This week’s backstory is what I bring home that provides new ideas for work yet to be created. I like collecting photo’s that tickle my creative bone. Often I am seeing colors, shapes, and textures that I think I can use in the future.
I returned from a trip to the Northeast coast of Canada. The environment is the complete opposite of where I live in the desert Southwest. My preferred travel schedule is a big trip once a year and a couple smaller escapes during the year. Truth be told, I can’t enjoy long periods away from my studio. This trip was inspiring. I am bringing home the seeds for new projects using the photo’s from my cell phone.
This photo was taken on a trip to a light house. Yes, I did take photo’s of the main attraction, but it was the rocks that caught my eye. The smooth gray ovals were broken up with these irregular lines and set agains a cool background.
After climbing three flights of narrow stairs the light used to guide ships caught my immediate attention. The visual rythm of the curves lines created by the glass surrounded by the patterns of the brick wall and wood plank table are ripe in my mind for creating a mirror images using digital tools. The fabric would be striking!
Of course a trip North in early fall would not be complete without experiencing fall colors. This leaf includes faded green, yellow, red, and orange. The shapes are repeated in the background in a sea of green. The contrast between the warm and cool hues will no doubt appear in a future composition.
A collection of photographs is for me and idea book. I doubt I will lbe making an art quilt of a light house or a fall landscape. What I will be thinking about is how to use those photo’s to take a composition in a new direction using the elements of design: line, shape, color, texture, value, form, and space.
Here are a few hints for your idea book:
Select all the photographs from your trip and put them in a single album on your phone.
Scroll through the album and delete any photo’s that are duplicates, out of focus, or boring.
From the album, select photo’s that share similar visual properties. Subject matter (houses). Elements (Color) and add them to sub folders
Email yourself a manageable number of images that you want to work with 3-10 and save these on your computer. Save the email too!
I will return to my usual writing about the story behind my artwork next week when I am fully rested and back to the studio.
Until Next Time…
Margaret