Work-in-progress: diving in
It's been a bit of a shock here to feel heat (that is, "summer") every day. What does one do when it's hot outside?
Semiahmoo Bay. Photo: Lisa Myers Bulmash
Ah yes, large bodies of water. I understand one sometimes dives into them.
The original vintage image of the diver was part of a stereoscopic pair. I set her, and part of the background, against waves on a Japanese art paper. Then I added a handmade paper sky, at the back of an altered book niche.
You might remember back in the day -- like, waaaay back in the day -- this kind of swimsuit was considered scandalous.
More power to you, for doing what makes you happy. I think Calamity Jane said it best:
I'm leaning toward the title "Legendary." Still need to mount the book and do a couple of other tweaks, but it's getting there. Next week, I'll be showing her to an interested collector who's been following this work-in-progress on Facebook.
Spreading the good art word: Artist Trust at Large
Every once in a while, it's NOT who you know: it's WHAT you know. How can you find free money -- yes, FREE MONEY -- if you don't know it exists? And if you're friends with someone who needs money, how else are you going to keep us from mooching off you? (Kidding. Sort of.)
I can help with that! Starting in September, I'll be giving talks on artist resources and funding as an Artist Trust At Large speaker. We'll talk about:
- grants, fellowships and other awards -- basically, money that doesn't need to be repaid
- workshops on art business-related topics
- where to go for information like legal issues, emergency help and more
The Artist Trust At Large presentations will be in Seattle, Snohomish, Redmond, Bremerton, Tacoma and in two webinars. And these resources are for artists of all disciplines: visual artists, writers and other literary artists, film/media artists and performers of all kinds. More details as they develop!
When your artwork is a pain to photograph
Hi, my name is Lisa, and my artwork is a nightmare to photograph.
BFAR staffer Amanda considers the challenges posed in photographing my art.
I know it's a pain. And I warn/remind the photography staff of it when I come in the door.
Bellevue Fine Art Reproduction generally needs three days to shoot my work. Not because they're too busy, although they are busy. It's because my work, like me, is complicated. The surfaces vary in depth, for one thing.
At least three different depths, just in this view of the work. But wait, there's more!
For another thing, my work features a lot of small details. On top of that, I also tend to incorporate shiny surfaces like transparencies, mica or glass. So the shoot has to be set up to reduce glare and unwanted reflections.
Reflective surface? Check. Multiple depths? Check. Photo shoot nightmare in 3... 2...
But sometimes glare or other issues can't be avoided, so there's the post-production editing.
BFAR's owner Scott somehow shoots & edits my multi-layered work without losing his mind.
Yes, I could shoot my own work, and I used to (results were okay). I could take classes, and I know of some good resources. But my priority right now is making more art; I'm the only one who can do that. I have the luxury, at the moment, of having someone else document my work. (No, I'm not being compensated in any way by Bellevue Fine Art Reproduction. I just like their results.)
The three pieces I brought in this time should be ready next week. Check back next Friday!