have someone right here, in the moment, to give advice and suggestions. Such as it is.