Still Unmoving...Still

I saw a television commercial over the weekend that adverised a new digital camera with (I guess) more advanced "movie" capabilities than many of the currently-available consumer digital cameras on the market right now.

The commercial emphasized moving images over still images, and seemed intent on persuading potential buyers that still photographs are so..."yesterday".

It's certainly nothing new to want to make "home-movies" of life's special occasions; weddings, graduations, performances, etc.--but advertising a camera by suggesting that moving images are superiour to still imagery, is something I don't remember seeing before in an advertisement.

There is a place for both moving and still imagery; a place for home movies (& commercial motion pictures!), just as there is a place for drawings, paintings, photographs, and other forms of still imagery.

I'm not worried that a commercial for a consumer-level digital camera is going to cause too many folks to lose their ability to appreciate "still" imagery. Certainly, afficianados are not going to stop making and/or enjoying (still) photographs, paintings, or (still) digital imagery.

But, if the notion that still imagery is "antiquated" takes hold to the point that only afficianados remain interested in still imagery, we will have "lost" something that has been essential to artistic contemplation for millennia.

I was surprised, disappointed (and saddened) that an advertising agency would view this approach as appropriate to selling something. After all, when the new model year's digital cameras hit the stores, this commercial will be replaced with a new one, too.

But, if the idea that moving imagery is "better" than still images takes hold, it could be around far longer.

That's certainly not a good thing (in my opinion, anyway!)

At last, my new website!

Like all websites, mine is a work in progress. At the least, it it useful enough, with images, dates for upcoming shows, link to this blog and other cool places, etc.

Check it out:

www.syntheticskystudios.com

Thanks, and Happy Holidays!

Year's End...

I know I haven't blogged much, lately. I've been very busy finishing a commissioned piece before Christmas (and since it's a surprise) I'll be posting pictures and comments after Christmas.

I have a little more than a month to finish whatever work I'm going to show in February; a a little less than three months to get ready for the April Show. It seems like plenty of time, but (trust me), I know better!

The gallery where I'm showing in April wants to make postcards to advertise my show, and I'd like to feature a new painting, which means I need to paint something new! So, that's my second task for next month--first, I need to finish a drawing of my girlfriend's kids, promised over a year ago.

I'm hoping to have the drawing finished by the 7th.

I'm going to clean the studio over the next couple of days, and I hope to spend quite a bit of time on Sunday, working on the drawing...

Features and Coming Attractions...

So, it's December 16th. I have no idea how that happened--it was mid-October just a few weeks ago!

Then--suddenly--it was much, much, later...

The commissioned sculpture is nearly done. Since it's going to be given as a Christmas gift, I'm not going to post any more pictures of it until after Christmas. But, I will post some pictures. (I promise.)

I think it's turned out well.

I met with the client Tuesday, and he was very pleased with it. (Honestly, I think he's surprised that it actually exists. I used to have truly horrible work habits; I've worked very hard to overcome them as well as I have...)

So (now that it's mid-December) I have, basically, six weeks or so 'til the February show. I had such grand plans. I was hoping to have a dozen new paintings, and several new sculptures, ready for the February opening. (Four months seems like a long time, but it's not!)

-sigh-

There will be at least three new paintings, plus one re-working of an older one, and at least one new sculpture. I'm still hoping to have a decent amount of work (I'm going to include two or three relevant pieces I did at school) without having to show any of the Faces that were exhibited in September.

But, the really cool new stuff will be shown in April. I want the 36x60 inch canvas done, one or two of the panels (prepared with the "Traditional Gesso") done, the three narrow panel paintings (Arachnaverte was the first of these; the other two still need to be finished) and at least one new sculpture. I still probably won't have as much work in that show, quantity-wise, as I'd planned, but (mainly) the work must be quality.

Stay tuned.

You're gonna see it all here, first!