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“Blush”
"Getting Famous!" The digital fine art of Renata Spiazzi
"Digital art drives La Jolla artist's creative spirit"
Renata Spiazzi already had a lifetime of artistic talents to her credit before she began working with digital art in 1994.
Spiazzi left Italy for the United States at age 26 and has been a La Jolla resident since 1958. After moving to the States, she began studying a variety of media, including ceramics, oils, watercolor, acrylics, woodcarving, photography and sculpting. She credits her early Italian education with her ability to learn such a wide range of demanding media.
"During my first five grades in Italy, I learned how to do everything - sewing, embroidery, crochet and knitting; that discipline stays with you all your life," Spiazzi said
She applied her varied training to teaching adult education art classes at the San Diego Community Colleges. But after retiring from teaching in 1991, she still sought new artistic challenges.
She found her new niche after buying her first computer, an Amiga. But Spiazzi balked at the idea of using it to try re-creating traditional art.
"I decided that it was a shame to try to imitate with a computer the kind of art that's been done for centuries," Spiazzi said. "The computer needed art that could only be done with it."
That's when she discovered the new media of digital art. She took advantage of the early software available at that time and began working with fractals (drawings created with a computer formula). The debut of Photoshop in 1994 proved a boon to her creativity.
"When I work in fractals, I get an object on the computer, but that is still not a composition," she said. So after making a drawing with fractal software, she transfers it to Photoshop, before choosing three or four other fractals from her extensive inventory.
"I overlap the fractals and play with the transparencies," Spiazzi said. "When you put one image over another, you change the colors, and you can make things you'd never think of making if you were drawing them with a pencil."
Spiazzi frequently uses her photography skills to incorporate images into her digital productions. A quick view of her Web site illustrates her ability to capture images of flowers, rock art, etc.
A trip to Mexico's Copper Canyon inspired her to photograph the region's indigenous people. After returning home, she enhanced her photos with Corel Painter on her computer to add brush strokes and make the image appear "more painterly."
"I'm a little bit shy of using Corel Painter so much, though, because it's like going backward to create something that's been done for centuries," Spiazzi said.
Spiazzi is now showing her work at San Diego's Office of the City Attorney and the Emerald Plaza Hotel in San Diego.
"The city attorney's office wanted me to create images that reflect San Diego, so I decided to put together six works of San Diego by using fractals, and the images came out so beautifully," she said.
Spiazzi prints her 40-by-40-inch art on an Epson 9800 printer and uses archival canvases and inks. Each image that she creates is part of a limited edition.
"I only do five prints of each painting," she said.
According to Spiazzi, when people ask her how long it takes her to paint an image, she always replies, "It took me two weeks to do it, but 20 years to learn how."
A longtime member of the San Diego Digital Art Guild, Spiazzi recently received a commission to create seven abstract fractal paintings for a future building in Sorrento Valley.
Spiazzi frequently displays her art throughout San Diego County and is now preparing for her May solo show at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts. It will feature three themes: her series of the "Tarahumara Indians of Mexico's Copper Canyon," which features photos altered to look like paintings; her set of "Flame Fractals," several overlapping images that form a composition; and her "Variations on a Fractal Theme" images.
Source: La Jolla Light Newspaper La Jolla Light
“Apple of My Eye”
Let There Be Still --- Life
What is “Still Life Art?”
Wikipedia defines “still life art as: A work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which may be either natural (food, flowers, plants, rocks, or shells) or man-made (drinking glasses, books, vases, jewelry, coins, pipes, and so on) in an artificial setting. With origins in ancient times and most popular in Western art since the 17th century, still life paintings give the artist more leeway in the arrangement of design elements within a composition than do paintings of other types of subjects such as landscape or portraiture. Still life paintings, particularly before 1700, often contained religious and allegorical symbolism relating to the objects depicted. Some modern still life breaks the two-dimensional barrier and employs three-dimensional mixed media, and uses found objects, photography, computer graphics, as well as video and sound.
In the twentieth century, still-life painting continued to be transformed by modernist styles. The still-life works of Charles Demuth combine the fragmented space of cubism with attention to organic forms. Charles Sheeler's precisionist still life has the clean lines and quiet solidity more often seen in his landscapes of industrial America. The contrast between accurate representation and modernist style was best explored by Georgia O'Keeffe, who uses both realism and abstractions of the natural world.
During the mid- and late twentieth century, meaning and subject matter in still-life painting was again transformed and expanded. Pop artists substituted soup and beer cans for the more traditional fruit, flowers, or books. Wayne Thiebaud expressed the optimism of America in the 1950s and 1960s with his seemingly endless arrays of cakes and pies. These objects no longer carry subtle moral messages but have become icons of a consumer-driven culture. Richard Diebenkorn's Still Life becomes a self-portrait--a study of the artist through his tools, personal items, and working environment. Throughout his career Jim Dine incorporated common objects into his work that were meaningful in his own life--such as tools, bathrobes, and hearts. Through repetition over time these objects take on meaning for the viewer as well as the artist.
Source: www.nga.gov; Wikipedia
“Dirty Picture 1 / "STILL"
21st century Still Life and Digital Art
In the last three decades of the 20th century, and in the early years of the 21st century still life has expanded beyond the boundary of a frame. Especially in the wake of the computer age, and the rise of computer generated art and Digital art the nature and definition of still-life has changed. Some mixed media still life work employing found objects, photography, video, and sound, and even spilling out from ceiling to floor, and filling an entire room in a gallery. Computer-generated graphics have expanded the techniques available to still life artists. With the use of cameras, still life artists can even incorporate the viewer into their work.
"Why do we Make Art? I sometimes wonder why? What's the point? Why make art at all?
Are there topics that you would like for me to address on MOCA's "Mary's Page"? Send them my way and I'll do my best to provide answers.
“Push Pins 5344
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Talking About Your Art; Consider the Viewer
Do you launch into lengthy explanations about your art to spectators/viewers of your work? Do you delve into details surrounding the motivation of the piece, why you chose to frame the piece as you did, your favorite colors and why… and on and on? Do you even remember how the conversation got started? My guess is that the viewer may have simply stated -- “I like your work.” Too much of a good thing can lead to information saturation. Strive for a balance between an abundance of information and not enough.
An important variable to a successful conversation about your art is the “viewer”. Look for clues from the spectators of your work before leaping into explanation. You might open a conversation with, “Hello, I’m John Smith the artist of this piece, if you have any questions about my art please let me know.” Then thank them for participating and/or taking the time to reflect on your work.
Be prepared to explain a significant amount of detail; the how’s and why’s that represent what you want others to know about your work, but wait for cues from the viewer before proceeding with lengthy explanations. A well-balanced conversation can impress upon the viewer that you are confident and serious. Perhaps try asking spectators what they see in the art. Start the conversation rolling appreciating their insight - gathering feedback -- and move forward from there. If you don’t care what the viewer thinks, then steer the conversation back around to your motivation and goals all the while respecting what they have to say.
IN-BOX
Dear Mary Sargent,
Thank you for the inclusion of my work FEAR & CONFIDENCE on your MOCA web page. Unfortunately I do not speak English. I was informed in general terms about the contents of the website and I understand that it is very interesting. Without English knowledge communication is nearly impossible on the Internet. I am busy with everyday household work which leaves me with only so much time to create art, and it never seems like enough time.
About “fear of failure”: Everyone has fear about artistic or social failure - even the smallest of concern has impact. There are always fears and apprehension (Does a flu comes from being in the cold? Do I work in the garden before the rain? Will the road be slippery with frost? etc. etc. etc.) that to give into them only makes things worse. Failure is necessary. Messing up a picture leads to annoyance or defiance, but not always to fear. However, it is completely different if it concerns success. Even with the smallest of successes I will always be pleased. I am very happy that you referenced my work in your column and I thank you and myself!
For you and your journalistic contributions to MOCA and your personal artistic work (the series of “Odd of Balls” is completely great!) I wish you much continued success; We will be looking forward to future “Mary’s Pages.”
Merry X-mas and A Happy new Year!
P.S. Please extend greetings to Don Archer for me. I am encouraged and grateful [for MOCA].
I did not understand everything on the page, but it is generally simply excellent :) From = [xyiGAHka]
[Voprosik] of such, and who can explain to woman as to add this site in that selected?
From = Boris [Milyukov]
Dear Boris, I believe you’re asking me about adding your work to the MOCA website. If this is in fact the case, please connect to the “SUBMIT” page on MOCA at this link: AUTOGALLERY Thank you for your inquiry, Mary
Hi Mary
This advice will be so helpful to many artists, thanks for sharing it. In addition to this, prints created by contemporary digital artists are original prints, as defined by the
International Fine Print Dealers Association: "The distinction as to whether a digital print is an "original print" is determined by whether the work was created by the artist to be realised specifically as a print."
Colin, from = studio@colintresadern.co.uk; Colin Tresadern
I like this site very much. This is such a great site. And it is not like other money oriented websites, the information here is very valuable. I am definitely book-marking it as well as sharing it with my friends. :)
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This page posted 30 November 2009
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