Art and Photography Blog

Summer Photographs of Sherbrooke Quebec

Sherbrooke is the only major city in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, one of my favorite places. here are picture on a summer day.

Painting of Mums in an Urn

This 24" x 30" acrylic painting depicts some Mums in an urn and double Impatiens (lower right) in a garden lined with rock wall. I was working on the contrasting light in the early Fall.

Painting of Potatoes, Onions, and Garlic with a White Pitcher

Here is a 18" x 24" acrylic painting of red boss potatoes, yellow onions, and garlic. It is a revision of an earlier painting that had fewer potatoes and some cumin. I cooked the food after i finished the original painting and then got some new onions for the revision. 

Painting of Orange and Yellow Peppers

Here is another pepper painting (see Painting of Red, Orange, and Yellow Peppers). This is a smaller 12" x 16" acrylic painting of yellow and orange peppers.

 

Live, Laugh, Celebrate Great Photo Book from National Geographic

Here is a beautiful new photography book from National Geographic I recently received to review. It is Live, Laugh, Celebrate, a visual celebration of the human spirit, by Ferdinand Protzman. The book documents a vibrant collection of celebrations from around the world that speaks kindly about our human nature. We can certainly use this perspective today.

The book notes that like love, the urge to celebrate is common to every culture.  This is a great photo opportunity as the description reads, “Whether it's a festival, a parade, a sporting event, a ceremony, public or private, large or small, formal or informal...the pageantry, excitement, action and emotion of celebrations are a riveting subject.“  This pleasing, very global, collection of photographs is accompanied by essays. It includes some never before published images and others from National Geographic's archive.  

The book begins with the premise that. “t any given moment, someone somewhere in the world is celebrating something.” This is a nice idea to consider. Chapter One covers the cycles of life. There is a warm shot of an older sister holding her brother’s face on his first birthday I remember how my uncle set up the picture of me and my first birthday cake. He placed the cake on one side of the blanket and me on the other. Then he got his camera to record what he knew would happen as I crawled toward the cake to proceed to embed my face in the cake. I did not have an older sister to deter me from this act.

There are both color pictures and black and white. In the first chapter I tend to like the B&W ones best as you focus more on the people, at least I do. However, a number of the color ones make excellent use of color as in some of the shots of food and the pink Caddy with the very long tail fins transporting a wedding couple.

Chapter Two looks around the world to show us celebrations that are more regional than life cycle oriented. I loved the carnival in Venice, an event I have always wanted to attend. The over the top nature of the carnival in Rio is well covered. A Grateful Dead concert is included, as well as Kenya’s celebration of Obama’s victory. There is a great photo of Mardi Gras in my home town, New Orleans.

Chapter Three moves on to parties. I loved Sam Abell’s photo of musicians playing at the Japanese Emperor’s garden party. I spoke with Sam a while back (see Sam Abell Talks about Photography and Life) and have written about his work before (see The Life of a Photographer – Sam Abell). This photo shows how Sam is very concerned with the framing of a shot. The last picture is a foam party in Ibiza Spain with dozens of people playing in the suds.

This book certainly shows the diversity of human celebrations and the common joy they can evoke. It will make an excellent holiday gift and is available on their National Geographic site and in stores. 

Painting of Blue Pitcher and Butternut Squash Soup

Here is a 18" x 24" acrylic painting of a blue pitcher and some soup. It is a revision of a painting of a this blue pitcher with some eggs. I never liked the eggs and the salt shaker so i took them out. 

Paul Nicklen’s Polar Obsession - Great Photo Book from National Geographic

I have always been interested in the Arctic since my trips to Alaska, the Yukon, and Newfoundland in the early 70s so I was very interested in receiving a review copy of the Polar Obsession book by National Geographic photographer Paul Nicklen. It is another great one from National Geographic and the book exceeded my already high expectations.  First it is a very beautiful large format book. Second, Paul goes both underwater and across the ice to deliver unique, close-up documentation of wildlife in the Arctic and Antarctic. The book also presents timely insights into animal behavior, the fragile polar environment and the climate change that threatens the ice and those who live over and under it.

Paul grew up in a small Inuit community in the Canadian Arctic so he is at home with this effort.  He now lives in Whitehorse, Yukon, a town I have visited. There are 150 images from the polar reaches that include elephant seals, leopard seals, whales, walruses, narwhals and polar bears, penguins, albatrosses, petrels, arctic cod and tiny krill. The cover has dual image of a polar bear underwater and its reflection on the surface above it.

The books often have a photographer and a writer. Paul covers both roles here. He starts each chapter with an essay detailing the life conveyed in the images. The title page has a great shot of a sleeping seals riding the waves taken at water level. The next shot is a group of narwhals with their unicorn horns raised like spears. There is wonderful two-page sot of a group of walruses in Norway.  The narwhals get extensive coverage with some great group shots and close-ups of their horns.

The creatures of the Arctic and Antarctic are quite spectacular and Paul covers both ends of the earth.  There is a great contrast. For example, on two-page spread you see a lone polar bear in the distant framed against the blue ice glacier and cold cliffs off Norway. You turn the page to see another two page spread of a warm tone image of hundreds of Elephant Seals and King Penguins on a beach in South Georgia in the very South Atlantic.   Turn again and you are faced with a close up of a baby Elephant seal staring at you underwater.

There are many close-ups of Polar Bears that make you wonder how he took the shots. One shows a close head shot of a Polar bear shaking off waters as it comes up from a dive. Another has a bear shining red in the sunset as it hunts. The landscapes, both above and below the water are also well covered.  This is a book that I will return to many times. I highly recommend it. You can order the book at the National Geographic site.

Color Sketch of Coffee and Roll

Here is a 12" x 12" painting of a coffee and roll. I forgot my still life components and improvised with two helpings of a snack. The other was the same but I ate and drank it.