M e t v IImages ae My CCreative
Promoting Digital Photo Artistry
www.mycreativeimages.com October - 2019
Artwork by James Hurley https://www.JamesHurley.art
Welcome to the Mycreativeimages Magazine “The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” Aristotle When I create art its for a reason, either to express an emotion or to show others what I see when I look at something they may take for granted. After a frustrating day sat in the office the best way for me to clear my head is to clear my mind and flick though my photographs or sock image library until I see something that jumps out at me. The processes of clearing out the mundane everyday thoughts and replacing them with the exciting potential offered from combining multiple images into something that is meaningful to me is exciting, rewarding and VERY therapeutic. The challenge of blending multiple images together into artwork that is meaningful has been practiced for many many years. I’m no historian but can say that the photographer Henry Peach Robinson was a pioneer ahead of his time when he coined the phase “Pictorialism”. Way back
Featured Artists Alison Bailey 4 Bernie Tuffs 8 Calum McDonald 10 David Walker 14 The Dawn Spears Interview 18 Julie Cowdy 22 Marius Els 26 Norma Slack - cover artist 28 Susan Jones 30 Vivien Capper 34 James Hurley 38 in 1869 he started blending multiple photographs together to build new images. The style he employed relied on strong composition and the use of a Chiaro-oscuro style. This style, in art, is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. In 1858, with no Photoshop or modern technology, Henry Peach Robinson combined 5 separate negatives to create an image tell the story of a family tragedy titled “Fading Away”. Just amazing, I wonder what
he would make of the wealth of digital technology that is available to artists today and what his first composition would be! The wonders of modern technology allow artists like me to relax, create and share their work to thousands if not millions or people hungry to feast their eyes on the next work of art to burst out of their favourite artists over active imagination. I hope you enjoy the mix of photo digital art and photography in this months issue of the Mycreativeimages magazine.
Cover Artwork by Norma Slack https://www.normasue.com/
MyCreativeImages.com - Promoting Digital Artists
All images in this publication are sourced / created by the artists, unless otherwise stated on their websites or social media pages and as such must not be copied or sold without the express consent of the artist. This publication is created and owned by James Hurley, ©www. mycreativeimages.com 2019. Please feel free to share the magazine but do not make changes to any of the content.
Alison Bailey
https://estamoondesigns.wordpress.com
I am a hobby photographer and multi media artist from North West England. I am retired and am now able to spend my time doing the things I enjoy. I love being able to go to nature reserves as it gives me both peace and also photo opportunities. I am part of the living the photoartistic life community and will be learning about photoart forever! I am branching out into multi media art too so that I can use more of my own resources and maybe even be able to provide resources for other people. Most of all though I am having fun living my life as I want to. You can check out my web site at: https://estamoondesigns.wordpress.com There are links to other social media sites on there too.
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1/640 | F8 | 400mm | ISO800 Taken with a Canon EF100-400 F/4.5-5.6 L IS ii USM
1/500 | F9 | 321mm | ISO1000 Taken with a Canon EF100-400 F/4.5-5.6 L IS ii USM
Bernie Tuffs
https://artboja.com/art/utucc4/
Hello! I’m Bernie and I live in the little seaside town of Margate and having lived here all my life, I couldn’t live anywhere else now! I’m continually inspired by the scenery here, with skies and light that so excited famous artist J.W.Turner, who said of this area, “…the skies over Thanet are the loveliest in all Europe”. Apparently, a love of the sea stayed with him all his life and I can well understand that! Painting with light holds a real attraction for me - the gentle light that is still strong enough to dispel darkness. I’ve always been arty, progressing from childhood sketching, through gouache and then oil painting, then paper crafting and scrapbooking which led me to digital scrapbooking and finally to Sebastian Michaels and Photo Artistry. Now I feel I’m home and am having so much fun with my art! If you would like to see some more of my art visit: https://artboja.com/art/utucc4/
Letting Go 8
Finding My Way
Calum McDonald I am a photographer / digital artist based in the United Kingdom. I love creating new photographic images and developing some of these as enhanced works of art. My digital artistic work incorporates many of my other interests which include landscapes, people and history. I am an active member of worldwide Awake / KAIZEN Groups. I also have been very honoured to have had some of my digital artwork featured in the highly acclaimed international digital art magazine ‘Living the Photo Artistic Life’. See more artwork on my Website
Warrior Queen
The Girl
Fantasy
The Night Sky
The Power
David Walker Art is what you want it to be, the muse can come anytime, anywhere and be about anything. There have been myriads of examples of this fact…from Impressionists to Cubists to most other art forms… from Picasso to Da Vinci to most other artists! A particular muse that came to me was based on 1970s discotheques and images of Flamingos I
I wish someone would ask me for a dance
https://artboja.com/art/9zpbui/ had on my photographic files. It is a series of four images telling a story, some times called a polyptych but more correctly a tetraptych or a quadriptych. The first in the series is of the girls entitled “I wish someone would ask me for a dance”, I so clearly remember the days when the girls waited one side of the room, the boys the other!
Propping up the bar
The second in the series is of the boys who were most often found “Propping up the bar” whether it be the coffee bar or the drinks bar! The third in the series is of the girls who soon became fed up of being wallflowers and started to dance amongst themselves, entitled “Flamingo Flamenco”. A title which seemed to me to cover the story quite well! “Flamingo Flamenco Completo” is the fourth in the series when the boys have summoned the courage (dutch or otherwise!) to join in the fun.
Flamingo Flamenco
I hope you enjoy this somewhat unusual approach, I know things have moved on since the 1970s but my guess is that a similar events happen today! See more artwork on my website: https://artboja. com/art/9zpbui/
Flamingo Flamenco Completo
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Leopard Masai Mara, Kenya 1/100 sec f5.6 ISO 640 Canon EOS-1D Mark III Canon EF 300 f/2.8L USM & Extender X2
Spotted Hyena Masai Mara, Kenya 1/320 sec f5.6 ISO 100 Canon EOS-1D Mark III Canon EF 300 f/2.8 USML & Extender X2
Loch Maree from Glen Docherty Scotland 1/1250 sec f6.3 ISO200 Canon EOS-1D Mark III Canon EF 24-70 f2.8L USM
The Dawn Spears Interview
My Cr e a t i v e I ma g e s – B e h i n d t h e scenes by VivienJane
This month we are talking to Dawn from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
Have you ever found the making of a book cover artwork difficult?
It’s a particularly interesting interview as Dawn is not only a photographer and photo artist (landscape, architecture and street furniture) but also an expert artist for book covers and we’ll be finding out a little about this too.
Yes. It’s a fast-moving and competitive market, it takes time to make sure you keep on top of the current trends. It can also be challenging to keep generating new ideas, especially for premade covers. Taking regular breaks is the key to keeping productive for me.
Dawn’s artwork is best described in her own words: ‘My work is a mix of photography, 3D renderings and my own painting and drawing.
When did you first start out in photography and how did you become involved with the creation of book covers? I joined Photo Artistry in 2015 and AWAKE back in 2016, to improve my photographs and give them a more artistic edge. I was immediately looking for ways to incorporate unique figures into my work that didn’t require me to hire a model or attend a photoshoot. I quickly came across Daz Studio, which allowed me to create my own 3D characters and then blend them into scenes. This opened a new world of art possibilities, some of which seemed extremely suitable for book cover art. After having some success with 3D artwork competitions, I decided to branch out and give it a go.
How long have you been creating art for book covers? For about 2 and half years now.
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Is book cover art more challenging than other types of artwork? Book cover art presents different challenges. You are very restricted in space on the page and pretty much everything must be in portrait. By the time you have factored in the typography (a different discipline in itself), you are only
left with a small square in which to convey the genre of the book, story elements and anything else the client has asked you to include. I like to include small details in my work, but this extra challenging in cover art as the finished piece is so small. Now onto photography and photo art.
Are you influenced by other photographers or digital artists when creating your artwork? I am influenced by fantasy concept artists such as Marta Detflaff from CD Project Red and Hardy Fowler who is freelance. They are both fantastic artists who seem to be able to condense a story down into a few brush strokes with such mastery.
Can you tell us something about your creative process and routine? Once I receive a brief (or had an idea for a premade cover) I will spend some time gathering and photographing reference images. When I have the base image worked out, I will go into Daz Studio and start to prepare, pose and light any figures that are needed. Once any renders I need are completed, I bring everything into Photoshop and start to composite the images and also paint in any parts that I am illustrating by hand. If it is a commission, I will have had client approval for the design before I start the hand painting as that is the most time-consuming part of the process.
What about the equipment and software you use: which item is indispensable in your studio? I use my drawing table (XP-Pen Artist 15.6) every single day. Photoshop obviously. I also use Nik collection extensively for colour adjustments, although everything it does can be done
directly in PS, it saves so much time doing it in Nik. I also like a lot of the Topaz Studio products although I wouldn’t say these are essential to my workflow.
What are you working on at the moment? Right now, I have just finished a commission for George Allen Butler II who is the author of the incredible Fox Elevensword series of books (foxelvensword.com). Before I start the next one, I am finishing off a premade cover for a charity event and I am about to embark on painting a character concept for my own study. I also teach part-time and I am studying for my MA in Illustration. So, it’s all hectic (and lots of fun!)
What would your advice be to an aspiring photo artist/ book cover artist? Don’t be put off if your first few attempts don’t turn out how you intended. It’s easy to look at some of the masters of our art and feel daunted. Rest assured, they will have folders of material that was cast aside on the journey as well (I certainly do) it’s just we never get to see that bit! Be patient if your sales are slow to start with. It takes time to build up a client base and a reputation for your craft. The people you see selling dozens of covers have been in the business a long time and are probably very well known. As painful as it might be, you MUST put your work out there and promote yourself, (and then grow a thick skin if you receive less than optimal feedback!). It’s OK for some people not to like your work as plenty of other people will. Be kind to yourself and allow yourself time to learn. Sometimes it can feel like you are stuck on a technique or style and no matter how hard you try you just can’t get it. In that case, take a break and come back to it fresh. If you keep at it, you will be amazed at what you can do. Dawn puts a lot of passion into her projects and produces stunning photo art and book cover art. You can contact her here www.dawnydawny.com
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Premade Book Covers available from Dawn Spears:
www.dawnydawny.com
Julie Cowdy
https://www.facebook.com/Julie-CowdyPhotography-640242869458291/
I divide my time between North Yorkshire in England and the Occitanie region of SW France. I used to teach art but am now happily retired from paid employment and enjoying my new life as a photo artist. My work covers many different genres, with still life and floral subjects my favourite. I like to create two different sets of images: those which are suitable for camera club and salon competitions and those which push the boundaries more, for personal enjoyment or digital publications. Through post-processing techniques, I often blend original images with my painted and photographed textures. I am aiming for a different approach that combines my love of fine art and the lens. I hope the resulting photo artistry offers something multi-layered, both in terms of what people see and how they respond. You can see more on my “Julie Cowdy Photography� page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Julie-Cowdy-Photography-640242869458291/
Dust to Dust 22
Tortured Tulip
Montjoi
Sarans
Green-Eyed Girl Location: Hampshire Camera: Sony a7Rii Lens: 24-70mm Aperture: f/4 Exposure: 1/160 sec Focal Length: 70mm ISO: 6,400
Nancy No Name Location: North Yorkshire Camera: Sony NEX-7 Lens: 55-210mm Aperture: f/4.5 Exposure: 1/250 sec Focal Length: 55mm ISO: 1,600
One World Trade Center Location: New York Camera: Sony a7Rii Lens: 24-70mm
Aperture: f/7 Exposure: 1/250 sec Focal Length: 24mm ISO: 100
Marius Els
https://mariusels.wixsite.com/mariuselsphotography
My name is Marius and I am a portrait photographer living in London. A few years ago I started exploring photo manipulation and photo art to express some of my ideas and in 2018 I came across the Photo Artistry and Awake course by Sebastian Michaels. The course and Awake group gave me the confidence and courage to fully emerge myself in this wonderful art form. To support my photo art adventure, I work in a coffee shop and teach arts and crafts classes to vunerable people with mental health and addiction problems which I find extremely rewarding. You can see more of my work here: https://mariusels.wixsite.com/mariuselsphotography
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https://mariusels.wixsite.com/mariuselsphotography/copy-of-a-heart-symphony-2 https://creativemazza.artboost.com https://artboja.com/art/zoygff/
Norma Slack - cover artist I am a digital artist, writer and poet from beautiful Northern Ireland. I currently live in County Down, within sight of the majestic Mourne Mountains. I have been an enthusiastic photographer for many years but it was only when I discovered digital art that I finally felt able to create images that reflected both my emotions and vision. Every day I work towards improving my skills within the fascinating world of the digital workspace. For me it’s a place of magic, a place where I can give free reign to my imagination and create the type of art I feel connected to. About eighteen months ago I began to combine my new digital skills with my poetry and have recently published my first illustrated poetry book, Thunder In My Soul: a collection of illustrated poems. The book is now available at Amazon. It is a project I feel a strong emotional connection to and has been a labour of love. A free sample, along with a selection of my art, can be viewed on my website. You will also find me on Instagram @artbynormasue or on my Website
Home Is Wherever I’m With You 28
The Mreting
Who Walks With You
Susan Jones
https://artboja.com/art/3e60mz/
My name is Susan Jones. I live a short train ride from London and love to spend time up there with my sister and our cameras. I love studio photography with models dressed up, and having fun playing with the images in Photoshop. My new ambition is take the models on to the street and start doing shoots on location. You can see more of my work here: https://artboja.com/art/3e60mz/
Model: Kerys Gevaux Mermaid Glitter Shoot: Organised by - Salli Gainsford Workshops Glitter MUA & Headdresses - Haus Of Sinister Lighting - Dom Regan
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Model: Demi Bell Mermaid Glitter Shoot: Organised by - Salli Gainsford Workshops Glitter MUA & Headdresses - Haus Of Sinister Lighting - Dom Regan
Model: Le Modèle Amerz Mermaid Glitter Shoot: Organised by - Salli Gainsford Workshops Glitter MUA & Headdresses - Haus Of Sinister Lighting - Dom Regan
Model: Lilly Moores Mermaid Glitter Shoot: Organised by - Salli Gainsford Workshops Glitter MUA & Headdresses - Haus Of Sinister Lighting - Dom Regan
Vivien Capper
https://artboja.com/art/6bn7zq/
Hello my name’s Vivien and I’m from the beautiful county of Kent, England though currently living and working near Rome in delightful Italy with its exciting, lively way of life and vibrant colours and designs. I started out as an artist in 1982 developing Indian ink artwork of a variety of subjects especially figurative artwork and abstract floral designs, then progressed into creative photography and digital artistry thanks to Sebastian Michael’s amazing courses at ‘Photoshop Artistry’ and the advanced course ‘Awake’. My inspiration is drawn from my love of nature, figurative artwork and Italian design using many textures, patterns and colours. I’m thrilled to have some of my artwork in various publications including: Living the Photo Artistic Life, My Creative Images and have had various artworks mentioned in the Shift Art Challenge. If you would like to see more of my art: https://artboja.com/art/6bn7zq/
Delicate deer 34
CittĂ Vecchia
Lady with Petals
James Hurley
www.jameshurley.art
James is a photo digital artist that captures landscapes photographs as well as painterly portraits either in the comfort of his home or on location. He is based in Huntingdon, near Cambridge, and has a passion for incorporating his emotions and frustrations into surreal artwork. James is a self-taught photographer who has learnt Photoshop by taking a number of online course hosted by Sebastian Michaels. His work has received a number of awards from the Heaven art gallery in the USA during September and October of 2017, since then he has had artwork appear in a new conceptual virtual art gallery created by Curat10n Open Art and in the My Creative Images magazine. James’s current focus is to further explore and enhance his photography skills and further develop his own photo digital artistic style which incorporates lots of colour and textures and employing a Chiaro-oscuro style. As a photo digital artist his customers come from two distinct groups, those that want a portrait photograph taken and then blended into a scene and those that want some unique artwork to decorate their home or office. Both have one thing in common, they are looking for something different, something created specially for them, something that they can be proud to hang on their wall and show off on their social media pages, such as the examples shown here. If that sounds like you then get in contact with James, who would be happy to work with you and create something special just for you. Email: James@jameshurley.art
Website: www.jameshurley.art
Broken but Anchored by the Dream 38
Something is Wrong
Not Human
Portait Photography by www.JamesHurley.art
Soft Painterly Portrait F6.3 1/200s ISO 100 Canon 18-135 Canon 1200D
Contact me to arrange a Portrait sitting: Email - James@JamesHurley.art
Soft Tonal Portrait F6.3 1/200s ISO 100 Canon 18-135 Canon 1200D
Hinchingbrooke Park - Soft Focus F2.8 1/100s ISO 100 Tamron 70-210 Canon 1200D
Hinchingbrooke Park - Shallow Depth of Field F2.8 1/320s ISO 100 Tamron 70-210 Canon 1200D
Portrait by www.jameshurley.art For Commissions: James@jamesHurley.art
Lifestyle Study F4 1/200s ISO 100 Tamron 70-200 Canon 1200D
To read previous issues of this magazine visit:
https://issuu.com/mycreativeimages
M e t v IImages ae My CCreative Promoting Digital Photo Artistry