Pandemic Art Attempts

Boardwalk Companions 4 102120


It’s hard to put into words what the isolation of the pandemic has done to us. I’m sure it’s different for everyone. Obviously it’s harder on those who have been impacted financially and hardest of all on those who have lost loved ones or who have long-term health issues after contracting the virus themselves. My heart goes out to every one of them.

Leaves on Ice 121618
 

That said, I don’t want to write a downer blog post when people are already not feeling like themselves and just want to get back to normal. So this post is about my attempt to make art or shoot photographs specifically to relieve the urge to make art when mostly in isolation.

One of my favorite art subjects is the still life. Some of my favorite artists are the Dutch and Flemish still-life painters of the 1600s-1800s. Fruit, flowers, tables set with pottery and meats and vegetables, old books and lanterns, I enjoy all of it. I have drawn a few still lifes in graphite or colored pencil, but try as I might, I have a very hard time setting up still-life images specifically for photography. I will state for the record, I suck at it!


On the Beach 4

Oh, I know all about composition; diagonals are more dynamic than horizontals, an odd number of objects is better then an even number, using a triangle configuration is often a pleasing arrangement, pay attention to the negative space between objects, yada, yada, but I still cannot seem to set things up to my own satisfaction.

Trapped in February Ice 020321

 

 

I tried photographing my night stand next to my bed which contains a beautiful paperweight given to me by one of my best friends who sadly passed away a few years ago, a piece of raw ruby crystal and a fluorite crystal given to me by my daughter, a little jar of beach sand from Aruba from my son and daughter-in-laws’ honeymoon and various petoskey stones and green malachite - my favorite mineral - purchased at various rock and gem stores. The results were, shall we say, disappointing. Perhaps I’ll try again next weekend if I’m bored enough.


Yellow Rocks at Lake Shore

I finally ended up drawing one of my photographs. It turned out pretty well, but for now I will leave you with some natural still life images that nature gave me and I didn’t have to arrange anything. Mother nature is better at composition than I am, apparently.

 

 

 

For more of my images, please visit:
mary-bedy.pixels.com

Comments

  1. M.M. AndersonMarch 11, 2021 at 3:05 PM

    Mary, you have managed to create some wonderful work in spite of the pandemic. I love your emphasis on nature.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mary BedyMarch 11, 2021 at 3:10 PM

      Thanks, Linda. Only a couple of these were taken during the pandemic. The rest are older images. I want my ships to start sailing again! Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  2. Dorothy Berry-LoundMarch 12, 2021 at 3:46 AM

    Beautiful images as always Mary. I can really relate to the pandemic isolation! I think still lives take a lot of setting up, not just in terms of composition but lighting. Certainly an area I have always struggled with!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mary BedyMarch 12, 2021 at 8:25 AM

      Yes, I know what you mean, Dorothy. I've set up very few successful ones - I really need to try harder, I suppose!! Thanks for the visit :-).

      Delete

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