About

Posts by :

Behind the Artist: Covering 75’s Samantha Lacy

By in Native

Behind the Artist: Covering 75’s Samantha Lacy
image
[embedded content]

Each month in 2023, we’re asking a local artist to recreate one of our iconic covers from the past 75 years. For May, we tapped our very own Art Director and North County native, Samantha Lacy to reimagine a 1961 cover. You can see her recreation here and learn more about her in the Q&A below:

Tell us about how you found your distinguished style and how you honed your skills?

My mother always said I should be a medical illustrator. Not much money in that, haha, but I’ve always loved old botanical prints and Audobon’s lithographs. I think if I had a different life I’d be happy as an ornithologist. I’m just a bird nerd at heart, and I’ve been drawing plants and animals forever.

I love watercolor because it’s buildable, it’s easy to work with, and it has this dreamy quality that I’m drawn to. I think my style has transitioned over the years to become more realistic, but believe me, there’s a surrealist weirdo inside of me, too.

What artists do you admire or look up to? What makes their art or creations so special to you?

I’m totally obsessed with Tiffany Bozic. Her work would maybe be my ideal for myself if I was a studio artist full-time. It’s full of allegory and double entendre, while also subtle, carefully crafted, and just gorgeous. She’s diligent that the Maplewood panels she uses are sustainable, and that she’s as conservative as possible about her paint usage.

I also love Walton Ford, and Stephanie Brown, who’s an amazing tattoo artist. There are so many others. I admire artists who use nature to tell us stories about ourselves. We’re nothing without it, yet so often we think we’re something else.

How do you think your art reflects the Southern California lifestyle? How does living in San Diego play a role in the way your art comes to life?

Living in Southern California is incredibly inspiring to me, especially in the art that I do, and would like to do more of. We have this Mediterranean scrub climate, that at first seems static and dry throughout the year. But it’s actually dynamic, full of life and biodiversity, and you can be outside almost every day. I try to notice the subtleties, and the differences around me month to month. It helps calm me down and reminds me that everything changes, life isn’t always going to be what it is right now. Be grateful where you are, and look forward to what’s coming.

What are some of the brands you have enjoyed working with the most?

I’m so grateful to be a part of this team at SDM. We’re ambitious, not afraid to take risks, raise the voices of local artists and thinkers. I think we’re at the dawn of a great thing here, and I’m thrilled to be included. I want to take us to new territories in our visual direction, and always keep growing and learning. I have these two parts of me as an artist: the graphic designer side and the illustrator side. I want to continue to build those passions individually, but it’s been exciting to get to show both in the pages of the mag.

Where do you like to go to get away and relax?

I’m definitely a homebody. Nothing beats an evening in with my wife and my cat and a home-cooked meal. But I also get out and walk the beach in North County, go on a run along the rail-trail or a surf north of Swami’s. Getting exercise and being in nature refills my batteries. 

Where can people find your work to admire you?

People can find my work every month in San Diego Magazine. That’s probably the best place to find me regularly, but maybe one of these days I’ll actually make an art website. My focus is on my work as Art Director here, but I’d love to one day explore more avenues with my traditional art. Stay tuned.

Zoom Burst Photography

By in Photography

Zoom Burst Photography

Photo essay by Ernesto Gonzalez Diaz

HAVANA TIMES – Zoom burst is an effect that is achieved by zooming, either zoom in or zoom out, while taking the picture. For this, a camera of at least a mid-range is necessary and that offers the possibility of changing the lens or objective, because other cameras block the zoom at the time of taking the photo.

Another important element is that the shutter speed must be at least 0.5 seconds, in the case of the photos that we show, they all have shutter speeds close to one second, so that there is time to move the lens while zooming. This effect gives the impression that the same object or subject in the scene appears in more than one plane, precisely due to the movement of the lens.

One of the first photographers, of which there are references that used this effect, was Josh Adamski, an Israeli photographer who defined himself as an impressionist photographer, due to the similarity of this pictorial style with the photos obtained through this effect. These images could also be considered surreal due to their dreamlike nature.

This effect also exists in photoshop, that is, this effect could be digitally applied to an ordinary image, but it would never be the same result, neither artistically nor creatively, as when it is achieved by taking the photograph directly.

See more photo galleries here on Havana Times

Highlighting the Water Crisis Through Photography

By in Photography

Highlighting the Water Crisis Through Photography

Andrei Duman Lake Powell

Commercial photographer Andrei Duman aims to highlight the effects of climate change through a new personal project, Lake Powell: A 40-Year Visual Story of Water Crisis.

Duman traveled to Lake Powell, an artificial reservoir on the Colorado River in Utah and Arizona, to document depleting water levels. While climate change’s effects are wide-ranging and often difficult to appreciate fully, Duman hopes that his project’s simple and striking visual style will help viewers appreciate how climate change affects a resource near and dear to everyone’s heart — water supply.

Andrei Duman Lake Powell

Andrei Duman Lake Powell

“For me, the main purpose of this project was to try and highlight the depleting water level of Lake Powell through a unique visual medium,” Duman tells PetaPixel.

“I feel that we have all become numb to the headlines and statistics that we lose context of how far [water levels] have dropped over a span of a few years. This was a huge driving force for me. I wanted a single image that produces a powerful representation of the crisis that even if someone did not know the situation, they could easily understand it,” he continues.

Andrei Duman Lake Powell

Andrei Duman Lake Powell

Water levels in Lake Powell have significant repercussions for many people. It is the second largest artificial reservoir in the United States, behind only Lake Mead. However, ongoing droughts have significantly impacted both lakes.

In 2021, declining water levels forced officials to perform an emergency release of water from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Last year, Lake Powell was at just under 23 percent of its capacity, its lowest water level since it was filled in 1963.

Andrei Duman Lake Powell

Earlier this year, the federal government finally recognized the threat facing Lake Powell. If water levels get too low, the lake will no longer be able to generate power at Glen Canyon Dam, and the lake could even reach “deadpool” status. This would mean the river is too low to get around, through, or under any dam.

Andrei Duman Lake Powell

“The dropping water levels have serious consequences not only for the surrounding area but also in faraway lands. We can all do more to help reduce the water levels dropping further. Northern Rockies and parts of Washington will likely see drought expand over the spring, and areas of extreme to exceptional drought are likely to persist across parts of the Southern High Plains. Oregon warns of a higher risk of water shortages and wildfires in the central part of the state, and places like central Utah, southeastern Colorado, and eastern New Mexico are still dealing with extreme drought. In California, like many other states, the prolonged drought will affect farmlands and decrease agriculture production, leading to higher prices across the country. This will have socioeconomic impacts leading to a reduction in the agriculture workforce and a knock-on effect on other jobs that support that industry,” Duman explains.

Andrei Duman Lake Powell

To help illustrate the urgency surrounding Lake Powell’s water levels, Duman worked with two departments within the Utah Department of Natural Resources, who told Duman that nobody had yet worked with them to try to creatively reflect Lake Powell’s decreasing water levels. He tells PetaPixel that he worked with the Utah Division of Water Resources for nearly a year on his Lake Powell project.

Andrei Duman Lake Powell

“When I initially presented the concept, I think it took them a little while to visualize it and truly understand what I was trying to achieve. I tried to find some references but could not find any. An early concept I had was to ‘light paint’ the lines contouring across the cliff walls using a drone. However, this became too much of an issue with it being a government-protected area,” Duman says.

Andrei Duman Lake Powell

Andrei Duman Lake Powell

Andrei Duman Lake Powell

He explains to PetaPixel that only a few types of drones would’ve been approved, and light painting would have required dim ambient light conditions, which would’ve been difficult while shooting from a boat on Lake Powell. It would have been a very laborious, time-consuming, expensive, and impractical option.

Duman ultimately decided to capture real-world images and combine them with digital lines added by retouching artists.

He was guided by boat patrol sheriffs for a couple of days, visiting areas he’d researched. Duman says he captured over 2,000 images, even though he knew he’d only use around six.

Andrei Duman Lake Powell

Andrei Duman Lake Powell

“I wanted to have the variety of the cliffs in terms of unique formations, height, and contour. It certainly was time-consuming to choose the images that made the final cut, with multiple passes and selects,” he explains.

Retouching required multiple revisions, and getting precise water levels for each image was important. To do so. Duman worked with the Utah Division of Water Resources, which provided accurate historical information.

Duman explains the red line on his visuals, “I also felt it was imperative to add the red line to represent the Minimum Power Pool which is defined as ‘The water elevation in the reservoir below which water can no longer produce power because the water does not reach the intakes for the hydropower generation.’ This is the line we all hope we don’t reach, and we are indeed dangerously close.”

Andrei Duman Lake Powell

Andrei Duman Lake Powell

“I truly hope that this project will help people understand the severity of the situation and the dire consequences we all face one way or another should we, as a human race, not make changes to avoid it. I hope it will spur someone to think about the water use in their homes and be more conscious about it,” Duman explains.

“I know we’ve heard this a million times, but we really do only have one planet, and water is such a precious commodity. Hopefully, this visual photography representation helps people remember the importance of water conservation for the sake of all of us,” he continues.

Andrei Duman Lake Powell

Andrei Duman’s Lake Powell: A 40-Year Visual Story of Water Crisis project is available on his website. Alongside this personal project, Duman recently shared details of his X-Ray series with PetaPixel. Duman’s commercial photography work is also available on his website and Instagram.

Image credits: All images © Andrei Duman

Quad City Art’s Visiting Artist Series features Martha Redbone May 8-12

By in Native

Quad City Art’s Visiting Artist Series features Martha Redbone May 8-12

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) -Since 1974, the Quad City Art’s Visiting Artist Series has engaged residents of all ages in quality arts experiences with professional performing artists.

Native and African-American vocalist/songwriter/composer/educator, Martha Redbone, known for her unique gumbo of folk, blues, and gospel from her childhood in Harlan County, Kentucky infused with the eclectic grit of pre-gentrified Brooklyn, is the artist in residence May 8-12.

Martha’s engagement is supported by the Arts Midwest GIG Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from the Iowa Arts Council and the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

Redbone will be performing a full-length public concert 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 13 at the Redstone Room, Common Chord, Davenport, presented by Quad City Arts and Common Chord. More information at https://www.commonchordqc.org/event/martha-redbone-in-the-redstone-room-at-common-chord/

Visit Martha Redbone’s website at https://martharedbone.com/

Copyright 2023 KWQC. All rights reserved.

When to Go Full-time With Your Photography Business

By in Photography

When to Go Full-time With Your Photography Business

I’ve been a full-time photographer for almost 15 years now, and I remember the pain of swapping my part-time hobby to be my full-time career. Katelyn James looks at how, when, and why you’d want to do this and lists the three key steps to consider if you decide to go full-time.

Katelyn looks at the three main points you’d need to ponder when deciding to go full-time as a photographer.

Financial

It always worried me when changing my career if I’d have enough money to pay my household bills. I had a period of crossover from one career to my current career and I was still doing my previous job as well as taking on photographic jobs. I was an IT technical support contractor, and I was lucky enough to have lots of small contracts and people whose computers and businesses were my responsibility. Katelyn points out the things I was lucky enough to know when I transitioned from one career to another. These are things that, if you’re working for someone else, you might not have considered. Changing your mindset from “this is play money, as I have another full-time job to cover the bills” to “how do I make enough money as a photographer to cover the bills?” Her suggestion to have a buffer fund is a great idea and something I implemented at the start too. 

Time 

One of the hardest things is managing time. I get it. Writing at 2 am. Editing at 7:30 am. You have to consider the time you spend giving attention to your new business. It’s always going to be difficult in the beginning, and Katelyn discusses the right approach. I personally prefer to work when I need to. I am never going to be a 9-5 person. 

Mental

This, for me, is the main reason why I became a full-time photographer. I didn’t like the 9-5, and often, I worked past 5 pm to get things finished and was still expected to be in at 9 am the next morning despite working late. The great thing about working weddings is that while it’s a full day’s work, you can (in most cases) rest the next morning. Katelyn does her best to advise you that “it’s not all rainbows and unicorns,” and I have to agree

This is an important video to watch if you are transitioning to being full-time at photography or thinking you might like to go full-time. I’d definitely recommend a watch.

Madras’ Art Adventure Gallery is art central for Jefferson County

By in Native

Madras’ Art Adventure Gallery is art central for Jefferson County
Art Adventure Gallery is housed in a former restaurant on northbound U.S. Highway 97 in downtown Madras. Photo by: D. “Bing” BinghamArt Adventure Gallery is housed in a former restaurant on northbound U.S. Highway 97 in downtown Madras. Photo by: D. “Bing” Bingham
Art Adventure Gallery is housed in a former restaurant on northbound U.S. Highway 97 in downtown Madras. Photo by: D. “Bing” Bingham

On a cold and wet high desert night, Art Adventure Gallery’s newest board member, Jana Charl, jumps in her Jeep and dodges potholes of legendary proportions as she hurries along the muddy road from her uncle’s ranch to a meeting in Madras.

When Charl left her Los Angeles home in 2017 for her uncle’s Jefferson County ranch, she thought of it as a retreat from the lifestyle and commercial art she used to support herself. She wanted a change in her circumstances, space to seek more international residencies, and a chance to do her art for herself. She assumed she’d eventually make her way to the Portland art scene.

OREGON CULTURAL HUBS: An occasional series

She never made it.

“I came to Oregon for the quality of life and was a bit surprised to find it” in Madras, she said. “Everyone was so welcoming.”

Her first show at the gallery was a feminist exhibition with female forms that exaggerate curves. It wasn’t art that typically conservative Jefferson County had seen before.

“Everyone was just curious, that’s what I loved about the show,” she said. “The difference in showing here is that people aren’t inhibited in asking questions. I love that.”

She sold a painting during the show, and realized, “I can sell art here.”

Art Adventure Gallery is “art central” in Jefferson County, one of Oregon’s most ethnically diverse regions. Official census figures vary slightly, but in the region the gallery serves, including some of southern Wasco County, the population is about equal thirds Native American, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white.

That was part of the attraction for Portland ex-pat and gallery Director Coralee Popp. “There was such cultural diversity and the things that could happen in a small community were amazing to me,” she said. For example, “I remember when they built the present library and the community lined up in the street and passed books, one by one, to get them to the new building.”

Madras, with a population a shade higher than 8,000, is a small (think: Little Brother of Central Oregon communities) working-class town in an agricultural community. The three-block-long downtown area, including the Art Adventure Gallery, straddles U.S. Highway 26.

Coralee Popp (left), director of Art Adventure Gallery, and Jana Charl, the newest member of the gallery’s board, each found an unexpected artistic home in Madras. Popp created the mosaic horse, “Rocinante,” when she was studying at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland and brought it with her to Madras in a horse trailer. Photo by: D. “Bing” BinghamCoralee Popp (left), director of Art Adventure Gallery, and Jana Charl, the newest member of the gallery’s board, each found an unexpected artistic home in Madras. Popp created the mosaic horse, “Rocinante,” when she was studying at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland and brought it with her to Madras in a horse trailer. Photo by: D. “Bing” Bingham
Coralee Popp (left), director of Art Adventure Gallery, and Jana Charl, the newest member of the gallery’s board, each found an unexpected artistic home in Madras. Popp created the mosaic horse, “Rocinante,” when she was studying at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland and brought it with her to Madras in a horse trailer. Photo by: D. “Bing” Bingham

With 76 members, Art Adventure Gallery is entirely volunteer driven, including the director, and works to exchange ideas and art opportunities among cultures over the entire northern Central Oregon region. Its non-juried shows are open to any art medium, including painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, and the literary arts.

“This gallery is awesome,” said Natalie Kirk, former curator for The Museum at Warm Springs and director for Tananáwit, a collective of Native American artists. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for the whole community.”

Housed in a former restaurant, Art Adventure Gallery opened in 1986. Marjean Whitehouse, then mayor of Madras, hatched the idea and enlisted the aid of four determined women from the local art world: Camille Green, Terry Black, Alice Brown, and Sharon Dodge, who became known around town as “three colors in a car.”

Sponsor

Oregon Children's Theatre Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Newmark Theatre Portland Oregon
The April opening of the annual All Jefferson County show draws a hometown crowd. Photo by: D. “Bing” BinghamThe April opening of the annual All Jefferson County show draws a hometown crowd. Photo by: D. “Bing” Bingham
The April opening of the annual All Jefferson County show draws a hometown crowd. Photo by: D. “Bing” Bingham

“More exposure to art was something the community needed,” said Green, a visual artist. “I figured it was part of my purpose,” adding, “I knew how to do art; I had no idea I’d be able to run an art gallery.”

The Jefferson County Arts Association, along with Art Adventure Gallery, was born and continues to this day due to community support.

Not long after it opened, the gallery began hosting field trips by local grade school children and started the popular All Jefferson County show, which this year runs through May.

As statewide shows came and went, the gallery’s focus remained on local talent.

In the early 2000s, Jefferson County artist and author Lynn Miller organized an internationally attended auction of horse-drawn equipment that began in Sisters and later moved to the Jefferson County fairgrounds in Madras. To support the auction and his magazine, Small Farmer’s Journal, he regularly displayed his artwork at the gallery.

“I’ve shown my work at high-end galleries up and down the West Coast,” Miller said, “but this gallery is one of my favorites. There’s nothing like showing your work to a hometown crowd.”

Emerging Native American photographer Edward Heath, who has a one-man show running through May 27 at The Museum at Warm Springs, said he got his first public exposure at the gallery’s All Jefferson County show. For him, “it was a little unexpected and pretty exciting.”

Like galleries nationwide, Art Adventure has had to cope with changes brought about by the pandemic. Revenues dropped and attendance was low, even once mandates eased. What had worked was no longer effective.

The board’s response was, once again, to reach out to the community. They asked Charl to join the board and requested she apply her digital and marketing expertise to the situation.

The All Jefferson County show includes a series of busts by Coralee Popp, and paintings by (from top left) ,,,,,, Photo by: D. “Bing” BinghamThe All Jefferson County show includes a series of busts by Coralee Popp, and paintings by (from top left) ,,,,,, Photo by: D. “Bing” Bingham
The All Jefferson County show includes a series of busts by Coralee Popp, and paintings by Stephanie Cissna (bottom left) and Mary Stellar, both of Madras. Photo by: D. “Bing” Bingham

Another sign of shifting patterns comes from the extended art community.

Throughout the years, the Hispanic population of Jefferson County has been reluctant to display art at the gallery. Ask the gallery’s old-time board members why, and some shake their head and others say, “I just don’t know, maybe it’s cultural?”

But like much else after the pandemic, the long cultural dry spell is about to lift.

In July, the Milagro Latino Artist Fund will display work at the gallery by Portland artist Hampton Rodriguez.

The show comes with the board’s fervent hope that the local Hispanic population will be inspired to display their work. Perhaps, this along with other changes will pave the way for Madras’ Art Adventure Gallery into the future.

Time — and community volunteers who support Jefferson County art — will tell.

«< 2634 2635 2636 2637 2638 >»