Collective Magazine

COLLECTIVEISSUE 1 • 2008

Collective (ISSN: 1941-5281) was made possible by grant funding throughArts Clayton. The grant program is supported in part by the Grassroots ArtProgram of the Georgia Council for the Arts through appropriations of theGeorgia Assembly and in partnership with Arts Clayton. This issue wasalso made possible by our fine advertisers and the incredible support of thelocal arts community.

PUBLISHERVisual Artist’s Collective of Henry County, Inc. (VAC)

CREATIVE DIRECTORJason Morrison

DESIGN & LAYOUTJason Morrison

EDITORJulie Hoover-Ernst

CONTRIBUTING AUTHORSIn alphabetical order: Joe Astacio, Cathy Brown, Linda Holtz, Lynn McMeans,Lanny Milbrandt, Judy Moore Mudd, Jason Morrison, and Stephen Shifflett.

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTSIn alphabetical order: Scott Ash, Ada Astacio, Joe Astacio, Cathy Brown,Karen Casciani, Lee Duncan, Sabine Fry, Linda Holtz, Nan McGarity, LynnMcMeans, Lanny Milbrandt, David Montedonico, Jackie Montedonico, JasonMorrison, Judy Moore Mudd, Ray Salvatore, Joe Schlemmer, Stephen Shif-flett, and Timothy Stripling.

PRINTINGTHP • Conyers, Georgia • (770) 483-5973

VISUAL ARTIST’S COLLECTIVE2164 Highway 20 West # 181McDonough, Georgia 30253

[email protected]

2008 ORGANIZATION OFFICERSPresident – Jason MorrisonVice President – Ada AstacioSecretary – Lynn McMeansTreasurer – Sabine Fry

Copyright © 2008 Visual Artists Collective of Henry County, Inc. (VAC). All Rights Re-served. No portion of this issue, including Publisher designed advertisements, maybe copied, scanned, or reproduced in any manner without prior written consent fromthe Publisher. To purchase additional copies of this publication, please visit the VACwebsite at www.visualartistscollective.com for detailed information. Discounts forbulk purchases are available. Some articles in this issue include companion down-loads which are also available on the VAC website. No promise or guarantee ismade for the compatibility or availability of the website and companion downloads.All work presented in this issue is copyrighted by the respective authors and artists.To contact a specific artist, please visit the VAC website.

The Visual Artist’s Collective of HenryCounty, Inc. (VAC) is a non-profit organi-zation 501(c)(3) focused on promoting thevisual arts within our community.

The VAC typically holds an official meet-ing every month, an outing, as well as acoffee and critique session. Historicallythere has been two or three contestsevery year to cover all mediums. The endof the year event, “Christmas with theArts”, is a collaborative effort with theHenry Arts Alliance.

While there is no requirement to be amember in order to participate in anyVAC event, memberships are highly en-couraged. The VAC offers low-costmembership options as well as dis-counted memberships for senior citi-zens, disabled persons, teachers, andstudents. There are also discountedrates when purchasing your multi-yearmembership plan. There are even dis-counts for membership referrals.

The VAC is also a member of the HenryArts Alliance(www.henryartsalliance.org)

Drop us an email with questions [email protected] to beadded to the mailing list or find out whenthe next event is. Stop by and check usout!

contentF E A T U R E S

EXHIBIT • 54View selected art provided by Henry artists, representingthe variety of mediums and talents in your community.

On The CoverRead an interview with the VACfeatured artist: Joe Astacio

18

PastelsCathy Brown explains severalmyths behind pastels

16

COEXISTJoe AstacioPhotography

Falling For HenryHenry County’s premier art event

26

BoogieAward winning photographer

answers our questions

30

EDITORIAL • 84Dr. Lanny Milbrandt explains the value and importance

of the arts in relation to education

White & WatercolorJudy Mudd explores the big dealover using white in watercolor

48

Photography & PhotoshopWill Photoshop render the truephotographer obsolete?

8

Israel: The EpicenterA photo essay by Lynn McMeans

40

Art Center TourHenry Commissioners take a

performing arts tour

100

De-RestorationLearna new technique with

Adobe Photoshop

90

Fun With WatercolorLinda Foltz shows us ways tohave fun with a tricky medium

102

Photographing ArtLearn how to properly

photograph your paintings

98

How To Buy ArtKaren Casciani gives us

ten helpful tips onpurchasing art

108

www.visualartistscollective.com4

July 14th, 2007 ushered in the official openingand award reception for The Black & WhiteEvent, a creative exhibition celebrating black &white photography from the Visual Artist’s Collective of Henry County. This was the firstphotography competition held by the V.A.C. thisyear and it accepted traditional film as well asdigital and digitally enhanced photos. 24 artists entered the show submitting nearly 70 entries.

Sponsored by Willet Honda South, AppleRealty, Inc., Lambert Sand & Gravel, and MooreBass Consulting, the event was hosted at thefabulous Redz Restaurant, home of some of thebest service and fine dining south of Atlanta.When searching for a location to host the

exhibit, Redz was a logical choice and Redzowner, Quinn O'Neill, was a major player andsupporter for the event. “Not only did Quinnopen his doors to us, but he opened them for thevisual arts and generally seeks to improve thequality of life for Henry County citizens,” saidJason Morrison, who is serving his first year asV.A.C. president.

The event differed slightly from previousphotography contests held by the V.A.C. in thatthe grand prize, $1,000 for Best of Show, was notselected by an outside judge. Instead, Best ofShow was selected by Redz patrons throughoutthe first week the exhibit was on display. Redzcollected more than four hundred votes duringthe first six days.

The Black &White EventA Creative Exhibition CelebratingBlack & White Photography.

COLLECTIVE MAGAZINE 5

Morrison said “We felt it would make thecompetition a little more interesting. It alsoallowed visitors to do more than just view thework, but to be a part of the exhibit.” Whenasked of the black & white theme, Morrison said“It forces you to look at each photograph morecarefully, especially since there is not a singledominating color photo. It leveled the playingfield and I believe it made for a very interestingshow and exhibit.”

On the 14th, artists, friends, and familygathered at Redz for the announcement of thewinners. Taking Honorable Mention for 1937Bugatti was Lanny Milbrandt. Third Place wasawarded to Tyler Andrews for his photographJack’s Window. Wormsloe by Lance Foster wasawarded the second place prize. Lanny Milbrandt took first place with Castle dosMouros. The Best of Show, awarded by Redzpatrons, went to Scott Ash for his photographentitled Keyhole, Paracas.The event marked a success not only for the

Visual Artist’s Collective and Redz, but for visualarts within the county.Redz Restaurant is located in the McDonough

Square at 32 Macon Street, McDonough, GA30253. You can reach them for reservations,functions, parties, or other specials events viatelephone at 770-914-5723 or on the web atwww.redzrestaurant.com.

TOP: From left to right - Lance Foster, Jason Morrison, Quinn O’neill,

Lanny Milbrandt, Tyler Andrews.

BOTTOM: Photographs taken at Redz of the Black & White

photography exhibit.

CREDIT: Photo of the award winners was provided courtesy of

Montebello Photographic Services

mpspics.photoreflect.com

www.visualartistscollective.com

profile

6

Nan McGarity recalls as a child looking forward toreceiving the monthly issue of Ford Times (a tradepublication to which her father subscribed). Shewould flip through the pages which were full of col-orful illustrations and art, dreaming that one day shewould be able to draw and paint like the artists whocreated those wonderful visual images.

Pursuing that dream did not happen until muchlater in life. Her love of special needs children leadher into a career of teaching. She obtained bachelor’sand master’s degrees in special education and taughtchildren with orthopedic impairments for 30 years.

At 47 years of age she discovered the dormant talent that had been lying within her. A friend, who isan artist, invited her to her home to paint a 5”X7”magnolia blossom. Her friend simply said, “Do whatI do”. And she did. Her friend encouraged her to seekout the best instructors, study, paint and paint somemore. And that she did. McGarity has been studyingwith several acclaimed artists including GloriaPerkins Satterfield, Johnnie Lilidahl and Karen

Lostracco and continues to seek instruction from other master artists.

McGarity’s favorite medium is oil. Her use of brilliant colors and broad loose strokes results in vibrant paintings,whether large florals, still lifes, or landscapes. She hasbeen a featured artist of the Greensboro Arts Alliance andher work is on display in the library foyer. McGarity’s mostrecent honor is being named a finalist in the 2007 Brushdance Plein Aire Invitational at Tiger Mountain Vineyards in Clayton, Georgia. She has also captured best inshow and placed in other shows.

McGarity retired from teaching in November 2006, or soshe thought. After renovating a 70 year-old, 2000 square-foot building, which was originally the office of the historicMary-Leila Cotton Mill in Greensboro, Georgia, McGarityopened the doors of Historic Mill Studio. Here she hosts artworkshops taught by invited artists. “I had no plan to teachmyself when I opened the studio. My plan was to invite otherartists to conduct workshops for intermediate and

“I have three requirements for my workshops: a good

attitude, the desire to try,and the ability to

follow instructions. That isall I ask my beginner oil

painters to bring to class.”

nan mcgarity


advanced students. Teaching comes naturally to me and I have had such

overwhelming requests for beginner workshops that I have put together a series of six beginner workshops. These workshops aredesigned to advance anyone who has the desire to paint to a confidence and skill level needed to pursue more advanced instructionwith my invited artists. I have three requirements for my workshops:a good attitude, the desire to try, and the ability to follow instructions.That is all I ask my beginner oil painters to bring to class.”

In addition to painting and hosting workshops at her studio inGreensboro, McGarity accepts invitations from clubs, organizations,and small groups, to demonstrate oil painting. She also accepts invitations to conduct out-of-town introduction to oil painting workshops.

Rooster Trilogy II

Into the Courtyard

Mrs. Mildred’s Daylilies

Contacting Nan McGarityTo arrange a workshop orattend a class:

E-Mail:[email protected]

Phone:(770) 957-5023

editorial

Could Photoshop Render Photographers Obsolete?How photo editing software impacts the world of photographyBy Stephen Shifflett

I am a young photographer, only twenty-four yearsold. I received my first camera at four and my firstserious camera at age fourteen. Like all youngpeople, I am supposed to love all things new, digital,and technology related. I do love it. I see its worth,but I also see its threat! If you have ever taken aphotograph and then thought or said, “Oh well, I’ll fixit when I get home,” you are in danger of being lost!Digital photography is supposed to make it easier tosee if you got the shot you wanted without waiting. Ifnot, try again! Bracketing can get expensive if you areusing film. Digital doesn’t cost anything but time.Some shots are hard to evaluate for meteringespecially if you have a great difference between lightand dark in your subject. If you intend to take a “lessthan perfect” photograph and plan to fix it later you aregiving up your photographic skills instead of trying toimprove them. Skills are learned from practice,knowing your equipment, and being able to evaluateall the aspects of the situation. The less practice youget, the poorer your photographic skills will become.

If you are the type of person that takes snapshots, dresses them up with Photoshop, and you arehappy, that is great. However, if you are a seriousperson that takes photographs with the intent of “Art,”but you depend heavily on Photoshop to “fix” the art,you are not a photographer. You are a computer tech.You haven’t developed the serious skills to label yourself a photographer. The first three photographsthat follow are unaltered by Photoshop and could notbe taken on a camera program setting.

The Dance (Opposite) was taken with a Minolta7D digital SLR camera. Manual settings of F8 with a4 second shutter, coupled with my studio lighting (ISOof 400) produced this image. I knew what the shot wassupposed to look like; it just took some time and trialsto get just right. I am very thankful to my cousin forher patience with me while I achieved the shot Iwanted. God bless her for her time, and understanding, but most of all for her tremendous talent. The blurred colors around her figure are thedifferent positions she is in during the shot.

8 EDITORIAL SHIFFLETT

9COLLECTIVE MAGAZINE

EDITORIAL SHIFFLETT10

In the Stillness of TimeThis photograph was taken with a Mamiya 645afd medium format camera. I was again in manual mode at F11for 1.5 seconds. I used Fuji Velvia 100 slide film. A tripod is required for this type of shot due to the longshutter. The late afternoon sun did not blow out the highlights because of the natural canopy provided by thetrees. The long shutter pays off; you can see it in the water’s milky like appearance.

Cloud Nine Camera: Minolta 7D digital SLRSettings: F8 for 1/30 of a second shutterLighting: Personal studio lightingISO: 200Details: Photoshop’s clone stamp allowed me toremove a small scratch on the babies face, whichwas the only digital alteration of the image. Theremainder of the work was handled within thecamera and adjustment of manual settings. Asalways, with portrait photography the key element isto please the customer. The biggest trouble I facedduring this particular picture was keeping the babyfrom eating the feathers!


Infant Embrace Camera: Minolta 7D digital SLRSettings: F5.6 for 1/30 of a second shutterLighting: Personal studio lightingISO: 200Details: This is one photograph where AdobePhotoshop assisted in the final product. My Minoltacamera does not have a setting that allows me tophotograph in black & white. The photograph wasbrought into Photoshop and converted to meet therequirements and request of the client.

Enchanted HydrangeaCamera: Mamiya 645afd medium formatSettings: F4 for 1/60Film: Fuji Velvia 100 slide filmEffects: I used black velvet to back the flower anda special filtering device of my own design toachieve the swirl affects.

Regarding the “Enchanged Hydrangea”, I do notpersonally know if this effect could really be achievedwith Photoshop, Evidently, some judge thought that itcould. I actually lost creative points in an art contestbecause the judge thought it had been“Photoshopped”. That was what the written critiquesaid! Since then, I have taken to placing a smallnotification with this photograph and any others likeit that says: “Traditional Photography, No DigitalEnhancement.” With the notification in place, thisphotograph has won a “Distinguished Merit” awardand traveled galleries throughout the state of Georgiafor an entire year.

If you are interested in learning more aboutphotography and improving your skills, there aremany ways to start that process. The easiest and leastexpensive is to surf the web and read articles. If youare a Nikon owner, there is a great site for you,www.nikonians.org, a site designed by and for Nikonowners. It has news, updates on cameras, links tohelpful sites, and articles that are great and user-friendly. There are forums on the site that have places

to post questions and get answers about your cameraor a technique. There is most likely a similar site forCanon owners, but as I don’t own a Canon, I do notknow its location.

Photography magazines can also be helpful.Personally, I have two favorites. The first is calledOutdoor Photographer. It contains gorgeousphotographs, how-to articles that are easy tounderstand, reports about new gear on the market,information on photographic locations, “enter and winthis” ads, photography contests sponsored by themagazine and other sources, as well as testingreports about new cameras on the market. You cansubscribe to the magazine on the websitewww.outdoorphotographer.com for $14.97 and receiveeleven issues (one year). They also have aneNewsletter that is very good and you can sign up toget it online. I got my first issue of this magazine offthe newsstand at Wolf Photo in Stockbridge. Anothermagazine that I picked up off the same newsstandwas Popular Photography. This magazine has thesame type of articles and news, but it takes the

14 www.visualartistscollective.com

information up a notch. You can find it at:www.popphoto.com. You will see two magazines onthis site; Popular Photography and AmericanPhotography. Popular Photography subscription rateis 12 issues (one year) for $14.00 or 24 issues (twoyears) for $24.00. You can sign up on their site. Irecommend getting your first issue off the newsstand.That way you can decide if you like either magazine orboth.

Photography classes can be very helpful as well.My first class was through Clayton State’s ContinuingEducation Classes. You can sign up for thephotography class via Clayton State’s website atwww.conted.clayton.edu/onlineReg/index.html. It isa six week class that meets one evening a week from6:30 till 9:00pm. At $104, it is a very good deal. Theyhave a class starting at the end of April ‘08 and onestarting in the middle of May ‘08. I think both of theseare for digital photographers. Another route tolearning in the classroom is through the ShowcaseSchool of Photography. I have taken numerousclasses and workshops from them and have really

enjoyed them. The classes are enormously helpful;the instructors are professional and extremelyknowledgeable. One of the best things aboutShowcase School is that their class sizes are small soyou can receive much more individualized help. Youcan read about their class offerings and register forclasses online at:www.theshowcaseschool.com/site/. If you don’t surfthe web, you can call them for a brochure or call toregister. Their address is 1135 Sheridan Rd, Atlanta,GA 30324. The phone number is (404) 965-2205.

Showcase has four and six week classes inphotography. The six week classes are about $150.Six week classes on software programs are a bithigher. Their six week class on Photoshop CS3 iscurrently $330. They also have a four week class on“Photoshop Elements 6” that is $260. I took a fourweek class on “Photoshop Elements 3” several yearsago and there were only eight people in the class. Itwas amazing how much I felt that I learned! Theyhave one day workshops on specific topics at theschool as well as one and two day workshops that

help you take photographs on locations likeNorth Georgia Waterfalls, Sweetwater Creek,or the Monastery in Conyers. Theseworkshops have instructors that are there toguide you in techniques. The workshopsgenerally start at about $40 and go up fromthere depending on the amount of timeinvolved and the location.

A good photographer should aim tohone their skills to the best of their ability. Theimportant aspects people should focus theirefforts on include practicing skills,familiarization of equipment, and do the workin-camera. Photo editing software such asAdobe Photoshop can be a helpful tool andcomponent in your overall workflow, however,it should not be allowed to become a crutchfor your creative process.


how-to

By way of introduction, I am mostly aself-taught artist. For several years, Iworked in oils exclusively until a goodfriend challenged me to try a pictureusing pastels. I was hooked at onceon this medium and now do most ofmy paintings in pastels.

This article attempts to debunksome of the myths associated withthe pastel medium. In the past, pastelwas considered by some to be only asketching or drawing tool and not atrue painting medium. One has onlyto see the works of Degas or MaryCassatt to correct that thinking butsome in the art community stillwrongly link it to drawing alone.

Myth #1: Pastels Are ChalkPastels are probably the purest form

of color of any of the mediums since they are comprised of purepowdered pigment rolled together with a binder of methylcellulose ina stick form. Most colors are mined from the earth in mineral form.No chalk here!

Myth 2: Pastels Are UnstablePastels have been in use since the 15th century and have been inregular use by artists since 1675. Many of these earliest pastels arestill in excellent condition in museums worldwide. Colors remainvibrant and true to the artists intent unlike, oils or other mediums thatcan yellow and fade with age.

“Pastels are probablythe purest form of colorof any of the mediums.”

Don’t Be AfraidDebunking the popular myths regarding pastelsBy Cathy Brown

16 www.visualartistscollective.com

Myth 3: Pastels are only for SketchingArtists use pastels on all sorts of surfaces from paperand canvas to specially-treated boards to my favoritesandpaper. Only when most of the surface is leftvisible is it considered a sketch or drawing.

So whether you are thinking of investing in apiece of art, or you are an artist trying a new medium,I encourage you to consider pastel paintings. Visitsome websites such as the Pastel Society of Americaor the Southeastern Pastel Society and see someamazing work.

Mountain Fern

Contacting Cathy BrownFor more information about Cathy’s work:

E-Mail:[email protected]

On the web:http://cathybrown.freeservers.com

Summer Lightning


Related:pastelsocietyofamerica.orgsoutheasternpastel.org


Photography has providedme with a way to express inone image what otherwisecould take volumes to

communicate.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

Probably being married to an artist might be my greatest asset in the sense that she has exposed me tothe concepts of composition, rule of thirds, use of light,scale of values among others. Some of these apply tophotography as well. While in college, I managed to balance my heavily science-oriented curriculum withseveral courses of appreciation of art and music. Mostof what I know of photography is from the school of trialand error…and a lot of reading and studying the workof others.

When did you first become interested in photography?

When I was a child, my father used to be a do-it-yourselfkind of guy and whenever we were out, his camera wasalways around (Kodak Retina II which now I keep forsentimental reasons). It was probably then when theseeds of curiosity(how does this work and/or how can Ifix it) were planted, as well as the desire to capture moments in time. Although now it is more like “How canI make this image work?” In college, I had the opportunity to work with microphotography for researchpurposes and I presented numerous (non-science related) slide shows during medical school that landedme the opportunity to be editor of our yearbook.

What do you shoot with?

For more than 20 years now, I've been using Canon cameras and lenses but will always remember the camera that got me started in this journey: a Minolta XG-7.

How often do you work with Adobe Photoshop (or similarsoftware) to edit your captures?

I will quote what many times has been said in manyphoto publications and that is that every image shouldbe thought of before pressing the shutter. Once that isdone, every image can benefit from some sort of optimization and that depends on the workflow of eachone. Film had limitations and so do digital sensors. I douse Photoshop and numerous plugins like Neat Image

and CSpro and Velvia vision from Fred Miranda. Ialso offer this quote:"There is nothing worse thana sharp image of a fuzzy concept." - Ansel Adams

If you were given $5,000 to spend at a single photography supply store, what would you purchase?

Cameras change every three to four years, lensesdo go a little longer, but the creativity of others[photographers] is infinite so I would invest in creating a good library of master photographers.After that, I would upgrade to Photoshop CS3 andseveral after-market plug ins… and the books tomaster these!

What advice would you give to anyone interested inpursuing photography?

I can only answer this question from my perspective of an amateur since I don't make a living from it. Photography has provided me with away to express in one image what otherwise couldtake volumes to communicate. Hence the ability toconnect with the viewer on another plane. Photography, like most anything else, requirespractice and patience, but the rewards are timeless. Take the time to learn to use your tools.And lastly, you do not have to spend a fortune inequipment to create good images…like the oldAdagio F8.

Doors to the Future The Prayer

�LEFT: Twisted Reality


...I force myself to alwaysfind a different way ofseeing what might beotherwise ordinary...


Do you photograph any certain subjects or themes morethan others?

I believe that every photographer goes through an evolution, so to speak, as the artist finds him/herselfthrough his/her work. I try not to limit myself to any specific genre - I'm still evolving. That said, I force myself to always find a different way of seeing whatmight be otherwise ordinary. Take for example the photoof a giftbow, "Abstracto" which was made with a macrolens and a polarizer and very little post-processing.

What inspires you?

Anything and everything. I believe Ernst Haas could hadnot said it better:“A picture is the expression of an impression. If the beautiful were not in us, how wouldwe ever recognize it?”

What's next for you?

The next image. I'm always thinking what to tackle next,although my wife certainly does not like it if that involvesnew equipment… I would like to travel more and bringback my vision of these places.

Tell us something about yourself that might surprise others.

After my 40th birthday, I accomplished my goal and finally became a black belt in karate. This has helped mefocus in regards to my goals with photography. You are never too old to learn to see.


� ABOVE: Abstracto

� PREVIOUS PAGE: Groucho, Colours, Spinning Around, Queen Victoria Agave, Windows

Contacting Joseph AstacioE-Mail: [email protected]: www.joeastacio.zenfolio.com


In October, artists, collectors, and enthusiasts alike will gather atEagle’s Landing Country Club for Henry County’s premier art event.

Welcome to The Falling for Henry Fine Arts Festival.


The Third Annual Falling for HenryFine Arts FestivalThe Chamber of Commerce Convention & Visitor’sBureau Brings the Fine Arts to Henry CountyBy Jason Morrison

The Henry County Chamber of Commerce Convention& Visitor’s Bureau (CVB) is pleased to announce the3rd annual Falling for Henry Fine Arts Festival. Theevent, which draws its name in part from the time ofyear it is held, attracts artists and visitors to theCounty and has them “Fall for Henry”.

According to Sarah Robbins, Tourism Directorfor the Henry County Convention & Visitor’s Bureau,the vision for the festival originated by visiting othersmall community fine arts festivals. “After witnessingtheir success, how they bring visitors to thecommunity, and provide residents with a fun familyevent,” said Robbins, “we thought it would be a greataddition to Henry County.”

And they truly developed a great event. Nostone has been left unturned when it comes to howthe word gets out about such a great event. The

Chamber & CVB market the event to residents andvisitors through a wide array of mediums, includingtargeted direct mail campaigns, table tents in localbusinesses, lamppost banners in the City ofStockbridge, advertising in publications such asLifeStyles, Creative Loafing, and the AJC, as well ascommercials on Henry TV14 and SCB-TV 15. Theinteractive Children’s area is promoted via flyers to thelocal schools. Last year, a high school art competitionwas added, and the event was promoted to all localhigh school art students. Newsletters, email blasts,websites, and speaking engagements (such asKiwanis, Rotary, Henry Council for Quality Growth) areall vehicles used to promote the event to the community.

A juried application process for artists wishingto participate was put in place to establish and


maintain the event as a “fine” arts festival. Plannerswanted to differentiate the event from other arts &crafts festivals. The jury is comprised of three jurorswho review images of the submitted artwork. Adescription of the first image is read aloud. Duringthis process, called blind judging, the names of theartists are never revealed so as to avoid anydiscrimination or conflicts of interest. The CVB worksextremely hard to ensure the quality of the event.

Aside from having their work on display andavailable for sale at Eagle’s Landing Country Club,artists are also competing. There will be a total of$10,000 in prizes awarded to the artists. Additionally,artists are treated to an “Artist Party”. The event alsooffers security both Friday and Saturday nights for the

artwork, along with “booth sitters”. Lastly, artists areoffered the very best in hospitality while they are atFalling For Henry.

When asked where she sees the festival fiveto ten years, Robbins said, “I see this event as one ofthe best fine arts shows on the south side of Atlanta,known for being a quality event.”

The Falling for Henry Fine Arts Festival will beheld on the grounds of Eagle’s Landing Country Club.The event runs Saturday, October 11, 2008, from 10:00a.m. to 6 pm and on Sunday, October 12, 2008, from12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free. For moreinformation about the Falling for Henry Fine ArtsFestival, please visitwww.fallingforhenry,com or call Sarah Robbins at

BB OO OO GG II EETThhee aawwaarrdd--wwiinnnniinngg,, pprroovvaaccaattiivvee,, iinntteerrnnaattiioonnaall pphhoottooggrraapphheerr,, nnooww wwiitthh ttwwoo bbooookkss uunnddeerr hhiissbbeelltt,, ssiittss ddoowwnn wwiitthh tthhee VViissuuaall AArrttiissttss CCoolllleeccttiivvee ttoo aannsswweerr aa ffeeww qquueessttiioonnss..Interview by Jason Morrison

For those who might not be familiar with your work,how would you best describe it?I’m a documentary photographer, I work mostly inblack and white, film only… I spent some time in andaround New York’s public housing projects shootinggang members and drug addicts – that resulted in myfirst book, IT’S ALL GOOD. My second book, BOOGIE,just came out couple of weeks ago, and it shows mygentle side, normal street stuff.

What interests you the most about the subjects andscenery that you photograph?It’s changing all the time, I guess it’s evolving. NowI’m into more subtle subjects, I like taking pictures ofwall textures, pigeons, dogs …

Some photos would indicate that you are possibly ina dangerous environment in order to get a particularphoto. How did you get your foot in the door with a camera?There is no recipe for that – it varies from situation tosituation. I think the most important thing is to ap-

proach people with your heart open – and real recognizes real, you give respect and hope to get the same back.

Any close calls?Not really, I was very lucky.

Your photos have been taken from a variety of locations. Do you travel solely for the purpose of taking photos?Whenever I travel, and for whatever reason I travel, Itake pictures. Some of my trips are for work, some ofthem for personal projects ... travels are a greatsource of inspiration, seeing how other people live andgetting to know other cultures is priceless, inspiresyou to shoot, and changes you as a person.

What advice would you have for someone who wantsto really push their photography to the next level, butdoes not have the ability to do much traveling?Great photos are all around, you don’t have to chase

32 INTERVIEW BOOGIE

interview

after them, no need to travel to the war zone to nail agood shot. Good shots are in your backyard, and rightaround the corner. They are wherever YOU are, youjust have to see them...

You see a part of life that many never see. How hasthis impacted your life?While I’m shooting, I don’t feel anything, it’s like I’mnot there – but it all comes back later – it can hit youhard. It was pretty hard to recover from all the things I saw.

Are you shooting digital or film? What equipment doyou normally carry with you?Film only. I carry a camera body + wide zoom + telezoom; point and shoot. Holga.

You shoot only film. Do you think you will ever transition completely over to digital? Is there a reason you have chosen to shoot only in film?Yep, so far I've been doing film only, and the way Ithink right now, as long as they keep making it, I'llkeep shooting it. But you never know, people change.When you shoot film, the approach is different thenwhen you shoot digital, there is no instant gratification,and I think you're more careful in choosing your shots;also, you don't know right away what you have, so youkeep pushing yourself. I think the work of many famous photographers suffered from transition to digital.

Black and white dominates your body of work. Why is that?I think b&w works well with my subject matter – I alsothink that color is too much information, you can easily get distracted and lose the point


BBooooggiiee

INTERVIEW BOOGIE36


Any color at all?Sure, I do some color when clients want me to.

You now have two books, have been published severaltimes over in various well known magazines, workedfor big names, and traveled to other countries. Whatadvice would you impart on those wanting to accomplish the same with their work?Follow your heart – everyone has their own path, thereare no shortcuts and no formulas.

What would you say to those who might feel that yourwork glorifies violence, drugs, gangs, or even takesadvantage of the less fortunate?I would tell them to look a little deeper … I’m not thereto moralize or judge my subjects, only to show themthe way they are.

What is next for you? Any big projects on the horizon?I have a few more books coming out in 2008 and a lotmore diapers to change.

Bord and raised in Belgrade, Serbia, Boogie began documenting rebellion and unrest during the civil warthat ravaged his country during the 1990's. He moved to New York in 1998. He has published two mono-graphs, and has three more on the way. His work has been exhibited around the world. He has shot forhigh-end clients as well renowned publications. You can find Boogie online at www.artcoup.com.

BBooooggiiee

ESSAY LYNN MCMEANS40

essay

Israel: The EpicenterExploring the land of contradictionsBy Lynn McMeans

Israel is a land of contradictions. It is at once deeplyspiritual and blatantly secular. It is a land of ancienthistory and a sure future. It is a place where good andevil, God and Satan have battled for control forthousands of years.

You can see signs of battles, both ancient andmodern everywhere in Israel. There are dailybombings in southern Israel in the area of Sderot andAshkelon as Palestinian terrorists send rockets fromthe Gaza Strip. In Tel Aviv, scores of bombed outbuildings that have not been repaired stand asreminders of recent wars with Arab Palestinians.Bullet holes in Latrun and Jerusalem from Israel’s1948 war for independence are visible in sandstonebuildings and in the original gates that mark theentrances to the Holy City. Tourists can travel up to theruins of fortifications at Masada that were left by theRomans. The ancient tunnel built by Hezekiah toprovide water during a siege by the Assyrians is stillin tact.

Modern Israelis go about their lives andconduct their business with a degree of caution, butat the same time with a determination not to letterrorists control them. All bags are checked withmetal detectors in public places, and soldiers with

machine guns walking the streets is a common sight.Necessary security measures are not a deterrent to athriving economy or to fun as usual.

And Israelis know how to have fun! Everyancient Jewish holy day is celebrated and participationis almost a must. In addition, there are severalholidays that are part of modern Israel’s way of life.Shabbat, or the Sabbath, is a day of rest and family.Almost all stores and restaurants are closed fromsundown Friday until sundown Saturday. At sundownon Saturday, however, the fun starts up immediately,especially in Tel Aviv. It doesn’t seem to matter thatSunday is a work day.

Americans tend to think of the current conflictsin Israel and the rest of the Middle East as a newphenomenon. Most Jews and Arab,s however, realizethat the problems started thousands of years ago withthe two sons of their shared father, Abraham. Onlythe weapons are new.

Christians believe that the greatest battle oftime and eternity took place in Jerusalem. God andSatan squared off on a hill called Calvary. The victoryis marked by an empty garden tomb. He is not here,for He is risen as He said. {Matthew 28:6}


1948 Damage at Fort Latrun with Israeli Flag and Mennorah

DDoommee ooff tthhee RRoocckk

ESSAY LYNN MCMEANS44

It is a thrilling experience to stand on theMount of Olives and realize that, according toGod’s Word, the Victor of that battle, Jesus,will return to that very spot. He will enterJerusalem by the Eastern Gate, which is nowclosed up by those who would seek to stopHim.

As world events unfold before oureyes, Israel will continue to be at the center ofthe story. As wars are waged and peacetreaties signed, the world will seeJerusalem’s destiny. The embattled land thathas changed hands many times over thecenturies will in the end all belong to God’speople, the Israelis. And Peacewill reign.

Above: Israeli soldier in JerusalemTop: Bullet holes in the old city gate


Soldier goes shopping

Israel: The Epicenter


how-to

Let’s Get White Down To ItThe Big Deal in WatercolorBy Judy Mudd

For watercolorists, retaining white in their paintingsis a big deal. Many would say it is the biggest deal. Ifyou are a traditionalist or an admirer of Englishwatercolors, then retaining white is one of the mostimportant missions in the completion of a painting.So, why does this simple mission seem to strike fearin beginning watercolor students, and occasionallyold-timers as well? It is the difficulty in masteringthe techniques which retain the white of the paper.Even if you have mastered the techniques, remember,water has a mind of its own and it reminds you of thatquite frequently.

Retaining white doesn’t sound so difficult; youjust paint around the white areas. Those who havenot tried watercolors may think this sounds prettysimple. It is the loose, watery quality of watercolorwhich gives it its beauty and sets it apart from oils,acrylics, or any other medium, for that matter. It isalso this loose, watery quality which makes thissimple process so difficult. Learning the propertiesof water, along with those of watercolor paint, andkeeping them under control is a constant challenge.

There are many techniques used in keepingwhites in watercolor. The main technique, as

previously mentioned, is simply to paint around theareas you want to retain. Sounds easy enough,however, this is not always practical. For instance, ifyou want to paint a sweeping seascape with lots ofbillowing clouds and frothing sea, painting a loosewash while retaining the white highlights on themasts and ropes of sailboats would be difficult.Unless you have an amazingly steady hand and lotsof luck on your side, this would require a different technique.

Frisket or masque is a rubbery liquid, similarto rubber glue, which is used as a preservative ofwhites or lights. It is simply painted on the areas youwant to retain and left to dry. Once you have finishedyour painting, you simply lift off the frisket. It doeshave its drawbacks, though. First, you cannot useyour best brushes with it. You have to use an oldbrush, (treated with soap for easier cleanup), atoothpick, a wood cuticle stick, or purchase a toolespecially made to use with frisket. Secondly, frisketleaves a hard edge and, once lifted, requires softeningof the edges. For this reason, many artists arereluctant to use frisket unless there is absolutely noway to get around it. However, there are some artistswho use it regularly, have incorporated it into their


An example of using the traditional method of painting around the white.Still Life 5 – Flowers & Duck • 15” x 11”

Elephant HugSize: 14 1/2” x 22”

Details: In this painting, a credit card was used toscrape lighter trees and shape the rocks. Casein was

used to put a white highlight on the elephant’s ear.


painting process and style and have had tremendoussuccess with frisket.

If frisket is not the answer, another way toretain highlights in a watercolor is to use a wax resist,candle or white crayon. You simply rub the wax resistacross the paper where you want to retain the whitepaper. The surface of the paper dictates how the waxresist adheres, i.e. wax resist would cover only theraised bumps of rough paper. The drawback with thisprocess is that it is not reversible, nor is ittremendously accurate. The wax resist will not comeoff and paint will not adhere to the paper, so care mustbe taken in placement of the resist. However, it doeswork well on some subjects, such as the dimpledsurface of a lemon.

Another way to not necessarily retain whites,but to retrieve whites, is to lift or scrape the paint.When the paint is wet, especially with non-stainingcolors, scraping paint with an old credit card, paletteknife, or even a fingernail works well and can reveal

a white, or near-white, paper surface. This isparticularly useful for tree trunks or branches, weeds,grasses and rocks. Staining watercolor paints aremore difficult to lift, but can often be lifted to a near-white appearance.

When the paint has dried, using a wet brushand tissue to lift an area can get back near-whitepaper. Also, using a razor blade to scrape off the paintcan be useful, especially in cleaning up edges. Youwould not want to do a large area with either of thesetechniques, but small highlights are possible. Both ofthese techniques require extra care to preventdamage to the surface of the paper.

There are other inventive ways of retainingwhites, such as cutting frisket film sheets to retain aparticular shape, or using a round sticker to retain awhite moon in an evening landscape. But the realquestion is, why not just use white paint? After all, oiland acrylic painters are not required to adhere to thisconstraint and manufacturers do make Chinese and

Even in small paintings, such as this, you can frequently paint around the whites.Number 8 in the 5th • 5” x 7”


Titanium White watercolor paint. Here is where beinga traditionalist or experimentalist comes in. Intraditional or English watercolor, using white paint issimply not done. Every effort is made to retain whiteswithout using it. However, many successfulwatercolor artists have not followed this practice,including master artists such as John SingerSargeant. They chose to follow their hearts in theirpaintings and, if it required adding a little whitewatercolor paint, gouache, or casein, so be it.

Which is more important in a painting? The artitself or the technique used in creating it? There arearguments for both sides of this question. Many feelthat, especially in watercolors, the technique is part ofthe art itself and that mastery of those techniqueselevates the art to a new level. There are others thatare more concerned with the subject of a painting andhow the artist expresses the emotive qualities of thesubject. Many of today’s internationally successful

watercolorists use white paint for highlights andprefer using it to risking damage to the surface of thepaper.

So, if retaining white in a watercolor with all ofits challenges is such a big deal, why do so manyartists love the medium? Why not use a medium withfewer challenges? The beauty achieved in usingwatercolors far out weighs the challenges and makesthe effort worthwhile. It is this difficulty whichstimulates and surprises us and is so satisfying once mastered.

About Judy Mudd

Judy Moore Mudd is a watercolorist andinstructor in Louisville, Kentucky. Shecan be contacted through her websitewww.watercolordesigns.com.

E X H I B I TART BY THE TALENTED PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY

FISHAmy Allen Watercolor


JANUARY FOGDavid MontedonicoPhotography


LEOAmber Cassell

Graphite


PEACE BE WITH YOUKaren CascianiMixed Media


BABY CLOWNLee DuncanPhotography


SINTRA CASTLE DOS MOUROSLanny MilbrandtPhotography


ABSTRACT FORESTLynn McMeansMixed Media


AMELIA’S FLOWERJason MorrisonDigitally Altered Photography


BORN OF STONERay Salvatore

Sculpture


KALIDESCOPEsabine FryStained Glass


FLOWER WAGONJackie Montedonico

Photography


UNCERTAIN FUTUREAda AstacioColored Pencil


MARBLEJoe Schlemmer

Glass


TIGERLisa CassellOil on Canvas


BUMBLE BEELee DuncanPhotography


SARA’S PASSIONKaren CascianiWatercolor


37 BUGATTILanny Milbrandt

Photography


THREE WEIRD SISTERSRay SalvatoreSculpture


SAMANTHA FOXAmber Cassell

Charcoal Grease Pencil


AT THE EDGEAda AstacioColored Pencil


REACHJason Morrison

Digitally Altered Photography


ZEBRA KISSLynn McMeansWatercolor


FLOWER IN BLOOMAmy Allen

Acrylic


BABY TURTLEDavid MontedonicoPhotography


KALIDESCOPESabine Fry

Stained Glass


MARBLEJoe SchlemmerGlass


COMO PARK WATER LILYJackie Montedonico

Photography


THE COLONNADEScott AshPhotography


UNTITLEDTimothy Stripling

Pencil


opinion

The Value and Importance of the Arts to EducationDr. Lanny Milbrandt dives head first into the value ofthe arts in relation to educationBy Lanny Milbrandt

The following is a series of brief comments regarding the significance of the arts in learning.

SAT Scores and Arts Instruction: Arts Students Score HigherSAT scores for college bound seniors have consistently been higher for those students with school involvementin the arts. The average combined SAT for students who had no involvement in the arts was lower than forthose students who were involved in the arts. These findings are consistent with the same studies done inearlier years.

SAT Scores: Arts vs. No ArtsNo arts in school; Combined SAT scores: 971Art involvements in schools: Combined SAT scores: 1054*Year 2000

The data also shows that college bound seniors who take four years of art and music classes score better ontheir SAT than students who took only ½ year or less.

SAT Scores: Art & Music½ year or less art & music: Combined SAT scores: 997Four years art & music: Combined SAT scores: 1084*Year 2005


While there is a correlation between arts instructionand SAT performance, it does not mean that onecauses the other. If I were a parent, however, I wouldsurely want my child associated with those studentswho performed well on the SAT and would want themparticipating in similar instructional arts programs.Data from The College Board report on SAT performance.

Problem-Solving: Required and Expected in the Visual ArtsAn examination of the decision making/problem-solving processes of children will reveal that many,perhaps dozens or even hundreds of problems had tobe solved or decisions made in the production ofchildren’s artwork. A good way to understand thedepth of decision-making in art is to simply try tocount the number of decisions made; what color, howbig, what’s include,the relationships andarrangements of color and shapes, spatialthinking,subject matter, etc.

Higher Order Thinking Skills: The Visual Arts Utilize High Level ThinkingAn examination of children’s behaviors in the arts, orin art, reveals that they are quite often engaged in thehighest levels of thinking. Ben Bloom defines theselevels (from highest to lowest) as evaluation orjudgement, synthesis or creating, analysis,application, comprehension, and the lowest isknowledge (may not comprehend or understand).

A child that creates an authentic artworkthrough weighing alternatives and making decisionsis functioning at the synthesis level, a very high levelof creative thinking and problem solving. They areputting form and color, content and expression,together in new and personal expressions. Whenstudents look at and judge artworks for their success(or lack of success), for how an artwork meets theirexpectations or standards, they are functioning at thehighest level of thinking. When children apply rules tothe process of constructing a ceramic pot, a painting,or producing an architectural rendering, they arefunctioning at the application level.

Literacy - What is its Process?Question: “What is the process of behaving in aliterate manner?” How do we recognize literate

behavior? To take the broad view, literacy is theprocess of recovering meaning or expressingmeaning. The process of literacy is not limited toverbal and mathematical symbols. An artist mayrecover meaning by analyzing a work of art or mayexpress meaning by creating a work of art; similarly,a musician may recover meaning by listeninganalytically to music or may express meaning bycomposing or interpreting music. Meaning may berecovered and expressed through reading and writingbut the process of literacy is not limited to words and numbers.

Employment Opportunities: Growth in Arts Related JobsAn examination of current Department of Laboremployment projection statistics for Georgia and theUnited States indicates that growth projections in thearts exceed the national average of projected growthfor all job categories. Some of the arts-related jobcategories far exceed the average growth projections.Although employment is not the only rationale foreducating our youth it does have some importance.

SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools)SACS includes the arts in their assessment of schoolcurricula as well as for the curricula designed toprepare teachers in the schools. The arts are includedas a dimension to be investigated. As a majoraccrediting agency, SACS does impact the shape ofeducational experiences for our youth.

The arts are an important in-gredient of a child’s education.In any thoughtful review of ed-ucational programs, the artsshould be considered essen-

tial.


Reading and the Arts: A Relationship Between Verbal and Visual LearningFor much of what we read, we create images in ourmind (have you read a John Grisham novel lately?). Ifwe cannot connect an image to what we read - or atleast a good deal of what we read - reading carrieslittle meaning. An example might be a poem by RobertFrost. Frost experienced the world; he saw the worldand translated his visions into words that were writtendown and made available to us through the printedpage. As we read his poem, we create a mental imageof the content of the poem in our mind from our visualvocabulary that helps give meaning to the words ofRobert Frost. A circularity and simpatico relationshiptherefore exists between the visual and the verbal.The visual arts are about building a visual vocabularythat connects to the verbal, noticing the world, andresponding to it through the arts and literature.

One of the best examples of the effects thevisual arts can have on the child’s ability to read maybe found in the R.I.T.A. program (ReadingImprovement Through the Arts). The RITA programtargeted below grade level readers who were placedin a reading program that combined the curriculumdelivered by an art teacher and a reading teacher. Thestudent’s authentic and personal art products werethe central content of the reading and writing tasks ofthe children. What could be more interesting forchildren to read and write about than their art that ispersonal and significant to them? The children thatwere poor readers showed significant gain betweenpre and post testing (3-4 month time period), oftenimproving reading by a grade level or more.

Historical and Cultural Learning Through the ArtsThe knowledge of civilizations and cultures past andpresent has been revealed to us largely through thestudy of the art and the artifacts of those cultures.Certainly all or most of what we know of man beforerecorded history comes to us through the study of thearts of those early times. The history of art reflects thepolitical, social, economic, and cultural characteristicsof the time, and the cultures in which art was or isproduced, thereby generating opportunities for anunderstanding of past civilizations, as well as betweencultures of the present day.

Technology and the ArtsThe arts play an important role in the development ofvisual or musical applications of technology innumerous venues such as web site design, computeranimation, video post-production, digital musicproduction, digital photography, technology ladenperforming arts production, desktop publishing,medical illustration, scientific imaging, desktoppublishing, and print production. The arts have beenvery much a part of new technological developmentsand have contributed significantly to them.

A Content Based CurriculumStudy in and of the arts is heavily content based, andshould be. The tremendous body of knowledge thataccompanies rigorous study in the arts should be apart of every child’s educational development. Thatstudy might include content found in thehistorical/cultural study of art, as well as the makingof art, analysis of art, and critical thinking in the arts.The content of art also includes the knowledge of theprocesses necessary to create works of art in paint,clay, metal, drawing, prints, etc. with traditional andcontemporary media. The content of art may beheavily laden with information about composition anddesign. Content might be derived from investigationsof artist’s lives, their works, and those factors thatseemed to influence their expressions. The content ofart is also integrative; it brings fields of study together(the study of history, mathematics, science,architecture, sociology, anthropology and other fieldscan be facilitated through arts study). It is the bindingelement that may knit together learning for ourchildren.

The Arts as Visual ThinkingWhen one visits a museum and sees artwork, orsimply reads through a magazine and takes inillustrations, there is a different kind of thinkingprocess going on than one would experience withother fields of knowledge.

When one reads a story, they read one wordafter another, over time, sequentially, one sentenceafter another, one paragraph after another all madeup of sequential information. The same sequentialnature of learning is also true of music (sequences), ofmathematics (sequences), and of other types oflearning (or languages). The linking together of these


sequences in some coherent way results in meaningbeing conveyed.

The visual arts are not limited to sequentialperception. A painting may be perceived holistically:or at a time rather than over time. The person seeinga painting, sculpture, etc. sees many multiplerelationships all at once rather than over time. Thistype of thinking is an advantage in being able to holdin the mind, all at the same time, many relationshipsof the parts of an artwork; its colors, textures, shapes,subject, etc.

This holistic- at a time rather than over time(sequential) kind of perception may have been theappropriate kind of perception for Albert Einstein inthe development of his famous theories. Einstein’smother provided something akin to Montessorischooling for her son. He had many opportunities toplay with shapes & forms, manipulating andarranging them.

Einstein described his mental processes in aletter to the French Mathematician Jacques

Hadamard in which he said, “The words or thelanguage as they are written or spoken do not seemto play any role in my mechanism of thought.The…(mental processes include) certain signs andmore or less clear images which can be voluntarilyreproduced and combined. …(the mental processesinclude) elements (that) are visual and muscular (kinesthetic).

In other words, Einstein thought like an artistthinks, with mental images that allowed him to see inhis mind’s eye the results of his investigation (TheCreative Process, Brewster Ghiselin, ed., PenquinBooks, 1952).

The arts are an important ingredient in achild’s education. In any thoughtful review ofeducational programs, the arts should be considered essential.


classroom

The Derestoration MovementAdding age and defects to your photography using Adobe PhotoshopBy Jason Morrison

You surely have seenthose who have foundan old familyphotograph and paidto have it “restored” toappear newer, repairscratches, rips, andtears, and to evenconvert a black &white photograph intosomething with morecolor. How about thereverse process,taking something newand making it appear aged and worn? Taking a brightand vivid photo, we will use some basic techniques inAdobe Photoshop to do just that.

For the purpose of this tutorial, you couldactually get away with using a program other thanAdobe Photoshop. Programs such as Paint Shop Proand Adobe Elements offer similar features that, whenlearned, can be applied to achieve much of the sameeffects that we will cover here. You also are notrequired to have a specific version of AdobePhotoshop. With all of that said, this tutorial was

written using Adobe Photoshop CS1, so it will beeasier to follow along if you have that application.

I like to start off any tutorial that I write with astandard disclaimer. This is not the only way toachieve these effects. Much of what I accomplish isdone through trial and error, which creates an originalimage, but also makes the process much moredifficult to document. The workflow can be automatedto simplify the overall process, however, you mightwant to reconsider that.

OK, so let’s get started. Photo selection iscritical to pulling this off. Not every photo will work


broken down and aged, so having the right image withwhich to begin is a very important step. This imagealready has a washed feeling to it, so it should fit rightinto our tutorial.

Original Image

If you want to follow along with the exact images Ihave used here, feel free to download the files atwww.visualartistscollective.com/collective/DerestorationFiles.zip.

Now, I am sure some of you might bewondering why we need a whole tutorial on this whenthere are filters and actions available that can do whatwe want to do without all of the hassle. You are right.There are many filters that offer similar effects andthey can even be downloaded at no charge. A greatexample is the “Tintype” action created by Dave Ward(www.daveward.net) and available through AdobeStudio Exchange website at the following address:www.adobe.com/cfusion/exchange/.

Very quickly, you are able to reduce yourphotograph from vivid and colorful down to old and

worn with a few mouse clicks. The drawback to thismethod is that it is not easily customizable. Sure, youcould sift through some of the steps in the action set,make changes, and work on top of the final result, butyou still have the same base effect and the more youuse it, the more of a “template” or “processed” feelingit will have, removing the originality. More importantly,learning the techniques to do it yourself opens theprogram up to be applied across other projects morereadily. Don’t get me wrong, though. I am not implyingfilters and actions are bad by any stretch of theimagination. They should just be used as a portion ofyour process and not the process itself.

So let’s move on to our own process. You canfind free stock photos on Stock Exchange (sxc.hu) orthe weekly free image on iStock Photo(istockphoto.com) to work with. For this image, I amusing a free image from iStock Photo. I have alreadybrought the image into Photoshop, removed theoriginal black background, tilted it at a slight angle,and added a subtle drop shadow. In the originaldownload, you will find the layered Photoshop file sothat you can make any changes before followingalong. This provides us a decent foundation on whichto work without having to recreate any of the paper’s

textured effects on our own.Step 1: Stock Photograph

With both images open, make sure the photograph isthe active window. Using the Move Tool, hold downthe shift key and drag the photograph into the paperphoto window. Holding down shift while you drag theimage brings it into the new image as a new layer andalso centers it for you. If you ever plan on comingback into this image and working it again, it is helpfulto properly name and organize the layers and groupsso that it is easy to make changes after you haveforgotten what you originally did. In the Photoshop


you will see I have already created a group named“Paper” which contains the texture and drop shadow.Create a new group above the Paper group and nameit “Image”. Move the layer with the color photo intothis group and name it “Color Photo”.

To trim away the image that extends theboundaries of the paper group, select the Color Photolayer. Holding the Control key, click on the Paper layer.You will see the marching ants around the paper.Promote this selection into a new layer by selectingLayer > New > New Layer via cut. To keep thingsconsistent, you will need to delete the Color Photolayer and rename the new layer (which is currrentlynamed Layer 1) to Color Photo. You could have easilyinverted the selection and pressed delete, whichwould have removed the excess image as well.However, it didn’t remove the portion of the image thatextended outside of the boundaries of the file size.Meaning, if you had resized or moved the image at all,you would see artifacts from the original image. Bypromoting the selection into a new layer and deletingthe previous layer, you are keeping only that withwhich you need to work.

Now, we need to scale down the colors a bit sothe image fits more naturally with the paper.Duplicate the “Color Photo” layer by clicking on it anddragging it down to the “Create New Layer” icon in theLayers Palette. The new layer will be named ColorPhoto. The layer underneath it should be named B&WPhoto. Select the B&W Photo layer and convert it toblack and white. There are several ways to do this,however, the quickest method is to use the Desaturateoption (Image > Adjustments > Desaturate). After youhave done this, change the blending mode for theB&W Photo layer to Multiply (with an opacity of 75%)and change the blending mode for the Color Photolayer to Soft Light (with an opacity of 40%). This willmute the colors down enough to allow the texture toshow through.

You should have something relatively similar to whatI have below:

Now, let’s experiment with some of the colorsand change them up. In the Paper group, create anew layer above the others and name it “Grass”.Using the Polygonal Lasso tool, make a selectionaround the bottom of the image, selecting the grassyarea. Fill the selection with a bright green (I used agreen with a hex value of # 00FF0C). Change theblending mode to Multiply and drop the opacity downto 85%. You can adjust the blending mode and opacityof the layer (as well as moving it above the actualimages) to give you various results.

Since the original image was a little washed,let’s add some subtle clouds to the image. In thedownload package you should have found a JPGnamed “Clouds.jpg”. Open that image and Shift + dragit into our image. Trim the excess baggage as we didin the previous steps and then name the layer“Clouds”. Change the blending mode to Hard Light

and drop the opacity down to 30%. You should havesomething close to what I have:

How about that shack? Let’s change it up byadding some new tones of orange to it. Create a newlayer above the Grass layer and name it “Shack”. Withthe Polygonal Lasso Tool, create a selection around

If you are looking for a more refined method for convertingimages from color to black andwhite, try Alien Skin Exposure.

www.alienskin.com


the shack and fill it with a bright orange (I used a hexvalue of # F65312). Trim away the excess orange,change the blending mode to Multiply and drop theopacity down to 40%. Follow the same process for thetrees using a darker green (I used a hex value of #446903). After cleaning up the area, change theblending mode to Overlay and drop the opacity downto 30%. You should have something similar to this image:

Next, a bit of stains and splatters will help withthe defects and aging. These effects are best added byusing custom brushes. For this tutorial, I have usedcoffee stain brushes created by Jelena Jovovi�(getbrushes.com) and watercolor brushes created bythe fine folks at Bittbox (bittbox.com). All of thesebrushes are freely available and easy to install into Photoshop.

Create a new group above the others andname it “Grunge”. Using white as your foregroundcolor, select the Brush Tool. Select the custom brushyou would like to use.

I really have no method behind the madnesswith regards to this step. Trial and error, adjust theblending modes and opacities will be your best option.For the coffee stain layer, I have a blending mode ofNormal and opacity of 46%. For the splatter layer Ihave the blending mode set to Soft Light with anopacity of 75%.

The last step is merely an accessory to theimage. This step involves forking out some money,however, which is why I listed it last rather than upfront, in case you do not want to proceed any furtherwith the tutorial. You will need to purchase a vectorpack from Go Media’s Arsenal (gomedia.us/arsenal/).You will need “Set 5 - Flock of Birds”, however, I highlyrecommend purchasing an entire collection as thesevector packs are extremely useful in a wide array of projects.

The files are EPS files, which are meant morefor Adobe Illustrator, but Adobe Photoshop will openthem without any issue. Select one of the flocks tobring into the image. I selected the following flock towork with.

Go Media Vector Stock

Shift-drag the bird image in and rename thelayer to Birds. Depending on how much you want thebirds to stand out or blend in will be determined byyour placement of this layer. I added it to the ImageGroup above the other two layers in that group. Asyou can see, they are a very sharp black and do not fit

in at all with what we are doing. To correct that, weneed to size them down proportionately, unless ofcourse gigantic birds are your thing.


Control-click the Birds layer to select it.Setting your foreground color to a dark gray (I used ahex value of #303030), press Alternate + Backspace tofill the selection with the foreground color. Next, pressControl + T to use Free Transform, which will allowyou to scale down the image.

Once you have the birds where you want them,drop the opacity of the layer down to 50% and changethe blending mode to Multiply. Apply a very subtleblur to the layer (Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur) usinga Radius of 1.0 pixels. With the toned down color,proportioned size, and slight blur, the flock shouldnow fit better with the overall mood of the image.

One last tip: select some of the birds andreposition them. One of my pet peeves is whenresources are downloaded and inserted without anymodification. I try to make some adjustments orcustomization whenever possible so that it fits morewith what I am doing and doesn’t have that “droppedin feeling”. Moving the birds around will give this amore customized feeling and hopefully make it a bit more natural.

About Jason Morrison

Jason is a 30-something dad, amateur photographer, professional graphic andweb designer who enjoys Mexican food and debating on the best method for sur-viving a zombie outbreak. He has co-authored a book on Photoshop and beenpublished in several US and UK based magazines.

You can read more of his tutorials, view his photography, or download his owncustom Photoshop brushes at www.dubtastic.com

Final Image: McDonough Landscape

MMccDDoonnoouugghh LLaannddssccaappeeJason Morrison


how-to

How to Photograph your ArtworkBringing your Traditional Art into the Digital World With EaseBy Joe Astacio

Nothing hurts so much as receiving a letter that yourartwork has not been accepted to a show orcompetition. We all have been there and understandit is part of the process of growing up as an artist. Asan insider of this process at a local gallery, what hurtsthe most is that good art is left behind because of poorpresentation. For most, if not all shows, you need tosubmit an image of your work, whether as a slide,

photograph or,more recently, adigital file(usually in JPEGformat) burnedinto a CD.

I’ve seenphotographs ofgood art get

disqualified dueto of out-of-focus issues, major color shifts that do notreflect the original, keystoning of the image and worstof all, fingers on the corners or shoes on the image.

With some basic instruments and some tips, this canbe changed for the better. You will need, first andforemost, a tripod and a digital camera. You could usefilm cameras, but keep in mind that most recyclablefilm cameras have a preset focusing distance thatmight be too limiting when working close to yoursubject such as taking a picture of your artwork whileon a tripod. Point and shoot cameras can be used,although the best capture can be attained with aDSLR. If you want to be more professional, a doublebubble level (Figure 1) can be of great help keepingyour camera leveled with the ground. Your digitalcamera also provides post processing software whereyou will make final adjustments of your second workof art!

It is good to plan to make your image on abright non-windy day. Watch where shadows fall asyou set up your tripod. It is best to work with artworkthat has not been framed and is not under glass tokeep unwanted reflections. A tripod that allows for theleg to hyperextend is very important, particularly for

Figure 1


large artwork (Figure 2). Some tripods even allow youto displace the center column 90 degrees (Figure 3).All this flexibility pays off in the end. Now the size ofsome art work will force you to crop the image in postprocessing. Try to fill the viewfinder with as much artas you can. If you can set the aperture of the camerato a high number, more will be on focus (this isimportant if the artwork is not completely flat). Takeseveral images adjusting settings such as apertureor, if you set the camera to manual, varying exposureas well. Remember that the eye can see what thecamera might miss.

Once your images have been taken, it’s time toboot up your computer and upload the files for finaladjustment. Remember to save copies of the originalsin case something goes wrong while editing. Once onthe editing suite, crop to the image edges. Adjustoverall exposure (levels) (Figure 4), and monitor forcolor shifts. Add a punch to color saturation, beingcareful not to overdo it. The final adjustment shouldbe sharpening and then burning them to a CD. Somecompetitions require a maximum image size that you

should resize to, not to run the risk of disqualification.Usually this is 1080 pixels on the larger axis. If yoursoftware can not do some of these adjustments, youmight want to consider Adobe Photo Elements. Youcan also download for free Picasa, a softwareapplication provided by Google. Remember to openthe actual files from the CD to confirm they areviewable before submitting them, and good luck!

Figure 2 Figure 3

Figure 4


art scene

A New Home for the ArtsHenry County Commission and Local Arts LeaderTake Performing Arts Tour

The Henry County Board of Commissioners, togetherwith local arts and economic development leadersand County staff, went on a tour of metro performingarts facilities in April. The purpose of the day-longtour was to see first-handseveral successful facilities ofvarious sizes locatedthroughout the metro area tohelp the Board better defineHenry County’s needs and whatwould be feasible in thiscommunity. Informationgathered on this tour will beapplied toward ideas for thedesign of a Civic Center forHenry County under theSPLOST III program that wasapproved by voters inNovember.

The tour was organizedby the Metro Atlanta Arts &Culture Coalition, of whichHenry County is a member, to provide successful,diverse examples of arts centers in the area. Fourfacilities were visited, including the South Fulton ArtsCenter, Roswell Arts Center, Gwinnett Performing Arts

Center and the Aurora Theatre in Lawrenceville. TheSouth Fulton Arts Center features an acoustically-designed auditorium that seats 375, as well as aseparate Black Box Theatre which allows more

versatility for improvisationaland stand-up comedyperformances. This theatrecan seat up to 104, dependingon its configuration. TheRoswell Arts Center is locatedin historic Roswell and has anarchitectural style thatmimics the adjacent City Hall.It seats 600 with a balcony tomake efficient use of spaceand uses its entry hall asgallery space for Visual Arts.The Gwinnett Performing ArtsCenter is adjacent the arenaand seats 702, including abalcony and “box seats” alongthe sides of the theatre. This

facility also boasted the largest stage of thoseincluded on the tour, with sufficient wing and fly spacefor large “road” productions. Lastly, the AuroraTheatre is located in a renovated church just off the

The Roswell Arts Center.


town square where it has done much to help to revitalizedowntown Lawrenceville. The main theatre seats just 250,though this facility also makes great use of a separate blackbox theatre for its more innovative performances.

In addition to theatre space, Henry County’s CivicCenter is also projected to include banquet rooms forconferences, corporate dinners and receptions. HenryCounty does not currently have a facility large enough tohandle many of its corporate events.

“Arts and cultural programs and amenities add agreat deal to a community’s quality of life, in addition toattracting tourism dollars that help our overall economy,”said Julie Hoover-Ernst, Henry County CommunicationsDirector. “Last month’s tour helped the Board to betterdetermine the size and scope of a facility for Henry Countyto ensure that it will successfully serve the needs of ourcitizens for many years to come.”

The Henry County Board of Commissioners, together with community arts and economic development leaders and County staffstand outside the South Fulton Arts Center - the first stop of their day long arts tour.

The group tours the The Roswell Arts Center.


how-to

Have Fun While You PaintLet Go and Enjoy Yourself with WatercolorBy Linda Foltz

I LOVE watercolors. Love them! When you paint withacrylics, you put them on the page and they stay there.When you paint with oils, you put them on the pageand they, too, just stay there. If you use pastels, samething – whatever you put on the page stays where youput it. But if you put watercolors on a wet page, theyrun all over the place! YEAH! When I paint withwatercolors, I don’t feel like I’m alone – I feel like I’mone of two participants – the other being water. Andthat other part is unpredictable. You never know whatyou’re going to get. It may bleed in a way that looksawful and muddy, or you could have beautifulmarbling that is impossible to get any other way. It’salways an adventure.

As a little girl growing up in south Florida, meand my best friend, Debbie, would spend hours layingon the lawn, looking up and finding shapes in theclouds. I loved that. So it’s not surprising that one ofmy favorite things to do is to pour watercolors all overa wet piece of paper and watch the colors merge intoone another and run off the page. You may want toadd saran wrap and/or salt to give it texture andinterest. Let it dry and then look at it. Does it look likea mysterious forest? Good – then negative paint in theleaves and roots (“Midsummer’s Night Dream”). Does

it looks like an iris? Great – make several flowers bynegatively painting around the shapes (“DancingIrises”). These two paintings were created just thatway – pouring first and seeing what it looks like andthen painting it in. There is not a pencil line on eitherone of them. This is my favorite way to paint.

Then, there’s the type of painting where youput tons of different colors on a page wet-on-wet andlet them blend, and then wipe out shapes. After thepaper dries, you can paint some details in on theshapes. This, too, is a very fun way to paint (“GoldfishAround the Sun”).

Another fun way to paint is simply to get abrush and some colors and put them on the page –letting them blend on the page together, drawing withthe brush and creating the shapes as you go. You letthe painting evolve as you go – not planning, butletting it become what it will be. This is the way Icreated “Flower Play” and “Field of Flowers”.

If you feel really bold, just get different colorsand pour them on the page. Pick up the paper and letthem run the way you like it. Let it dry and do anotherpouring. Let it dry and pour again. I created “Lady inRed” with three pourings. I never touched it


Lady in RedLinda Foltz


Midsummer Night’s DreamLinda Foltz


with a pencil or abrush. It won twoawards for me!Happy accident!

You can alsopaint “found”objects, such asleaves. Put them onthe page and lightlytrace them. Thenpaint them onto thepage in all differentcolors and styles.Hold them over thepage and paint theirshadow. Have fun.(“Dancing Leaves inBlues and Greens”,“Dancing Leaves inBlues, Greens andPurples”, “DancingLeaves on GoldBackground”, and“Hand TossedLeaves”). Make a design that pleases YOU.

Don’t paint to make a masterpiece. Don’t paintto meet someone else’s standards. Paint to enjoyyourself and your paintings will have life and energythat can’t come in any other way. All of the paintingsI’ve mentioned here were not planned in advance –they were created as I went. The ones I’ve drawn andlabored over don’t receive the praise – judges whocritique them say they’re overworked. It’s the oneswhere I’ve let the colors dance on the page together

that are the most well-received by everyone. It seemsthe viewers know that I was having a blast and my fungot magically transmitted to the page.

So, the next time it’s pretty outside, take apiece of paper, some water and paints out onto yourback deck, wet the paper, pour the colors and watchthem run! Who knows what you’ll see?

Hand Tossed Leaves

About Linda HoltzLinda Foltz is an award-winning watercolor artist andcreator of “Linda’s Watercolor Creations”.

For questions, comments, or to view more of Linda’swonderful work, please visit her online atwww.lindafoltz.com.


opinion

The In’s and Outs of Purchasing ArtChoosing your very first painting.By Karen Casciani

When purchasing art for your home or office, you don’thave to be an art expert or an art critic to be able tomake your purchase. There are a few things toconsider of course - price, personal style and subjectmatter, just to name a few. Not everyone can afford aPicasso, but you may well be able to afford a reallynice original piece from a talented local artist. There’sno need to go to the north side of Atlanta to find yourpainting, Henry County has many artists and paintingsto choose from.

When determining your personal style, lookaround in a location that showcases many differentartists or go online to Art.com or similar sites to seewhat styles you lean toward. You may likecontemporary, abstract, or perhaps you appreciaterealism, representational, or photography. Thesoftness of watercolor or pastel may appeal to you, orthe drama and richness of an abstract in oil.

What if you can’t find “the” painting you want,or you have something in particular in mind? You canalways commission an artist whose work you like topaint something special just for you.

Regardless of your personal style, subjectmatter and your budget, I have some tips on how tomake the right selection for you.

Top ten rules of purchasing art1. I shall not look for a painting to match my sofa. Tenyears from now, I'll probably have a different sofa, butI will want to live with the painting forever.2. I shall only consider art that makes me feelsomething, think something or somehow touches me.It should take my breath away or make me happyevery time I look at it.3. I shall buy an original piece that I love, not one thatI think will impress the neighbors.4. If my partner doesn't love it, we will be mature andtake turns, he can choose the next one. My belovedwill probably grow to love it and we will both learn tocompromise. 5. If I love it, it will work somewhere in my home oroffice. If it doesn't go in the space that I have in mind,it will live happily in another space.6. If I really love it, I won't wait to decide to own it untilsomeone else purchases it.7. If I don’t like the frame, I can always take it to thelocal frame shop and reframe it to my taste.8. If the painting is too small to fill the space I had inmind, I’ll purchase another later and make a groupingof like subjects or colors.9. If my grouping doesn’t look good together, I canalways frame them alike to unify them.10. And lastly, I will keep in mind, when I purchase anoriginal work of art; I’m supporting an artist as wellas the gallery in my hometown, contributing to thevibrancy and culture of my community.


Parting Shots

When I was first elected President of the Visual Artist’s Collective, I amsure I had the deer-in-the-headlights look about me. Unsure of howto be “President” was something I had to grow into. Learning how toguide the organization and move it forward has been a learningexperience for me and one that I am fortunate enough to have had.

This publication was a part of that learning process. I had neverapplied for a grant, until this project. I had never been awarded agrant, until this project. I had never collected content on a large scale,until this publication. I had never been responsible for the creativedirection and layout of such a big project, until now.

What you hold in your hands is my vision. I wanted a tool for thecreative community to reach out and inform others of what ishappening and allow those interested in the arts to connect in a newway. Many believe that in order to have a decent art event, you have todrive into Atlanta. That is a belief that needs to change, as HenryCounty is home to many talented people who are more than capableof holding quality art events in our own community. I believe that if wework together toward a common goal, we will find people driving toHenry County from Atlanta for quality shows, events, and exhibits.

In a way, that was how the name of this magazine was chosen.Obviously “Collective” is in the name of our organization, but it alsorepresents more than just our name. It represents the need of acollective effort to improve art awareness. It represents a collective ofmediums, talents, people, backgrounds, interests, and desires. Thename just seemed to fit.

I want to thank our sponsors and advertisers who have continuallysupported our organization and the visual arts in Henry County. I wantto thank those artists who were patient with my over-documentationand deadlines which were needed in order to make this a reality. Iwant to thank organizations such as Henry Arts Alliance, Arts Clayton,Southside Arts Agenda, Georgia Council for the Arts, who arecontinually working to promote the visual arts within our community.

A Message from the VAC President

Collective Magazine

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