My Farmer's Market Series that will be displayed in May

So, as I have jumped further into the area of photography, I have been trying to explore different themes. What I really like about photography is that it lets me get more done in a short span of time than painting and drawing would allow me to do. It is a different medium entirely, that is for certain. However, one of the themes I have started exploring is this idea of food and the farmer's market. If you think about it, food and farmers are kind of the backbone of how we survive. So, in a small way, I am trying to pay tribute to them by exploring what they produce visually. Cooking is also another form of art, and food is one of those things that entices us so well when it is displayed properly. What I really enjoyed about these photographs is how vibrant the colors are. I love color in food, and I was recently told that it is important to "eat your colors." I found that very interesting. Also, what I found when I went to farmer's market here in Alameda, people who run their stands were very eager to stand and talk about what they do and even pose for photos. There are a lot of social issues that come forward with the idea of shopping for good food and eating right. I feel like that I am just beginning to scratch the surface of the possibilities with this subject. However, I hope, when I show in May and into the summer, people find the images artful and thought provoking in the sense that it may make them think about what it means to shop at a farmer's market and support more of their local community. Every series, and image, and part of the process of creating art is part of a journey and I am quite excited about how this one is starting out. I have to thank my wife Gina for her support as she collaborates with me on these photos and assists in so many different ways as we begin these photographic journeys together. Go to my gallery to see more of my work here: http://educationartkenpo.blogspot.com/p/jesses-gallery.html  

Thanks for reading!! Stay tuned for a lot more work to come!

-Jesse

New Gallery Additions to Esther's Gallery!!

This is new work by Esther Brown. There is more to come. Please go to her gallery on here to see a complete listing of all of her work and see what is going to be display later this spring and summer!! Thank you for taking the time to visit our galleries!! You can find Esther's gallery here: http://educationartkenpo.blogspot.com/p/the-art-of-esther-brown.html

-Jesse

New Art for Esther Brown

I am excited to say that there is a lot of new work being generated by the members of my family. My mother, Esther Brown, is leading the way with volumes of new work. This is one of the new pieces. I will be posting new images to her gallery soon, but while we wait for all the images to be processed, I wanted to post this one and talk a little bit about what we are doing. We have a show in May coming up where we will be debuting our new work. Dozens of new pieces will be on display and, with some planning, we will be able to to continue to show this new work over the summer. 

For her part, Esther is working in many new mediums and trying some new styles. These new pieces are very exciting and really showcase some great color and movement within the pieces. Stay tuned here to see what is coming. Also, we will be doing reproductions of certain pieces, so if something gets sold, there will still be some reproductions of people find something they like, but it has been sold. 

For Gina and myself, we are digging deeper into photography. We have some great images and I will continue to blog about those, as well as my paintings and drawings. I recently blogged a photo that we were working on, one of a wave. If you happened to catch that, that is one of our upcoming themes. It is always exciting to dig into new mediums because it brings new ideas. 

Please stay tuned for the expansion of our galleries, as well as additional artist interviews! There are lots of exciting things coming to the blog here! Thanks for reading!!

-Jesse

Upcoming Series from Gina and Myself

Gina and I have been working together on photography for awhile, but we did not really combine our skills until now. The above picture is a small sample of what is to come from us in May, when we have the chance to present our work again. Photography is a new medium for me. Of course, in today's world, with so many camera phones boasting high quality image capability, an argument could be made that anyone has the ability to be a photographer. There are so things to photography, however, that set some photographers apart from others. There is the ability to line up shots, the ability to edit after the photo, knowing your camera and all of what it can do, and the list goes on. However, there are a lot of just general art skills that are useful as well. Knowledge of light and dark patterns in a picture, as well as knowledge of composition and elements of design in two dimensional images, helps in understanding what makes a good photo. I would say that there are two categories that you look for when taking photos. How well do you know your artistic elements and how well do you know your technical elements. 

For us, we want to create images that are going to be pleasing to us, pleasing to people who view them, and images that have some sort of a story as they are viewed individually and in series. I am quite excited because we have about 4-5 series of photos that, when viewed together, will be very powerful and draw people in, I hope. 

We often go to the Fort Bragg and Mendocino area of California to take short vacations. It is here that we often get good wave pictures. We try to scout out good areas that have good views of the surf and incoming waves. Trying to track waves takes some time and practice. It also helps calm the nerves, too, which is a nice bonus in creating art like this. It is quite peaceful out there. However, when looking at the waves, it may not always be peaceful, but more powerful. Breaking waves have this forceful motion about them, depending on how they are captured in a photo. 

We will be setting up galleries soon here to showcase all of our new work. Please stay tuned and share with others if you get the chance. Thanks for stopping by!!

-Jesse

Water and Stone: A Continuing Series

It is always kind of a challenge to think critically on your art work when you work full time an entirely different job. I came up with this series, "Water an Stone," a few years ago. I have slowly been adding to it. This spring I will be adding to it and displaying some of it, which I am quite excited about. I have added to the series since I last posted this photo. 

What drew me to this series was the idea of working with opposites. As an undergraduate, I explored the idea of the simultaneous coexistence of opposites. I first came across this idea when I had the chance to work with one of my mentors, Marion Epting. I also drew up some of my experience in martial arts. The idea of opposites in present in many forms in eastern thought and philosophy, but it can be found in the motion of American Kenpo Karate as well. 

The material of water and stone are opposites alone, but the myriad of ways to consider their uses and properties just adds to the exploration of how two simple materials can influence our world. Water is soft and flowing. It can allow things that are buoyant to float within it. Stone is hard and brittle, and things rest on it, not within it. They often go together, creating amazing combinations in nature and human made structures. There are so many ways to look at water and stone that it is possible to have series within this series. 

The photo above shows the nature of water flowing and how it appears in conjunction with a human made structure. The stone sits beneath it, abstracted by the bending of rays of light. Water and stone is often used as an attraction to draw people near, as is the case in the abstract representation of a fountain. Water and stone combine to make a soothing sound that moves people to sit in contemplation and/or frolic in happiness. 

Many of the images that will be coming soon are close ups of how water and/or stone combine to move a person in their various emotions. I look forward to sharing more of this series soon and I hope you, the viewer, will enjoy them also. Please stay tuned to my blog for upcoming pieces and they should be added to my gallery soon. Right now, there are a few pieces that sit in the gallery here that represent the beginning of the "Water and Stone" series. 

-Jesse Brown