Tools

If you are an artist, what are your tools?

Do you adhere to the rules taught when you were working toward your MFA? Use this, this way, and never never use that at all?

Or does your assembly of tools include anything and just about everything? In my view of art as a creative force, creatively using any object or method to produce a piece of art is elemental to the process.

Recently, I have been enjoying an app on my iPhone called Hipstamatic. It uses the iPhone camera feature and applies a variety of effects to the final print. The app offers as variables, 8 lenses, 7 flash units, 13 film types and 5 cases (skins) for the camera. The cases have no effect on the prints but selecting any combination of the other three categories produces different results. The flash units seem to have the least dramatic effect and I do not use the flash very often, leaving that option off.

My favorite is a lens called Chunky. Chunky with any film produces soft subtle light streaks and leaks on the print. But I also enjoy the Salvador lens just as much. Salvador lens with the Salvador Dream Canvas film produces random effects including strange and wonderful multi exposures.

This is a selection of photos I took of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Texas, "a good place to hang your hat."

Chunky Lens / Ina's 1969 Film
Chunky Lens / Pistil Film

Roboto Glitter Lens / Alfred Infrared Film
Jimmy Lens / BlacKeys SuperGrain Film
Salvadore Lens / Dreamcanvas Film
Here is a series of four I took of trees near my home.   
 
Chunky Lens / DreamCanvas

Salvador Lens / DreamCanvas
Salvador Lens / Cano Cafenol Film

Bettie XL Lens / Cano Cafenol Film




My tools are my iPhone, the App and when I want to stitch photos together PhotoShop.  This is pretty amazing for me since I am also a dedicated film photographer that uses antique and classic cameras (when I can get film that fits them) and the Holga toy camera.  

My objective it to create interesting visual art and any tool that helps me do that is in my tool bag. 

--

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is Analogue, or is it Analog?

Like so many words, analog can also be analogue.   It has two spellings and many meanings. The only meanings I care about for this discussion are those that relate to 1) clocks and watches, 2) televisions and television broadcast signals, and 3) cameras and photography.   Now it is time to sing the song from Sesame Street..."two of theses things belong together and one of these things is not the same." When the first digital watches appeared on the market, I was desperate to have one on my wrist.  These nifty gadgets showed the time in numbers as I would write or type out the time on a invitation -  10:12 was ten twelve; 3:32, was three thirty two; and 12:00 was either 12 noon or 12 midnight.  If I was looking at a standard clock on the wall, it would be - almost a quarter past 10 or about half past three.  Noon and Midnight were just that. This was my first introduction into the digital age.  With my digital watch which had the smallest of red LED could also tell the
Read more

Erbu

Image
 (Originally Posted on 08-27-2010) The Turkish Art of Erbu An artist friend who I have only met online (sometimes the best kind) shared still shots from a class she took learning how to do paper marbling.   She then shared this video of the process.  There is no voice over only music to what is a lyrical process. You see the finished process only at the end but throughout you will see several different works of art created.  The process includes a solution into which pigment is placed, dripped, splattered and then manipulated with various tools.  When the work is the way the artist wants it, a large sheet of paper is laid on top of the solution.  The paper absorbs the pigment and the patterns.  The paper is removed by pulling it along the edge of the pan.
Read more

You Are Where You're At

The last post here was more than one year ago and I wrote about the work of imagination. Actually it was the release of my book "The 4th Kind" which was the subject of the post. It was just 14 months ago. Much water has passed under the bridge and as I look back, the changes that have taken hold, not only of me personally but of my world and world culture in general, have been astounding. My impressions and reaction may be more intense than what others are noticing. Some, I believe are on the oblivious side of the line while others are on the alarmist side.  What about you? If you take a few minutes to consider the past 12-18 months, how much has changed in the world you live in? Are you pretty much at ease and expect that not much has changed and things are on a pretty steady course?  Or are you nearing panic mode and are wondering what is going to happen to in your near future? I know not everyone thinks as I do. I also know that some are thinking that
Read more