ART WATCH: ODILON REDON

Many of you know me as a mom, teacher, crafter, diy-er, but I tend to keep my "artness" a little bit sheltered. I am not sure really why that is, just that I don't want to bore non-art-enthusiasts with random "fun facts" that aren't really so fun! But this year, one of my New Year Resolutions was to be more confident in promoting my artwork and my skills as an artist. I am still shy about blogging my own artwork. But I am introducing "Art Watch" as a recurring theme on my blog which will spotlight artists that are really thrilling and inspiring me and my work right now!

Today's artist is Odilon Redon, a French artist who worked from 1900 until his death in 1916. He is considered a Symbolist artist, the Symbolists believed that it was their duty to interpret and visualize intangible ideas and emotions, which explains the abundant use of symbols in their work.

Redon's work is characterized by the use of intensely saturated color, brushstrokes filled with emotion, and a tight sense of value. I  am really excited about his use of color.

Arbres et Maisons: Vue d'Hiver

Homage to Leonardo da Vinci, 1908

Nasturtiums

The Turqoise Vase

Girl with Poppies

Thanks for enjoying art with me!

PHOTO TO FRAME

I have decided to begin new segment in my blog, that will appear monthly (hopefully more often, if I have the time and inspiration!)dedicated to getting you photographs frame worthy! I don't claim to be a photographer: I am a stay-at-home mom with an art degree, some Photoshop skills, and a little bug whose cuteness just needs to be captured. In each segment I am going to show a before and after, share my experience, and share some editing tips to get an eye-catching professional looking photo.

Today's Photo:

I really wanted to get a cute, bright outdoor shot, but the weather just wasn't cooperating. The lighting was dull, it was rainy and windy, and when I looked through my images I was pretty bummed. I knew I needed to warm up the whole tone of the picture and add some contrast. These are the steps I used to get from point A to point B:

1. I ALWAYS start with cropping, it just helps me think. I wasn't thrilled about the location I shot at, but I knew I could make it work.I decided to use the columns in the background to frame the little guy, but  I knew I was pretty much stuck with the handrail. After some playing around I found that if I cropped the handrail at the corner of the picture it added a focal point to pull the viewer to the center of the picture. I think I was able to turn a less than ideal situation into something that works.

2. For this photo I only used one other step! I have been really interested in Photoshop Actions lately. An Action is basically a pre-recorded set of moves that someone has created to edit an image to achieve a certain effect. They are similar to Instagram "Filters". Many Actions are available for free online, and I have been trying out a bunch! The one that I used on this image is called Goldygates Color Boost plus Warmth. And it seriously works wonders right?

Here is a larger view of the final image. 

More pictures to come from H's One Year Photo Shoot!