Friday, August 28, 2009

See you after labor day

Hello Fellow Artists:

I am off for a week on Cape Cod with my camera and paints(and of course the lovely Wenderina). I will attempt an internet free week. I really need to unplug! I'll let you know how it goes and I'll have plenty of Art to share when I return.

Keep Makin' Art
Carl

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Limbering up

OK... Since I have been all photography all the time this summer I decided I have to get my painting muscles ready. One of my favorite exorcises for this is to do studies of pears. If you can get the shape right and mingle color in one wash then you are ready. If you can paint a pear or an apple you can paint anything!

Keep Makin' Art
Carl

Minor Panic

Hello Fellow Artists-

Since I found out Friday evening that both entries (1 painting and 1 photo you can find in the previous post) I sent to the Cape Cod Art Association were accepted for the Annual All New England Exhibition it has been a little bit of a scramble. When I sent the CD off with the images to apply for the juried show my thinking was that I am doing this for practice. Part of me knows ( I mean really knows) I am pretty good at the art/photography thing and my love of Cape Cod just makes my art better, but show me an artist who doesn't protect there ego by not expecting to get accepted and I'll say that is the rare artist indeed. We seem to crave acceptance... but are surprised when we get it... Think Sally Field getting the Oscar.... Any way I digress. It has been a scramble. Neither piece was matted or framed, after all who would do that if they did not expect to get into the show in the first place right. Thank goodness I already have vendors in place for printing and matting. I need the stuff shipped to me by Friday at the latest so I can assemble the frames and deliver them to CCAA While I am in Cape Cod 8/29 - 9/5.

OK ... Perhaps I am just as crazy as the rest of the artists I admire. Maybe we are all a little crazy in a good way. Now I am off to inventory my watercolor paints and order what I need before the trip. Should only be a few tubes... but I have known about the trip since last year. I really could have at least ordered some paint earlier this summer.

Keep Makin' Art ( and be a little more organized than me!)
Carl

Friday, August 21, 2009

Today in the mail...

Today in the mail I got a letter from the Cape Cod Art Association. It started with "CONGRATULATIONS!! Your artwork has been selected to be part of the 2009 All New England Exhibition at the Cape Cod Art Association."




You could have knocked me over with a feather! I have to get busy I have to frame my watercolor 'Highland Light' and my photo 'Sandwich Morning' and get them up to the cape by September 8th. YEAH!!



Keep Makin Art!

Carl

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Dover Stone Church Falls in Black and White


I decided to try the shot of Dover Stone Church Falls as a black and White shot. I struggled with whether to do it as the color shot had so many great colors captured in the cave's wet stone walls... But am I glad I tried it the textures and light made a really strong and interesting black and white photo.
Where shall I find a location to top this on Sunday? Maybe I won't perhaps I'll go again much earlier in the day and see what it looks like.
Keep Makin' Art!
Carl

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Sunday Morning Photos


What a luxury... Being able to get out with my camera two days in a row and it is only 10am on Sunday. This foggy morning shot was taken around sunrise a few miles from my home.

Now I am heading into the studio while it is still cool enough to work on some watercolor studies. I'll post some of them here this week.

It's a big world... get out there and take pictures of it!

Keep makin' Art!
Carl


Post Script - Wenderina (my wife, best friend and art director) felt the vertical shot from sunday was better. While I like the horizontal... What do you folks out in blogland think? No worries no argument here... When she has a difference of opinion about my art I have learned to take notice. Wenderina has a great eye and sees things I miss sometimes.


CS

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Dover Stone Church Falls - Dover, NY





I took a drive to Dover, NY today. To see Dover Stone Church Falls . I had read about the falls a couple of years ago, but had not had the chance to get there. This spot was well worth the two hours I spent in the car each way. The shots you see here are the initial shots from today's first visit. I will be back again to get 'the perfect shot' when the season and time of day are just right. That said I think this was a beautiful location and I got some great shots. All in all it was an easy one mile walk from my car. There are a couple of ponds on the trail and an egret that is a little camera shy. I will definitely plan to come back and shot that too.
All in all a great day's shooting.
Tomorrow... an early start at a local spot I have wanted to shot for a while and then some well deserved studio time.
Keep Makin' Art
Carl




Friday, August 14, 2009

Explosions of Color - Cape Cod Art Association



In November I became a juried member of Cape Cod Art Association. I had every intention of sending my art in for the different shows as soon as possible... Well the calender is flying by, but I finally entered two photos in the Explosions of Color member's show. I had wanted to send a painting and a photo, but did not have quite the right watercolor for the theme of the show. The show opens today and runs until September seventh. If you are on the cape please stop in. I am on a roll now as I have just sent in two entries for the All New England juried show. For that show a watercolor and photo are what I decided to have judged. Wish me luck.
I'll be on the cape in a couple of weeks running around with my camera and watercolors. I'll share the results here.
Keep Makin' Art

Sunday, August 09, 2009

Little Man A


Our Great Nephew Ansen visited this weekend with his folks, our Niece Jessica and her Husband Richard. It was just great to chase around after Little Man A in the park. He sure helped me put my new camera thru its paces. I got a chance to learn the controls better and be able to change settings quickly. Photographing little kids takes a whole different skill set than landscapes. I had forgotten that after my years of doing weddings and family portraits, but found my stride again pretty quickly.
Keep Makin' Art!
Carl

Saturday, August 08, 2009

Favorite Spots... New Camera


I went to some favorite spots to test drive my new camera today. Here are a couple of the shots. So far I am thrilled with the results.
CS

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

New Camera

I purchased a new camera.... Gasp! I must say for the last three plus years I have really loved my Canon Digital Rebel XT! It has been and continues to be a great camera. When I got I thought I would never need bigger than 8 megapixel files.... Now as I am getting ready to start selling and produce bigger prints the file size is a little bit limiting. After much research I decided to move up to the new Canon 50d. it is 15 megapixel and 24x36 prints will be possible now! The plus of staying with the Canon line is all my lenses still work. The xt will be a fine backup camera. The 50d is a little bigger and heavier and feels great. What's the downside? The only thing I can see so far is the much larger file sizes take up more hard drive space on my computer.

I'll talk more about comparing the two camera after I have had some shooting time and done a little side by side testing.

Keep Makin' Art
Carl

Happy Birthday!


Happy Birthday to my Mom (Pat) and my Mother-in-Law (MaryLou). Two wonderful ladies who have given me nothing but love and support! Enjoy your day!
Carl


Sunday, August 02, 2009

A lesson learned the hard way









I forgot my old Boy Scout motto of "Be Prepared" on Saturday morning. I had heard it was supposed to be foggy and planned to get up and shoot at sunrise. I packed my camera bag and tripod and left them by the door. I was all set.... Except I forgot to charge the battery in my camera. Of course it turned into one of those amazing mornings where the sun came up on a clear sky with the fog of the night before. giving and orange glow to the swirling fog while the grasses were bluish and cool. I was devastated when I went to turn on my camera and got nothing. I won't make that mistake again. OK. In fact i have done that twice now in three years. UUGGHH. Remember to check your gear the night before. I went out this morning to the same farmland in Sussex county New Jersey and got some lovely shots.... Oh but those ones that got away yesterday. Today was more like last week flat light and ready to rain. Still I did find some great wildflowers growing on barbed wire to focus my attention on.
Keep Makin' Art
Carl