Computer Woes, Flowing Gently By painting by Everglades Artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Flowing Gently By, (c) 2012, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on canvas, 20x24

Sold

Today's Everglades painting reminds me why I love what I do. The Everglades is a magical and special place, and I'm very grateful to be painting its beauty on a daily basis. Looking at this painting is calming, and the gentle trickle of the softly gurgling water can lower the blood pressure!   This one was sold before it left the easel, and will go to the home of a dear collector as soon as I can get it framed. 

It has been an incredibly crazy week.  I was followed around by a little black rain cloud, which continued to rain down additional stormy challenges on a daily basis.  Finally it got so bad it became humorous, which helped to put everything into perspective.  The least of it was eight days without a computer.  The fate of much of my data is still unknown, and everything is newly different. Moan.

Thanks to all of you who responded positively to the new format for my newsletter, fortunately already scheduled when the computer troubles started.  You were overwhelming in support of the new format.  Those of you who read my newsletter are very special to me and I'll be announcing the winner of the drawing for a daily painting soon.  If you don't yet get my newsletter, you can sign up here. 

You've probably noticed the new Daily Paintworks gadget just under my photo on the blog, and hope you will visit my gallery.  If you get the blog in your mailbox you won't see the gadget, but can go to the gallery here. 

  

Color Correction, Lazy River painting by Everglades artists JoAnn Sanborn

Lazy River
acrylic on canvas, 16x20

Lazy River is a rich, deep color painting of a spot down in the glades off Everglades City. I haven't been there for a while but remember the feeling of just floating along, enjoying the warm light on the palms and the slow movement of the current. Time almost stands still at moments like this. They bring a feeling of inner peace that's nice to remember.

I've purchased a small, light, mini-computer to leave in the studio or use when we have guests in the study. I'm not a gadget person, and this little mini comes close, but it does the job when I'm needing to look up something quickly or check emails.

Colors vary between one computer and another, but the color change between the mini-computer and my large monitor really surprised me. The background of the blog shows pink on the little guy, not the light yellow it should.

If the images you are receiving in your email don't look as rich and colorful as the paintings you have seen in my studio, or if the blog you are reading doesn't have a pale yellow background color, and you'd like to make color correction, learn here how to make simple color adjustments, or if you want more serious information, here.

Not computer woes, again?

Glorious Moment

Acrylic on Canvas. 5"x&"

Here I am once again complaining about trying to learn just enough technical literacy to keep in the race. I'm not young, started life without even a TV, and grew up kicking and screaming as I was pulled into new times. But, if you don't speak the language you'll be left behind, and I'm not one who likes to be left behind!

I received a new camera for Mother's Day. More pixels, more memory, more pleasure, right. Wrong! I can just barely take a photo and get it up on this blog. Took me nearly half an hour this morning just to find the right connection cord to get the photo from the camera to the computer. Still in the box. UGH

This camera tells me just before I shoot EVERY SINGLE PHOTO that my hands are shaking. I'm old, but not THAT old. I brace myself, hold my breath, tuck in my elbows, look for inner stillness, and nope, still too shaky. I give up, but then can't find the tripod.

I can probably edit it out. That would be if I didn't have a new computer. Because it's been so long and I've been delaying the purchase, every one of my old and reliable programs need to be updated, or are outdated. This mean they no longer work the way they did. Organizing now means something else. I can't find the files, and they're certainly not where they were in relation to each other. If I write my blog post elsewhere, it won't cut and paste in any more. I did have a lovely one ready, and where are my photos?

Because I use Carbonite, an on-line computer back up, I know they're there, and that's a relief. I'm gradually finding and restoring as time passes, but this is not a quick process--at least for me. Some things won't show up in the new programs, or the data is in a format not acceptable. It too me an entire week to find and restore my business account, but that, at last seems OK

Back to my photo. I could edit it with Photoshop. That is if I knew how to use Photoshop. It's new, and its on my computer, but it speaks a very different language from my old software editing program. I've got two huge books, but haven't read them yet since I'm still spending every spare minute restoring and recovering files.

Anyway, everyone knows how to use Photoshop, right? Not me. I should be able to figure this out, at least for one quick photo. Well, I give up for today. I took a photo with shaky hands, can't edit it, couldn't find the cord to put it in the computer, couldn't find the photo, couldn't move it into Photoshop, had trouble doing what I wanted with it, thought I had it until the wrong photo appeared above. It's obviously one of the unedited versions, taken with the shaky hands. I don't know why it has the label of the one I spend an hour figuring out how to edit.

You'll just have to stop in and see the little daily painting in person if you're on Marco. It's lovely, and I'll replace this photo just as soon as I can figure out how!

Meanwhile, I'm at wit's end over this. I'd call in a professional if I really thought it would help, but know that it's mostly about me learning new thing. Anyway, it's time to stop whining and go painting. Thanks for listening!

Complements, Composition, Learning Woes

I was fooling around with complimentary pairs the other day, wanting to refresh my eye. With just two colors to work with, and without having to worry about color choices, it serves to strengthen the value range in my work.

The first pair is blue and orange, the second yellow and purple, and the third is red and green. White is the only color added. I start out most paintings like this, blocking in the darks first and adding some light, and building my way to the details. I can do this first part fairly quickly, even on a large painting, and can see right away if the "balance" of the painting works.

If not, it's a quick and easy fix at this stage, much better than after hours of work you see that something is not quite right. Composition is the bones that the whole painting hangs on, and if it's not right, then all of the other principals of design just won't fall into place.

The reason that I'm showing you this today is that it is the only photo I can find easily. I've fallen head-long into the tar-pit of technology I spoke about a while ago. I've got a new computer and love it. My beloved son-in-law set it up, made sure I had email and could get to the Internet, and then the visit was over. Programs?

My problem. But I'm a smart woman, right? I can figure this out, right? So far, wrong, and all the while I'd rather be in the studio. All the programs I used easily were outdated, have to be found, upgraded, installed, and I have to learn to use them again. But I can do it, right?

Please bear with me. It's going to be a sticky few weeks until I'm back in my comfort zone.

How can a machine be so frustrating? I installed some new ad-ware yesterday and today can't open my photo program. UGH! If you own a computer you probably find that your stress level is occasionally raised to the point where you'd like to throw the thing right out the window! Through the window! It's that kind of morning for me. I want to be busy putting the finishing touches on a painting I'm working on, getting ready for the art class that I'm teaching this morning, and getting my blog done. Instead, my photo program won't open and I've spend the last hour trying to open it. I've tried every way I can think of, and am now working on ways to work around this problem. I can, thank you God, get to the pictures--just not open the program to edit them. Scream!

My husband and I attended a wine-tasting at the Art League of Marco last night in honor of our friend and wonderfully creative artist Angelika Kade. Her work will be on display there for the rest of the month and it's well worth the trip to see her beautiful stone sculptures. The wine tasting, by Island Liquors, was well attended and much enjoyed, as was a cake with a picture of one of Angelika's sculptures on it made by Publix Supermarket. A nice community art event!

Sunny Day started as a class demonstration last April, and in my studio clean-out went into the "has potential" pile. I finished it yesterday and am pleased with the clear summer light of it. You can see it in person by coming to Orion Bank next Thursday, July 10 from 6-8 where you can see more of my work and a short presentation at Orion's popular Artist Appreciation series.

Sunny Day
20" x 16" (50.8cm x 40.7cm)
acrylic on canvas
$500 plus $35 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.