JAPAN
My eyes have been glued to the TV since Friday, watching the devastation the tsunami and earthquake has done to this country is heart-wrenching and mind-blowing. My heart goes out to all the people who have lost loved ones, their homes and everything they held dear. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of you.
Wishing you all hope and comfort in the midst of this terrible disaster.
"If tears could build a stairway and memories were a lane,
We would walk all the way to Heaven, to bring you home again
No farewell words were spoken, no time to say good-bye
You were gone before we knew it, and only God knows why
Our hearts ache in sadness, and secret tears will flow
What is meant to lose you, no one will ever know"
UPDATE ON WIP
I didn't get a lot of time to work on this piece this past week. Still working on the skin. Scanned in two sections. Hope to finish this one up this week, to begin working on a miniature donation for Japan.
REFERENCES AND EXHIBITIONS
Many have wondered why I do not submit any works to any exhibitions. To be honest, it's simply because most exhibitions require you to use your own reference photos, which sometimes I do, but also I use a lot of stock images (with permission) from DA. There are many stock models on DA whom I think are fantastic and since I do not have access to a good camera (mine is need of dire service), studio or professional photography equipment at this moment, I use DA has a resource. I sometimes will use Dreamstime, Renderosity or SXC too, with permission or paid stock. Most of my own stock is flowers, landscapes and domestic animals. And I have tons of rolls of film to get a developed. Once I get my new digital camera though. I will be taking photos non-stop and hopefully won't need to rely on other resources as much.
As a semi-realist artist, I tried to get the image to look like a photo, but I also try to add my own style. When doing portrait commissions, a lot of clients want it to look exactly like the photo. So the copying of the image can be a two-edge sword, as you want to please the client. Most exhibitions don't want your piece to look at all like the reference photo, it must be totally your own unique creation.
Anyways, it's hot topic and I am in the middle. I see both viewpoints. Ann Kullberg's yearly contest is now requiring artists to use their own reference material and many other places. I won't be submitting, unless, I use maybe one of my own floral or landscape shots for a reference. It is a must for artists to attain permission to use any reference material, when creating works of art. Or if you can, work from life.
NEW ART TABLE
I just had to share my new art table. I have been working off of a mini portable art table for years now, can't tell you what a blessing it is, to be able to work on a real art table. It is so awesome. Still having problems with the kittens getting into my pencils though ^.^ I still need to get in some better lighting. I have my Ott lamp and the east window for lighting for right now, but not quite enough.
