Observations | Glyphs of Time :: a blog by jarvis grant

February 17, 2017

Legacy, The 2017 African American Art Exhibit

Filed under: Art Exhibition,Gallery,Observations — Tags: Art Exhibition, Botanicals, Carolyn Goodridge, Fine Art Photography, Friendship Heights Village Center, Jarvis Grant, Lew Berry, Red River Paper, Washington DC — Jarvo @ 12:30 am

Legacy Exhibit Invitation Image

It’s my pleasure and honor to be a participant at the Friendship Gallery at Friendship Heights Village Center exhibit, Legacy, The 2017 African American Art Exhibit. The exhibition will be on display from February 6 until March 4, 2017. This group exhibit comprises a wide variety of art mediums encompassing painting, sculpture, printmaking and photography. These artists offer a visual narrative of African American experiences through their journeys in American history and American culture. Reflecting and interpreting aspects of contemporary life. You can view the digital version of the exhibition catalog here.

Curator Llewellyn Berry states; “The artist stands on the shoulders of many who have come before, providing technique, context, and reason. It is Legacy. They are generations of talented, visionary and gifted artisans. That instinctive sense of beauty, place, and purpose, coupled with a compelling need to produce and display it, adds to the never ending conversation about the inherent beauty of the African American experience.”

I’m exhibiting five prints from my Botanicium series. All images are pigment prints using the Epson K3 Ultrachrome ink set. I used Red River Paper’s Arctic Polar Satin luster paper. This paper yields a very luxurious and luminescent image quality that I want when printing these particular images. You can view the series at my website by clicking on the link above.

If you’re in the DC metro area, please come by to visit this wonderful exhibition. The Gallery at Friendship Heights Village Center hours are:

Monday – Thursday, 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Saturday & Sunday, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm
301.656.2797, Information Desk

The Friendship Heights Village Center is three blocks north of Friendship Heights Red Line Metro

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July 29, 2016

Farewell Exaniner.com

Filed under: Education,Media,Observations,Photography — Tags: Examiner.com, Jarvis Grant, Photography — Jarvo @ 1:05 pm

Examiner-Icon1 Examiner.com gave me the freedom to write about almost anything. I enjoyed writing, about Photoshop, giving commentary about the photographic arts and its related technologies. I also enjoyed being a member of the photography industry news press corp. As an educator, it was a wonderful platform. I soon found out finding a similar platform wouldn’t be easy. Many of these online news outlets focused on photo gear like new cameras, lens, and other photo toys. All that’s well and good, but my interests are in technology that’s not based on instrumentation alone but on process. I’m still researching the options and how to adapt to them.

So until I can find such a platform, I’ll have to do it the old fashion way, build it myself. Over these past two weeks I’ve thought about the options I have. My Examiner.com articles are a useful educational resource. So first I need to create an archive for them. I have Word docs of all of them along with images and video links. I also downloaded all of them as PDFs because many of them have the final editorial edits. Right now I’m thinking of republishing them in a separate WordPress site. I’ll see how that goes. I forgot about my subscriber list so I’ll have to build that again too.

I will keep you informed and will solicit your comments and feedback. Many thanks for your continuing support.

Jarvis Grant - Washington DC Photoshop Examiner - Tech Gear. | E

Well, so long Examiner.com! Can’t wait to see what will happen next.

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March 5, 2014

New Year, New Exhibition

Filed under: Folio,Observations,Photography — Tags: Art Exhibit, Citizens We, Daisy Hannah, DReam Chamber, Jarvis Grant, Nik Software, Photography, Southeast Washington DC — Jarvo @ 3:15 pm

Printing photographs in the Museum Studies workshop space at the Ellington School of the Arts Photo Credit: Marta Reid Stewart

Well, the new year of 2014 started out with a lot happening. One of the major projects I had was to build on the work in my Dream Chamber series. Last year finished with a bang as I completed the first phase of my portrait project, Citizens We. That project began fairly smoothly, and then it seemed to come to a standstill. Then at the end of the summer, funding came through. Now I’m thinking the process will get going but instead a couple of major obstacles began to pop up. Yet, in the end the project took on a new direction and ended very well, with a new outlook and possibilities. Man, what a ride that was.

During my last photo session for Citizens We I photographed a neighbor of mine , Daisy Hannah. I used her portrait on the back cover of the book. She had questioned about why I made a black & white image. I gave her a response, but I felt she would like a color version of her image. So I revisited her photographs. Just for fun I decided to work on another shot from our session. I really didn’t do anything with the new image. Pretty straight forward stuff, but then she wanted a set of all the images from the photo shot. So instead of giving her a set of small JPEG image files, I compiled a PDF slideshow. I thought that would be more useful to her.

When I was done, I thought I’d design a nice artsy cover for the slideshow. Nik Software had just updated the Nik Collection with a new filter, Analog Efex Pro. So, I thought I would do a quick “One Click WOW” while playing with that new filter. It was fun, but I wondered “What would that color image of Daisy look like with a little more work?” During the process I came up with some interesting stuff. But in the end, I thought the image needed more “mystery”. That’s my way of telling myself to start over. In doing so I concentrated on the essentials, Light & Color. Things were going well, but I still needed that mysterious element. I thought of the Dream Chamber images. Do I put a Moon or clouds in the room with Daisy? That didn’t seem right. I wanted an incongruous, yet simple, Earth element. And then, it came to me, Water.

That image was just what I needed to push that series pass the sky elements I had been using. I began to see what the other images of the series could look like. I had an exhibit coming up and I showed the curator Eric Walton, those images in my Bēhance portfolio, and he choose four, for the exhibit, Life Through a Lens, at the Walton Gallery in Petersburg, VA. I really find it amazing that Citizens We portrait project has fed the Dream Chamber series. It should be a fascinating year of image making.

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February 7, 2013

The 2013 Mobile Photography Awards and Me

Filed under: Folio,Innovation,Media,Mobile Photography,Observations,Photography — Tags: Digital Photo Review, Examiner.com, Instagram, Jack Hollingsworth, Jarvis Grant, Maya Grant-Richardson, Mobile Photography, Mobile Photography Awards, Patrick Shourds, Photography — Jarvo @ 7:06 pm

Sunflower from the atrium courtyard, National Museum of American Art, ©Jarvis Grant, 2012

In the summer of 2012 I found a new venue of expression, phone camera. As stated in my last blog post, I had always been a camera snob. One reason was I saw so much poor camera phones photography. I have owned phones that had cameras, but never used them beyond visual note taking. When I upgraded to my EVO 4G LTE, with its 8 megapixel camera, the need to investigate its possibilities was very strong.

When I first began using the device, I always had my Panasonic LX-3 with me, and I would “shoot behind” anything I did with the EVO with the LX-3. The Panasonic images were always better in my mind. When reviewing the photos, the reason I felt the LX-3 pictures were better was because I put more into them. So, to really see that the phone’s camera could do, I must not take the LX-3 with me anymore, which forced me to only use the EVO. That was scary at first but necessary if I wanted to learn how to use the new device.

This was good, but I found myself fiddling with the device a lot. My daughter told me about Instagram, and I installed the app. In fact Instagram was the first app I actually installed on the phone, which in itself opened up a whole new word in mobile computing. But that’s another story. Okay, so what Instagram provided was fiddle free photography. While shooting with a square frame took some getting used to again, it was a lot faster than shooting with a twin lens reflex. Then there was the idea of processing the image with Instagram’s filters. They were limited for sure, and I found myself still reviewing the pictures and processing them once I got home. Then one day as I was riding the bus, I was thinking about a couple of images I’d just taken. I took out the phone and began experimenting with the images. It was then I realized I could capture an image, process it and publish it, all while I was out and about. Wow, “mobile photography”! Okay I get it.

Yet, mobile photography was also offering something more. Something I had not felt since my days as an art student and new photographer. Freedom! I regained the freedom to shoot whatever I wanted too and felt like shooting. As a seasoned photographer I do lot of analytics while making photographs. I was finding that with the phone and all its limitations, I was much lighter, with fewer calculations, rules, and perceived obligations running through my head. When I looked up two months after installing Instagram I had hundreds of new images, with a couple of hundred posted on Instagram. For me, that was very different.

With my newly found mobile photography enthusiasm, I began writing about it in my Examiner.com column, which is the reason for the long gap between blog posts. Plus I entered a few images in the Mobile Photography Awards competition I saw on the Digital Photography Review website. Well last week I discovered in a Tweet from Jack Hollingsworth (@photojack) that the winners of the Mobile Photography Awards had been posted on their website. So I went right over to see if I placed. Well the images I thought were strong in their respective categories were not there. Bummer! When I got to Plants/Flowers category,and saw the stunning first prize wining entry by Patrick Shourds, I thought, “Oh man, these look great, oh well”! But in the Honorable Mentions group was my entry, Purple Tears, and I was shocked and surprised. Plus I felt pretty damn good.

Here are the other images I entered into competition plus the link to the Mobile Photography Award winners page.

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August 15, 2012

Mobile Photography: Confessions of a Camera Snob

Filed under: Digital Tech,Innovation,Media,Observations,Photography — Tags: Instagram, Jarvis Grant, Lorenzo Wilkins, Maya Grant-Richardson, Mobile Photography — Jarvo @ 11:34 am

Le Tombeau de Daguerre ©Jarvis Grant

Photographic technology has always spurred controversy in the art world. First here was photography itself. When photography first came on the scene in 1839, it was supposed to bring the death of painting, drawing, and art as we know it. Now anybody could create an image. What was a true artist to do? Then film came along and replaced big cameras and glass plates. Now anybody could create an image! What was a real photographer to do? Then came portable 35mm roll film cameras you could fit in your pocket. They replaced large format 4×5 sheet film cameras. What was a real photographer to do? Next came color photography, how unnatural was that? Real photographs are made in black & white. Then came Polaroid’s instant photography. Instant photography no darkroom? Hell, now anybody can take a picture without even waiting a week to get their pictures back. Then came digital photography, replacing film. Hey, only real photos can be made with film cameras. Now anybody can take a good picture by “fixing” it in Photoshop. What’s a real photographer to do?

Well now it seems that photo tech has arrived at a new paradigm, the mobile phone–camera. With this new development in photo tech, you don’t even need a camera! What’s a real photographer to do?! For the past seven years, phone cameras have evolved from a dinky two megapixel joke to a decent eight megapixel creative tool. Phone cameras have grown from novelty toys to the voice of people toppling dictatorial requiems around the world. Now that almost everybody is carrying a video camera and a still camera in their pocket, web services like Faop for selling iPhone images as stock and ScoopShot as spot news cuts into the stock photography and photojournalism business model for many established photographers.

Now, I have been a long time camera snob when it comes to mobile photography and photography in general. When all the hype about the iPhone came out I was a skeptic. Then when all of the accessory and equipment hype came out, I thought there were a lot of folks drinking the Apple Kool-Aid! I mean why would any body want to put a $1000 plus Nikon or Canon DSLR lens on an iPhone? What’s the point. Get a camera! It’ll be easier to handle, give you more control, and will possible be smaller than having a five inch DSLR lens dangling from an iPhone. And don’t even mention an iPad tablet!

However, this past winter I went to a NAPP event at the Washington Convention Center and ran into my friend, classmate, and fellow creative pro Lorenzo Wilkins. He casually showed me some pictures from a recent trip he made on his iPhone. Man, I was blown away! Lorenzo’s images looked really good. At that moment I got the whole iPhone portfolio thing. I’ve seen lots of iPhone pics but was never really that impressed. I always felt people were showing off the phone not their images.

About a month ago I was forced to upgrade my old HTC Diamond Touch to a HTC EVO 4G LTE. The Touch Diamond finally died after 5 years of good service, but I never really used the Touch’s camera. It was okay, but not for taking real photos. I only used its 3 megapixel camera for visual note taking. Then my daughter, Maya, told me about Instagram and how she was using it to get her digital painting out into the world. So, I downloaded the app and started to play around with it. It was quite intriguing. Once I got used to it and my phone’s camera, I began to come up with a couple of good shots. Then I just naturally stated to see how to better manipulate the camera’s controls, along with finding photo apps that allowed more image processing contols beyond Instagram’s filter set.

So now I’m at the point were I believe that phone-cams can be creative professional tools. I still believe that a real camera will offer up better results faster that a phone-cam. I just don’t dismiss phone-cams as merely toys for people who are too cheap or lazy to use a traditional camera. I now stand on the opposite side of the mobile photography argument. Well, at least I’m beginning to see the other side’s perspective.

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May 1, 2012

Composites: Selections, mask and more!

Filed under: Design,Education,Observations,Photoshop — Tags: Composites, Masks, Photography, Photoshop, Selections — Jarvo @ 4:18 pm

Selections are Alpha Channels that are used in creating Mask. Here is the main figure used in my composite, "Isis". ©Jarvis Grant 2012

Knowing how to make a selection in Photoshop is an artist’s secret weapon. It’s the most important tool/technique that one should master as early as possible. With that said, there is no single “best” ways to create a selection. Everyone has a couple of go to favorites. New students usually start with what Scott Kelby coins as the “Tragic Wand”. Once you understand that there’s more tragic than magic in that wand, you start to look for options. For many it’s using the Path Tool, which I personally hate! For others it can be the Color Range command. The folks at Adobe know that power and the pain of creating selections and have been developing the Refine Edge command into its on Panel in Photoshop since version CS4. Back in the day, those “marching ants” were at the heart of composting images for designers and illustrators. Yet today there can be more to making a composite than selections.

I’m thinking and writing about this topic because last week I put together an article on Examiner.com on Saving Selections in JPEG Files. When ever I do an article I first collect the images I’ll use for the article. Then I’ll go through what ever process I’ll be writing about to get the steps clear in my head. First, I wanted to choose an image that I could make a very simple selection with. I had a partial silhouette shot in the studio that would work fine. Went through th steps and made a few screen shots. I was done. The only thing needed now was a new background for the figure to illustrate the new image composite. No big deal, two layers and that will be that. I had a few NASA wallpapers from the Hubble Telescope web site I felt would make a quick and dirty yet fairly interesting image. In fact it turned out to be interesting enough that I seemed to be on a roll! So much so that I began to think about this blog post.

What started just to be two layers turned out to be a few more. ©Jarvis Grant 2012

What started as a simple story with two layers began to grow. Once the main story was invented, I needed to enhance the “mood” of the piece. To achieve this I began to use Blending Modes. The interesting thing was that I was still just using the the main images of the figure and her new background. Using Layer Masks, dupes of the background were now being place on top of the figure, with elements being hidden or accentuated. Portions of the figure were selected and moved to their own layer and painted with Layer Styles. I also had a little help from Flaming Pear and Dover Publications. Well my point here is to not really go into detail of how the new image was made, but to speak to the fact that when “building” a composite it takes more than just ‘marching ants”.

While the final image is a fantasy, as a photographer, I still need elements of reality to bring it altogether. What is the direct and ambient light doing? Along with a healthy dose of trial and error. For example the NASA image though stunning, had a few visual holes into once the two images were placed together. I didn’t want to select stars from the background, because it only had a few, and I waned a little more variety. I found a few “space and star” brushes on the Internet. Through some that “trial & error”, I placed my new “stars” on their on layers and used Gradient Overlay Layer Styles, set to radial mode to give my stars that refraction of color that telescope give to photographs.

This was a simple artistic exercise that also used another secret artistic ingredient, Fun! In having a little fun I learned a few tricks and techniques that will turn up later in future work. Or maybe not! What started out as one thing with one purpose grew into something else. It also shows that even through working with a computer can seem overly technical, in the end, Photoshop is just another tool for artist to use and flow with.

The final composite (so far!), of "A Dream of Isis" ©Jarvis Grant 2012

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April 21, 2012

Photoshop World DC 2012: Cool & Fun

Filed under: Digital Tech,Education,Observations,Photoshop — Tags: Calvin Hollywood, Corey Barker, Greg Hessler, Joe McNally, John Paul Caponigro, Photoshop World, Russell Brown — Jarvo @ 10:48 pm

Photoshop World DC Seal

Well Photoshop World DC has come and gone! It was great having Photoshop on the Green & Yellow Metro line. No airports hassles, no hotel hang ups, just a quick three block walk to the Metro and then a quick 15 minute ride. BAM, I’m there! Photoshop World, a three day Photoshop Lovefest! Yet I must confess, it’s not the experience it used to be for me ten years ago. While I felt I knew my way around Adobe Photoshop back in 2000, I began my digital imaging experience with Aldus PhotoStyler 1.0 in 1993 and migrated to Photoshop 3.0 in 1995 (Adobe bought Aldus). Photoshop 5.0 was still quite the Magic Box. Scott Kelby and NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals) opened a brave new world of digital imaging and design to me. Back then Photoshop World was simply amazing! Back in the day, Photoshop was a design, illustration, and prepress tool. Despite its name, there was very little photography going on at Photoshop World. There was only John Paul Caponigro and Jim Divitale talking about Photoshop for photographers.

Joe McNally explains speedlite technique with yours truly as workshop model! ©Jarvis Grant

Well, now all of that has changed. Photoshop World is extremely photography centric. There’s was very little talk of design issues, no prepress except for two sessions by Dan Margulison LAB color, some video and some web, and a little video. The rest was photography. I should be happy, right? Well, I was. But after 30 plus years as a photographer and arts educator, I know the relationship of exposure of/stop, shutter speed and ISO, marketing, an exhibiting fine art photographer, etc. Plus, I also know that gear has very little to do with great image making. I’m also a Photoshop ACE (Adobe Certified Expert). I say that not to imply I’m a giant Photoshop Intellect. Not by any means. For the most part Photoshop World, this year, allowed me to see that I was on the right track in my continued career goals, and that I actually know a thing or two! But hey, I am always looking for a couple of jewels to add to my utility belt.

Those pearls of wisdom and magic did present themselves to me from Calvin Hollywood and Greg Hessler. I got my Photoshop fix from German photographer Calvin Hollywood and my photography inspiration from Greg Hessler. Plus the mad cap antics Russell Preston Brown can be a bit “over the top” they never, ever disappoint! Not to mention some old tile religion from from speedlite wizard and photo journalist Joe McNally. Some really good stiff. Whoa, don’t let me forget the geeky-krazy Corey Barker. Corey is very old school Photoshop. His Photoshop For Designers session definitely got to the core of what being a Photoshop Maestro is all about! He is also the creator of Photoshop Planet.

So, the next stop for Photoshop World is at Las Vegas, officially known as Photoshop West. If you have never gone to a Photoshop World, check it out. Also, when you go, don’t walk around with your Big-Ass DSLR! What’s the point? There’s nothing to shoot with it, except for at a couple of booths that do have models and lights set up. I recommend taking a point & shoot. You’ll be be more free, and you’ll get more photos, and besides you’ve got three days!

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March 18, 2012

Photoshop World 2012 Comes to Washington, DC

Filed under: Design,Digital Tech,Education,Innovation,Observations,Photoshop — Tags: National Association of Photoshop Professionals, Photoshop World, Scott Kelby — Jarvo @ 12:33 am

Well, NAPP’s (National Association of Photoshop Professionals) Photoshop World is finally coming to the nation’s capital! That’s great, cause that’s were I live! Ya know, I’ve been a member of NAPP since 2000, or is it 1998? At any rate it has been for quite some time. NAPP is, by far, the best professional organization for people who use Photoshop and want to learn more about the program. With that said, Photoshop World is the best way to immerse yourself in all things Photoshop. The worlds best trainers and authors of Photoshop are in one location, and attendee have the best opportunity for meeting and conversing with them one on one. Photoshop World also affords you the chance to connect with vendors who are on the cutting edge of digital imaging. Well, at least the cutting edge at that moment! Now, with that said, Photoshop World can be like a Miles Davis concert during the 1980’s. As strange and bizarre as it can be, you can’t get help get a Golden Nugget unavailable anywhere else.

Each year the conference has a theme. It can be anything. From Formula One racing to boxing. Themes can be based on popular culture like like Motown (Photown!) to a KISS Concert and Star Trek. Kinda wacky for sure. Yet the business of doing Photoshop is taken very seriously. When I first started going to Photoshop World is was graphic design and illustration. Then later, web graphics, and finally photography and digital video. Whatever’s the trend Photoshop World tries to get its membership up to speed on it. Yet I have to say, when I first attended Photoshop there was very little about photography. John Paul Caponigro and Jim DiVitale were the only Dream Team members that talked about photography and then Kevin Ames. That’s because they were photographers! Then Russell Brownbegan showing photographers some very cool Tips & Tricks.Now, it seems Photoshop World has turned into a photography conference, simply because that is the “trend”.

Okay, with all that said, if you are in the Washington DC metro area, you should definitely stop by Photoshop World, If you’re not interested in the full conference, or think it’s too expensive, then get the Free Photoshop World Expo Pass. This pass will allow you to visit the Photoshop World Expo floor. At the Expo many of the Photoshop Dream Team Instructor will be giving 30 minute presentations.

So be sure to stop by the Photoshop World. It’s a three day Photoshop Love Fest well worth the visit! You can stay in touch via the Photoshop World Hashcaster Site and The Official PSW iPhone App.

See ya there!

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March 2, 2012

Red Tail Commander: Gen. Benjamin O. Davis Jr.

Filed under: Inspiration,Observations,Photography — Tags: Benjamin O. Davis Jr., Black & White Portrait, Jarvis Grant, Photography — Jarvo @ 12:12 am

There has been quite a bit of hoopla about the George Lucas movie, Red Tails. Much of the “controversy” is the idea of a white guy telling a black man’s story. The odd thing is that it has taken sixty nine years for somebody to tell the story of the Tuskegee Airmen in a major way. There is so much to recount about these guys, that it will take more than one telling to get it all out in a meaningful way. Actually, there are so many untold stories and myths about World War II and the participation of African Americans that have yet to told. But ya know, there’s something about the heroic romanticism of fighter pilots that is just hard to beat!

When I was a kid in high school, I was really into WWII aviation. I knew all the planes of the major players and of both theaters. The idea of “living in fame or going down in flame” was still exciting to a young man who knew nothing about the meaning of Life. But, hey I loved it. I also didn’t realize that I “never” saw one black face in all the pictures in the books I read nor the movies I saw. With movies in particular, I never saw a heroic black man portrayed. Well that’s not totally true. I did see one in the Humphrey Bogart movie Sahara, Sergeant Major Tambul played by Rex Ingram. Check it out.

When I graduated from Howard University in 1974, and was set on the path of “On Going Life Learning”, I ran into my first instance of the Tuskegee Airmen. My first thoughts were, “Man, why didn’t I know about these guys?!” Then I remembered, , “Oh yeah, that’s right, they were Black!” Out of sight and out of mind. Well I won’t dwell on that aspect of Americana, but I did find out about Benjamin O. Davis, Jr and his dad, Benjamin O. Davis, Sr., the first African American general in the US Army. The junior General Davis was the commander of the first all-black air unit, the 99th Pursuit Squadron. His service was stellar as a military commander, civil right activist, and statesman. The latter two aspects more covertly. Check out the link to learn more.

Okay, now it’s 1992 and Howard University is honoring the Tuskegee Airman with a special art exhibit and reception, honoring General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. So I’m thinking, one of my newly found heroes is coming to the building were I work! Really!? I got to get a real photograph. Not a snapshot, I mean a real portrait. Ya know, one of the things I learned as a Professor of Art at Howard University, is that if you want to really get something done, don’t ask permission to do it! Just do it. Okay, so on the day of the reception I setup an impromptu studio in the Art Gallery’s storage space, and waited for Gen. Davis. Man, I was really nervous. Now, I’ve photographed many famous people, but this was a personal hero, and an unauthorized event. I was pretty scared! The moment came when the General walk into the Gallery, low key and laid back. I approached him and asked for the opportunity of a quick shot and he agreed. As I snapped away with my Hasselblad, I ran on hoping to impress with my knowledge of WWII aviation and the Airmen. He seemed to be amused by this “kid”. What a moment!

General Davis was a warm and very charming guy. I can’t remember what I must have said when he fell into his warrior moment. I got it and present it now. Right after this exposure, he went back to his smiling charming self. Yet in that moment, I could hear the roar of those American North American P-51’s and German Messerschmitt Bf 109’s and at the war’s end the Messerschmitt Me 262, the first combat jet aircraft. Just think about it, those Black pilots flying and kicking ass in their prop (propeller) P-51’s against jets. Man oh man, those cats could really fly!

Well, here’s the shot of Gen. Benjamin Otis Davis Jr.. Thanks General for opening yet another door of opportunity, and being a hero on so many fronts. A real Ace!

Portrait of General Benjamin O. Davis retired

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February 12, 2012

A Visit to Creative Clay Studios

Filed under: Art History,Inspiration,Media,Observations,Photography — Tags: Creative Clay Studios, Jarvis Grant, Terry deBardelaben — Jarvo @ 9:43 pm

The Gas Kiln Gods @ Creative Clay Studios

This weekend I visited the Creative Clay Studios located in Alexandria, VA with my friend and colleague, Terry deBardelaben. Terry had finished sculpting and bisque firing a rather large vessel and was taking her work to be glazed and fired at Creative Clay Studios. As stated on their web site, “Creative Clay Studios is Northern Virginia’s home for clay artists”. The space allows artists to use the space as they would their own studio while maintaining a larger inventory of all things clay than the average professional artist would be able to keep. Much like an open studio darkroom used to function back in the day. Creative Clay also is a place for artists at all levels, to learn different ceramic techniques and provides a place of community for the ceramic artist working in the Washington DC metro area.

While I was there I met Ed Bull the founder of Creative Clay Studios. Ed loves fire! He is a Ceramic Fireman. While Terry and I were there, Ed was conducting a Valentine’s Couples Workshop. Pretty cool stuff! Couples taking the workshop create separate personal “gifts” for each other or work on a project together. Anyway, Ed took great joy and pride explaining how the Studio’s variety of kilns operate. He reminded me of the fact that there’s quite a lot of alchemy involved in the creation of ceramic art. The earth, water, assorted chemistry of color glazes all brought together through the magic elements of fire and timing. I really hadn’t heard that stuff since my days at University as an art student. It was fun to hear again. It was also cool to see Ed interacting with the professional artists that were in the studio. Conferring and interacting with them as colleagues and as Master Craftsman.

While at Creative Clay with Terry, I used the time to do impromptu documentation of her as she worked on this piece of artwork. I’ve been photographing and videoing her as she’s been working on her many projects. In fact, I was with her earlier that afternoon at her school were she provides Open Studio for her students at the St. Steven and St. Agnes Upper School. I was editing video I shot at a workshop she conducted about sustainability and making art. The Creative Clay Studio is a visually engaging space. When she was finished working I told her I wanted to make a portrait of her in the space. Then Ed came back into the kiln room, and I asked him if I could photograph him too. I belive a got a couple of good environmental portraits of these two artists and I share them now with you.

Ed-Bull, Artist & Founder of The Creative Clay Studios

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