still life photography

©2013 JoAnn Spradlin Deck
Turquoise Pods W/Glass Seeds
Digitally enhanced 
8 X 10 professional lab printed

making do with what you have photo set-up

Well, the weather suddenly turned unseasonably mild and I needed photos of some paintings to submit for a medical centers unexpected call for artwork submissions with a very short deadline. Last week it was cold, windy and damp, but I diligently laid the work out on my patio and shot the photos, one by one. When the weather forecast promised us a better opportunity, I had to find a way to create a set-up with what I had on hand. What did I use? The support is a photographer backdrop apparatus I had bought used, (several years ago) for quilt shows to exhibit larger pieces with sleeves on the back. The canvas is from a roll I purchased years ago for stretching large background supports for mixed-media work. I taped a large sheet of mat board (dark side in) I still had on hand from when I used to mat my own work. Yes, I have a large mat cutter still on hand, I keep it just in case, (who knows when I might need it, right?) I used smallish folded over heavy duty tape on the back of the art to attach it to the matboard. Setting up the tripod & the camera with my laptop on top of my freezer  saved time for downloading and minor editing  as I went. Like are they centered with enough room for cropping? Easy to reshoot if necessary. Keeping the laptop nearby came as a suggestion from a video I just got about photographing jewelry. The only thing I have left to do now is resize the files and email them to the committee. I'm parking my car in the driveway for a few days, I have some other paintings that need documenting with better light. But the setup will easily come apart and  store while waiting for another opportunity.  So go ahead and see what you have in your garage/basement/studio to save $$$ and get your work posted to your FB page or your BLOG. It's not that hard, just think creatively.

outdoor photo shoot

OOPS move the rock !!!

studio time conflict

so many things in life seem to pull me away from the time I need to be spending in the studio. I need to reevaluate again. Morning is my most creative time. Physically and mentally refreshed from a good nites sleep opens the creative channels. I’ve often considered bypassing reading email with my first cup of coffee, but haven’t gotten there yet.

Today would have been a perfect day to fire polish the practice hole drilled pieces of fused glass, but, alas, I am required to pick up my art from an exhibit site whose travel time, (not distance) will consume a minimum of three hours. Not to mention the time required to make myself presentable to the outside world.
Which is why this post will be short lived.

Photo collage

Inspiration for current collage project.

bracelet documentation

these are quick photos taken inside the Plainfield Art League Gallery with natural lighting

What to do with all those beads?

I began making art jewelry many years ago and it was fun. When I began to make and sell my collage boxes the wearable art slowly began to take a back seat. I collected beads and most anything metallic for use in those boxes. Recently ready to move on to a new phase in my art, I have learned some metalsmith skills, fused glass techniques, and now some cold connection methods. Since I love to wear bracelets that seemed like a good place to begin using some of the elements in my collection.  Making a wearable piece of original art jewelry, supple and easy to fasten, has been my focus the last few months.
Now I need to master the art of photographing this first collection.  

Another great frame

Another great frame found in the garage!! This one didn't need much at all, just a bit of gilt rubbed on the corners and it was ready to compliment this work of art.
 "he said to Simon" now on exhibit at the Plainfield Art League gallery. It is a candidate for selection to the Best of the Best exhibit presented by the Alliance of Fine Art. This will be their 19th annual Fine Art Exhibit held at the Mayslake Peabody Estate in the spring.

Yellow Girls

I don't know the real name of this particular daylilly so I made one up. I will be printing this photo this morning in several different sizes and configurations to see how it comes out. I'm working on a new large (22 X 28) collage on canvas and plan to use some of these daylilly photos as the subject for this piece.

One of 74 daylily photos

Here's one of the 74 photos I took in the last 2 days of the daylillys in my garden. I've figured out how to put them on Flicker, now they need to be edited and organized. I really like the composition on this one. learning this stuff!

between the lines

BETWEEN THE LINES is the next exhibit theme at Naperville Art League. Here’s a few of my photos that I am considering using for my collage.

he said to Simon

HE SAID TO SIMON,  by JoAnn Deck
16 X 20 mixed media collage on canvas
all photo images taken by and are the property of the artist
currently on exhibit at Naperville Art League, Naperville, IL.

Carillon Collage

Here’s what I entered in the Plainfield Art League members exhibit for June/July. I took the photo a few summers ago. CARILLON by JoAnn Deck

Mixed Media with digital photo image developed by a professional lab

12 X 12 gallery wrapped canvas
currently on exhibit at Plainfield Art League, Plainfield, IL

Dragonfly

Caught this guy on my fence this morning. I did not realize their wings had all that patterning. Took a bunch of photos but just had to post at least this one for right now.

Collage of Quilts

Here’s the collage piece I created with Walgreens on-line help. I already had the photos uploaded to their site, so playing around with the placement, background and title was all I needed to do. It was really quick and easy. I requested store pick-up and they notified me by email when it was ready. I’ll do this again.

Framed art ready for gallery art exhibition

“Flora” 10 X 13 Mixed Media Collage

Here’s the framed collage I just finished in time to hang in the upcoming Plainfield Art League Exhibit, Buds and Blossoms. In this art work I met my objective of using my own photo images with many different methods. The photos are of a flowering tree I have in my garden which was a very prolific bloomer last summer. It’s extremely satisfying to use these photos to profile it in this manner.

“Ready For The Dance” 10 X 13 Photo

Here’s an 8 X 10 lab printed enlargement of one of the photos used in the collage. They are presented in matching LIFESTYLES frames.

This one’s finished, or is it?

This mixed media collage will be included in the Buds and Blossoms members exhibit at The Plainfield Art League, March thru May. I will post a photo of it matted and framed when I return from the PAQA retreat, the end of the week. Working title is FLORA. Lots of transfers of the photos I just posted February 22, 2010.

Photo Paper

http://www.officemax.com/office-supplies/paper/photo-paper/product-prod2041634

You know, when I talked about this paper the other day I knew I should tell you guys what I used, but then, I forgot, sorry. Here it is. I have not yet used it in my current collage work, but am getting close. I will be sure and let you know the results. Thanks for asking.

Start Ups

Yesterday I went to the PAL to “gallery sit” and to work. This is such a win-win for me. At the last minute my friend Joy called to say she would not be able to join me as we had planned. OK, so now I needed a new plan. The large space with many tables is a dream come true. Last week I coated “the back side” of 6 sheets of watercolor paper with Golden Matte Medium. FYI, Canson 9X12 120lb, rough surface, heavyweight. I buy this at Michaels in pads of 10 sheets (on-sale or with a 40% off coupon). I Repacked my carry/roller case with collage making essentials and the prepped papers. By noon I was all set up and worked straight through till 3:30. Now these are only the beginning.  I like working on several start-ups at once so as not to spend too much time on each one. These will have several more layers added to them.
Now I will work on each one more individually focusing on “the story” as it becomes revealed to me.  Here they are.

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Photography

I’m having way too much fun playing with my new photo paper discovery !!! I find I can while away many hours going through my digital photos, playing with the different techniques the software offers for changing the look and feel of the photo.  Not to mention the colors, as in the example shown here. This original photo is one I took out the window from the hospital waiting room on a gray day last winter. An addition was being built on the hospital grounds and I took quite a few experimental shots.  Mostly my intention was to get texture and line to transfer to cloth. Right after a class last summer with Barbara Sneider, I did the colorizing of this one in Photoshop Elements. 

Today I downloaded it to my new computer and WOW!!! The print- out is really bright and cheerful.  What a difference a little color can make!!!

Particularly on this gray snowy day in the Midwest.