I promised to tell you about different art styles, but I'm taking a blog entry to tell you about me. This week I won two firsts in the 2005/06 Carolina Camera Club judging. In the Closeup category, Flowering Maple won a first place.

A larger version can be seen in my Flowers and Trees photo album. A flowering maple is actually a potted plant with leaves that look like maple leaves. This heavenly plant sits on my back porch.

In the Humor category, Yak Snack won a first.

A larger version can be seen in my Animals photo album. The photo was taken at Hollywild Animal Park.

Icy Branch, which was taken just after our ice storm last December, won a third in the Nature category.

One of my favorites, Morning Walk As Seen Through a Sprinkler, received an honorable mention in the Nature category.

Thank you, thank you, no applause necessary.

Members of the camera club submit their best photos once/month from September to May. The photos with a score of 10 or more (15 is the highest, which I've not received so far), are then judged at the end of the year and the best in each category is chosen. At the June meeting, the best slide and photo of the year will be chosen out of the top winners. All winning photos will be on display at the Tryon Fine Arts Center for the summer months.

Joining a club which focuses on the art work of your choosing is a great way to meet fellow artists, to learn from those with more experience, and to bring your work in for critique. You may not always agree with the judges, but the process will make you think more about your work and will help you become more articulate about your work.

One more item about me: I will be selling my photographs and watercolors at the Saluda Arts Festival Saturday, May 20 (booth 8). Y'all come.

Today's blog is the start of a series on different art styles.

Feminist Art came into its own in the 1960s, when women became very outspoken about who we were politically, economically and socially, and the changes that were wanted. Much anger was, and still is, expressed in Feminist Art. Some examples:
The Guerilla Girls
Feminist Fashion Show
Links to feminist and women's artwork on the Internet
n. paradoxa: international feminist art journal
More about Feminist Art

What do you think of this art style? Please comment, below.

If this style isn't for you, stay tuned over the next few days for a discussion of other art styles.

As you probably noticed, there are tons of different styles of art. Which one(s) do you want to spend time learning about, growing with and creating? There is a long list of art styles, such as this one from the University of Southern California. However, artists today don't always fall predictably into any of these categories. Over the next few days, I will show you examples of some of these styles.

This watercolor of mine probably falls into the Transcendentalism or Fantasy Art categories. It isn't my main style. I like to go with my mood, and that was my mood that day.

A larger version can be seen in my photo album.

Do you have a favorite style? Please tell us about it by using the comment link, below.

What might have worked better? Do you prefer the photo without the flowers in the corner? Please add your comments using the link, below. Thanks!

Here are a few:
-- Starwheel Mandalas by Aya
-- Benny Alba
-- Visual Prayer
-- Healing By Art

For inspiration, be sure to read the artists' statements.

Your images can be added by going to "Comments," below. I would love to see them.

yard work: mowing, pruning, weeding, fertilizing, insecticiding, admiring yard, flowers, veggies, birds
house work: cleaning, ironing, grocery shopping, cooking
friends and family: staying in touch, birthdays, phone calls, email
children: feeding, cleaning, playing, tutoring, doctoring, motoring
full time job: 40+ hours (I've known people to do their computer art work on their paid job, but let's not go there
website tweaking and blogging

It's easy to come up with a long list. But it's just as easy to let the yard work, house, friends and family go a little while you get out your paints, pastels, camera (whatever) and spend some time with your craft. Sweet! Be an artist.

To complete the painting, I added a photograph of an iris. The photo was altered using the watercolor filter in Photoshop and printed on watercolor inkjet paper. Is the painting complete? I'd like to know what you think. Please post your comments below. A larger version of this painting can be seen on my photo album.

Then I swirled the paint that was sitting in puddles around a little bit, and added some yellow on the edges to brighten it up. Watched it dry some more. I like the heart shape that is forming next to the patch of blue, but I think it needs more color.

In the painting below, I've added purple around the edge of the "heart" and some more blue inside it.

My feeling is that this will make a perfect background for my Spring painting. A lush flower will finish it. More tomorrow. Express yourself. Be an artist.

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