On Light

I have been looking at light in photography a little differently this week thanks to Kat Sloma. She is offering a photo course through Wish Studio called Finding Your Eye. These photos are taken on our black lacquer table in front of East facing windows. The challenge this week has been sunlight.... virtually non existant in Seattle. We are really living up to our reputation here this week - rain, rain.........rain

But even with the challenge of the light - the soft light that comes from overcast days can add a moodiness it seems.

There was a Sun Break and I grabbed camera and snapped a few photos of the outdoor potted plants on the deck. I love how they look like stained glass.

I was asked to think about what it is about photography that floats my boat. Its taken me a whole day and a half to mull that over. Photography for some reason has really touched my heart this past year. To the point that I upped from a point and shoot and invested in a nice Big Girl Camera. So what's up with this? I've taken photos forever but never with this kind of inspiration behind it. My conclusion is that photography allows me to play, look at things a little differently and be in the moment. Maybe I need this right now, or maybe I am ready for it at this point in my life. I like to try to capture and experience the little things in life that are the wonder in this world - to me anyway. When I put together a file of my favorite photos today, I realized there are some lovelies. Lots of texture and color, nature, funny angles, highly cropped and other oddball things and subjects. I decided its because I love the small little offerings in this world. The things that catch my eye and keep me in the moment.

What about your art floats your boat?

Laser Photo Transfer

Tulli Snax
Originally uploaded by Rain City Girl

Tulli Snax

Today I needed some instant gratification + I just got my new color laser printer. So, the combo led me to try image transfer onto encaustic. Not hard to do but I did learn by mistakes along the way.

I chose my doggie, Tulli as my subject and picked a group of photos that I changed to black and white in Photo Shop Elements 8 (PSE). I started with my four color photos and added a layer - gradient map to each one. This will change the photo to black and white. I then added a levels layer and tweeked around with that to get higher contrast. Probably not the proper way to do it, but it works for me.

I cropped each of the four photos and then added them one by one creating the matrix in a new file. I'm sure there is some easy way to pop them into a foursome like this so if anyone knows - please share. I did it by resizing each photo. My board is 6x6, so each photo was 3x3.

I then flattened the image. When I printed it, it came out too dark. So, I added a brightness/contrast layer to the flattend image and cranked up the brightness - much better.

After preparring my panel with about 6 layers of medium I was ready to start. On the warm wax I placed my photo print (on regular computer paper) image side onto the warm wax. I then took a nice polished stone and burnished the backside of the paper. Then I added some water to dampen the paper and burnished lightly again. Then I soaked the paper and rubbed in little soft circles. The paper starts balling up and the idea is that the ink is transferred onto the wax and your job is to carefully with a light touch rub the paper pulp away and leave the image transferred onto the wax. I actually did this process twice with medium in between. I then rubbed some oil stick in burnt umber into the pocks in the wax. Heated again and voila!

Lessons Learned

1. A light touch on the rubbing the paper off the back is very important. Too hard and the ink image will come up with the paper - not good.
2. Burnish, burnish again and make sure you really rub it down well. Not too hard or you tear the paper or dent the wax.
3. Patience is virtue - take your time, enjoy the process of removing the paper. Too fast and things don't work out.

Day 1

I was standing at the top of the basement stairs before heading down to the studio. I was thinking today is it... its the first day. The first day to really get started. What a feeling. Have you ever felt that way before starting something new? - like wow, I'm actually doing this. All this build up and work towards today has actually come to a peak at this very moment.

I sucked in my breath and thought- OK, I'm not going to let this overwhelm me, I'm not going to judge anything I do today. Its the first day after all..

This is the first draft, the first run at it. I can be kind to myself and just let ART happen. I promised I would share as I go - so here it is, early stage. Its actually further along than this, but I'll save that for later.

Lessons Learned

1. Don't put a dirty brush into the clear wax pot - especially a red one. Think red sock, white laundry (not good)
2. No matter how careful you are, paint has a tendancy to get places you don't want it. Think hair, table, clothes - where the heck did it come from?!
3. The Procter Silex $20 griddle does not have an accurate temperature gauge. Maybe I should have splurged for the $29.99 model... Guess I've been watching too much Suzi Orman and was trying to be fiscally responsible. Don't think they'll take it back now that it has wax on it. 250 is the new 180.
4. No matter how hard they try, kitties are no help.

Starting Something NEW

005::365
Originally uploaded by Rain City Girl

Its been really, really long time since I've been here. A lot has happened - all for the good (thankfully). Out with the old and in with the new. Lots to do this year - so lets get this party started!

This blog is going to be a new space, a new face. More on this as we go along. But today is just the first day and I don't want to overwhelm the process.

I'm trying some thing NEW - well, old technique actually - but TOTALLY out-of-left-field NEW for me. Encaustic painting. But what's the really cool part is that this is really not about encaustic painting. This is the medium that I have chosen so things may be a little skewed that way - but what its really about is sharing words and content that inspire. I'm going to share my learning process - yes, the good, the bad and the ugly. I'm a total beginner - I figure the only thing that can happen is that I'll get better..

My hope with this blog is that it inspires you to try something NEW - or perhaps work on something old. To stop thinking about it, and do it. Be a writer, a photographer, an encaustic artist for goodness sake - whatever inspires you. Its about taking a leap. Its about taking a chance and being OK with the fact that you're probably going to suck at it at first until you get some miles under your belt. Lets have some fun.

Join in with your something new, something old or follow along however you like. I probably won't be here daily but I promise to be here a couple of times a week with some fun inspiration.