Tuesday, February 17, 2009

a r t i s t

I’ve never considered myself an artist. An artist, to me, is someone who has the ability to create something from nothing. I have artist friends. I envy them greatly. Some are musicians. Some are writers. One of them can do things to a canvas that are simply amazing.

But recently, I’ve been able to assign the title of artist to my résumé. Through the medium of photography I have been submitting art in various local shows and competitions for the last three years. Below are just a few that I thought I would share with you.



This is the first photograph I sold at a show. I needed one more piece to enter, and a friend told me to go to the lake a shoot the boats. For lack of anything better to do, I went. This is one of three in a series. The woman who bought it told me it would look great in her bathroom. I smiled and took her check.

I went through a local icon phase. This is the marque at the local movie house. I'm sure back in the day it was a show piece....but now the bulbs are replaced with normal house lamp bulbs.




Another local icon: The Guard House at the Old City Pool.
This photograph was purchased by a dear friend at my last show. It also is a piece of conversation with one of our local personalities that I occasionally see at the local watering hole.

This one will be entered in my next show in Effingham, Illinois. This is half of a series.


The self portrait.



My latest. Untitled. Also being entered in my next show.

One of my personal favorites! This costume has been in several of the shows I have been in. It is starting to show its age, and I believe that the last show was its final appearance. I took the opportunity to capture it while still on its character. One word: texture.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am teary, dear friend. At the photos and the reference.

Yes, artist suits you.

Andrew said...

KT: I heart you.

Mary Lou said...

Ahh, you could make the dead smile with your wit and most certainly with your craft. Need a job?

Andrew said...

ML: :) Maybe...

Jamie said...

You are an artist. These are wonderful!

I love the one with the boats. I'd love to buy one of your prints at some point. Do you have any Fall pictures?

Andrew said...

No fall pictures yet . . . I'll work on that.

Anonymous said...

I want a print sometime too!

So do you ever think of branching out to shooting people?

Andrew said...

I'd love to do some people pictures! Who are you, anonymous? Care to be my first?

Anonymous said...

I also agree - you are most certainly an artist.

However, I have a different definition of "artist". To me, an artist is one who expresses aspects of the human condition in a way that reaches others in the deepest way - connecting them at a level deeper than simple words, notes, or visual images can reach. The artist finds new ways to express the underlying ties that bind us all together, and many of those ties are indescribable but through art. I don't think you have to create something from nothing. I think you have to find the "somethings" that resonate (and by resonate, I don't mean to anyone but yourself, really - because since the human experience is a shared endeavor, that which resonates within us more than likely will resonate with others), and bring them to light in a meaningful way.

And, to me, by this definition, you are an artist. You do it quite nicely.

And I concur, I think you would do the same service in shooting people, as long as you tried to do the same thing, that is, describe about them the indescribable but through art.

And, I'm a different "Anonymous." :-)