FEBRUARY 2022
E L E VA T E Y O U R A R T Bi-Monthly Magazine Featuring Photoshop Artists
featuring
B ECK I E H A R PER J U LI A K EL L EH ER
Reviewer
Mem bers of the review team are integral to the success of hundre ds of P hotoshop art i st s. H i g hly trained, they provide over 15,000 video reviews a year for me mbe rs of Beyond t he Brushe s. Vid eo feed back is the key to success for many who are new to P hotoshop pai nt i ng!
Feat ured
A r t i s t : T i n a C a ro n , M. Ph otog ., C P P w w w. t i n a c aron .com Tina co m p o s ite d th is p ic ture f ro m s evera l per s on a l i ma g es to s u b mi t to t h e I nter n a t i on a l P h otog ra phi c Com p etitio n in 2 0 2 0 . S h e tras h e d 3 ren d i t i on s of t h e yellow b i rd s b efore d ec i d i n g to a d d t h e ot he r l i t t le c r itte r s . Th at is w h e n her con cept for “ Welcomi n g C ommi t tee” ca me to f r u i t i on .
W EL COME... Welcome to the February 2022 issue of Elevate Your Art magazine. We’ve made another trip around the sun and are diving headlong into our second year of publishing artwork painted exclusively in Adobe Photoshop CC! If there’s one thing I’ve learned over t he last year, it’s the value of what we do here at Elevate Your Art. It’s an amazing thing to see the lightbulb come on for student after student! One right after the other, they’re realizing their dream of becoming working artists. By “working artist,” I mean profitable artist! Understanding that all th ose newfound skills are valued and respected by clients is an important part of learning too! I’m so excited to see where this brand new year can take this art form! It’s going to be a great ride!
Michelle
C OV E R I M AG E BY Ev i e S h o e m a n Ev i e wa s d eter mi n ed to t ra n s for m t h i s li t t le g i r l i nto a s n ow fa i r y pr i n ces s a n d s h ow h er s n ow for t h e f i r s t t i me. W h en s h e f i r s t s a w t h e pa i nt i ng, t he g i r l t h ou g ht i t wa s Els a . C a n you i ma g i n e t he look on h er fa ce wh en s h e fou n d ou t i t wa s h er ?
Ma g a z ine © M iche l l e Pa r s l ey, M. Ph oto g . , M. A r t i s t , C r. , C PP St u d e nt im a g e s © re m a i n w i t h e a c h i n d i v i d ua l a s n ote d . Screen captur ing a rt wo rk fro m t he m a g a z ine fo r yo ur ow n us e - w h et h e r p e r s o n a l o r co m m e rc i a l us e - i s a vi olat i on of th e a rt ist s’ co py rig ht which is p un i s h a b l e by Fe d e ra l f i n e s of up to $ 1 5 0 , 0 0 0 p e r i m a g e . P l e a se b e re sp e ct fu l of t h e co py r i g ht of t h e a r t i s t s . T h a n k yo u.
CONTENTS p1 p2 p6 p11 p23 p29
Featured Reviewer: Tina Caron Welcome from Michelle Value Artist Feature: Bekkie Harper Rufus is a LIAR! Only Sign? Certify too! by Julia Kelleher
A rti s t: Michelle Har lin, M BA
M i ch e l le’s hea rt melted w h e n s h e s aw th is c ute kitten , Tweed led ee, w h i le volu nteer i n g h er ta lent s a t t h e loca l a ni m a l s he l te r. T hi s exp eri ence ignited her p as s io n fo r p et p o r traiture . As s h e cont i n u es to ex pa n d h er s k i lls et , M i c h elle h opes to of fe r pet pa i nt i ngs t ha t w i l ben ef i t a nima l shelter s an d re s c ue s .
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M ASTH E A D & CO N TR IBU TO RS MICHELLE PARSLEY PUBLISHER HANNAH PARSLEY COPYWRITER CATH SMITH EDITOR ARTICLES: BEKKIE HARPER JULIA KELLEHER IMAGES: EVIE SHOEMAN TINA CARON MICHELLE HARLIN ANN LAUWERS JENNIFER WYNNE ERIKA WEBER DEB RICE BEKKIE HARPER VIKKIE BOLDUC SUE GERARD SHIELA TENNES PAULETTE CASSIDY JULIA KELLEHER SHERRIE PRATT RUSSELL KINNERSON KELLY O’KEEFE KATHLEEN BARBER
A rt ist: Ann Lauwe rs www.anar tistview. net Ann goes on d a ily wal ks th ro ug h th e wo o ds at a loca l s ta te p ark . Du ring one of th o s e wal ks , s h e h ad th e p le a s u re of m eeting Molly. Th is g e ntle g iant ap p ro ac h e d An n wi t h a loving persona lit y an d te n de r to uc h , an d h e r kind eyes s tole Ann’s hea rt .
VA LU E
It is so easy to get caught up in all of the little things that you entirely miss the progress you’re making. Sometimes, we need to step back out of the weeds, look at our painting ability as a whole, and realize how far we have come. There is value in what you know. There is no easier way to run yourself down than by nitpicking every little thing that you do in a painting. We critique ourselves BEFORE we ever get the chance to have someone else look at the painting. Yes, self-critique given in the proper manner can be constructive and helpful. However, if you don’t have anything nice to say, it might be a good time to remember the rest of that old saying -- don’t say anything at all! So, stop.
Tearing yourself down has the opposite effect of what is intended, but I know saying “don’t do it” is one of those statements that are easier said than done. So, just do me one favor, okay? If you find yourself really frustrated or just having a lot of negativity (everyone has those days), don’t throw away that painting without a second opinion. I know how it is, and I’ve been there. I’ve thrown away countless paintings because of frustration and convincing myself they weren’t good enough. But before you sentence your painting to the trash, get a jury. Ask people that you trust and that care about you first and your art second to critique the painting.
Take a step back. Take a deep breath. Now, appreciate how far you have come, how hard you are working, and how much you have accomplished. There is value in what you know right now.
You might be surprised how many “garbage paintings” only needed fresh eyes and a little consideration to become a real masterpiece. Never forget -- there is value in what you know, even when the journey isn’t complete!
A rt ist : Je nnife r Wy nne ww w.jennifer w y nne p hoto g ra p hy. co m Jen nifer met her d a ug hte r, Rac h ae l , w h ile work ing in Kenya fo r h e r n o n -p rof it. S h e wanted to pu t Ra chae l o n dis p lay as th is beautifu l, Africa n Q ue e n . Us in g Rac h ae l’s fa vorite color, g re e n , s h e p ainte d th e i ma ge highly saturate d an d v ib rant to ma tch Kenya n co lo r s an d Rac h ae l’s p e r s o n al ity.
A r t i s t : Er i c a We b b e r ht t p s: //e rikawe b e r f i n e a r t p h oto g ra p hy. my p i xi e s et . co m / Erik a h as a ce r tain g rav ity toward Na t i ve A mer i ca n s a n d t h ei r c u lt u re. For t h i s pa i nt i n g , s h e combin e d th at g rav ity w ith h e r de e p love for pa s tels a n d u n i q u e fa ces . T h e comb i n a t i on a i d ed in c re atin g th e fo un datio n for a s t ron g t r i b u te to t h ei r i llu s t r i ou s c u lt u re.
A r t i s t : D e b Ri ce Deb grew up in Ar izo n a, g iv in g S o uthwe s t a r t a s pec i a l pla ce i n h er h ea r t . A pply i n g t h e les s on s s h e ha d ju st lea rne d an d lettin g th e p aint tal k, D e b b rou g ht w h o s h e ca lls “ T h e Ma r s h a ll” to li fe. It d i d n’ t h u r t he r fe e l in g s t h a t i t wa s a n i ma g e of t h e wes t .
ARTIST FE ATU R E
BEKK IE H AR PER
D O N ’ T L E T H E R FO O L YO U. B E K K I E H AS WO R K E D H A R D TO H AV E F U N . PA I N T I N G I S A P L E AS U R E T H AT B R I N G S W I T H I T P R O B L E M S . H E R S TO RY I S O N E O F P E R S E V E R ANCE.
Ar ti s t:B e kki e Har pe r
TAK E T HE LEA P
Ar ti s t:B ek ki e Ha r per
Seeing the miracle of life manifest on canvas has always fascinated Bekkie. The more she saw, the more she desired to create beautiful artwork. Rather than talking herself out of even trying, Bekkie decided to ask, “Why couldn’t she be an artist?” She took off down the path energetically and made her goal having fun. When Bekkie reached the puppet warp lessons, she stalled and reached the point where her desire to paint was greatly diminished. Instead of giving up, she took a leap of faith and shared her struggle with the community. Here is the advice in her own words: “There is a messy part to creating where frustration can creep in and destroy your confidence and joy. I believe Michelle calls him Rufus. If you hit that spot, talk to someone who has been there. Take a break if you must, just don’t quit.” And Bekkie didn’t quit! She followed the advice, ran deeper into her support system, and PERSEVERED! Even though the puppet warp lessons wore her down, she has since found that they were worth the struggle! The skills learned crop up continuously in her work. For this series, Bekkie was elated to return to her original goal and paint for pleasure. It was all about having fun in the studio. Cranking up Pandora’s Secret Garden station and throwing in some easy listening, classical, and folk music set the tone. In selecting the original captures, it
was important to have the best possible resource. The editing should produce good color, tone, and contrast. As for the details? Well, she is learning to let those slide. Working freehand provided the freedom to create Bekkie’s vision of the subjects. The images served as a reference instead of the sole source for her work, and she loved using Brushy Goodness. Not only is the name satisfying, but its effects on the canvas are amazing! It has been dependable and lived up to its name. The main struggle when Bekkie begi ns a painting is the color palette. Selecting is not her forte though she is getting better at recognizing what works. Taking advantage of the incredible resources online helped her out on this series. And that messy part she mentioned? Wel l, it’s still the worst part. Somewhere in the middle of the painting, there are several changes to work through, but after reaching the peak, it’s a joyride down as the final piece appears before your eyes. As for Bekkie’s final piece of wisdom, she offered the title of a treasured book, Art: A Visual History by Robert Cumming. We don’t know where things will end, but we can know where they started. Use that for motivation as you make trails in your own journey. Sometimes, you just have to take the leap.
OT H E R T H A N DA B B L I N G W I T H A R T I N E L E M E N TA RY SCHOOL, BEKKIE HAD NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE. JOINING B E YO N D T H E B R U S H E S I N J U N E 2 0 2 0 , S H E D EC I D E D TO TA K E T H E L E A P F R O M WA N N A B E TO G O N N A B E .
Arti st: B ek k ie Ha rpe r
A r t i s t : Bek k i e Ha r pe r
COMING UP IN
FEBRUARY H ISTORY OF ART
The Math Hidden in Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” ELEMEN TS OF ART
Intro to Line
A r t i s t :V i c k i e B o l d uc ht t s://w w w. j v p h oto s . co m Vick ie was n e e din g an ar tis t’s ve r s io n of a fa c tor y res et . St r u g g li n g wi t h t h e c h a rcoa l les s on s , s h e need ed to p aint s o m eth in g . . .anyth in g els e. T h i s sweet li t t le fella wa s ju s t t h e d i s t ra c t i on s h e n eed e d to re j uve n ate h er a r t i s t i c ju i ces a n d g et b a c k a t i t !
A r t i s t : S ue G e ra rd ht t p s : //w w w. s ue g e ra rd p h oto g rap hy.com S u e wa s i n s pi red by t h e c h a n gi ng s e a s on a n d wa nted to ta k e on a wi nter pa i nt i ng . T h i s li t t le g i r l h ea d ed s k a t i n g s tood ou t from t h e c rowd of pi c t u res . A “ ju s t for fu n” proje ct t u r n ed i nto a f u ll les s on on s tor y te l l i ng , a nd rev i ew s pec i a li s t , C a t h S mi t h , he l pe d pu s h h er onto t h e r i n k .
r a i L
RUFUS IS A
Repeat after me...
“Nobody wants that junk on their walls. It just won’t sell in YOUR area.”
“I am a brilliant and successful artist and I charge what I’m worth.”
Rufus loathes anything that sounds remotely like you value your own skills. His panache for delivering insults is on par with the most despicable villain.
“What I do has value and I am entitled to compensation.” “I de liver an heirloom that will last generations, therefore, the price matches the quality.” Did Rufus just perk his arrogant little ears up? Did he hurl insults at you? Is he trying to convince you that you’re lying to yourself? “Who do you think you’re fooling? Nobody is going to pay you!” “You’re wasting your time trying to sell paintings — ever yone can see you suck.”
IGNORE RUFUS. The service we provide as painters, at times, cannot be delivered in any other medium. For example, that young mother from your town, gone too soon, that hasn’t had a portrait since high school, but cell phone pictures abound. Only a painter can provide a wall-worthy portrait for her children to remember her. What we do as painters can, at times, be absolutely priceless. Learning to understand the value of what we do is just as important as mastering the next brush technique. If you don’t, Rufus will win the war for your mind. Never forget — Rufus is a LIAR!
A rtist: Sheila Tenne s i n stagram.com/sh e il ate nne s Sheila sta rted with th e e n d in m in d, an d s h e wanted t h i s pa i nt i n g to b e s of t , femi n i n e, a n d a lmos t et h erea l wi t h a roma nt ic twist. Th e re was n o way s h e was s ettl in g for les s t h a n s h e h a d s et ou t to a ccompli s h , a n d t h e Bra ye r br u s h added tha t specia l to uc h .
D e n i se went ba ck a few ye ar s to an im ag e s h e capt u red of a b ee on la ven d er. T h e b a c k g rou n d i s a ca nva s s h e m a d e , b u t s he changed the color u si n g an ove r lay f ro m He ath e r th e P a i nter to b et ter s u i t t h e s u b jec t . T h e b ee a n d la ven d er a re com plete ly p ai nted with B ru shy Go o dn e s s .
Paulette’s gra nd son an d h is c las s m ate s g et to g eth e r on ce a yea r for a week a t Lon g rea c h Di s ta n ce Ed u ca t i on i n ou t ba ck Qu e e ns la nd , afte r cla sses is su ch a s p e c ial m o m e nt, an d s h e co m memora ted i t , a d d i n g tou c h es of pu r ple to h i g h li g ht t h e g old e n tone s of t he d r y te
Au st ral i a. T he wa lk ba ck errai n .
A r t i s t : Paulet te C as s i d y
Art is t : S h e r r i e Prat t she r r y p rat t p h oto g ra p hy. co m S h er r y s n a pped a pi c t u re of h er g ra n d d a u g hter Elli e a n d k n ew im med i a tely i t HA D to b e pa i nted . Wor k i n g t h rou g h ea c h s tep of he r train i n g f rom Beyon d t h e Br u s h es , s h e wa s plea s ed to f i n d t h e pa i nt i ng exu d ed Elli e’s conf i d en ce a n d eleg a n ce. J u s t g oes to s h ow t h ere i s a m et h od to t h e ma d n es s .
ON LY S I G N? CERT I F Y TO O! BY J U L I A K E L L E H E R
T H E T H O U G H T O F TA K I N G A P E R M A N E N T WRITING INSTRUMENT AND SCRIBBLING AC R O S S T H E F R O N T O F YO U R B E AU T I F U L LY F R A M E D 4 0X 6 0 CA N VAS M AY G I V E YO U E L E VAT E D B LO O D P R E S S U R E . Your palms sweat, you hesitate at the glossy surface before the pen touches. Last-second fears of blobbing ink and a shaky hand have you second-guessing your “ill-will.” You pull away to test the pen on scrap paper before committing what seems like a stamp of your insecure ego along the print surface. “What AM I DOING? I’m ruining this!” says your harsh inner critic – telling you your client does not want messy, ille gible scribbles across their very expensive print. Well, my friend, let me help you see the lie in your mentally messed up logic. Every artist should
sign their work. But not only that, they should provide an official Certificate of Authenticity too. While I know your ego argues belligerently with me, that’s like your mother telling you how to take a picture when she’s never touched a camera. Her knowledge is like a two year old thinking they can reach the glass cup on the top shelf by themselves. I know what you’re telling yourself, “Well, I’m not reaaalllly an artist. I’m a photographer. There’s a difference.” No, my friend. There is not. You are creating something from scratch. Your vision, your mind, your heart, your emotions, your thought process, your storytelling ability is all in your work. Your camera is your artist’s tool. It doesn’t matter if you use technology to create rather than an actual paintbrush. That’s like telling J. D. Salinger “Catcher in The Rye” is only art if he wrote it by hand with a pencil. Oh wait, a typewriter is ok, but not a computer. Do you sense my facetious quirks? Imagine if an author didn’t get a byline. Wait, what? Who wrote this? And on the other end of that spectrum, a signed copy. The first edition has all the makings of coveted artwork just by virtue of these two features: a signature and a 1st edition. Bam! That book’s value is through the roof. So, when you put the weary “I’m not an artist” argument to bed, you’ll discover that your clients really do admire your signature stamp on their purchase.
Thin k of it from their perspective. All of a sudden, the bar is leveled up - an original copy signed by the artist. Bam! Are you seeing the correlation here? When you add a Certificate of Authenticity, you create a perceived value in it - a 1st edition-feel so to speak. Clients begin to see why you cost more. Not everyone gets an “authentic” art piece. It makes you stand out from your competitors who are just producing “photographs” and too chicken to put their uniquely penned name on a canvas. In my own studio, I sign the front of every work with either a pencil (on a matted print) or a silver Sakura pen (on canvas and other surfaces). Then, I also do the Certificate of Authenticity. To make it, I created a round design in Photoshop and purchased an emb ossing stamp of the design. There are several companies that will do this for you. The COA itself was created in Photoshop and then printed using my home printer on linen sticker paper. I use the embosser stamp to give it a textured, 2-D feeling before putting it on the back of my prints. On tougher surfaces
where a basic sticker won’t stick, I have my printing company create the certificate. GraphiStudio uses fabric on the back of several of their beautiful wall art products, so they allow me to upload a custom “signed” certificate. They print it on the fabric and adhere it to the back of the print. At a $15 add-on to the piece, it’s well worth it and looks dynamite. Nowadays, my clients are so used to getting signed and sealed work from me, t hey get a little upset when I have off-handedly forgotten! One client came back to the studio, artwork in hand just an hour after t aking it home saying, “Do you not like us? You didn’t sign this?!” She was convinced her piece was not nearly as valued by me because my signature was not there. Terrified that she wasn’t getting the “real” thing, she needed my name on it to prove to her it was worth her investment. Sign your work. Certify it. Watch it elevate your brand and your clients’ perspective of you, raising your prices to boot.
J U L I A K E L L E H E R I S A N I N T E R N AT I O N A L AWA R D -W I N N I N G P O R T R A I T P H OTO G R A P H E R BA S E D I N B E N D, O R . S H E OW N S A N D R U N S H E R M U LT I - S I X F I G U R E S T U D I O, J E W E L I M AG E S , I N C . P LU S , S H E T E AC H E S OT H E R B U S I N E S S P R O F E S S I O N A L S H OW TO R U N P R O F I TA B L E P O R T R A I T S T U D I O S W I T H H E R M AS T E R M I N D M E M B E R S H I P - T H E 5 CA R AT C O L L EC T I V E . S H E I S A N I KO N ® A M BAS SA D O R A N D W P P I P R I N T C O M P E T I T I O N J U D G E .
Art ist : Ru sse ll Kinne rs o n , Ph D Ru ssell ca pture d th is im ag e can o e in g w it h h i s wi fe on a loca l pon d. Eve n b e in g a n ature p h otog ra ph er, he seld om s e e s w ildl ife p e acef ul ly re s tin g i n t h ei r na t u ra l environ m e nt an d h ad to g et th e s h ot . Hi s g oa l while pa int in g was to dire c t th e v iewe r ’s eye to t h e b ird an d th e b los s om.
A r t i s t : Ke l ly O ’ Ke efe www. ke l lyo ke efe p h oto g ra p hy. co m Kelly saw this l it t le g irl while va cat io ning o n t h e b e a c h , to o k a r i s k , a n d a s ke d t h e p a re nt s i f s h e co ul d p ai nt their daughter. M u ch to he r su rp rise , t hey sa i d ye s . Ke l ly we nt s h o p p i n g t h at d ay fo r t h e d re s s a n d te d d y b e ar. Ne e d le ss to say, eve r yo n e wa s t h r i l l e d w i t h t h e re s ul t s .
A r t i s t : K at h l e e n B a r b e r k b a r b e r f i n e a r t . co m Ka t hleen wante d to e n cap s ulate l ife o n t h e O reg on coa s t . S eei n g a coa s ta l color pa let te a n d h a v i ng a d eep love fo r th e b e ac h , s h e was s tr u c k w i t h i n s pi ra t i on . Wh a t b et ter wa y to a c h i eve h er pa i nt i ng g o al s th an a l ittle g ir l h av in g f u n ma k i n g s a n d ca s t les a n d pla y i n g i n t i d e pools?
E L E VAT E YO U R A R T. C O M