Inspiration

From Ordinary to Wow!

20/01/2014 | Comments: 2 | Posted by: JT | In: How To's, Inspiration, Photography

I can’t help but think Photoshop is one of the most incredible creative tools available to any artist/photographer today.

Case in point: a humdrum and rather ordinary photograph of a mum was easily transformed into a dramatic B&W image in a matter of minutes. It still amazes me how much this technique changed and improved the original image.

Using a simple technique with the Curves Adjustment Layer tool I was able to get a Solarized (or Sabattier) effect that totally knocked me out. There are a lot of tutorials online if you want to try this technique. Careful though…you might get hooked.

Be aware that it doesn’t work with all photos, but when it does the results are amazing. Images with strong contrasts work best. I happen to prefer solarized images in B&W, but color images are pretty cool solarized, too.

A special thanks to photography friend Jim Hulme who got me interested in solarization with his lovely photo of Naked Tulips.

Here is the original photo of the mum appearing in all it’s ordinariness:

Ordinary Mum photography by Janet Towbin

And here is the Photoshopped mum converted into a dramatic diva.

Solarized Mum photography by Janet Towbin

Are you impressed? I sure am!

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Jerry Saltz on Drawing

16/01/2014 | Comments: 0 | Posted by: JT | In: Art, Inspiration

My all-time favorite quote about drawing is from New York Magazine art critic Jerry Saltz. The quote below first appeared in a column he wrote in May, 2000 about the James Castle exhibit at The Drawing Room. Written almost 14 years ago when Saltz was art critic for the Village Voice, it still resonates with me today.  By the way, if you are interested, the full article (called Home Alone) appears in a compendium of Saltz’s Village Voice art columns in the book Seeing Out Loud.  I highly recommend it. (One of these days I’ll tell you about meeting Jerry Saltz and having him critique my work.)

“Drawing is one of the roots of art. It’s a way of seeing and thinking, a way of seeing yourself think. An intimate art about cosmic things, and a cosmic art about intimate things, it happens mostly–but not always–sensually, physically from the fingertips. The nerve endings of the hand listen to the musings of the imagination, which marvels at the movements of the hand. The artist’s face is often very near the drawing. In ways it’s very primitive, very primary, a kind of universal language. Drawing makes old thought new and new thought accessible. Without it—in whatever form it takes—there might be no art.”

Jerry Saltz; Village Voice, April 26-May 2, 2000

Meditations on a Black Stone (detail)Meditations on a Black Stone (detail); Graphite on Paper; 22″ x 30″; 2013

More images from this series of drawings are now posted on my website in the Portfolio section.

 

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Vintage Gift Wrap

15/01/2014 | Comments: 2 | Posted by: JT | In: Inspiration, Pattern

I save a lot of odd things because they inspire me and like most artists, I am loathe to throw anything away. While going through some old files today, I came across a bunch of vintage gift wrap papers. I’ve been holding on to them for years. Some were bought new, years and years ago, while some from the 50’s (you can probably tell which they are) were found at a thrift shop.  I wanted to share them because they are interesting; the designs and color palettes might just inspire you to create something wonderful.

Vintage Gift Wrap mosaic by Janet Towbin

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