Month: August 2016

Pop Goes the Fuchsia

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How exciting when the fuchsias began to bloom. Wild vivid colors. Crazy fairy skirts with spindly legs. And they POP! Yep. The waxy outer layers of the fuchsia bud holds a pillow of air to protect the delicate ruffles inside. When gently squeezed, the buds will pop. You can hear it.

Animation showing the base image and layers of Fuchsia Enfolding.

Timing is key. If I let the buds sit too long, the outer skin will have thinned and there will be no pop, only a sad split. Even worse, sometimes the shell will tear. But a successful pop is to be savored. There is a tiny startle at the burst, a satisfying tactile sensation along with the perfect popping sound.

If I reflect on why I enjoy this so much I am taken back to my five-year-old self, totally involved in the simple joy of completely enjoying the sensations of playing with a flower.  I am reminded to take the time to reconnect with that innocence. I get near this boundless joy when I explore and exploit the inner workings of nature in my kaleidoscopic artworks.

Pop. Pop. POP!

Fuchsia Enfolding Merch
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Yummy Vegetables

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It’s been a little over half a year since I have started eating only plant based foods. Yes, that means I’m vegan. Most of my meals now start with fresh vegetables. So these pea pods were probably about to be be combined with some mushrooms for a tasty stir fry.

Base image for Sliced Pea Pods
Base image for Sliced Pea Pods

Look carefully and you will see my favorite santoku knife in the upper right corner. These snap peas were too beautiful to just eat, I wanted to make them into art too. So before they made it into the pan, they made it into my camera. Of course, from there, I spun them kaleidoscopically!

Sliced Pea Pod_animation from Karen Hochman Brown on Vimeo.

Sliced-Pea-Pod
Click on this image for more information on Sliced Pea Pods and how to purchase.

 

Finding the Surf at Honolua Bay

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On our last day in Maui, we had a amazing lunch at Mama’s Fish House and then drove up the along the coast, across the island, and continued up the coast to our lodgings. But since this was our last day, I wanted to drive as far as the rental car company allowed. The roads on the back side of Haleakala are known to be treacherous.

Surf at Honolua Bay from Karen Hochman Brown

I recall snorkeling there on our honeymoon, though we would stay out of the water this time. The day was almost ending. During the drive, we were entertained by the punctual late-afternoon rainbow, though the scenery was condos and golf courses and I didn’t stop to photograph this time.

The road opened out on a lovely vista of the bay at the edge of a cliff. Our company was a BBQ truck heading home and a drone-video operator taking his final up close surfer shots of the day. On the opposite rim of the bay, I could see cars of the surfers lining a dirt road. I really wanted to get closer but worried about damaging the car. This wasn’t the actual road, I would be OK, yes?

Watching surf at Honolua Bay
Watching surf and sunset at Honolua Bay

With a little bravery, I allowed myself onto the dirt road lined with the surfer’s cars. We still had to walk a ways to get to a spot with a view of the surfers. I’m not as nimble as I was when we honeymooned here, so it was with a lot more bravery that I climbed down the rocks and perched in a place to get even better shots of the water sport and the ongoing sunset.

Honolulu tryptic of base images
Tryptic of base images from Honolua Bay

The three images used here are from that afternoon. The ocean, the sky and the center wave are three separate photographs; each distorted using a graphics synthesizer program. I then take the various elements into Photoshop for compositing (putting the pieces together) and adjustments.

Surf at Honolua Bay

Naming A Piece

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In the Court of the Crimson Queen

When I go to a gallery or museum, I first scan the piece for its visual impact. I might look at composition and color or acknowledge the artist’s cleverness. I then go in close to look at the details and technique. And before I take a step back to review and enjoy the art, I will glance at the title. This can give me an additional glimpse into the artist’s thoughts and expand my understanding of the work. In some cases, the title is the only thing remaining in an artwork, as in Lawrence Weiner’s 1969 conceptual piece A wall pitted by a single air rifle shot.

In The Court Of The Crimson Queen art & base
In The Court Of The Crimson Queen art & base

I find that naming art draws upon my creativity just as much as making it. I want to give my viewers a hint to what they are looking at. In most cases, I will use the botanical or common name of the plant that is my subject matter. But rather than leaving it at an identification, I try to spice it up with a bit of wit. This piece could have easily been titled Pink Rose No. 1; that would help people look for things like rose petals and structure. But using the title In the Court of the Crimson Queen adds even another dimension.

King and the Color Crimson
King and the Color Crimson

The title of this artwork is taken from the seminal Progressive Rock number “In the Court of the Crimson King” (King Crimson)—with a gender change. The piece was not created with that in mind. While working with this rose image, I found shapes that reminded me of very feminine slippers and of a fierce guard, maybe from the palace. Without the yellow dot embellishment, this piece is almost monochromatic in the red and pink area. I’m thinking that the word “red” isn’t very feminine or fierce. A quick trip to the Thesaurus gives me “Crimson.” The regal slippers and royal guard say “Queen.” A quick flash to my rock-n-roll past gets me to my very clever title!

Crimson Queen merchandise
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