VIA COLORI

Via Colori - the downtown street festival where the artist's canvas is the street. The artwork was beautiful, beyond beautiful and I wish I had been about 3' taller to get more straight on shots. I've posted an album of the street art on facebook, but I've saved my favorites for the blog. Enjoy the great work. Enjoy the color. Enjoy the talent.

Artist Jams Bauguess

I love this piece; it has a such a dark undertone.

I spoke briefly with Jams and she told me that
a lot of people think her work is dark,
but she doesn't.

This is such a stunning creation
of subject and color.

Artist - Unknown

I didn't always get the name of the artist. May in the corner.

Anyway, this piece really caught my attention.

The color and nostalgia are a perfect combination.

Artist - Unknown

Okay, this one was the colors. It was brilliant and mysterious.

You can see the entire piece here.

Artist Ellen Killough

Ellen's piece has such an old world feel.

Because I'm not an illustrator, painter or sketcher,

I don't know if this comes from the pastel textures or the street textures.

Maybe a little of both. You can view a larger version of Ellen's work here.

Artist Melanie Stimmel

All I can say is WOW!

I roamed the street art for almost two hours and I always found myself

drawn back to this piece. It is absolutely stunning.

Click here for a completed version of this art.

Artist - Unknown

I was back in California when I looked at this piece,

but learned from the artist that this particular location was from Italy.

Ah yes, one of the places I want to shoot.

Artist - Unknown

What struck me about this piece was first, the smile,

but more than anything the way the artist worked around
the cracks in the street.

Reminds me of an old photo in a new world.

ALL HAIL THE MUSHROOM KING

Sometimes shots just happen. Poof. Like magic. And so it was with the Mushroom King.

It was that time of day, actually later in the day, when I decided to take the long route to the mailbox, and strolling down the driveway, there it was, this little land of the Mushroom King.

Typically, I don't pay much attention to mushrooms unless they're an addition to my salad or topping my steak, but the color, or maybe it was the way the light hit them, I found this tiny little mushroom village nestled beneath the leaves of a bush.

The swoop of the mushroom in the back lot of the Mushroom King village first caught my attention, then seeing it through the viewfinder, it felt like a little magic kingdom among the mulch.

And I snapped and I snapped and I snapped the shutter button, all the while waiting for the King's guards to come out and demand that I cease intrusion upon their kingdom lest I'm ready for battle.

Just goes to show a photo can be found anywhere. Sometimes you don't even have to look. A simple stroll down the drive led me to grab the camera and wander the land of the Mushroom King - a quaint magical adventure to bring my day to a close.

  

Never hesitate to take the picture. Never say I'll do it tomorrow. By then, it could be gone.

And you could miss the memories of the magical land of your own back yard.

STEVENSON RIDGE - AN ARTIST'S VIEW

I've been neglecting the blog again. Sorry, my friends. It's that 80/20 thing which has now moved to a 99/1 thing.

But I did get out the other week and shoot, thanks to the wonderful folks at Stevenson Ridge; special thanks to Jennifer LaRock.

Simple. Serene. Idyllic. That was my morning at this beautiful lodge/bed and breakfast/inn. There are many words to describe Stevenson Ridge, but I'll stick with my three - simple, serene, idyllic.

Stevenson Ridge is an 87-acre historical property. On that property you'll see some of the best in historical building restoration, the guest houses actually - and my three descriptive words - unique, pristine, charming.

I stuck to the exterior of the property as these buildings, like most historical buildings, intrigued me. While I didn't capture all the properties (yeah, I forgot my map and missed a few), I did make my way around to several and it wasn't always the building itself that caught my attention, but the small details of the buildings that captured my eye.

At the backside of the lodge is where it happens. On my first visit to Stevenson Ridge, the pond centered on the property was so calming. I stood on the balcony of the lodge and took it in - the small dock, the benches, the trees, the oar sticking up out of the pond. I have no idea what story goes with the oar, but it catches my attention. Probably because I just know there has to be a story.

The morning of my shoot, I took it all in again, only this time I had marvelous morning light and beautiful reflections of the Riddick House shimmering off the surface of the pond. I can just see myself sitting on the deck overlooking the pond in the quiet morning sipping a cup of joe.

 

From the Riddick House, I made my way over to the Log Home. This place has a charm you wouldn't believe and that's only from the outside. The idea of dropping the camera and curling up in a rocker with a good book certainly crossed my mind that morning.

 

With the porch of the Log Home just calling out for relaxation, I have one question that continues to plaque my mind, even now - what's with the bathtub on the porch? Not so much the bathtub itself, that's just charm, but the can on a stick jutting out of the bathtub. Ah, yet another story of intrigue.

I moved onward. I think I found the Adrian Cabin next. This is another one of those charming porch features. The Adrian Cabin is a small cabin which reminds me that it should be in snow covered ground, so I'd have to think winter here, even in summer. The porch was decked out with this old crate and again, I was drawn into comfort and a good book, along with a tall glass of iced tea with a lemon floating on top, sweating on the table (of course, I'm back to summer). Irresistible.

From the cabin, I hiked over to the Servant's Quarters. The first thing I noticed here was the blue hurricane lamp hanging from the eaves over the door of the house. The Servant's Quarters is very basic, until you trek around to the back. A small deck invites you in. A green door with a porcelain handle beckons you toward the house. An outside bath house (shower) dares you to give up the comforts of home.

Last we come upon the Spy Hill House. A simple two-story cottage with a view of the pond. I liked the detail of the door on this building.

And by the pond, we find the boat, with one oar, which may explain the oar sticking out of the water.

 

On my adventure to Stevenson Ridge, I missed the Corn Crib and the Civil War House. I asked if I could come back in the fall to again capture the charm of this place, and when I'm out shooting the property with the leaves in full fall color, I will be sure to collect images of the two missing properties.

AN HOUR WITH DENNIS WALTERS / A DAY WITH WOUNDED WARRIORS

Last week had me out shooting the 2011 Rosner Pro-Wounded Warrior Golf Tournament at Cannon Ridge Golf Club. It was an exceptional day. First, meeting the Warriors was an honor. This group was full of energy and spunk and while I was out shooting the team foursomes, they were having a great time playing with pros, sponsors and juniors. The Warriors are part of SMGA (The Salute Military Golf Association).

Wounded Warriors

But before meeting the Warriors, the tournament hosted a golf clinic by Dennis Walters. Now, I don't know golf. Oh, I know enough about golf to know what a club and ball is. I know the difference between an eagle and bogey. And I even know what a mulligan is. But I didn't know who Dennis Walters was and I'm glad I had the opportunity to meet this inspirational man.

Dennis Walters is a golfer who in 1974 suffered an accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. That meant he could no longer pursue his dream of successfully playing on the PGA tour. But Dennis didn't give up. He did pursue his passion for golf and determined to continue, learned to hit balls from his wheelchair, then a specially made golf cart. He now tours the country presenting The Dennis Walters Golf Show. And what a show it is. Dennis is inspirational in so many ways. He has a wonderful sense of humor and a drive (not in golf terms - though I'm sure that's just as good) that would inspire anyone to follow their dreams no matter what. And to top it all off, he's an animal lover and rescuer who travels with his companion dog Bucky.

Dennis and Bucky

Bucky was rescued by Dennis from Canine Castaways in Arcadia, FL. But Bucky is more than Dennis' companion; Bucky is part of the show. Dennis trained Bucky to do all the tricks of the trade and this little pooch is a hit with the audience.
 

 

And once Bucky's schtick is done, the show goes on. We're talking golf here. Dennis gives tips - and some interesting tips they are. While any golfer would get the gist of all of this, okay, I'll admit, not being a golfer (remember - eagle, bogey, mulligan) I didn't get all the golf stuff, but the show was fantastic with Dennis presenting his "special" clubs and actually hitting the ball with them. I'm not talking they just puttered across the grass, I'm talking they went out onto the range with a bang. And you're wondering, "special" clubs?
 

He had a club made out of a fishing pole. One made out of a radiator hose. One that was all bent and jointed. Not to mention his Judge Judy gavel club, his cell phone club and his 3 iron that hits three balls at once, and I'm assuming this is a "special" club, because I seriously don't know what a 3 iron is, but I do know you can only hit one ball at a time in tournament play.

All bent and jointed

Really, it's a radiator hose

The 3 iron

The 3 iron in action

So if you're ever out at a tournament or you see The Dennis Walters Golf Show advertised, don't miss it. You don't have to be golfer to enjoy the fun. It's an inspirational, enjoyable hour you won't forget.

 

WORKING WITH YOUR DESIGNER

Not only do designers design, we also translate. There are rules to be followed and terms to understand. We don’t expect you to know all these rules and terms, but a professional designer will share with you the correct terminology, the issues of licensing and copyrights, the materials needed for the job and the reasons why you can or can’t do something.

Below is a short list of frustrations designers live with on a daily basis. It’s important to understand both sides of the equation – yours and ours. I hope this helps prepare you to work with your designer on your upcoming marketing materials.

DO –

• Share your ideas. Designers are not mind readers.
• Be honest with us. Your contract will allow a set number of revisions. If you need changes, tell us. Don’t accept something you don’t like.
• Understand the term VECTOR BASED ART. This is art work designed with paths and lines that can be reproduced and/or manipulated for professional looking copy. If you don’t have vector based art, this can be produced by your designer.
• Know the difference between CMYK and RGB. CMYK refers to print. RGB refers to web.
• Share your budget. We know how long a project can take and whether we can work within your budget or not.
• Understand the terms of using stock art and/or stock photography. These terms often refer to print runs or back links. You must be willing to follow the terms.
• Provide high resolution (300 ppi) photos. A photo can be downsized and maintain its integrity. It can’t be enlarged and maintain its integrity.

DON’T –

• Ask us to pull your logo (or any other art, for that matter) from your website. This is an inferior rendering and won’t reproduce well on your marketing materials.
• Ask us to pull art or photos from someone else’s website. This is a copyright violation and could land you with a major lawsuit.
• Assume you own the work after completion. Unless you’ve made arrangements to purchase the copyright of the work, you’re buying usage rights of the work. The designer owns the copyright.
• Ask us to provide free services outside the terms of your contract. Would you do that to your customers? Please ask us for a cost estimate of additional work.
• Tell us you need the final product in two weeks and give us the information ten days later.
• Tell us how easy the job is. What you think should take an hour may actually take eight hours.
• Tell us your nephew, cousin, brother-in-law could do the job. If that was case, he’d be doing it.

Future articles will explore some of points on this list in more detail. We’ll talk about copyright, licensing and usage rights, why your website doesn’t provide quality art, contracts, revisions and more. If there’s any particular issue you’d like to see addressed in Creative Edge, please email me.

BARE NAKED WALLS

Are you suffering from bare naked walls? You’ve been looking at the same walls for years and years believing they’re just fine. They don’t need dressing. It’s an artistic endeavor you shy away from because you don’t believe you have the talent to put it all together.

Don’t underestimate your creativity in this matter. Putting together an artistic office display is a matter of basics.

Recently I worked with Congressman Rob Wittman’s Fredericksburg office to create such a display. Their office didn’t lack in creativity; they wanted to update their look and knew they wanted local works of the Fredericksburg area. The start of the project was generated through a third party, so the scope wasn’t entirely clear. I put together a portfolio of local shots I took in the area, and while viewed well, and some chosen for the display, the office was interested in local buildings and landmarks. I put together second portfolio for review and we hit the mark.

So how do you dress those naked walls? It’s really quite simple.

START WITH A THEME

Working with Congressman Wittman’s office, their theme was Fredericksburg’s historic district. We put together some local landmarks including City Hall, the Circuit Court steeple, St. George’s Episcopal Church and a view of the city from Chatham Heights. The display also included local bits of the community itself: the horse and carriage ride that tours downtown, a cannon from the Fredericksburg National Cemetery, a sign along Charles Street. It is Fredericksburg to those who know Fredericksburg and it is a representation of the city for those new to the area.

FIND A PHOTO THAT INTERESTS YOU AND BUILD AROUND IT

There are nine galleries on the Studio website. If one particular photo catches your attention, take that photo and find others that compliment the image either through theme, color or design. Or go completely eclectic and create a menagerie of images.

FIND SOMETHING THAT INDENTFIES YOUR PERSONALITY

Say you’re a Civil War buff. Select photos that represent the local battlefields. Presenting a personal interest to a client may open a link to a similar interest and break the ice. Or, it may just make your environment a bit more comforting to work in.

THE JOY OF COLOR; OR NOT

Many offices walls are bland; tan or white and often faded from years of neglect. This isn’t your fault. You have little control over what your landlord allows. Find photos with color and display them around the office to enliven the atmosphere. You’d be surprised what a little color can do to enrich the look of your surroundings. You can even create a theme based solely on color.

Another option to color would be a black and white or a tinted theme. Lack of color sets an atmosphere that often takes the viewer into another world. Lack of color can create an emotional display that may play into your business standards.

Once you start thinking about dressing your walls, the process takes on its own life. Variety not only comes from the photo itself, it’s further highlighted by size, frame and mat choices. The possibilities are endless. Open up your creativity and you’ll find the perfect solution for the bare naked walls of your business or office.

Kerri Williams owns and operates Magpi Studios, a creative studio specializing in photography, graphic design and fine art to meet your businesses marketing needs.

Magpi Studios offers an affordable alternative to purchasing art through ArtLease. With ArtLease, you make the decisions on the art with the guidance of Magpi Studios, all while working within your budget. You also have the option to change the art within the terms of your lease and experiment with different images or update your look. Learn more about ArtLease and the possibilities of creating an inviting environment for your clients, your staff and yourself.