Art for Art sake ... Money for God Sake

[Colin Southern]

A great song from 10cc ... (plus I really couldn't think of a better title!)

We've had one or two threads about photographing art recently, and since it was one of my jobs last Friday, I thought I'd share the results with you.





If anyone is keen to have a look at more of Michelle's art, just pop along to www.bellamygallery.co.nz. Happy to answer any questions if anyone is interested!

PS: I'm sure most of you will be wondering why these look a touch "flat" ... the short answer is "that's the way the artist likes them" (and I must say, they do look great when they're all printed, framed, and hung).

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Colin,

They look (almost unbelievably) realistic, how does Michelle paint them?
I can barely believe the reflections could be that accurate on #1 without say, projecting an image onto the canvas and 'joining up the dots' if you know what I mean.

If done free hand, even with reference to a photo beside the easil, I am hugely impressed and that goes off the scale if from memory or imagination.

[arith]

I thought these were real Art is an invention by some to get money and a passion to artists who won't get any. It just leaves me confused, especially a recent upmarket tv art program featured a super-yacht described as art and priced 10,000,000 euros more because of that.

[Colin Southern]

Hi Colin,

They look (almost unbelievably) realistic, how does Michelle paint them?
I can barely believe the reflections could be that accurate on #1 without say, projecting an image onto the canvas and 'joining up the dots' if you know what I mean.

If done free hand, even with reference to a photo beside the easil, I am hugely impressed and that goes off the scale if from memory or imagination.

Hi Dave,

Ironically, she paints them from ... photos! In reality, they can take several months to complete (she works on up to about a dozen at once I believe), so painting them whilst "parked in front of the scene" just isn't an option.

It's an interesting "meeting of the minds" when we get together though - she's extremely sensitive to colour and tone variations whereas in contrast, I'm good at the technical reproduction side of things (but couldn't even draw a circle and have it recognised as being such) - so although we're both "artists" (and I'd like to think with a healthy respect for the others skills), our skill sets don't particulalry overlap much.

[Colin Southern]

I thought these were real

They are real ... real expensive!

They're real scenes too - photographed initially, and then painted (usually acrylic on board), and then (somewhat ironically), photographed again!

[MrGladstone]

The water is really incredible. Cleverlady!

[Dave Humphries]

Ironically, she paints them from ... photos! In reality, they can take several months to complete (she works on up to about a dozen at once I believe), so painting them whilst "parked in front of the scene" just isn't an option.

That doesn't surpise me, it is rare (although I am not an art follower) to get perspective and detail that accurate (e.g. because light direction changes in real life while being painted) without it being copied from a photo - when I used to paint (as a young teenager), it was the only way I could do it - I used other's calendar shots as source. Then I discovered photography, went into technical drawing (better job prospects) and art was given up.

Still mighty impressive work though,

[Colin Southern]

Thanks Dave,

I've got a whole bunch to do for her shortly, so probably be posting some more (she's of the opinion that this kind of thing is good & free advertising).