Catching Sunflower Petals

"Multi-purpose" post in chapters.  

Chapter I

 I have never mentioned the photography equipment that I use, other than to say "Big Mama." And that is exactly what my Canon DSLR camera is...a hunkin' big camera. I also use Canon's L lens and they are beauties, but so heavy.  The combo gets to be a bit much to "shoulder".....so my interest has been peeked with the new compact APS-C cameras that are sprouting like tossed sunflower seeds.

After researching way too many hours, and deciding what I would sell in order to switch over, I finally decided to rent at least one camera.  Our local camera stores don't rent these as of now, which would be more convenient.  So again back to Google and finding some reputable rental businesses.  I decided upon Lens Rental. (click on name)

You must order a lens if you don't have an appropriate one in addition to camera.  I settled on a Fuji X-T1 and Fuji Prime 1:1.4  35 mm lens.  

It arrived carefully packaged...returning via Fed EX 7 days later.  I bought the insurance JUST IN CASE!  

 They emailed the pdf manual.  Oh, my goodness, over 150 pages long and teeny tiny print.  Yes, I did print it out, then proceeded to mark it up. 

In all honesty this is a big learning curve...everything is different: WEIGHT-YAY,  controls and buttons.  ( just over 1 lb. )  The bells and whistles are at first overwhelming, so I decided to start on page one of manual and go from there....working through the settings one at a time.   

Chapter II

The Sunflowers are glorious right now.  Down the road from our home is an acre of Sunflowers, they are propped in buckets at the fruit stands and  cellophane wrapped in grocery stores.  I buy a lot of Sunflowers.

 I decided to air dry the sunflowers as they withered.

Chapter III

Kim Klassen's email post for Be Still arrived.  Always fun to see what she is suggesting as a photography prompt and seeing what others do with it through link ups.

The lesson was on sharp focus.

I knew that my Canon with macro lens would do a fantastic job.  But what about the Fuji?

Chapter IV

This morning I awoke to mist and haze due to high humidity, the Fuji on the table, a vase of fresh sunflowers and a handful of drying, crumbling sunflowers.  Seemed like a good way to practice my manual reading from last night. 

These are the shots from the Fuji using macro mode. Since I shot with bokeh ( dreamy blur) and a sharp small focus, you may have to look closely for the sharply defined areas.

Conclusion:
Macro was quite easy to set up, and this light weight, amazing camera made it possible to really get close to the subject. My first shots were disappointing. So I exchanged a white cloth for blue, put light onto subject and tried again.  Much more interesting.  The prime lens was sharp and gave beautiful color.

I can tell that should I ever switch camera gear it will be a very large investment, a large commitment of time to learn the new formats and replacing lenses. It is unfortunate that Canon, at this writing is lagging way behind Fuji, Olympus, Sony for APS-C cameras. Otherwise I wouldn't have to invest in lenses.

I loved the feel and weight of this camera.  The color is excellent.  The auto focus is fast. I was very happy with first choice. 
I might try the Olympus OM-D E-M1 at a later date.  
Lens Rental was an excellent company to rent from. However you get charged for everything separately.  Make sure you are aware of what COMES with the camera rental.  You also need to check a box to request a pdf manual.

This is just one reason why I love photography.  One of the littlest monkeys on our family tree.
SOOC shot with iPhone camera.  HMMM much less hassle than either the Canon or Fuji!!

Prime 35mm: 1.1.4  Macro setting

Limes Lemons and Yellow Bird

I have long admired the short lived style of Fauvism

which includes work by

Henri Matisse, Andre Derain, Maurice Vlaminck.

Fauvism was a short lived style at the turn of the 20th century. 

The philosophy behind fauvism was: COLOR should express the artist's feelings about a subject. They used heavily exaggerated color and simplified lines.

One of my favorite paintings is by Henri Matisse

 Limes Lemons and Yellow Bird reflects my interpretation of the Fauvist painters' style.  It is the second painting in a series.

I begin with a toned 18 x 18 gallery wrap canvas, followed by simple brush sketch in thinned acrylic.

And now the fun begins...where to go after putting all these lines in place?

Light washes of acrylic, working warm and cool colors..

My thoughts were to add visual texture to the piece, so collage papers were added, a stencil design for the fabric and for some reason the decision to not have the vase clear glass.

Back to more collage and re-defining lines.

Adding black and white to a colorful painting, helps to diffuse the intensity. Therefore, the collage of black and white stripes on the bowl.

Because I worked over a period of two months on this piece  (meaning I couldn't find the time to work on it) I made some major alterations....like letting the fish be chased off by a spindly yellow bird with a squeeze of lime on his head;

adding an additional pattern to the vase and restructuring the fruit.

It is almost a completely different piece.

If it hadn't taken so long to complete, I wonder if I would have made so many changes to the end painting? 

 I hope the fish are happy elsewhere, the bird has to decide how to peck at a watermelon with a lime slice on his head.

This painting is available on my S Furner Fine Art website.

Sold...thank you Geri, I hope this painting brings you much happiness.

Cherry Fizz Tutorial

My but FISH and TIME flies.....

but on their own terms.

I started several paintings two + months ago

..blame it on the weather!

Finally Cherry Fizz is complete.

Sharing my indecisive painting techniques with a few photos

and descriptions.

36 x 24 Gallery Wrap Canvas, orange tone in acrylic, blue sketch lines.

Experimenting with different colors and shapes, redrawing lines.

Laying down collage papers with mat medium, redrawing-reworking,  blocking in stronger colors. 

Painting over collage papers to diminish strength, bolder lines, stenciled pattern on white cloth. Sorry doesn't show up on photo.

Removing some elements to create more space, tightening the drawing, reworking shadows, tiny bits of gold leaf collage and giving oomph to lace pattern on the table cloth. 

Materials used: acrylic, acrylic inks, stencils, collage, Stablio pencil, completed with acrylic varnish. 

.....fly away fish.....time caught up with both of us.

It is time for you to find a new home.

Available on S Furner Fine Art website. (click)

"Oh Glorious"

It all started with the purchase of a bouquet of sunflowers.

I knew if anything was going to entice me to paint again after a long absence, it would be the GLORIOUS Sunflower!

I prepped a 24 x 24 canvas with watered down magenta and yellow-medium acrylic. A paper towel took off the excess paint.

The first marks were with willow charcoal which I find pretty messy, so I switched to diluted turquoise paint for redefinition.

It isn't unusual for me to start a painting with acrylic, setting in composition and some basic color.  Artist grade acrylics are fabulous and have wonderful color properties...and I can quickly change my mind as there is little drying time.

Pretty messy at this point, and time to re-correct drawing and

begin laying in thinned oil in corresponding colors.

I paint with large flats and occasional filberts/synthetic. Working the thick, viscous paint is sheer pleasure.

You will note the paint is "sliced" through, that is thanks to a credit card, palette knife, or small piece of hard rubber dicing up the paint, creating a softened effect.  

Now I should have left this painting about here, just finishing up the vase....but I left the painting for a week or two...then couldn't make up my mind what I wanted to do...meanwhile my Bell glass jar with water and flowers had ceased to be and I had no photo as reference.

Oops didn't realize how blurry this photo was, sorry, it isn't your eyes.  Anyway, I did an about face in all directions: gone-- water/vase, no soft side flowers, and clouds of swirling background. 

Eventually I became weary of this painting, sent a photo to Tam, my best critic ever, and expected to call it quits.

Uhhhhh, not quite the response expected.  Tam gave me some suggestions and I took it to heart.  She is pretty persuasive.

(By now I am not photographing my steps, as I was pretty much not enjoying the process like I had at the beginning.)

I think you would agree with me...this is far from my original design when I worked from life and ended up painting in the imaginary part of my brain.

From soft to stylized....

One thing I have learned: there are ever so many ways to paint a subject. None of which is correct or incorrect, but rather that you are pleased with the final result.  This painting, in particular the color has grown on me.

"Oh, Glorious" is happily framed and hanging in the RiverView Gallery.  410-939-6401

How to Lose Ten Pounds

I hear many women lament, "If only I could lose TEN POUNDS!"

There is a way to painlessly slip BURDENSOME POUNDS.  

In the beginning you shall need to relax and drift like down floating away  from Mother Dandelion.  Join me in leaving behind the air sucking humidity and oppressive heat of North Carolina.  Float a bit...

relax, breathe, gaze

drift, soar, meditate

into iceberg clouds.

Shrouded in silent gauze

 we travel two thousand miles before Earth plays peek-a-boo.

Leaving our steel chamber isolation, we step forth into the most brilliant sunlight and welcome dry mountain air of the Wasatch Front.

Instantly we feel TEN POUNDS lighter. No longer bound in humidity, one's spirits lighten, one feels lithe and eager for adventure.

Hewing logs, pulling sage, the early pioneers didn't have TEN POUNDS to shed.

Isolation, open vistas, sunlight showering down like crystals on a chandelier

silence, only the whistling wind, the bellowing of animals and the hum of wasps.

Unbounded time to watch the Wild Flowers with Sunshine Faces slowly dance their meandering routine

catching each ray of pure air.

Cedar smoke, tilled virgin soil, gray-green mountains of desert Sage

time to drift under the Creator's hand, to think and offer thanks, quiet, stillness, alone-ness, at one-ness,

interrupted only by the bellowing of cows or the rock hard gallop of Pony Express riders, bottoms as solid as the leather they sit upon. 

Oh, Pioneer. Did your Dreams, Wishes and Prayers come true?

Your strength, resolve, commitment, fearlessness set a high standard.