06.28.06
Posted in Pet tributes at 4:38 pm by petArtist Cmoses
gray memory
Warm furry grayness
purring softly
against my chin.
Mr. happy-go-lucky
galloping gaily
back and forth
to run back again.
Packratting trinkets
pilfering nuggets
battling baubles
in games without end…
teasing and preening
his lifelong companion
sweet sister kitten
who adored only Zoo.
Cuddling insistently
totally trustful
lavishly accepting
affection
as his due.
Bright and bold
eyes of gold
brazen… direct…
smiling and kind.
Taken far too soon
from the ones who loved him
leaving a disproportionate
void behind…
filled only with memories
and saddened if-onlys
ache in the heart
for the ghost
of Zeus.
Zeus (rt.) with his sister Zoey
___________
Connie Moses, petArtist Portraits With Pets.com and PortraitsWithHorses.com
Share This
Permalink
06.26.06
Posted in ART for art's sake, Cats for cat people, Dogs for dog lovers, Horses for the horse crazy at 4:02 pm by petArtist Cmoses
Welcome to the weblog of Connie Moses, aka petArtist (on MySpace), horsepaintings (on YouTube), Connie Moses on Facebook. NEWS and Notices are posted here (see at right) announcing new horse giclee prints, pet portraits and artworks, sale specials, ongoing horse-training, articles about art, website building and other interesting tidbits.
Be my GUEST!! COMMENTS are welcome!
Connie Moses, petArtist Portraits With Pets.com and PortraitsWithHorses.com
Share This
Permalink
Posted in ART for art's sake at 3:10 pm by petArtist Cmoses
(which are pretty much not viable options with hand-applied paints/media)
layering - can paint or draw 
on any number of overlays which can be individually controlled as to opacity, content, 
visibility, 
and interactive effects with other layers (imagine translucent and opaque paints on several sheets of glass stacked on top of each other, each of which can be modified, rearranged or removed) 
mixability - possible to mix various media effects (if desired) which would never be possible otherwise, such as watercolor and oils, pastels and ink, oil and colored pencil, etc.
time-based controls - such as area drying time (tell it when to dry, or NOT to dry), spread speed of bleeds, lapsed time between start and finish
easy instant viewability - at small sizes, highly enlarged sizes, and in black and white, which greatly assists composition planning
photographically-correct 
likenesses - are fairly easy to achieve, so more relative time can be devoted to exploring other aspects of the art, such as expression, composition, background, integration of the elements, etc.
erasability/changeability - like it sounds; can be total, partial, or merely subduing, textured, spray-erasures, knife scratches… you get the idea
rearrangeability - one can reposition elements, copy and repeat areas, pull in parts of other artworks (haven’t done it but sounds interesting…)
version-saving - can save as many progressive stages 
of the artwork as you like, which you can revisit as desired; this allows experimentation in multiple directions 
“final” color adjustments, enhancements and variations - tones and color ranges can be modified experimentally even after the painting is “finished”
size variability - size can be determined and changed after the piece has been done
reproducibility - can be output in multiples, onto variable artists’ materials (textured or smooth watercolor papers, cloth canvas, rice paper… the range of possible materials is being expanded as more artists experiment)
recoverability - archived files can be used to regenerate lost or damaged artworks
durability - specially-formulated inks, materials, and giclee print finishing assure museum-quality results which are at least as long-lived as pigment on paper, and in some cases even better able to resist color fluctuation over time
ease of use - (my favorite!) no smelly pigments or solvents, no palette setup, no mess, no cleanup, and can leave and come back to at will, continuing right where you left off!
WITH ALL THE CREATIVE OPTIONS, it’s sometimes tough to know when to stop; it’s often hard to choose which variation I like the best. But don’t worry, I’ll take care of that for you!
________________
Connie Moses, petArtist Portraits With Pets.com and PortraitsWithHorses.com
Share This
Permalink
Posted in ART for art's sake at 3:08 pm by petArtist Cmoses
What is a virtual paintbrush?
To create my portrait paintings, I employ a graphics tablet using a stylus (special pen) as my virtual paintbrush. My Corel Painter software turns pen strokes made on the tablet into artists’-media-emulating marks on my monitor screen: watercolor washes, oil bristle brush, palette knife, pastels, colored pencil, charcoal, liquid ink (brush- or pen-applied,) airbrush… the list and the variations within each media and stroke are almost endless.
Physically, I am drawing upon the tablet on a horizontal desk surface rather than an upright vertical surface like an easel (nice, because upright aggravates my tendency to shoulder bursitis.) I see the strokes on my monitor as I make them; I work with dual monitors on my Mac, with the artwork on my larger screen and my tools and palettes on a second monitor.
Tactile sensation is different of course, but still satisfying because the tablet is pressure-sensitive. That means that when I bear down harder, the width and/or density of the stroke increases (and vice versa) which gives it a real artist’s tool feel and allows for plenty of nuances and flourishes and refining.
____________________
Connie Moses, petArtist Portraits With Pets.com and PortraitsWithHorses.com
Share This
Permalink
Posted in ART for art's sake at 3:06 pm by petArtist Cmoses
Art emanates from the imaginative eye and creative thought processes of the mind, regardless of what tools are used to put the art into a state where it can be experienced by others. Fine art tools in digital form are simply another means to an end.
One most interesting parallel between virtual painting and hand-applied media is the opportunity for what I call “happy accidents.” These are the unexpected and wonderful things which occur that make each artwork visually rich and unique from all others. The artist spends much energy and effort to allow, recognize, preserve, and enhance or highlight these lovely spontaneous sparks.
With virtual painting, the opportunities for “happy accidents” to occur are more frequent and unique because there are more variables to play with. Also, these “happy accidents” can be explored more freely and made much of, thanks to the liberating ability to save progressive stages of the virtual painting as you go along.
Let’s just say that for me personally, having become very comfortable with computers over a career of using them for graphic art work and even before graphics could be done by computer, it felt natural to return to my fine art roots by creating portraits this way.
Related musings: Virtual painting– features
__________________________
Connie Moses, petArtist Portraits With Pets.com and PortraitsWithHorses.com
Share This
Permalink
06.24.06
Posted in NEWS at PortraitsWithPets, Other fun stuff at 4:00 pm by petArtist Cmoses
Welcome to the weblog of Connie Moses, aka petArtist, webmom, horsepaintings (on Ebay), portraitswithhorses (on Yahoo). News and Notices are posted here on new horse giclee prints, pet portraits and artworks, sale specials, ongoing horse-training, articles about art, website building and other interesting tidbits.
Here you may read and comment about horses, pets, and webmastering. Your comments are WELCOME, but they will be reviewed. No spam or foul language will be allowed.
Subscribe now to this Blog and stay current with new postings, new artworks and specials from the website Portraits With Pets.com aka PortraitsWithHorses.com , LINK to this blog’s FEED via the Subscribe now orange button below (almost all feedreaders are supported here) or you may subscribe by clicking your news-reader’s “Syndicate” button at right.
Reprints allowed with credit/link to author only.
CELEBRATE LIFE!!! through paintings of pets
Share This
Permalink
