A New Art Retreat... Creativity By-the-Sea!

I'm so excited to finally let you in on this new art retreat taking place right here in my home town of Ocean Grove, NJ! Creativity By-the-Sea is actually the brainchild of my very own mom — Carol Bernard — who has enjoyed organizing events for decades and wanted to dip her toes into something a little more creative.

Creativity By-the-Sea

March 23 - 25, 2012

Ocean Grove, New Jersey

 

This weekend of inspiration features an exciting array of workshops that take place within the one square mile of this quaint, Victorian, seashore town of Ocean Grove, NJ!  You can choose from a wide selection of classes in jewelry, fabric, mixed media, collage, assemblage, painting, drawing, photography, fused glass... even baking! The location will provide a relaxing respite for your soul while you awaken your artistic side. With the Atlantic Ocean right at your doorstep, what better place to play and learn.

I'll be teaching a class at the event — Boardwalk Memories — where you'll get to make a folk art style assemblage that looks like it's from days gone by! So... come join me at the shore and let's make some stuff!

For additional information about Creativity By-the-Sea, visit our blogsite where you'll find class listings, hotel information, events, and more!

Thoughtful Thursdays: Black & White Photography

Way, way back in college (I won't reveal the year)... I took a class in black and white photography. I admit that it was just an obvious elective for someone studying Graphic Design as their major... but I had no idea I would fall in love with the medium!

I never moved on to the color photography classes, and when I stopped to wonder why... it became very clear to me. When you look at a color photograph, you're looking at a scene. When you look at a black and white photograph, you're looking at the subject.

Take this photo of my (late) kitty cat, Mercedes. If it were in color, you might think... oh what an adorable kitty cat, how cute! But in black and white... Wow! Just look at those eyes. I don't know about you but she's piercing my soul (still!)

And check out this 100-year-old train station. In black and white, you really see how the light streams through the doorway and casts delicate shadows on the wall, bench and floor. A glimpse of the suitcase in the bottom right corner only adds to the desolate feel of this photo.

The black and white nature of this photo really emphasizes the chrome-like feel of an amazing vintage Chevrolet. It puts all the elements on an "even playing field" if you will... creating visual balance between the logo, the twin headlights, the grill and the bumper. It all works together now. The highlights and lowlights really pull you in, and the midtones  in the headlamp reflections bring a sense of softness to the overall feel.

Look at this photo of a barber on his break. But when was it taken? 1972? No... it was taken in the nineties. But the black and white captures the nostalgic values of this Charlotte, NC soul. Look a the wrinkles in his brow, and the stains on his shirt. Doesn't he just look like he has stories to tell? I find it interesting too that, because of the position of the sun... the photograph captured a reflection of the parking lot in the window rather than the barber shop contained behind it. Kind of matches the outward cast of his eyes... looking beyond.

I hope you can look beyond the colors of everyday and find the emotion in photos you take and see. Because... not everything in this world is black and white!

Thoughtful Thursdays: Black & White Photography

Way, way back in college (I won't reveal the year)... I took a class in black and white photography. I admit that it was just an obvious elective for someone studying Graphic Design as their major... but I had no idea I would fall in love with the medium!

I never moved on to the color photography classes, and when I stopped to wonder why... it became very clear to me. When you look at a color photograph, you're looking at a scene. When you look at a black and white photograph, you're looking at the subject.

Take this photo of my (late) kitty cat, Mercedes. If it were in color, you might think... oh what an adorable kitty cat, how cute! But in black and white... Wow! Just look at those eyes. I don't know about you but she's piercing my soul (still!)

And check out this 100-year-old train station. In black and white, you really see how the light streams through the doorway and casts delicate shadows on the wall, bench and floor. A glimpse of the suitcase in the bottom right corner only adds to the desolate feel of this photo.

The black and white nature of this photo really emphasizes the chrome-like feel of an amazing vintage Chevrolet. It puts all the elements on an "even playing field" if you will... creating visual balance between the logo, the twin headlights, the grill and the bumper. It all works together now. The highlights and lowlights really pull you in, and the midtones  in the reflections bring a sense of softness to the overall feel.

Look at this photo of a barber on his break. But when was it taken? 1972? No... it was taken in the nineties. But the black and white captures the nostalgic personality of this Charlotte, NC soul. Look a the wrinkles in his brow, and the stains on his shirt. Doesn't he just look like he has stories to tell? I find it interesting too that, because of the position of the sun... the photograph captured a reflection of the parking lot in the window rather than the barber shop contained behind it. Kind of matches the outward cast of his eyes... looking beyond.

I hope you can look beyond the colors of everyday and find the emotion in photos you take and see. Because... not everything in this world is black and white!

Photos, Photos, Photos...

Recently I had been given some tips on how to increase my sales on Etsy... and one of those ways was to make my photos "Etsy front page worthy". Now, I think my photos are pretty darn good... but alas... they do not look like the photos that are put on the front page. And because my pieces are all very different, my main photos all tend to be a little different as well.

So, after a little bit (okay, alot) of research on Etsy photos of upcycled, vintage, mixed media jewelry... I had myself a little photo shoot. (P.S. I left out some of the more embarrassing ones!)

I really like the texture of this one, but for some of my pieces... they don't show up as well and the texture interferes with the jewelry.

Open books or having vintage handwritten letters are popular backgrounds on Etsy also. But, I think it might be hard to get every photo to look the same, with the book at the same angle each time. Especially when I don't shoot all my jewelry at once!

I really love how this one came out. But again, getting the angle of the books just right... and the angle of the photograph just right... could end up looking kind of messy when they're all together in my shop.

My mom had this really unique candle stand. Just the kind of texture and color I was looking for. So I did an entire photoshoot for almost all of my jewelry using this prop. Many of the photos turned out great... but others... eh... so-so. I'm finding it hard to maintain my own vision, but yet make the photos Etsy-worthy so I get the exposure. I guess I'll be testing out more photography options, but for now I hope my shop looks a little more cohesive?

Let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions!

Ocean Grove Boardwalk Art Show...

Hey Folks! Mark your calendars... I'm going to be in my first ever Art Show at the end of the month... right here in my hometown. I'll be persuading onlookers to take home all types of mixed media creations such as handmade cards, collages, assemblages, dolls, framed photographs, prints, accessories, home decor items, Tillie stuff, and so much more! I'll even have a few winter-themed items that would make great Holiday presents (never to early to shop, right?). Here's what you need to know...

Boardwalk Art Show
Ocean Grove, NJ 07756
Free Admission
Saturday, July 31st
9am - 4pm

Stop by for a visit... and see what I've been up to! And don't forget the sunscreen...

Pick-A-Photo Tuesday: Witchy Cat

She looks as if she could cast a spell on you! This black and white photo of my tiny kitty Mercedes (now over the "rainbow bridge") became a magical image when solarized during the printing process. Nowadays, you can just do that kind of stuff in Photoshop.

Pick-A-Photo Tuesday: Junkyard Ghosts

This photo was shot in a really cool junkyard that had mostly cars from the 50's, 60's and 70's... a black and white photographer's dream! I used infra red film to shoot the original photo and then solarized the print during the printing process. The result... an ethereal image reminiscent of a Stephen King novel.