Art and Photography Blog

Where‘s Wally on Google Earth? - Melanie Coles

Here is a really creative art idea. Canadian artist Melanie Coles has painted a 55ft Wally on top of a building that can be seen by Google Earth satellites and put up a contest on her website to find it. You cannot see it from the ground. There is a great description of the project on her site, whereonearthiswaldo. Thanks to the IF team for bringing this to my attention.

Submit Your Photos to Shots Magazine and Onexposure

If you have great photos here are two sites for you. If you like to look at great photos also check them out. Here are two sites that you can submit photos for publication. I heard about Shots Magazine, an “independent, edgy and fascinating publication” from Akos Szilvasi, a great portrait photographer who is leading a portrait photography discussion group I hope to get a chance to attend.

Ed Friedman introduced the group to Onexposure. As he write, “One submits photos and is either accepted for publication on the site or not. The screening is process interesting. There is a panel of screeners who look at all submissions. They can accept or reject a photo. If they are on the fence, they throw it out to their members to vote for or against publication. If you get rejected (as I mostly do!)you do get some feedback as to why. If you disagree with a decision of the screeners you can appeal. Also, if rejected one can post the image to a forum to see what other viewers think of the image. I have done that several times and gotten good feedback from other members. It is free to join.” Ed also has a great photo site himself.

A Beautiful Effort: Creative Review Blog

Here is a beautifully written and designed blog. Creative Review Blog provides “News and views on visual communications from the writers of Creative Review.” I was drawn there by a story on The Aeron Chair: Office Design Icon. Scrolling down the blog every post contains excellent illustrations and useful reviews on the arts and culture. There were several art shows reviews in the front page. It is highly recommended. Thanks to the IF team for pointing it out.

Comic Book Sounds on Flickr

Thanks to the IF team for this great link to Comic Book Sounds on Flickr.  Enjoy.

Updated Painting of Clementines and Cookie Jar

I made some changes to this 18" x 24" acrylic painting of a till life.

Photos of a Cat and a Glass Bowl

I was struck by the light and my cat hiding behind this glass bowl.

 

Bob Saake's Art Deco Posters

I have always liked art deco posters. Here is another collection. Bob Saake has the most amazing set of advertising posters made between 1930-1960 in France, Italy, Germany and Great Britain that use illustration to full effect. 

He says on his site: “Throughout my life I've been mesmerized by posters -- particularly those created by the Europeans of the mid-20th Century. These bold, graphic and inventive posters continue to captivate contemporary illustrators, and while many of us have liberally taken inspiration from iconic poster graphics, they pale in comparison to those created from 1930-1960 in France, Italy, Germany, Great Britain, and virtually every country on the European continent.”

You can browse his collection and he does not appear to be selling anything, just sharing his passion. Thanks to the IF team for this.

New England Pond in Winter - No Ducks

I did a post on Photos of Ducks in a New England Pond. Here is the same pond in the middle of winter. No ducks but lots of snow.

               

More from Mick Mather - April Showers

Mick Mather, Syracuse artist and frequent commenter on this blog, writes a wonderful art blog that serves as his studio, exhibit space and archive of his work. He shows a new art work every day, 7 days a week, 365 says a year. Mick does a lot of digital transformation of images. On April 1, he posted a piece, April Showers. It makes use of a photograph I took in Taormino, Sicily. Here is the complete blog post with it, Photos of Taormino, Sicily - Part Two. Mick has created a beautiful image that goes far beyond the photograph. . He saw things in this pictures that escaped me and then amplified them. I might think of this photograph as a source for a painting now that Mick has demonstrated some of its potential.

You should explore his blog as there are many other beautiful and interesting images. Here is another great Mick Mather photo transformation that he did of one of my photos. In this case the original is a study of a row of plastic chairs down on the beach at Point Independence Inn, Onset, Massachusetts that appeared in this blog.

Painting of Seated Woman

Here is a 24" x 32" acrylic of a woman sitting in a chair.