excited about...

I signed up for this project yesterday and I am very excited to get my sketchbook and start. I picked "Lines and Grids" as a theme. Let's see how far I can go for that. I think I may be thinking too literally about it.

To Photoshop or not to Photoshop

Assuming you think that photography can fall into the fine art category, can photography that has been Photoshopped be fine art? There have always been darkroom techniques that let you fiddle with the image some, but I was always under the impression that to be considered fine art, the photo could stand alone, sans manipulation.

According to the exhibit I saw Friday, not so. From photography's inception images have been tinkered with. Take Gustave Le Gray. Above is one of his images. He was famous for taking the same shot twice; once to get the subtleties of the ocean, and once to capture the sky. He would then cut the negative and combine the best of each picture to get one great photo.

Sewing

Alan got me a sewing machine for my birthday and I completed my first sewing project this weekend. No master piece, but I am proud! My new lunch/catch-all bag for work.

Springtime on Malvey

The tulips I bought on sale for $1.50 per 6 pack in December last year came up beautifully.

The Lens of Impressionism

Today I had a "Lone Katie Adventure" and really enjoyed it. I took the train to the DMA and saw "The Lens of Impressionism." For some reason it felt so more adventurous taking the train than if I just drove there. And it was so easy I was able to spend that hour reading, people watching and seeing the handful of lovely views there are between Fort Worth and Dallas.

As for the exhibit, I really enjoyed the photographs and the demonstrations of the different photo processes in the 19th century. It seemed like the exhibit spent most of it's space proving how similar the composition of the photos and the paintings of the time were. I found this to be a bit unremarkable given that the exhibit pointed out that many early photographers were failed painters who looked up to the painters at the time. Their sensibilities were the same, it makes sense that, in a resort beach town, both painters and photographers would choose to capture tourists and the remarkable landscapes of the area.

What I had hoped to see more of was evidence that the effects of the limitations of early photography directly influenced the impressionist painters. The exhibit did touch on this some, and I found it amazing. Due to slow shutter speeds, everything that was moving in the early photographs were blurry, giving the photographs the illusion of impressionist paintings. Monet was so influenced by a photograph with waving flags, and how they almost disappeared from the photo, that he simulated the effect in one of his paintings, actually leaving visible, primed canvas between unblended brush strokes.

I haven't yet researched if the impressionist movement was already underway when photography began to be experimented with, but as someone who LOVES both photography and impressionism, I would love to find that there is a definite link between the evolution of the two.

P.S. - We weren't allowed to take photos of the exhibit, and my dull mind doesn't remember the name of the photographers, so I don't have any examples. I snuck this photo.

Work is fun...

Collaborated with the Foundation and coworkers to make these "Best of ..." awards for the Taste of Parker County.

Wine bottles filled with oats, rice, and colorful beans and re-corked. Wine bottles donated by area winery and found new corks at Michael's. Coworker designed labels and affixed with spray adhesive.

Landscaping

We are going to get our front yard landscaped! I am so excited to see what this translates to in 3-D and full color.