Animation

Hidden Jewels

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I live in the lovely bedroom community of Altadena, California. We are nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, just north of Pasadena (think Rose Bowl/Parade). The area used to be fruit orchards, mainly citrus. But many other fruits were grown and hybridized here at the turn of the last century. In 1908, the land I live on was subdivided into the Historic Highlands Tract and sold as housing plots. The area now hosts many Craftsman houses, one of which I am fortunate to live in.

When we moved in, the yard was a mess. There were still several large citrus trees, many varieties left over from the orchard’s glory days. In addition, we inherited a most magnificent pomegranate tree. We didn’t know how special it was at first because it was so overgrown. When we cleaned up the brush and gave our trees a good pruning, we discovered the most amazing gnarled trunk imaginable.

My wonderful old pomegranate tree.
My wonderful old pomegranate tree.

Concentrating on the outward appearance of things can shield us from hidden beauty inside. This once ugly treasure of a tree is now in full fruit. We share the harvest with our friends, as well as assorted squirrels and insects.

Adorn Your World With Pomegranate

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Gaze Into The Crystal

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I don’t have a crystal ball. I don’t know what is in the future. But the world out there is looking a little bit scary. I open up my computer and am bombarded with news of a world gone crazy—politics, gun violence, climate issues, terrorism, race, greed, corruption and more. My Facebook feed will give me nice things to look at, even beyond cute kitten videos and baby’s first steps, but I still have to wade through the muck of frightening stories. The internet is a hard place to find peace.

Animation showing the base image and layers of Magnolia Focus

I create art on my computer. Each of my pieces represents hours spent in competition with Tweets and updates and news. My calendar reminds me to make blog posts (like this one). Banners flash across my screen letting me know I have a new communication. The whole world screams for my attention.

It takes steely self-control to actually make my art. But once I begin, once I have really dived into the crystal display, magic happens. The lights blinking for my attention melt away. I find total focus. Hours go by without me even thinking once about the latest poll numbers. Amid the noisy outside world, I am able to channel inner calm and create with abandon. I am transported into a state of total focus, of joyous celebration in the act of creating.

So now, you are reading this on your device desktop. I am begging to be the distraction in a small slice of your day. The irony is not lost on me. But it is my dearest hope that you find my artwork and animations more peaceful than the news and more relevant than puppies in flower pots.

Magnolia Focus_merch

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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

Stacking up an artwork – Goji Draco Fabrication

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Goji-Draco-Fabrication

Enjoy this short animation that shows how the layers of Goji Draco Fabrication have been stacked to create the finished artwork. The first transition shows the image that was used as the base for all of the reflections.