Blending of Art and Reality
This week I bought the current issue of “International Artist” magazine. Although I am constantly on the look out for artists and artwork that speak to me, I do tend to make most of my discoveries online. So when I found myself at Barnes and Noble I decided to treat myself to some eye candy that I could actually hold in my hand. The artwork featured on the cover, an oil painting by Serge Marshennikov, took my breath away. Ever since I can remember, I have been amazed by artists that can paint so realistically that you question whether you are looking at a painting or a photograph. His expertise at realistic painting is a perfect example of what I’m talking about.
In this digital age, the opposite is also possible. Photos are now able to be manipulated to give them the appearance of a painting or drawing. Maggie Hogan’s contribution for the CSA program this month is a great example of her skills using some of the digital tools that are available to photographers. The softness of the background and the transitions of colors can make the viewer question what medium was used to create the image.
I have a confession to make. In this post about Maggie’s beautiful photo of a feather, I made an assumption about her art process and didn’t check my facts (obviously I would make a terrible reporter but it does support the fact that you shouldn’t believe everything you read on the internet). I have seen many photos that have a shallow depth of field, giving a soft background and foreground, but I had never seen one like the image of the feather. I found out several days ago that the photo effects that gave the image its painterly qualities was actually created by using an extension tube when the photo was taken and not the result of any digital manipulation. Hopefully, I have learned my lesson and in the future, will be sure to get a better understanding of the creative process that went into each art piece. It gives me an opportunity to learn new things and hopefully will do the same for you. This note was added on April 5, 2015