Interview: Water-Droplet and Abstract Macro Photography with Malgorzata Krawczyk

I used to associate photographs with "real life,"
traditional art with fantasy and imagination.

As I have grown in my understanding and appreciation of art, I now know that such confinements are far too arbitrary. As we saw with Linda Huber's pencil drawings, traditional art can look very real, and as I recently discovered with Malgorzata "Margaret" Krawczyk's photography (as ~Gosia on DeviantArt.com), photos can be quite unreal.

(As always, click on the pictures for a better look.)

"Chromatic Divide" by Gosia

Take this beautiful photo. While you can tell that it is a water droplet hung between twigs, that is not what strikes you. Instead, it's the bold oranges and deep purples; they draw your eyes to the droplet recycling and tumbling the colors in a beautiful abstract.

This, my friends, is art.

Malgorzata "Margaret" Krawczyk of ~Gosia on DeviantArt.com

Self portrait

Margaret said, "I think the reason I'm drawn to abstract art is because I find it to be more stimulating and thought-provoking. Abstract art allows for multiple interpretations. It's not restrained by rules ...

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Interview: Crazy Cakes and Dragon Doodles with Louise Wilson

I love dragons.

They're just the essence of cool. Take your favorite color, mix it with fantasy, power and fire, and you get a dragon. Oh, did I mention they're usually filthy rich? Hmm, actually someone with that description--handsome, powerful, awesome, rich-- would do pretty well on eHarmony. Until he mentions the fact that he is actually a dragon. But I digress.

Louise "Lou" Wilson's beautiful work has been a favorite of mine on Deviant Art (where she is known as ~louise-art) for a while now. With her graceful watercolors and outrageously gorgeous cakes, it really isn't fair for one person to excel in two such diverse mediums.

My favorite of her watercolors is "Firecracker."

 

"Firecracker"

The painting "actually started off as a bit of play with water and color," Lou said, "and the image began to emerge out of the splodges on the paper ...

 

"Lilies"

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Interview with Reneé Lawter: Watercolorist and Plushie Creator

UPDATE 5/27/10: Renee mentioned the interview on her site! :)

Since coming to work for a pond design and installation company, I’ve become slightly obsessed with koi. Their bright colors, fluid movements and friendliness capture my heart. I was heartbroken when we sold “Goldie” from the back greenhouse, a 24” pale orange koi that came to the surface to greet me whenever I poked my head over his pond. Even if I failed to produce food he’d silently gape his hello, blinking as I rubbed his forehead or tickled his fins.

"Koi" by Reneé Lawter

Koi are universally beloved for their beauty, longevity and tameness. Even the word “koi” itself is a synonym for “love” in Japanese. I first came across Reneé Lawter’s beautiful watercolor, “Koi,” while browsing Flickr.

"Koi are favorites of mine,” Reneé said, “and painting the koi piece was an experience. It was like painting silk ribbons.”

Reneé Lawter's delightfully sweet logo, which she baked herself. :)

For inspiration she looked to her two Japanese fighting fish, Fishy Von Fishenburg and Madam Peach, and also her memories of a large koi pond where she used to work.

“From what I understand,” Reneé said, “koi fish mate like crazy and live very, very long lives—250 years for some—so by the end of the summer they would be like water pigs just stuffed under the water. I remember we would drop bread crumbs in (or half a sandwich, whoops!) and it would be gobbled up in seconds. I always wondered what would happen if I fell in. Eeek!"

"Karma Kreatures"

Reneé also painted a koi skateboard for the V Foundation (a cancer research charity) and ESPN XGames.

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Interview with Lisa Topps of Ensorcelled Minds on Etsy

Quilling. What an unusual art! Thin pieces of paper not woven, not folded, but twirled and rolled into marvelous shapes. My Nana first introduced me to the art when she sent me a handmade card for a holiday.

"Nana, what's that curled paper stuff called?" I questioned. "Did you make it?" And of course my ever-gracious Nana was more than happy to teach me how.

I recently came across Lisa Topp's beautiful quilling on Etsy. (She also sells her art via a Canadian craft site, iCraft.)

Lisa Topps

Lisa hails from Canada and she loves it there. Well, except for the climate. "I wish I could pick Canada up on the globe and put it down somewhat closer to the equator!" she said.

"Deep Blue Ocean Quilled Dragon"

Two of my favorite designs of hers are the dragon and the little button snail, which turn out to be her original designs.

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Interview with Linda Huber of ~Imaginee on Deviant Art

"No Idea" by Linda Huber

If I were to tell you that the above picture is a graphite pencil drawing and not a photograph, your jaw will probably drop as low as mine did. It dropped, didn't? C'mon, I know--admit it. :)

Linda Huber, the artist (aka ~imaginee)

I have been following Linda Huber on DA for over a year now. This week I had the honor of interviewing her to find out a little more about the amazing woman behind these drawings.

"No Idea" has always been one of my favorites on DA. The technical skill, the abstract and beautifully balanced composition, and the joy and patience (35 hours! whoa!) put into this piece is breath-taking.

"The meaning behind ‘No Idea’ is simple," Linda said. "Since the bulb is broken, to me it represents 'no idea' as opposed to a working bulb." 

Linda chose to draw this light-bulb to give herself a challenge. "I wanted to expand my horizons and draw as realistic as my pencils would allow," she said. "Drawing glass and metal was a challenge and one that I knew I would grow from. It was a heck of a lot of fun too!" She said the hardest thing about this piece was "trying to keep a very light, even touch" on the bulb "so that it would have that translucent look." From the shine on the glass to the incredible detail of the bulb's inner workings, this is truly a masterpiece.

The 16 x 20 original is sold, but you can still purchase prints of the drawing on her website for $28.

"From This Day Forward"

"I have loved to draw from the very first memories of my life," Linda said. Her four siblings do not draw; it was her dad, who does draw, that encouraged her and gave her a love of the art.

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