pick_me

4/28/2008

Get Up Close

sweet potato
Black Sweet Potato VIne


I like getting up close to my plants. Seeing the mixed colors in the leaves and the texture is something special. Even though I'm not getting a degree in an art related field any more I still have an artistic eye. See my plants through the eyes of the camera really makes me see them better. I appreciate things that I normally wouldn't see. Macro are my favorite since every little detail is shown. I'm sure everyone has had those times that a bug shows up in your photo that you didn't even see was there.

sweet potato
Black Sweet Potato Vine


I like to try and get more abstract photos of my plants. Getting the abstract shots I see shapes and colors that I don't normally see just looking at the plant. When normally looking at the color of a plant you can name it's overall color like for blackie it's a dark purple near black. But once you get up close to it you see all the different colors mixed in like the red and the tinge of blue maybe even a tiny bit of orange in there. I personally have a hard time drawing and painting abstract. I like to do my artwork realistically. To make artwork of plants look realistic as possible you have to see all those underlying colors to get the full effect.

variegated sweet potato
Variegated Sweet Potato Vine


As you can tell I'm having an art withdrawal. I haven't really painted or drawn anything for a very long time since school has been out. Art School was really draining for me that I took a year after I dropped out and just didn't draw but did crafts instead. I often everyday get those feelings when I see certain plants or take certain pictures that I want to pick up the paint and get going.

purple fountain grass
Purple Fountain Grass


It gets hard doing all the hobbies I like to do. Right now I'm devoting all my time to work, school, and learning more about plants. Really I procrastinate for most of my day with my face stuck to the computer screen. I need to learn to let go of the computer.

Anyone else out there have a bad addiction getting in the way of things they normally love to do?

9 comments:

Julie said...

I have the same addiction, and I just found out my 71 year old mom does too...and almost everyone I know actually!!! If you are a person who "wants to know", you just have all this info at your fingertips, plus you can BLOG...this is my addiction now...photographing and blogging. My floors are un-mopped, my house is a disaster pit, but my blog looks great!!! LOLOL!!!!!

Karen said...

Sometimes it is hard to do everything you want to do.
The computer is a wonderful way of finding information - and some times it does time spent on the computer does get in the way of actually "doing" art, gardening, living - I know what you mean.
Your photos are lovely
Regards
Karen
An Artists Garden

Karen said...

opps, sorry - that should read
"it does seem that time ..."
Karen

Element said...

I have the same addiction. I always carry my camera when I am in the garden. I never know what I will find to shoot. The times I forget it, thats when the best shots happen and I seem to miss it.

I am at the point now that my point-shoot isn't cutting it anymore. I will be purchasing an SLR soon.

Aunt Debbi/kurts mom said...

It is almost impossible for me to do all the things I love. Gardening comes first, but I have to fit quilting in. I have a feeling after this year I will burn out for a while. I need to finish a block of the month thing and two wedding quilts.

Anonymous said...

I have that very sweet potato vine plant, and it is truly magnificent in it's various hues from different angles, as you showed. Yes, reading blogs takes up much of my time. But I'm addicted to seeing what everyone has to say! And you've all become such friends!
Brenda

Kristi said...

beautiful foliage, such lovely shades of green and purple.

Joe said...

Cool site. Check out my blog's, as I have a nature page, a goof-ball page, and a a blogroll page with interesting links.

One of my best friends is a landscape architect and I get a lot of cool ideas from him.

Good luck with school and figuring on what you want to be when you grow up! I have three degrees and still have no clue to what I really want to do!

(:

Priscilla George said...

Julie- My apartment is a mess because of this computer addiction. Time just flies when I'm on it and then by the time I'm done reading and researching, blogging and all that stuff it's too late to clean. Glad I'm not the only one.

Karen-Thank you for the compliment. I find it really hard to do al the things I want to. I have a million interests and hobbies. If I didn't have a job I could entertain myself all day with all the things I do. The computer always gets in the way. I always look on it for information.

Element- I know what you mean. I don't drag my camera with me that often just because it was expensive and it just gets in my way.I hate missing those great shots because I didn't bring it. I have a digital slr but sometimes I wish I just had a point and shoot with some manual features when I don't want to lug around my other camera.

Notsocrafty.com- Thank you for the compliment and for stopping by.

Joe- Thank you for coming by. I do hope I figure out what I want to do. With my internship in the summer I think I will get an idea for maybe an area I would like to head towards. Most like it'll be propagation.