Monday, December 12, 2011

Strongmen

Strongmen
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Strongmen in the Clouds
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Saturday, December 3, 2011

Love Ya!


For several days, the above love note has been floating around on our kitchen table. It even has a food stain (see cartoon hubby's left cheek)!

One day, my lovable and loving hubby, an early riser, left me, a grumpy late riser, this "Love ya!" note. I then added to it--at midnight, of course.

So what does one do with the ephemera of one's life?

Create Artwork-y!

Scan and manipulate = Artwork-y!

Cartoons and kid drawings are difficult to derive because they are already caricatures, but I thought I'd give it a shot:



Not my favorite Artwork-y, but what the hey...

Samantha Moon Morphs Into Samantha Swimming

The Original Drawing ("Samantha Moon," Crayon, circa 1992, by Jennifer Semple Siegel):



I used a slightly different (manipulated, 2004) version for my book cover Are You EVER Going to be Thin? (and other stories):




A Totally Artwork-y Version ("Samantha Swimming," Manipulated via Adobe, circa 2004, by Jennifer Semple Siegel):

The Derivative Starry Night (Vincent Van Gogh)

The Original (From Wikipedia):



My First Version (The Vortex in Which Van Gogh Lived):



A Day Later, My Second Version (The Vortex in Which Van Gogh Lived):



My Third Version (The Vortex in Which Van Gogh Lived):



My Fourth Version, Birds Added (The Vortex in Which Van Gogh Lived):


I don't pretend that my versions are anything special. Much of what makes Van Gogh's work so compelling is the fact that his style is original--mine is not.

I have built my versions on someone else's completed canvas and that may elicit well-deserved criticism.

I like my colors, although probably too cheerful for the subject matter. I'm not sure which version I like best, although the second version seems to depict better the sad and tragic life of Van Gogh.

The best artwork-y seems to emerge from lousy photographs. I kid you not.

If you try to build a derivative from a lovely photograph, you will find it difficult to get past the beauty of the original.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Judge Judy


Judge Judy, in the style of Andy Warhol.

This image seems to capture the personality of the good judge quite accurately.

'Nuff said.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

What is Artwork-y?

Original (Left): "Orpheus With His Lute": Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (1796-1875)
Derivative Version (Right): "Orpheus With His Lute Near a Reflecting Pool," by the webmaster
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"Artwork-y" refers to art that has been derived from existing images via computer manipulation, for example, Adobe or other electronic media.

The background of this blog has been derived from the painting "Orpheus With His Lute," by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (1796-1875).

It is clear that the above derivative piece is not "original," that Corot's hand is still very much in evidence. However, some derivative pieces can be totally unlike their originals. For example:

The photo on the left is an old family photograph. I'm the girl in the yellow suit.
The image on the right has been manipulated from that photo, obviously cropped and "arted up."
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Can artwork-y, a derivative art form, really be considered art?

The jury is still out.
The background for this blog has been derived from the painting "Orpheus With His Lute," by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (1796-1875).
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