Wednesday, August 12, 2009
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November 20, 2008
November 20, 2008
How does color set a mood? The soft gray and white of the carpet, the cat Marshall, and the sunlit window contribute to to the sense of calm repose. What does blue mean to you or me? We all have symbolic associations for colors; some based on personal experience and some instilled culturally.
The cobalt blue of the vase provides a point and counterpoint to the composition, in addition to providing elements that balance.
Keeping the cat in the lower third of the composition weights the image and is another visual door into the picture world.
November 19, 2008
November 19, 2008
This picture tells several stories. It references the human desire to order the world around us - the lettering on the wall establishes the alley as a No Parking zone, and the broken glass- jutting out at the top - is another message of fear and frailty. Whoever lives behind this wall wants to be left alone.
But there is beauty in the contrast of the rough brick surface and the smooth translucency of the broken glass bottles. A contrast of textures makes for an interesting composition. And the abstract nature of the printed letters against the structure of the bricks would be worth emulating in another sort of composition.
November 18, 2008
November 18, 2008
The Hydrangeas offer a lesson in the effective use of color. The pale blue and lavender are roughly the same value, so they balance each other beautifully. I am challenged to mimic that combination of analogous colors on silk Habotai!
This photograph would be considered beautiful even without the red-orange and yellow flowers at the bottom. But the addition of the complements to the blue and purple creates a focal point and generates some nice contrast because of the complementary pairing. And imagine how different this composition would be, were the red-orange and yellow at the top instead of at the bottom. The current placement adds important visual weight.
November 17, 2008
November 16, 2008
Being and Non-being
Substance and Light
November 16, 2008
We join spokes together in a wheel,
but it is the center hole
that makes the wagon move.
We shape clay into a pot,
but it is the emptiness inside
that holds whatever we want.
We hammer wood for a house,
but it is the space inside
that holds whatever we want.
We work with being,
but non-being is what we use.
Tao te Ching; Verse 11
Stephen Mitchell translation
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2 comments:
Wow Jane! Symmetry rarely moves me and I am so literal that I rarely see symbolism in a picture but this photo of yours really speaks to me. The path taking me deep into the cemetary and beyond -- the patch of light squarely centered above. Absolutely wonderful!
Serenity into the past. All those quiet lives beyond the gate-keeping trees. Serene but not weak, gentle but powerful and strong. The road leads us directly back, almost to the center, just a bit below and the squarish patch of light is just above, leading us beyond the road and the cemetery of past lives. Balanced, symmetrical, not a lot of colors to confuse things. Somehow the textures of the trees (nicely cropped) is very important. It isn't a fairy tale after all. And the road doesn't begin at the trees but before them, allowing us to be led inside their 'gate.' The eye doesn't wander much just some back and forth, we are led into beyond. And those two tall markers, one on either side of the road, aggressively lead us in. A powerful image, stunning, poignant. Thank you very much!
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