Artist Statement
THE GARDEN REVISITED
Nature has a magnetism that draws me and leads me into serendipitous paths that provide an endless array of interconnected colors, textures, balance and composition. So it is with my virtual garden and landscapes. It began while I was researching design and plant ideas for our home garden. The digital images from the research then unfolded into an exploration of subject matter that transformed into compositions intended to bringing a whole new kind of beauty and energy of the natural world into one's interior space.
I accomplish this metamorphosis by manipulating color curves, hues and saturation, line, textures, adding layers of filters, juxtaposing shapes and forms digitally. The final step in the creation process of my digital art is when my piece leaves its virtual cocoon to become the printed image. Critical adjustments occur during this last phase to assure desired outcome.
To further enhance some of the digital pieces, I mix other media onto the surface of the printed piece. One of my favorite approaches is to use Prisma colored pencils to draw additional textures and designs to complement the virtual ones. Another technique I enjoy using is to glaze over a printed pattern and colored shapes, lightly caressing the surface following the grain of the paper. The results add a luminous quality to the composition. Burnishing is a technic I use by applying heavy layers of pencil until the tooth of the paper is nearly completely filled in. Applying the pencil over existing colors can have spectacular painted-like results.
Nature has a magnetism that draws me and leads me into serendipitous paths that provide an endless array of interconnected colors, textures, balance and composition. So it is with my virtual garden and landscapes. It began while I was researching design and plant ideas for our home garden. The digital images from the research then unfolded into an exploration of subject matter that transformed into compositions intended to bringing a whole new kind of beauty and energy of the natural world into one's interior space.
I accomplish this metamorphosis by manipulating color curves, hues and saturation, line, textures, adding layers of filters, juxtaposing shapes and forms digitally. The final step in the creation process of my digital art is when my piece leaves its virtual cocoon to become the printed image. Critical adjustments occur during this last phase to assure desired outcome.
To further enhance some of the digital pieces, I mix other media onto the surface of the printed piece. One of my favorite approaches is to use Prisma colored pencils to draw additional textures and designs to complement the virtual ones. Another technique I enjoy using is to glaze over a printed pattern and colored shapes, lightly caressing the surface following the grain of the paper. The results add a luminous quality to the composition. Burnishing is a technic I use by applying heavy layers of pencil until the tooth of the paper is nearly completely filled in. Applying the pencil over existing colors can have spectacular painted-like results.