jeannene's art + design

Color Sense – meaning

How do the colors in the design above make you feel? Warm? Happy? I’ve been obsessed with the meaning, use and affects of color lately. It’s an organic process for me, choosing colors intuitively. Can you even imagine how it would read if they were all muted or gray colors? This list is written by Leatrice Eiseman of the Color Marketing Group. The Color Marketing Group is a international association for color design professionals. Their mission is to create color forecast information for professionals who design and market color.
What the Color of the Vehicle You Drive Says About You

Red Vibrant red: Sexy, speedy, high-energy, dynamic.

Burgundy or blue-red: You give a similar message, but it’s far less obvious.

Orange: Fun-loving, talkative, fickle, trendy.

Sunshine yellow: Sunny disposition, joyful, young-at-heart.

Yellow-gold: Intelligent, warm, loves comfort and will pay for it.

Dark Green: Traditional, trustworthy, well balance.

Bright Yellow-Green: Trendy, whimsical, lively.

Dark Blue: Credible, confident, dependable.

Light or Middle Blue: Cool, calm, faithful, quiet.

Purple: Creative, individualistic, original.

Gray / Silver: Elegant, loves futuristic looks, cool.

White: Fastidious.

Black: Empowered, not easily manipulated, loves elegance, appreciates classics.

Brown: Down-to-earth, no nonsense.

The list below is from changingminds.org. I’m not sure about the association with navy blue and purple but it is something to pay attention to. Color is such an essential component in branding and retail. Whether designing a greeting card or a logo color is important from a retail stand point. If you don’t think so try imagining your bank’s logo in pink.

Ways in which colors are used in retail:

Red: Creates urgency – often used in sales and impulse sales
Green: Easy, calm – used to relax people
Blue: Creates trust – used by financial institutions such as banks
Navy blue: Cheaper – selling to price-sensitive
Royal blue: Urgency – selling to impulse buyers
Pink: Romantic – selling to women and girls
Yellow: Grabbing attention – used in displays and windows
Orange: Energizing – used to push for action, as in impulse buying
Purple: Calm – used in anti-aging products
Black: Power – selling luxury, aggressive products, or to impulse buyer

Posted 24 October 2011 in Color + Design Comments Off

Thank you Steve

Taking a moment to honor Steve Jobs. Without knowing him he changed the tools I work, connect, play with and touch every day. Not to mention his words of inspiration.

Posted 06 October 2011 in New Designs Comments Off

Better late than never – Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen (British, 1969–2010) Ensemble
VOSS, spring/summer 2001 Courtesy of Alexander McQueen
Photograph © Sølve Sundsbø / Art + Commerce

Alexander McQueen’s show at the Met in NYC is sadly one I missed this year. Since I am not a fashionista chick I did not check it out when I first heard about it. Luckily even though the show is no longer up, a lot of his work from the exibition is online. I highly recommend checking it out and taking a virtual tour.

Alexander McQueen (British, 1969–2010). Dress, autumn/winter 2010–11.Courtesy of Alexander McQueen. Photograph © Sølve Sundsbø / Art + Commerce

Doesn’t this look like it could be a painting? I can only imagine being at one of his runway shows and getting blasted by the overwhelming beauty he created from boiling down the truth to it’s essentials. In the first exhibition video (the best in my opinion) the narrator speaks about McQueen’s developing a theme or opening performance if you will, for each show. While I am not so sure about “channeling the sublime”, I do agree it is art in it’s truest form.

Shaun Leane for Alexander McQueen
“Spine” Corset Untitled, spring/summer 1998
Aluminum and black leather Courtesy of Shaun Leane
Photograph © Sølve Sundsbø / Art + Commerce

The spine corset seen above is one of my favorites. McQueen is one who took fashion out of it’s normal role of being a status symbol for the wealthy into an art form all his own. Enjoy!

McQueen’s Words

“I find beauty in the grotesque, like most artists. I have to force people to look at things.”

Harper’s Bazaar, April 2007

Posted 05 October 2011 in Fine Art § Inspiration and the Creative Process Comments Off

Art Studio Essentials

I am tickled pink to be getting my own art studio. These are my first thoughts about organizing and designing it on a really low budget. It is being remodeled from our single car garage that is no longer a garage because you can’t drive to it! The size is about 12′ by 20′ which is perfect for me because the paintings I work on are usually all under 6′ tall.

My main objectives were simple:

temperate, warm in the winter/ cool in the summer
light, daylight is best but I will have a mix
dry, needless to say I’ve worked in places that are not so great.

The medium you work in will dictate a lot of your essential needs but this is the more extended list I came up with for working in collage/paint and sometimes encaustics. It was also important for me to have flexibility to move things around in case I get a new press or want to have small workshops.

1. Work Surfaces

It is essential to have a nice big flat surface. Preferably at least 6 by 3 feet and a walk around. Marble is nice because you know it will never warp and if you are making a frame or a cradled canvas this is a must.

An easel is essential for painters. The most important thing to consider when picking an easel is the size and weight of your largest canvases and if you need a easel that either will convert to a table or let you easily spin the canvas upside down. The most common studio easels are either A-frame or H-frame. A-frame easels are good for smaller work and also good to use for outside transport. H-frame easels are heavier, and sturdier. They allow for bigger canvases as well as forward-tilt and some will also turn into a table allowing you to work flat too.

I have an A frame but now that I work larger and sometimes flat I am looking into a windmill easel or H frame easel.

2. Storage

I like wheels on my storage units. I put my flat files on coasters (I had to build a platform for it) years ago and it was one of the best things I ever did. You never know when you are going to want to work on something large and then find out you don’t have enough room because of a cabinet sticking out. A small table or cart to hold the brushes and paints you’re using for a current piece.

Storage for finished paintings. Lots of times I put paintings away to work on later so it’s good to have access to them.

I also like lots of bins and clear plastic ones at that. It is so much easier to see where things are. Not as pretty as cloth or wicker or wood but practical.

3. Lighting

Natural light is the best light to paint by, so rooms with large windows and skylights make the best studios. They say north light is the best but my studio has a wonderful covered area on the north side and I don’t want to rip that off. So I decided to put a 8ft slider window on the side facing the deck. and rip out the garage door and replace it with a 6ft sliding glass door. The door in the back will be replaced with a glass door also.

I recommend full spectrum bulbs – the light mimics natural light. Here’s where I am getting my full spectrum bulbs.

4. Ventilation

Good ventilation is especially important for oil painters, printmakers and encaustic artists, but even if you don’t deal with caustic fumes, its great to have fresh air in especially in the summer.

All you’ll need are cross windows or doors with screens and a box fans to help circulate the air. The other way to go is a ceiling ventilator over the workspace you use. It’s much more costly though.

5. Running water

After the painting comes the clean up! I bought a low budget slop sink at the lumberyard. It was about $70 complete with everything. The other option I considered was a stainless steel sink from a restaurant supply store. A drawer close by for rags, sponges, and other cleaning supplies is a good idea too.

6. Wifi

Make sure your wifi reaches into the space. It might seem unimportant now but trust me you will want it. I rely on my computer for so many things, music, research, email and the list goes on.

I’m sure I’ll be adding to the list but hope this helps if you are thinking of setting up your own art studio.

Posted 29 September 2011 in Community § Fine Art Comments (3)

New Public Domain Mark

In the world of licensing we need to copyright our art which legally protects us from theft. It clearly identifies our art as to when it was published, use and ownership. When working on art to license I always keep track of the year published on the digital file and never produce a publication without adding a copyright on the bottom to protect all the art bound in the pdf or physical publication. I’ve walked the Stationery show in NYC many times and to my surprise found my images on other people’s products. While I was flattered, I still had to protect my art. The first step is asking them to stop either directly or through a cease and desist from and attorney.

Until now the copyright status would fall under terms set by the copyright office by date or registration. Here is a PDF 2011copyright term to verify if an image is available for public use without the new Public Domain Mark.

The surge of internet use has also been the birth of much creative collaboration of artist and developers. Content sharing for the greater good of a project or cause. Until now there has only been a copyright notice to label art for restricting use. Now a mark for shared use has been created by the Creative Commons.

Creative Commons is an organization that helps artist, designers, developers and the like share their knowledge and creativity with the world. They set out to enable the process of sharing with a structure that removes the guess work. Until now images were determined by the number of years old and what copyrights were maintained on the art.

Creative Commons released the Public Domain Mark. The mark is to be used on images that are free of copyright and are available for public domain use.

The New Public Domain Mark

With this new mark, we will no longer be guessing. The symbol is the traditional copyright symbol with a slash through it.

Europe’s digital library, museum and archive — is one of the first large scale adopters of the new mark. It’s announcing the launch at the European Open Culture 2010 Conference, Oct 14-15.

“The Public Domain Mark is a further step on the path towards making the promise of a digital public domain a reality,” said Michael Carroll, a founding board member of Creative Commons and a law professor at American University. “Marking and tagging works with information about their copyright status is essential. Computers must be able to parse the public domain status of works to communicate its usefulness to the public.”

If you would like to make your art a part of the public domain, check out the creative commons website at http://www.creativecommon.org

If not check with the copyright office for whatever country you live in. Here is a link to copyright registration info from the US Copyright office.

Posted 25 September 2011 in Community § Product Design Comments Off

Photography 101

This is a super cool little site for those of us who need a little help with Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO etc…

http://camerasim.com/camera-simulator.html

It covers all the basics and allows you to practice before taking real photos. Just Brilliant! Be sure to sign up for the update too.

It covers the following:

Lighting

Lighting is the single biggest determinant of how your camera needs to be set. With only a few exceptions, you can never have too much light. Use this slider to experiment with different indoor and outdoor lighting conditions.

Distance

Use this slider to simulate how close or far you are in relation to the subject.

Focal length

Moving this slider is the same as zooming in and out with your lens. A wide, zoomed out setting creates the greatest depth of field (more things are in focus) while zooming in creates a shallower depth-of-field (typically just the subject will be in focus).

Mode

The exposure modes of an SLR let you control one setting while the camera automatically adjusts the others. In Shutter Priority mode, you to set the shutter speed while the camera sets the aperture/f-stop. In Aperture Priority mode, you set the aperture/f-stop while the camera sets the shutter speed. Manual mode is fully manual—you’re on your own! Refer to the camera’s light meter to help get the proper exposure. Although every real SLR camera has a “fully automatic” mode, there is not one here—what’s the fun in that?

ISO

ISO refers to how sensitive the “film” will be to the incoming light when the picture is snapped. High ISO settings allow for faster shutter speeds in low light but introduce grain into the image. Low ISO settings produce the cleanest image but require lots of light. Generally, you will want to use the lowest ISO setting that your lighting will allow.

Aperture

Aperture, or f-stop, refers to how big the hole will be for the light to pass through when the shutter is open and the picture is snapped. Lower f numbers correspond with larger holes. The important thing to remember is this: the higher the f number, the more things in front of and behind the subject will be in focus, but the more light you will need. The lower the f number, the more things in front of and behind the subject will be out of focus, and the less light you will need.

Shutter speed

Shutter speed is how long the shutter needs to be open, allowing light into the camera, to properly expose the image. Fast shutter speeds allow you to “freeze” the action in a photo, but require lots of light. Slower shutter speeds allow for shooting with less light but can cause motion blur in the image.

Posted 23 September 2011 in Digital Art Comments Off

Herb and Dorthy

One of my favorite art flicks is HERB & DOROTHY. It not only is a great story it is really well done. HERB & DOROTHY tells the story of Herbert Vogel, a postal clerk, and Dorothy Vogel, a librarian, who managed to build one of the most important contemporary art collections in history with very modest means. In the early 1960s, when very little attention was paid to Minimalist and Conceptual Art, Herb and Dorothy Vogel one by one began buying the works of unknown artists. In the end their collection was worth millions. If you haven’t seen it – head to Netflix or check their website for showings.

Lists of Featured Artist

Lucio Pozzi
Robert Mangold
Sylvia Mangold
Pat Steir
Robert Barry
Chuck Close
Lynda Benglis
James Siena
Will Barnet
Richard Tuttle
Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Lawrence Weiner

Posted 22 September 2011 in Fine Art Comments Off

Interactive Art

There are so many different ways to be with art. This one engages you to make art while you are a part of it. I for one would love to have a chance to spin this around. My thoughts first went to “I should cover the walls of my new art studio with paper and get one of these for a Art studio warming party?” I would want all beautiful summery jewel tone colors instead of black.

maybe something like this palette:

For more info on the kinetic sculpture by karina smigla-bobinski check out the gallery here.

Posted 21 September 2011 in Inspiration and the Creative Process Comments Off

Yes X 100 Club

Mistake in Bloom

I was talking to my friend Matt awhile back and he mentioned in effort to be healthier he started a new aim of saying no. He was saying no 100 times to dessert or similar things that were not what he should be eating for optimal health. It was a simple effort to bring his eating into a more conscious and positive practice.

I was struck with the simplicity of the process. The basic premise is being more present with your decisions, feelings, judgments, or thoughts in general. In short it is an awareness practice that could be applied to many different things. I’ve decided to apply it to my creative process. Instead of saying no I am saying yes 100 times to letting myself “make mistakes” with my art process.

I swear I am my own worst enemy when it comes to my art process. The bad part of being a perfectionist is sometimes nothing gets out the door or ever even seen. The internal judge, super ego, inner critic (whatever you want to call it) is so severe (yes I’ve done years of work and healing around it) it still has the tendency to take over.

A long time ago I read a great little book called Art and Fear. In it there is a part on perfection which I have quoted many times. It talks about a ceramics art teacher’s class and the results that were achieved by dividing it into two methods of grading:

The ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two groups. All those on the left side of the studio, he said, would be graded solely on the quantity of work they produced, all those on quality. His procedure was simple: on the final day of class he would bring in this bathroom scales and weight the work of the “quantity” group: fifty pounds of podt rated an “A”, forty pounds a “b” and so on. Those being graded on “quality”, however needed to produce only one pot – albeit a perfect one to get an “A”.

As you can imagine the results were telling as to the negative effects of focusing on perfection. The group that went on quantity were free to make as many mistakes and try many new ideas out. The group that was looking for the perfect pot ended up with more theories of what perfection was instead of a perfect pot. I call it perfection paralysis. This points to a bigger question. Is there such a thing as a “mistake” in the creative process? After years of studying the creative process in relation to how it enlivens our lives I dare say that creativity is not a dualistic process of right and wrong. Back to my point about saying yes to me and no to perfection.

I am officially opening the YES X 100 club. The aim is not necessarily to count every time it happens but to note when it feels like “making a mistake” happens, let go and move on. After all isn’t it true that when we take risks and make “mistakes” we also learn some of our best lessons?

Posted 19 September 2011 in Inspiration and the Creative Process Comments Off

Colour Lovers

Happy Feet by mohawk
www.COLOURlovers.com

Colour Lovers is a site that is all about color. Right now they are featuring a little contest you can find here by betabrand socks. Design your own just for fun like I did with the socks above. I should mention my identity on the Colour Lovers site is Mohawk (long story – but the short version is it’s my river name when I go white water kayaking)

Posted 17 September 2011 in New Designs Comments Off

Color Sense – meaning

Thank you Steve

Better late than never – Alexander McQueen