Looking Through Windows, Part 2...aka Art & Soul, Day 4, Part 2!

 
"We all have a vision - a reason for pressing the shutter, - the trick is in identifying it." - David DuChemin

In some senses, this class started off slowly, but, oh, did I ever learn. Sometimes, to get what you want, you need to work through the boring.

The rule of thirds.

Compostion.

Filling the frame.

Leading lines.

And so on, and so on.

Not an action packed beginning. Instead, a more introspective one.

We listened.

We looked at our photos.

We analyzed.

As the saying goes, "Lather, rinse, repeat."

We slowed down, way down, from the frantic pace that Art & Soul so often becomes.

I loved it.

 
We spread out the photos we'd brought to class, and we tried to figure out our voice....why we shot what we did. What captured our imagination? Did we see themes?

Among so many other things, I saw "stillness."

"Quiet."

"Nature."

I seem to want to capture in my photos what my life is often not.

That maybe if I can capture stillness and quiet, it will stick.

 
After our photo shoot  and lunch, L.K. demonstrated ways to alter our photos the old fashioned way, "by hand."

Let me tell you...it takes practice!

I love it though; it's almost as if we entered into the photos, got lost in them. The outside world disappeared, and other than sharing supplies with a lovely woman across from me, I pretty much forgot there were 20 others in the room!

I'm taking away a great deal from this class, one of which is to start printing off some photos, and taking notes, creating a "morgue" as L.K calls it.

And, you can bet, more of my work will show up in my journals. The photos need to get off my computer and into my art.

It's been a long week, and a particulary long day. Sometimes, people just don't listen to what you are trying to say. Words are heard, but that's about it, and it plain wore me out. I'll leave it at that!

Comments

[iHanna]

I will look forward to seeing your photos in your art journals from now on! Sounds like a lovely class, thanks for sharing. Now, take care of you!

[Kim Mailhot]

stillness, quiet, nature...deep breath, sigh...

How wonderful.
Hoping you feel heard here. At least a little.
Love to you, Beautiful Paula.

[Mary C. Nasser]

Sounds like a wonderful class!

So glad I found you through the miz kate dot com Artist blog hop!
I am your newest blog follower. :)
Looking forward to seeing your upcoming posts!

I welcome you to check out my mixed-media paintings on my blog!
Best,
Mary C. Nasser
http://www.marycnasser.com/blog.html

[Chris]

Lucky lucky lucky!! nanner nanner, you're lucky!!

But your stuff in your journals. I look fwd to seeing them!