Tall Painting

Found this video on the internet. It's a painting technique that looks awesome. I've never seen this done before and I can't wait to try it myself!

I recently received a new camera from a generous family member. Its a Nikon D40 and much nicer than the simple $150 Canon digital camera I have previously been using. With this camera, I'm finally able to take some portfolio-worthy pictures, and experiment with camera settings and software to add interesting effects. These are some shots I was able to get and I think they came out pretty good...



"Art in Nature"

I decided to make an illustration booklet about the characteristics of nature, like plants, life, water, animals, etc. I used inspiration from different images on the web. It's basically just an illustrated scrapbook about nature.

I used pieces of illustration board for the pages of the book, along with newsprint and watercolor paper. Most of the artwork was done in ink, and I added a little color with watercolor pencils and fun stickers and scrap booking paper.

This is the front cover. I used a nature-inspired fabric and put a quote on the front... "No form of nature is inferior to art; for the arts merely imitate natural forms. -Marcus Aurelius Antoninus."

First page is about wild flowers in nature. Flowers are symbolic of the life and beauty that nature has to offer. Wild flowers are untouched by human influence and live their lives as nature intended...raw and free. I used the quote, "As the sun colors flowers, so does art color life. -John Lubbock."

Second page is about birds and their influence in nature. Birds use their natural surroundings to live and without the trees, they would not have a place they belong. Their songs are commonly associated with the voices of nature, which is why I used the quote, "Use the talents you possess-for the woods would be a very silent place if no birds sang except for the best. -Henry Van Dyke."  The image on the far right is a stamp I carved out of a rubber printing block. I used blue printing ink and carved away the negative areas of the picture, then pressed it onto the page.

 The next page is about fruits and veggies in nature. These foods are grown from nature, with the use of sun, soil, and rain. Many fruits and veggies seem simple on the outside, but are much more complex when you take a little closer look. They are all different, and no two are exactly alike, kind of like us.

This page is a focus on trees and growth in nature...the relationship between water and life. Water travels in a cycle, coming from a pure source, then flowing down to bring life and nourishment to the plants and animals in nature. Then eventually, the water travels back around and reaches the pure origin once again. Without this water cycle, life and nature would not exist.

This page is about underwater sea life, a whole different world from ours. There are many different animals and plants that inhabit underwater areas, many of whom have yet to be discovered. These species rely on the ocean and its many variables to live. This is why it is so important for us to protect our underwater habitats so this beautiful form of nature can be around for a long, long time.

This page is about birdwatching. Birdwatching is a great activity for nature lovers. It involves exploring nature, identifying different species and types of birds. By learning about these different types of feathered friends, you can learn more about nature in general. Birdwatching is also an art form all on its own because you must study color, variation, and characteristics about each species of bird, as well as try and capture that perfect shot of the bird in its own natural habitat.



This page is centered around butterflies. Butterflies are symbols for both life and nature as well. They exist in nature in their own unique way, and their variations in color and pattern are a beauty to look at. Butterflies are free spirits and, like many other animals, they too rely on the elements of nature to live. There are hundreds of butterfly species, and butterflies are commonly used in poetry to symbolize a hopeful outlook on life.

This page is about insects, yet another form of nature that has yet to be completely discovered. There are millions and millions of species of bugs in nature, and each has a unique job that they perform to keep the balance of nature in tact. For example, some insects eat other insects, keeping the population under control, and some insects keep trees and other wooded areas from getting overgrown and crowded. And others help with the decomposition of life. Insects play a very important role in nature, and they are also very interesting to look at.