So… this is me messing around with PhotoShop in order to get to know it better.  My husband helped me come up with some of the titles (while under the influence of some alcohol… best way to come up with photograph titles ever).  I know I posted these last night before writing a lil somfin’ somfin’ so here goes my words… These were just me messing around with PhotoShop like I said above, but I had my cousin Katie and the moon in mind as I created them.  I hope she isn’t too embarrassed about being mentioned in my blog, but she is a huge fan of Widespread Panic.  I have only been to one show but it was definitely colorful… literally and metaphorically.  Anyways, I love how tie-dye accompanies jam bands and jam band shows.  I wanted to create something from my time at Fripp that I could blow up and frame for Katie because she is moving to Charleston, SC soon!!!  This one photograph of the sand appeared a little reminiscent of tie-dye in its patterns, so I wanted to play around with that while creating something and experimenting with PhotoShop.  I came up with multiple versions of this photograph, but I think my favorite one is Widespread Panic of Sandy Fireworks.  Hope you like it, Katie, but if not I have multiple versions to choose from.

A Lemonade Lavender Slide View of the Sand

Natural Metallica

Sand Transformed into the Rainbow Fish’s Scale

A Black and White Natural Explosion

Widespread Panic of Sandy Fireworks

A Rhapsody of Sand in Black and White

Widspread Panic of Tie-Dyed Sand

Tie-Dyed Sand in Bronze

Freddy Kreuger’s Insides

Temple of Doom

Soooo, I went through a self-doubting day yesterday about whether or not to continue with this blog.  It has been difficult for me to get my own family and friends to make comments on here, but perhaps Ricky’s friend Trip is right… I need to seek feedback beyond those I know immediately.  I will continue this blog after receiving so many thoughtful (and greatly appreciated) comments on facebook.  My cousin Katie has always been a huge supporter of me and all art things so I want to say thank you to her for her sweet comments and encouragement.  You might not realize this, but most peeps in the world think to be an “artist” is a joke and not a way to make money… Artists need a good support system and sometimes, I don’t have much of an arty support system on my side.  Most people I know “like” art but they don’t really understand it enough to make too many comments out loud.  My arty friends live in different cities than I so, well, now that Agnes is gone I don’t always feel the love.  I’m learning, however, to quit whining about it and go find some arty friends.  If I ever make it to Georgia State University, I hope to solve these issues.  I’m my own worst enemy and worst critic.  My husband is about to take more studio art courses than I have in my lifetime… I need to jump on the bandwagon and get crackin’.  I’ve been inspired all summer long and now it is time to make a move.

Well, I intend to oppose this standard and I hope that this blog allows the average person to grasp the more complicated qualities of artwork as well.  I think a lot of people just don’t “get” art… but it is simple if you learn how to read works.  Art goes beyond the pretty and takes you much deeper.  If a work is only pretty, then it is superficial and not a good work of art.  I appreciate the pretty and want to make things pretty that are strange and bizarre and make my mom think I’m on drugs (only kidding… but she used to think I was on drugs because my poetry was weird… but she just didn’t understand it and thankfully, has changed her mind over time).  This blog doesn’t really have an exact focus, so I guess that is why I wish for feedback sometimes… but I do enjoy spending time creating and editing photographs, so I will keep this bloggy blog up and running.  It’s a bloggy-blog world out there after all…