Happy Birthday Mary V. McCormick – Deeply grateful that we had the chance to chat tonight and celebrate your day.
I love, love love creating these photographs. Nor can I get enough of my weekend time isolated for the set up, experiment that unfolds and the photographs that are captured. I thoroughly enjoy sharing them with you, my community, in the hopes to brighten your day and spark a moment of curiosity or reflection when you muse upon the image in front of you. This perspective of simply offering a moment of contentment is it. That is the why. I want to brighten your day, uplift your spirit and spark a moment of curiosity. FULL STOP.
That is a mindset of abundance. It is a paradigm that I am continuing to lean into and learn about. Give people value and they will appreciate it. Provide them with gifts in moments that teach, share and help. To simply put a solution out there to address a problem or pain point that exists in the universe and for a audience. For those with the problem, they will see the solution. The goal of the artwork is rather straightforward. In a near relentlessly manner keep making creative photography that does three simple things:
- prompt an audience to want to learn more about the technique, set up and story behind the artist
- encourage an audience to have a simply better day as a result of having seen the photograph
- offer the artwork as an solution to walls that call out for inspiration and color
That is why the art posts on Tuesday morning. To kick start your week in a way that increases the chances of it being a better one.
In its most distilled form, scarcity would be simply an effort to take your money. That is inconsistent with our mission, vision and values (MVV). Having those three touchstones to use as guideposts for when we are drifting away from abundance and into scarcity in our thinking and offering, is essential. They are a mirror that reflects the truth: are you living your MVVs. And now back to the green grass, blue sky and fresh air of abundance.
That goal is achievable and gives me a reason to work on the art over the weekend. I know that there is an audience waiting to have their day brightened. That is all I need. My day is automatically better as a result of that interaction. It thrills me when people acknowledge the photography or become curious and ask questions. It is one of the reasons that I enjoy lives shows and events. There is an ability to have a conversation similar to the awards show this past weekend. Each show is an opportunity to listen, learn and share out with various communities.
CrossCurrents #1 up above, was the result of a recent addition to my studio equipment, a heat gun, which is more commonly used for acrylic pours. The gun allows me to direct the air more precisely and consistently than I could when simply blowing across the surface. While I am trying to pay attention through the camera viewfinder, focusing on the Petri dish in this case, adding the task of blowing through a glass straw (pipette) was inconceivably hard.
The gentle veil-like parts of the photograph are so evanescent and delicate.
They would quickly blend and fade. The white paint seemed denser and was quickly covered by the blue and violet paint colors. The graceful, almost hidden, arc that you can begin to detect in the upper photograph is the hint of the surface of the Petri dish curved inner sidewall. The thin smoke-like section could be a photography in and of itself. Which I am considering here. The self directed layering of the paints both horizontally and vertically is fascinating to watch evolve.
Then some Dr. Martin’s concentrate inks were added to the right side of the Petri dish and let I the air do its magic. The wave of color rushes out into the dish, drags the underlying white inks and creates a its own pattern that appears to run at around 90 degrees to the main pattern.
All happening in a 4″ dish and captured at 1/1250th of a second. The apparition vanished less than a second later and was swallowed whole by the larger body of inks. The sequence below lasts for under a minute from top left to bottom right.
The print here is on a heavy rag paper from Moab Entrada Rag. It is very thick and meaningful in its texture. As you can see while we hand tore the edges on this one. That was last night and was a clear success. The edges create a new line and a drama to the overall photograph. Shout out to a lovely artist in Miami @marta_echazarreta who continues to inspire me. You have such a beautiful creative mind. Check out her IG account.
My wife and I are thrilled with the result with the hand torn element. Next step will be framing… We are thinking one of our signature estate sale one of a kind treasures. We get out each weekend and track these frames down, take them to the safety of our studio and hold on to them for the right photography to come along. There is one out there….
And now to let it rest, breathe and set overnight as it flattens out and get ready for the next steps. Glad to have the chance to share some behind the scenes insights and content here. I hope this helps people see the start phase with the Petri dish and science then through the curation steps, then finally landing here with the finished art. These last photos also show why paper prints are my passion and delight. Metal is beautiful and clean, but paper has soul. In the end, isn’t about the soul in the artist’s intention, passion and aim to delight and brighten your day? For me that is everything.
Have a great day!
Join me in a fireside chat via Zoom in the evening to discuss any aspect of my artwork. To qualify, and join a video conversation send your contact information here and let me know what you would want to talk about. The selected participants will receive a 25% discount on any of my unlimited edition pieces of art. I will personally sign the piece at printing. Even more, the gallery is offering this purchase risk free for you. Free shipping, Free return, and no questions asked if you are unhappy with the art work. You can keep the print for 30 days to enjoy the selection in your home or office. This risk free offer does not apply to metal, acrylic and other specialized media prints.
Cheers,
Jim