The Mighty Niagra- Water, Fire and Lights!

I was feeling a little restless and decided to take a wee spin on the bike up to Niagra Falls. It is a place I remember from my childhood, and yet somehow as an adult, I almost didn't recognize it.

It has been almost 40 years since I was there last, and as I recall, I almost died. And no it was not from going over the falls in a barrel. I had gotten very ill and had a 107 degree fever. My family frantically cleaned out all the ice machines in the hotel we were staying at to give me a much needed deep freeze in the bathtub. So maybe that is the reason why my memory is a little foggy. But I doubt it.

I think what happens is that things seem more impressive and grandiose when you are young. As for the falls themselves, they are still cool to look at, but I can't say all that much for the surrounding area. It looks like it has seen better days. And as impressive as the falls are from either side, there really is not a whole lot to see there other than the various tourist traps, and they hardly measure up to the awe inspiring appeal of Mother Nature anyway or anyhow.

I decided to check out the falls at night, as I had often heard that they shine big colored lights on them. As an added bonus they were also planning a fireworks show for that night. So I was feeling most fortunate for being in the right place at the right time.

It was a fun trip over all, took lots of pictures and some video here and there. And decided to throw a little clip together so you can see some of what I was priviledged to experience first hand! Hope you enjoy!!!

Week 39 -40 DSFDF Challenge "Rower in Lake Michigan"

This weeks DSFDF Challenge hosted by Karin Jurick involves a woman rowing out on Lake Michigan. The challenge was to focus on rendering water, and hazy atmospheric conditions. But immediately I saw the expression on the woman's face and she seemed so forlorn. Like it was a pointless burden for her to be rowing in her boat.

This quickly led to me imagining her trapped in a snow globe, rowing in circles! Hopeless trapped in a pointless existence. Granted I took some artistic license with the globe, seeing as you wouldn't necessarily have ripples in the water below her if she was in an airtight, fully filled globe. But that is what I love about illustration, you can play around with the facts and reality. And if you know enough about me by now, I usually try and shoot for the visual gag, rather that adhere to the laws of physics.

An Illuminating Slide Show

This gives you a rough idea of the power involved in one of these strikes, pretty darn impressive! And such pretty colors too!

Mother Nature's Art and Effects

One of my passions in life besides art and the cinema, is nature. Just love when nature puts on a show, even more so when it is a light show! So when ever I get the opportunity I try and catch different events, such as lightning strikes. Just call me a fool in the rain!

And I will further add it takes a great deal of patience and perseverence! I wish I had more than one video camera. This way I could set up a bunch and leave them running! Get more coverage of the sky. But in a way , it is fun to try and catch a strike, sort of like hunting for fire flies! But a little more intense!

Digging into the Past

Since joining the challenge group (DSFDF) I have been forced to rediscover, quite willingly skills I had let fall by the wayside. I was never fond of doing landscapes, not because as others might say, it was out of my comfort level. But because I have honestly , always found them boring.

I tend to draw in a very illustrative style because I like telling stories of capturing little moments with my art. I also just enjoy presenting static images in interesting ways, either through aesthetic design, use of color or extreme lighting, or simply because of it's content alone.

The style I use relies heavily on tight delineated lines and shading, or modeling. Heavy light accents mixed with heavy contrasting shadows. Which is why I love illustration, you can take the rules of nature and chuck them right out the window. Also explains why I love doing digital work now in Photoshop and Illustrator. Explorations of the imagination.

And regrettably, I have lost the other side of art which is the personal expression and interpretation of the soul through art. Abstract art is probably the best vehicle for this exploration into the nuts and bolts of feelings. Shapes, colors, and shadows, randomly joined to invoke an emotional response.

This picture "Faded Fields" is a drawing I did some twenty years ago, because I loved the photo, I based it from. It was an early morning shot of a field. The lighting and the color is what attracted me to this image, of what is ordinarily in my mind a boring landscape. But there is a abstract beauty to what I call the perfect moment. Where you can't describe why something is beautiful, it just is.

I haven't done many landscapes, this is probably a one of a kind I just happen to find buried in an old portfolio. And I still like the image even today, and I am starting to feel a yearning again to rediscover the feelings behind the art.

" What Happens in the Fields...."

This weeks challenge was to explore the realm of color.  The image provided was a pastoral landscape of rolling farm land.  The object was to use a variety of color.  Not unlike the lesson learned in the Harry Chapin's song  " Flowers Are Red".

Instead of just using the standard green fields and blue skies, the challenge was to integrate a vast range of color.

I love working in technicolor, whenever possible, and of course interjecting my own brand of irreverent humor.    I decided to go for the obvious laugh.  Since we are dealing with crops and farm land, why not have a lost alien couple.  They have landed in the wheat and are now engaged in ritualistic activity of arguing over where they are.

Of course in any species, the man refuses to pull over and ask for directions.

Well I waited way too late to get under way with this latest challenge!   I pretty much took this down to the wire.  Got it in the mail to Karin  just around supper time of the last day.   Wanted to do so much more with this one, started to get a little punchy with the background and just wanted to  finish it on time.    But that is what happens when you wait until the last minute to start a very involved project.  That will learn me.  Hope you guys like it anyway?