M e t v IImages ae My CCreative
Promoting Digital Photo Artistry
www.mycreativeimages.com
December - 2019
Artwork by James Hurley https://www.JamesHurley.art
Welcome to the Mycreativeimages Magazine Cover Artwork by James Hurley https://www.mycreativeimages.com/product/gaia-peterborough-cathedral-painterly/
“The principles of true art is not to portray, but to evoke” Jerzy Kosinski December is a festive season, for many different reasons. It has religious significance, it is a fun family orientated time of year, its the month of giving, its a month of excessive spending (much the happiness of retailers!). It can also be a sad and lonely month where the eldery, less well off and homeless struggle just to survive. Don’t get me wrong I’m not criticising, I’m just feeling personally uncomfortable knowing how much I spend this time of year in the interests of “giving” to family and friends and knowing that I consciously turn a blind eye and do very little to help someone that is not part of my family. This year rather than buying an additioanl gift that would be put in a draw and never “played with”, I have made a small donation to the YMCA Christmas Wishes Appeal and I ask you to consider doing the same. A small donation could make all the difference to a young vulnerable person this month.
Featured Artists David Walker 4 Vivien Capper 8 Susan Jones 12 Michelle Whitmore - Artist Interview
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Bernie Tuffs 18 Claude Trew 20 Norma Slack 22 Alison Bailey 24 Samantha Wells 28 James Hurley - Cover Artist
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To donate today visit: https://www.ymca.org.uk/ wishes
In this month magazine we have 9 Featured artists (included me) and an interview with the talented Michelle Whitmore. Here is wishing you a happy Christmas and I will see you again for the next issue of the magazine in 2020.
MyCreativeImages.com - Promoting Digital Artists
“Toothless” Photograph by Susan Jones https://artboja.com/art/3e60mz/
All images in this publication are sourced / created by the artists, unless otherwise stated on their websites or social media pages and as such must not be copied or sold without the express consent of the artist. This publication is created and owned by James Hurley, ©www. mycreativeimages.com 2019. Please feel free to share the magazine but do not make changes to any of the content.
https://artboja.com/art/9zpbui/
David Walker
The December issue of any journal prompts you to look back over the past 12 months. A lot has changed in our lives, whether it be our realisation of the impact of global warming or the inevitable changes to our lives, caused by personal circumstances or political change, but one thing remains constant…the inherent beauty of our world. As an artist, it is my job to convey this beauty by my works, a duty I take seriously, whether through my photography or my photo artistry. To produce a piece of good art, or a good photograph, makes me smile and feel good. I hope those good feelings are passed on to those who view the works…if that happens my work has not been in vain…and I can continue to work as a contented artist!
I am delighted to announce I have two exhibitions in Staffordshire in December. Canvases will be available for sale. The first is in the Potting Shed Restaurant at the Plant Plot, Stafford Road, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 8JA, Tel 01543 751619. The daily opening hours are 0900 to 1700 (Sunday 0930 to 1630). On display will be 15 new pieces, produced especially for the exhibition as well as a digital display my other works. The second is at the Barton-under-Needwood Library, Dunstall Road, Barton-under-Needwood Staffordshire DE13 8AX, Tel 01283 713753 where 17 pieces are on display. The opening hours are Monday & Wednesday 1000 to 1700, Thursday 1000 to 1900, Friday 1000 to 1400, Saturday 1000 to 1300, Tuesday and Sunday closed.
Sunday Afternoon on the Green.
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The World Over Lichfield
Fallow Deer (Dama dama)
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Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus)
Charles 1
Pulteney Bridge, Bath
Vivien Capper
https://artboja.com/art/6bn7zq/
Hello my name’s Vivien and I’m from the beautiful county of Kent, England though currently living and working near Rome in delightful Italy with its exciting, lively way of life and vibrant colours and designs. I started out as an artist in 1982 developing Indian ink artwork of a variety of subjects especially figurative artwork and abstract floral designs, then progressed into creative photography and digital artistry thanks to Sebastian Michael’s amazing courses at ‘Photoshop Artistry’ and the advanced course ‘Awake’. My inspiration is drawn from my love of nature, figurative artwork and Italian design using many textures, patterns and colours. I’m thrilled to have some of my artwork in various publications including: Living the Photo Artistic Life, My Creative Images and have had various artworks mentioned in the Shift Art Challenge. If you would like to see more of my art: https://artboja.com/art/6bn7zq/
Orchids on a Market Stall 8
Extravaganza
In the Writing
Shimmering
Susan Jones
https://artboja.com/art/3e60mz/
My name is Susan Jones. I live a short train ride from London and love to spend time up there with my sister and our cameras. I love studio photography with models dressed up, and having fun playing with the images in Photoshop. My new ambition is take the models on to the street and start doing shoots on location. You can see more of my work here: https://artboja.com/art/3e60mz/
Baby its cold outside
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isabella pink
Michelle Whitmore
My Cr e a t i v e I ma g e s – B e h i n d t h e scenes by VivienJane
Photographer – macro, still life, gardens and food Photo artist – increasingly using a watercolour / sketch technique I’ve developed which produces a unique illustrated look.
Michelle’s artwork is best described in her own words: ‘My artwork is a blend of my photography, my passions and my frustrations of not being able to paint or draw.’ A very dear photography friend once described my recent work as ‘fine art meets contemporary surrealism, meets illogical contemplation with a touch of fairy dust.’ I love that too!
Do you consider yourself to be more a photographer or a photo artist? At the moment I’m just coming to the end of my photographer stage for the year and as the Winter months creep in the photo artist comes out. Where possible I prefer to photograph all the elements I use in my art and as a lot of it is insects or flowers I am limited to certain times of the year. So I guess you could say I fluctuate between the two depending on the seasons.
When did you first start out in photography and photo art? Like a lot of people, I had my first camera when I was younger but only used it on holiday, school trips or when the kids were little. I started using a camera in earnest in 2000, when I started studying for my Environmental Science Degree with the Open University. I found it a useful tool for recording finds on field trips and used the images for identification purposes and including in dissertations. As most of my subjects were flowers and insects it was no surprise that I developed an interest in Macro and still life photography.
You have the most amazing online art gallery! Would you like to tell us a little about it? Thank you. It’s a WordPress website built using the DIVI builder. I’ve been creating websites for about 15 years and have been using Wordpress for as long as I can remember. I started using the DIVI builder about 2 years ago and it’s taken my websites to a whole new level. It has some really great features including a visual mode which gives you the ability to build pages on the front end of the website allowing for better styling and much faster design build. I’ve also incorporated an eCommerce plugin, called
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WooCommerce, that has enabled me to style my gallery as a shop so I can sell my images. I must admit I did have some hair pulling moments, but the results have been worth it. Since its completion I have had some lovely things said about it and gained some work from it. So much so that I have now set up a side-line creating websites for artists and creative artisans. Unfortunately, it has meant not as much time for the photography or artwork as I would like!
Do you have any tips for our readers on how to start an online gallery? One of the easiest ways to start an online gallery is to sign-up to Shopify or SmugMug, both are great tools and very easy to do. However, they are often built to a specific template which can be hard to customise to give a unique look. If you have some experience of building a website, you can do it yourself or purchase a gallery style template to work from if you don’t feel confident to make too many alterations. Alternatively employ the services of a web designer. Yes, it will be more expensive, but the right designer will sit and listen to what you want and design a unique website around your individual needs, personality and style. They say that buying art is an emotive experience and customers like to be wooed. A good web designer will help you give your customer an enjoyable experience that will help keep them engaged and inside the gallery for as long as possible. Gone are the days when a portfolio gallery was an online business card. Today it’s not a passive tool. It’s an active, real part of a business. So, if you don’t already have an online gallery my advice to you is “Go for it, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”
Have you been influenced by other photographers or digital artists? I was first influenced and encouraged to delve into photoshop by an Irish photographer called Podge Kelly. He opened my eyes to another world and gave me a small glimpse of what could be achieved. Only now am I able to appreciate the seed that sparked it all off. I’m also inspired by all the artists in the AWAKE and Kaizen Groups. I know that if I hadn’t signed up to the Photoshop Artistry course, I wouldn’t be producing the work I am today. Thank you Sebastian x
Do you already have a basic idea or story in mind when you start creating a new piece and could you tell us a bit about your actual creative process and routine? Oh yes, I like to have everything mapped out in my head before I start a series. I tend to create more than one image on a theme depending on the end purpose. For example, my Illustrative Fellowship panel took over 3 years before it was completed as everything had to be in place before I started the 20 images required. First, I photographed the flowers that were going to be the dresses; the following year came the inspiration for the dresses to become 16th Century masked ballgowns. The backgrounds presented themselves during a cruise from Copenhagen to St Petersburg and then to shoot the models. The hardest part was how to merge it altogether whilst creating something completely unique. It was around this time that I signed up for the AWAKE course and learnt the skills to turn an image into a watercolour painting which I then modified with additional brush strokes, sketch strokes and lines. To push the boundaries a little further I embellish the limited-edition pieces with gold leaf and acrylic paints.
Why do you create sets of images? A set of images can lead to more sales, some buyers like to see groups of images rather than a single one depending on the space they want to fill so creating sets makes up-selling easier.
Do you have a favourite piece of equipment or software you use? Which item is indispensable in your studio? Without a shadow of a doubt I would have to say my PC accompanied by Photoshop and the Topaz suite, without them I could not craft my illustrative portraits. As far as photography kit goes, it would be my tripod. I use it for virtually everything I photograph. I have trouble holding the camera for any length of time so without my tripod I’d be lost and very frustrated.
May we ask what you are working on at the moment? I’m currently putting together a collection of statues. Some I photographed in cemeteries and others on a recent trip to Rome. Hopefully they’ll prove to be as popular as the flowers and ballgowns.
What would your advice be to an aspiring photographer/digital photo artist? I think it’s important to take time to shoot or create something personal every now and then. Whether it’s for a qualification submission, an exhibition or simply a personal project. I find it helps to keep your work fresh, allows you to push your boundaries outside your client remit and provides the opportunity to acquire new techniques and skills, which in turn can lead you to discovering things about yourself too. All of which can only be good for both you and your future clients.
Michelle puts a lot of passion into her projects and produces stunning photo art. You can contact Michelle Whitmore Art Gallery here https://michellewhitmore.co.uk/art-gallery/
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Bernie Tuffs
https://artboja.com/art/utucc4/
Hello! I’m Bernie and I live in the little seaside town of Margate and having lived here all my life, I couldn’t live anywhere else now! I’m continually inspired by the scenery here, with skies and light that so excited famous artist J.W.Turner, who said of this area, “…the skies over Thanet are the loveliest in all Europe”. Apparently, a love of the sea stayed with him all his life and I can well understand that! Painting with light holds a real attraction for me - the gentle light that is still strong enough to dispel darkness. I’ve always been arty, progressing from childhood sketching, through gouache and then oil painting, then paper crafting and scrapbooking which led me to digital scrapbooking and finally to Sebastian Michaels and Photo Artistry. Now I feel I’m home and am having so much fun with my art! If you would like to see some more of my art visit: https://artboja.com/art/utucc4/
Christmas Magic 18
Ladder to the Stars
Claude Trew I am a retired lady who is a keen photographer and I belong to a local camera club. However, while I enjoy entering the competitions organised by the club, I feel that the style of photographs that are most successful in club competitions is inhibiting my creative output. I am following some online courses to try to improve the artist in me. So far I have enjoyed every course I have done and hope to share my work with a bigger audience. This is an ongoing process.
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Hybrid Camel
Sunset Stroll
Heavy load
Norma Slack
https://www.normasue.com/
I am a digital artist, writer and poet from beautiful Northern Ireland. I currently live in County Down, within sight of the majestic Mourne Mountains. I have been an enthusiastic photographer for many years but it was only when I discovered digital art that I finally felt able to create images that reflected both my emotions and vision. Every day I work towards improving my skills within the fascinating world of the digital workspace. For me it’s a place of magic, a place where I can give free reign to my imagination and create the type of art I feel connected to. About eighteen months ago I began to combine my new digital skills with my poetry and have recently published my first illustrated poetry book, Thunder In My Soul: a collection of illustrated poems. The book is now available at Amazon. It is a project I feel a strong emotional connection to and has been a labour of love. A free sample, along with a selection of my art, can be viewed on my website. You will also find me on Instagram @artbynormasue or on my Website
After The Rain 22
Friends Colour our Lives
Joy
Alison Bailey
https://estamoondesigns.wordpress.com
I am a hobby photographer and multi media artist from North West England. I am retired and am now able to spend my time doing the things I enjoy. I love being able to go to nature reserves as it gives me both peace and also photo opportunities. I am part of the living the photoartistic life community and will be learning about photoart forever! I am branching out into multi media art too so that I can use more of my own resources and maybe even be able to provide resources for other people. Most of all though I am having fun living my life as I want to. You can check out my web site at: https://estamoondesigns.wordpress.com There are links to other social media sites on there too.
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Samantha Wells
https://www.wellsfineartgallery.com
Hi, my name is Sam, and I live on a lovely little island in the U.K. called the Isle of Wight. I’m not good with words, images are my thing. So this will be short and sweet. I started with photography 4 years ago. Then 2 years ago I found 3D art which I am totally addicted to as it gives me so much more freedom to make any art I can imagine. I tend to flit from one technique/subject to another as I find new and exciting ways to enhance my art work. I pour everything I have into each and every image I create. Facebook is my preferred social platform: https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaWellsFineArt/ I would love to see you there, and I hope you will enjoy my art work and stay with me on my art journey: https://www.wellsfineartgallery.com
Belle 28
Dreamer
James Hurley - Cover Artist
www.jameshurley.art
James is a photo digital artist that captures landscapes photographs as well as painterly portraits either in the comfort of his home or on location. He is based in Huntingdon, near Cambridge, and has a passion for incorporating his emotions and frustrations into surreal artwork. James is a self-taught photographer who has learnt Photoshop by taking a number of online course hosted by Sebastian Michaels. His work has received a number of awards from the Heaven art gallery in the USA during September and October of 2017, since then he has had artwork appear in a new conceptual virtual art gallery created by Curat10n Open Art, in the My Creative Images magazine and is available to buy from the Patterdale Hall Estate Office shop, the Artisan Craft Centre (see rear page) and via his website. James’s current focus is to further explore and enhance his photography skills and further develop his own photo digital artistic style which incorporates lots of colour and textures and employing a Chiaro-oscuro style with the aim of producing artwork and photographs that lean more towards a painterly or surreal feel than a realistic photograph. If you are looking for a portrait photograph or want a photograph of you blended into a scene / artwork or just want some unique artwork to decorate your home or give as a gift, get in contact with James, who would be happy to work with you and create something special just for you. Email: James@jameshurley.art
Website: www.jameshurley.art
Drifting 30
Gaia - Peterborough Cathedral (version 1)
Gaia - Peterborough Cathedral (soft painterly version)
Buy Now
Buy Now
The Observer
The Magic of Ullswater
Help Me Plant Trees! I took this photograph in October this year on Patterdale Hall Estate (PHE), Ullswater. This is a small section of a waterfall ti runs through private land actively managed with the help of many volunteers. If it was possible, I would be there helping the conservation work every weekend, but sadly its not. So instead, I will donate 50% of the profits made from the sale of any of my Ullswater based photoart to PHE to help them plant trees and continue the amazing conservation work they do on the estate. To help me help plant some trees, visit: https://www.mycreativeimages.com/productcategory/ullswater-landscape/
Upper Falls - Waterfgall Wood Walk, Patterdale Hall Estatte James Hurley
Autumn Leaves in Water Fall Wood Walk, Patterdale Hall Estate
Looking towards Kirkstone Pass
Pay a visit to the Artisan Craft Centre at Baytree Garden Centre and you will find some amazing hand crafted artwork from many talented creatives. Amongst these you will find samples of the work created by James Hurley. Pay a visit today: Baytree Garden Centre, High Road, Weston, Splading, PE12 6JU
Photograph by Susan Jones https://artboja.com/art/3e60mz/
To read previous issues of this magazine visit:
https://issuu.com/mycreativeimages
M e t v IImages ae My CCreative Promoting Digital Photo Artistry