The eye's have it

The potential for an image to hold it’s audience is flailing. 

We are inundated with a barrage of imagery in every facet of our lives, and as a visual artist, this presents a challenge.

No longer can we accept that our artwork will “stand on it’s own” without the aid of some sort of digital media representation.

I’m troubled as I try to present my work to the general public.  How do I get my work seen by as many eyeballs as I can?

I present these thoughts because I’m in the mental process of changing how and where I present my thoughts on photography and art, as well as where I place my artwork to be seen. 

Perhaps a “personal” blog isn’t the best answer.  Perhaps it’s a matter of presenting these thoughts on art in community based platform that will have more potential to reach more readers, thereby driving more traffic to my artwork that is for sale.

Once again, I’m just rambling…

But I have many, many fears about the future of our higher education learning systems. As a father of two little girls I wonder if higher education is right for them in the way we know it today. I shouldn’t really say I wonder…rather I feel that this antiquated, one to many, little interaction, test based, grade based, passion inhibiting, lecture based system does very little to create, or rather, produce smart and creative individuals that will one day run our country.

If you look at the real leaders and innovators of our time, they come from free thinking, creative individuals who, for the most part, dropped out of college. Steve Jobs, Michael Dell, Bill Gates, and Larry Ellison all dropped out to start their companies.

So the idea that you have to have a degree and a formal education is great for credentials, and certainly there are areas where this is absolutely needed, I believe the old ideas behind higher education need a big kick in the butt.

Do we, as Americans, really think that memorization and lecture based learning will produce innovation? I mean really?

I don’t have an answer to how we can change all of this, and certainly the Universities won’t want to change, but I can say this: We need a new system. We know already that it’s not the “No Child Left Behind” act that Bush shoved down our throats. Everyone in the education industry already knows the miserable failure that has come from that.

Get rid of standardized tests. This only rewards memorization and in today’s world the real test of one’s knowledge is the ability to research, find information on the web, be able to decipher BS, and use that knowledge to problem solve in a creative fashion.

I see prime examples of this everyday as I, one who is not blessed with a good memory, can resource much of my knowledge from being a good Googler. Our kids, who are growing up with this technology, will be even better than me at this. MySpace and Facebook are not evil. Those are today’s telephone conversations. Twitter and FriendFeed are the way we get the news we want. It’s not FOX or ABC, it’s all about crowdsourcing.

The newspapers are dying, the news stations are dying, the Universities, as we know them today, will soon follow and that’s just fine by me because I truly believe that what will become of our higher education has to evolve or our country is destined to fail as well.

Dammit, now I’m just ranting…

I find things like this are often times very informative.

As an aside, I was really impressed with the website/blog so, of course, I instantly subscribed to thier feed. Go figure…

Don’t bring up politics, religion, or pther social issues with me if all you do is regurgitate what some idiotic radio personality uses for sound bites. I really was just trying to have a civilized conversation. I promise.

If I really did stop saying the things that were on my mind all of the time, like I have always done, would I still be me?

faded blue

Purchase this limited edition print for only $100.00

I often find myself saddened by the things we leave behind. As things age and lose their lustre we find ourselves looking away instead of allowing the message of the past to truly take hold.

All prints are limited edition printed on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag 308gsm (19mil).

Once a print is sold out it is retired*

All prints are signed and hand numbered by artist and not matted or framed unless special ordered as such. Only 100 prints remain for this11×14** print.

*Retired prints may be revived for book publications or very small special edition runs exclusively for gallery shows (prints made for a gallery show will NOT be the same size as previously run in limited edition series).

**The quoted dimensions are for the size of paper containing the image, not the printed image itself. I do not alter the aspect ratio, nor do I crop or resize the originals. All of my prints have a minimum border of .5 inches to allow for framing.

blue addiction

One of my favorite candies of all time are m&m’s. You know you love them too.

Those little chocolate covered candies that melt in your mouth and not in your hand have been an obsession of mine since childhood.

You can purchase this art print at DiscoveredArtists!

All prints are limited edition printed on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag 308gsm (19mil).

Once a print is sold out it is retired*

All prints are signed and hand numbered by artist and not matted or framed unless special ordered as such. Only 100 prints remain for this11×14** print.

*Retired prints may be revived for book publications or very small special edition runs exclusively for gallery shows (prints made for a gallery show will NOT be the same size as previously run in limited edition series).

**The quoted dimensions are for the size of paper containing the image, not the printed image itself. I do not alter the aspect ratio, nor do I crop or resize the originals. All of my prints have a minimum border of .5 inches to allow for framing.

colored tiles

New addition to gallery at DiscoveredArtists.

This is a color study taken of a mirror I bought for my wife a couple of years ago. I love the texture and the colors.

This and all photographs are limited edition prints at $100. 

Head over to my full gallery to see more.

Learn to get the most out of your camera

Updated and restructured the pricing and capacity at which my limited edition photographic prints will run.  I do still intend on printing 100 prints this year so I’ll have to do 3 a week instead of 2 to catch up.  It’ll be fun nonetheless.

I’ll start sharing some of the prints for sale as they go up throughout the year so those updates will come rather frequently. 

For now, you can visit my gallery at DiscoveredArtists to purchase gallery prints.

Let me know what you think!

I follow just about every Dallas Stars blog especially when I have to miss games because of work.  I hate those days.

Never before, and I mean ever, have I seen such a dedicated stat roundup and breakdown of logical and practical use before today.  Yes, this came from a fan’s blog and that makes me love it even more.   If you’re a fan of any sports team you should read the postto see what real fans do for the love of their teams.  I hope Dave Tippett is reading that blog.  It couldn’t hurt, right?

The Dallas Stars have not been doing so well this season with tons of injuries and spotty play from veterans and playmakers, but there is hope that the playoffs will find the Stars in attendance.

I make this vow and promise for all to see.  If the Dallas Stars do indeed make the playoffs this year I will shave my head into a mo-hawk in accordance with playoff rituals of the past where Mike Ribeiro and Steve Ott brandished mo-hawks during playoff runs.  I’m with you guys all the way, and good luck.  We’re gonna need it.