20 October 2012

Enjoying the process



Today's post was supposed to be composed of photos I had taken of my indigo-inspired 'project'...but it seems this was simply not to be. Yesterday I found myself wondering how I would get from where I was then to the position of having everything finished and ready to photograph—and today I realized that, as usual, I imagined there were more hours in the day than there actually are. I feel so very behind with the dozen different projects I am trying to complete (which is one reason the blog posts have been so few in the last several months), but it has been fun to have this indigo diversion.





I must admit that I find the idea of a lot of indigo rather overwhelming. Although indigo is one of the shades of blue that I do like, as I'd mentioned in the 'Surrounded by blue' post last month, blue is still my least favorite color. So, while collecting supplies and materials for October's challenge, I've also been thinking about which other colors indigo pairs well with. After realizing that I wasn't going to have my original project ready by tonight's ROY G BIV deadline, I decided to capture some of these 'pairings' with my camera this afternoon instead. In fact, I barely caught a few images in time (still getting used to the effects of the sun's post-autumn solstice trajectory).

The jacket of Gayle Brandeis' Fruitflesh, with that luscious deep red pomegranate, is among my all-time favorite book covers and it occurred to me that it would go well with my daughter's best-loved blue jeans (first image below). I also find the deep blue and rusty-orange of Sue Bender's cover for Everyday Sacred very striking (second image). I had intended to photograph some of my past play with indigo & olive green, but only managed to get the fresh smudge of it on the palette (last image) this afternoon. Interestingly enough, those two brands of indigo watercolors next to the olive are very different from one another. I'm not sure yet if this is going to open up more possibilities or complicate things!






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On the whole 'color' topic, my sister-in-law told me about an app—Color Vacuum—which uses the camera of handheld Apple devices to collect colors. The app is aimed at kids, but I think it sounds like a lot of fun (how useful it would have been this month!). I'm not very gadget-crazy/savvy, but this is the kind of thing that makes me sort of want an iPhone/iPod with a camera. Click here for details on how it works & to check out the very appealing interface. One of the promotional images even fits in with the indigo theme:



iPhone Screenshot 1


This month I also discovered, in the 'Utilities' folder on my mac, the DigitalColor Meter. It isolates the color of anything that the mouse hovers over + shows the RGB composition. I have been creating a few calendars for the shop, and it's been helpful to be able to pull colors from the calendar images and use them for the fonts as well.

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May you all have a colorful weekend! I hope to be back with the results of my indigo explorations very soon...


7 comments:

  1. I'm always so amazed by the natural light in photos of your still lifes...So very dramatic. I also love seeing your work space...seeing what combination of "artifacts" inspires you!

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  2. Congratulations Angela! My husband just drew your name out of his cap for the Indigo Challenge fabric. If you wouldn't mind sending your mailing address to me again (threadborn@gmail.com).

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    1. Thanks for your comments, Julie! I love to see other artists' work spaces too. Mine seems to be different every time I take photos - I am constantly changing things around to take advantage of the light/depending on what I'm working on.
      And I'm so excited about winning your challenge fabric - thank you, thank you! I'll send you the address...

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  3. Hi Lisa, I loved this colour exploration and the warmth and strength in your photos. It was a delightful meander and insight into your discovery of indigo - I look forward to the next instalment! But may I also say how VERY handy that Digital Color Meter is?!?! I never knew it existed and I just LOVE it!

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  4. Thanks for dropping in for a look, Fiona. The autumn light is certainly a pleasure to have, especially for taking pictures - though I am constantly chasing the sun away from my cutting mat as I try to keep up with the new patterns of sunlight. (My former cutting mat got pretty warped over the years and, even though the newer replacement seems to be heartier/tolerant, I am not taking any chances!)
    And yes - I also love the DigitalColor Meter - it provides endless amusement (and is also a bit of a distraction).
    - Lisa

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  5. Google Alerts just sent me to your site, and I am so delighted to see that the cover of my book has inspired you as an artist. Your work is beautiful! I wish you all the best with your indigo project. :)

    All the very best,
    gayle

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    1. Thank you, Gayle...how exciting to hear from you! I actually met you once, when you signed my copy of Fruitflesh after a writer's workshop you gave at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena many years ago. I still remember the crate of strawberries that you brought along so we could each have the chance to experience & write about our strawberry, just as your high school teacher once did for your class. I really enjoyed the workshop, the strawberry - and (still love) your book!
      - Lisa
      P.S. I also mentioned the workshop and your book in a past 'arzigogolare' entry about pomegranates:
      http://lisa-mcgarry.com/Lisa_McGarry/arzigogolare/Entries/2010/1/26_Seeds_of_beauty.html

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