"Art should not be an imitation of reality … one of the damned things is enough!"
2 English artists painting at about the same time - one was Constable, whose works were almost photographic, and the other was Turner, whose impressionistic paintings I much prefer.
2 English artists painting at about the same time - one was Constable, whose works were almost photographic, and the other was Turner, whose impressionistic paintings I much prefer.
Constable hated mountains and Turner loved them; Turner has been quoted as saying "The Sun is God," and some of his paintings could almost be interpreted as the way a scene might look after staring into the sun.
Turner and the American, Frederick Church are my two favorite painters; if you don't know the work of Thomas Moran, a 19th C. American artist, check him out -- he was called "The American Turner".
"I'm probably one of the few who never paid any attention to that show … "
I'm another.
I don't think of your first picture as a fantasy - it is an every day occurrence IMO. However, the second one is indeed a fantasy, and I can see much in it. I see from the stars in the water the indication of a universe below - a mirror image to the one above. I see an animal like a beaver poking its head up (although it is probably just a rock)
I have posted a second image and I feel as if I have put down a punctuation mark in my Gemini-Right Brain. By that I mean, years ago, a month ago, a week ago … twenty minutes ago, I would never have posted/published, etc., such an image … it would have been "not literal enough" -- that even though I have been doing more imaginative than true-representational stuff lately.
In the 70's, I painted a lot; one time I painted a single, cumulus storm cloud on a 30"x36" canvas; I entered it in a juried art show in Wildwood, New Jersey and it won a blue ribbon and sixty dollars … first prize!
About ten years ago I painted over it … my wife wanted to kill me; it never was "my idea of a viable landscape painting" and had never framed it, hung it or displayed it after the art show.
In terms of the colors, and, most importantly, the feeling I should have assimilated but instead rejected in the '70's, I finally, all these years later … TODAY! … let it in.
"Better late than never," I guess.
But I wish I would have been less impulsive, less narrow-thinking, and, more Gemini-right brained then.
Live and learn.
I hope some of you are as pleased with the second picture above as I am. And I hope it makes you feel a sense of peace and a love of nature and Whoever/Whatever created the beauty of the Cosmos.
There are two hands on the left pointing up and to the left. There's a naked woman behind them sitting and leaning back to the left. Everything is happening on the left and the land on the right is extending over it as the water to the left of it goes down a waterfall at the center where the land sticks out into space from the right and the water is calmer the lower you go on the left, but it still flows down and into something unknown. There's a rocket jet like looking thing in the top center flying to the right and back. Oh well, it is really nice.
There are two hands on the left pointing up and to the left. There's a naked woman behind them sitting and leaning back to the left. Everything is happening on the left and the land on the right is extending over it as the water to the left of it goes down a waterfall at the center where the land sticks out into space from the right and the water is calmer the lower you go on the left, but it still flows down and into something unknown. There's a rocket jet like looking thing in the top center flying to the right and back.
One of the terms that emerged from the art genre known as "Abstract Expressionism," was "poly-referential," meaning, as it applied to the expressionists' paintings, that different viewers would likely apply many different descriptions, ideas and references to any given work.
My art history "expertise" and love has always been for the landscape painters of America's Hudson River School and some of the English landscape painters; although some of the paintings from that era (19th C.) were referred to as "romantic realism/idealism" and luminism, the paintings were nevertheless "representational" in that subject matter was recognizable for what it portrayed.
A few weeks ago, when I began this "fantasy" series, I crossed a "conceptual" line in terms of how far beyond literalistic I would take my images without stopping myself for fear of my work being generally "acceptable". Why at my age am I in a paradigm shift, I can't say … but I am rejuvenated and excited to see where I might allow myself to go.
I sometimes indulge myself and "justify" my bifurcated ways, by attributing it to my "Gemini Right Brain/Left Brain" meandering; the left brain got a degree in Biology, the right brain, in Fine Art/Art History -- works well that way in taking pictures of Nature (biological) subjects.
'Course, being the way I am away from the camera … drives some folks nuts.
Being a bit of a nut myself -- I enjoy the company.
Mac, the origin of Mishipeshu dates back in Ojibwe mythology hundreds and hundreds of years. Mishipeshu is the master of all water creatures. He is both feared and respected by the Ojibwe and it's home is in Lake Superior.
It is, in a way, the water version of the Thunderbird, the master of the skies and earth. The Thunderbird is the most powerful of all spirits with the exception of the ''Great Mystery''...(great spirit).
The Great Lakes area is home to huge copper deposits and even before the Ojibwe they were a people that used this copper. In the mid 1800's the Europeans discovered the vast amounts of copper in the area and the value of it. Thus came hordes of them to steal it from the Ojibwe. A couple of ships sailing the lake to bring miners/thieves to the area were sunk with all people on board dying. It is said that the Mishipeshu is responsible for this as protector of the waters.
I believe it was the philosopher, Diderot who contended …
"Art should not be an imitation of reality … one of the damned things is enough!"
I agree to a point … and it certainly plays a part in my fascination and love of creating fantasy images.
"Art should not be an imitation of reality … one of the damned things is enough!"
2 English artists painting at about the same time - one was Constable, whose works were almost photographic, and the other was Turner, whose impressionistic paintings I much prefer.
2 English artists painting at about the same time - one was Constable, whose works were almost photographic, and the other was Turner, whose impressionistic paintings I much prefer.
Constable hated mountains and Turner loved them; Turner has been quoted as saying "The Sun is God," and some of his paintings could almost be interpreted as the way a scene might look after staring into the sun.
Turner and the American, Frederick Church are my two favorite painters; if you don't know the work of Thomas Moran, a 19th C. American artist, check him out -- he was called "The American Turner".
Looks like the background for a scene from Game Of Thrones
Looks like the background for a scene from Game Of Thrones
I'm probably one of the few who never paid any attention to that show …
The shot was taken in a wooded area in the month of December some years ago; the mist is real although I pushed it towards the "beyond real".
"I'm probably one of the few who never paid any attention to that show … "
I'm another.
I don't think of your first picture as a fantasy - it is an every day occurrence IMO. However, the second one is indeed a fantasy, and I can see much in it. I see from the stars in the water the indication of a universe below - a mirror image to the one above. I see an animal like a beaver poking its head up (although it is probably just a rock)
.
I waiting for the Weendigo to step out of the mist.
Great photo, Mac.
I waiting for the Weendigo to step out of the mist.
Let me see what I can do about that.
We have days like this in KY, too-- it is like living in a horror movie... You can't see doodley!
Beautiful picture, A. Mac! Very mysterious!
I have posted a second image and I feel as if I have put down a punctuation mark in my Gemini-Right Brain. By that I mean, years ago, a month ago, a week ago … twenty minutes ago, I would never have posted/published, etc., such an image … it would have been "not literal enough" -- that even though I have been doing more imaginative than true-representational stuff lately.
In the 70's, I painted a lot; one time I painted a single, cumulus storm cloud on a 30"x36" canvas; I entered it in a juried art show in Wildwood, New Jersey and it won a blue ribbon and sixty dollars … first prize!
About ten years ago I painted over it … my wife wanted to kill me; it never was "my idea of a viable landscape painting" and had never framed it, hung it or displayed it after the art show.
In terms of the colors, and, most importantly, the feeling I should have assimilated but instead rejected in the '70's, I finally, all these years later … TODAY! … let it in.
"Better late than never," I guess.
But I wish I would have been less impulsive, less narrow-thinking, and, more Gemini-right brained then.
Live and learn.
I hope some of you are as pleased with the second picture above as I am. And I hope it makes you feel a sense of peace and a love of nature and Whoever/Whatever created the beauty of the Cosmos.
Come dip your toes in the sacred waters …
You really into the mythical creatures of the Ojibwe, Mac.
This is the perfect water for the Mishipeshu (water lynx)
Wonderful photo.
Good night … more tomorrow.
There are two hands on the left pointing up and to the left. There's a naked woman behind them sitting and leaning back to the left. Everything is happening on the left and the land on the right is extending over it as the water to the left of it goes down a waterfall at the center where the land sticks out into space from the right and the water is calmer the lower you go on the left, but it still flows down and into something unknown. There's a rocket jet like looking thing in the top center flying to the right and back. Oh well, it is really nice.
There are two hands on the left pointing up and to the left. There's a naked woman behind them sitting and leaning back to the left. Everything is happening on the left and the land on the right is extending over it as the water to the left of it goes down a waterfall at the center where the land sticks out into space from the right and the water is calmer the lower you go on the left, but it still flows down and into something unknown. There's a rocket jet like looking thing in the top center flying to the right and back.
One of the terms that emerged from the art genre known as "Abstract Expressionism," was "poly-referential," meaning, as it applied to the expressionists' paintings, that different viewers would likely apply many different descriptions, ideas and references to any given work.
My art history "expertise" and love has always been for the landscape painters of America's Hudson River School and some of the English landscape painters; although some of the paintings from that era (19th C.) were referred to as "romantic realism/idealism" and luminism, the paintings were nevertheless "representational" in that subject matter was recognizable for what it portrayed.
A few weeks ago, when I began this "fantasy" series, I crossed a "conceptual" line in terms of how far beyond literalistic I would take my images without stopping myself for fear of my work being generally "acceptable". Why at my age am I in a paradigm shift, I can't say … but I am rejuvenated and excited to see where I might allow myself to go.
I sometimes indulge myself and "justify" my bifurcated ways, by attributing it to my "Gemini Right Brain/Left Brain" meandering; the left brain got a degree in Biology, the right brain, in Fine Art/Art History -- works well that way in taking pictures of Nature (biological) subjects.
'Course, being the way I am away from the camera … drives some folks nuts.
Being a bit of a nut myself -- I enjoy the company.
Thanks, Six … my apologies for the long response.
Mac, a depiction of the Mishipeshu on a Canadian coin.
a depiction of the Mishipeshu on a Canadian coin.
If I can find a Creative Commons or Public Domain image, I may try and incorporate it into an image.
What is the origin on this character?
Mac, the origin of Mishipeshu dates back in Ojibwe mythology hundreds and hundreds of years. Mishipeshu is the master of all water creatures. He is both feared and respected by the Ojibwe and it's home is in Lake Superior.
It is, in a way, the water version of the Thunderbird, the master of the skies and earth. The Thunderbird is the most powerful of all spirits with the exception of the ''Great Mystery''...(great spirit).
The Great Lakes area is home to huge copper deposits and even before the Ojibwe they were a people that used this copper. In the mid 1800's the Europeans discovered the vast amounts of copper in the area and the value of it. Thus came hordes of them to steal it from the Ojibwe. A couple of ships sailing the lake to bring miners/thieves to the area were sunk with all people on board dying. It is said that the Mishipeshu is responsible for this as protector of the waters.