Photographing My Art

The day got away from me, so I only photographed a few old paintings. I ventured outside set up my portable easel tripod and camera. I got everything level and strait. Hauled out some artwork and began shooting. However, the light began to fade as sunset was approaching so I had to keep moving away from the shadow of the trees. That meant rechecking everything, to make sure it was still level and strait. It was hot outside and when the mosquito's started to bite, I gave up and turned off the camera.

I'm convinced this project can be completed at a later time with optimal conditions.

Artist Trading Cards

Mixed Media on Paper Copyright © Jane Graf

This weekend, I attended an Artist Trading Card (ATC) workshop hosted by the Visual Arts League in Lewsville, TX. The instructor was David Mask and his blog is Texas Art Trading Cards.

I learned how to create an ATC and that "the only rule is that they must be 2 1/2 X 3 1/2 inches". David and Wanda Grice showed us there vast collections of ACTs and shared materials and knowledge. I highly recommend this workshop, it was a lot of fun and the VAL members are very friendly and thoughtful. It was a very enjoyable and pleasant experience.

I created several ATCs at the workshop but came home and made many more and I've already started sharing them. I'm very excited about the endless possibilities for my ATCs.

Where I Begin

Works on Paper Copyright © Jane Graf

I decided to start my blog, where I start my art.

I have many life distractions and therefore, find it difficult to break away from the madness to engage my creative side. The real world demands order, has a lot of rules and restrictions, and in contrast art requires creativity, spontaneity and no boundaries.

At a seconds notice I can drop the paint brushes and be back in the real world, however, I find it much harder to flip on the art switch. Therefore, I've had to learn to bridge that gap to effortlessly transition back to creativity.

I do this by going strait at the problem and engaging it fully. I don't pick up a pencil and doodle, I don't stare at a blank canvas, I don't write in a journal..., which I consider all step one moves, instead I jump strait to active work, that has a fast end result and that becomes a piece of art.

I self-start with ink blots. These are not the black messy ink blots found in the Rorschach Test. I've added color, creativity and experimentation to achieve a more sophisticated ink blot. I've been making ink blots since 2005 so I've had some time to improve my methods.

I sincerely admire the works of Max Ernst and I only aspire to reach his level skill using his decalcomania technique.