Meet Bindi

[Sangreaal]

OoooOOoooo....Eric wants to play 20 questions!

Quote: Originally Posted by The Pond Digger Marie, Can you give a brief description of your specific specialty without revealing any secrets to your talent? I'm a pixel pusher that specializes in koi portraits. Do you photgraph and then paint? Photography is the basis for my digital art, so yes, I photograph first and then "paint" digitally, and I work the image in one or more programs to produce the final artwork. Is it done on the computer? Yessir, always and ever on the computer. If my hard drive fried tomorrow all of my art would be no more, but for the prints made of them. If you photo then paint or photoshop, do you ad lib things like extra eyes and such? I can and do ad lib things when the mood strikes me. If I wanted to put in a gazillion eyes I could do it. I can also pick up a virtual brush, palette knife, air brush, or any number of digital tools and finish the art entirely by hand, like KoiAddict's Moby-San: How long does a piece like this take you to produce? Bindi's digital watercolor took me about half an hour to get to that level. Moby-San took over 3 hours, more like 5. Do you have an original and then produce copies for your local clubs, family and friends? The only original to a digital work is what's on the hard drive. I can produce unlimited copies for local clubs, family and friends, but I'm not into mass production. More like a ones-y twos-y thing. How big is the original piece and is it a wall hanging style piece? The original piece is an incredibly huge file quite a few megs in size, and can be printed on a plotter up to movie poster size. If I were taking the pics with, say, a 10mp or better camera, they could go much bigger. Oil paint? Only in my dreams... Are all of your pieces set up to screen print onto shirts and sweaters for you local clubs, family, friend, admirers and stalkers. Just kidding, but not really! So far, screen printing is not something that is cost effective with my art. In much of my finished work there are so many levels of color it would cost a mint to do it and a talented intrepid spirit to do the printing for me. I have a family deep down in Mississippi digitally dye the images into white or very light colored textiles. It doesn't fade, run, shrink, itch, or feel plasticized and wears at the rate of the garment/bag material. But...I'm stuck with the white/light colors until I can figure out a cost effective/creative way to put my art on deep, vibrant colors. I'm getting tired of white.... You know when you become famous, you're bound to have a stalker or two! You promise??? Looking forward to your reply. The Pond Digger

Bindi's original watercolor continued in Adobe with a new technique I'm just now working on...


Up late creating new art,
Marie

[mitten]

You mean - up late waiting for a really good stalker.

[Sangreaal]

Quote: Originally Posted by mitten You mean - up late waiting for a really good stalker.

I've been found out.....

[The Pond Digger]

Thanks for your detailed description. Very interesting so say the least. Can you post some top view work you have done?

Origianlly, I thought you would wake up one day and say, "l'm going to master piece a wonderful Showa this week and then Shiro Utsuri next week and then move onto Kumonryu (notice my taste?) and so on. HOWEVER, it looks like the fish you have available to photo can dictate what you produce.

I'm sure you can change the pattern on the fish randomly with your computer program BUT now I think just how unique your style is. You are actually producing enhanced pieces from actual fish! Even better!

Do you go on tour? I don't imagine you would be bowling every fish you want to do art on and then showing them in a side viewing tank for photographing. IS IT AN UNDERWATER CAMERA?

I imagine your talent could be in high demand. You know, visiting the home of Steven Speilberg and photoghraphing is prized Koi and then producing art to be hung in his library or media room. YOU SHOULD KNOW ME by now! Thinking big.

[Sangreaal]

Yep, my art is totally dependent on the photos I use, and being able to find really photogenic fish and be able to photograph them in my leisure is a luxury not often found without actually owning the koi themselves.

Here is a top view vignette of a bowled SJKoi Hariwake I did a while ago.


Pretty, but pretty boring as well. I prefer top shots in a more energetic setting, ideally something that can tell a story or invoke a feeling.





(this one of my Sakai Isawa Kindai Showa is a work in process--I'm not quite done with it yet)

But I always seem to come back to koi faces, even in the top shots. I don't know why I'm so compelled to do so, but I have to show their living personalities, not just their innate beauty.

Another work in process:


And finally, Indigo, my Hiroshin Soragoi:


My side and close up facial shots come from the QT, and yes, it's an aquarium indoors. That's where Bindi is right now as well as some other fish that won't be going in the pond until Spring. I get to know these fish really up close and personal this way, and what I see every day in my own special way is what you get to see in my art. That's really really how I see these fish, and the camera captures those split second moments that I could no longer share with anyone else than I could ever possibly suspend time to do so. After they're in the pond, these kinds of shots are no longer available....






Do I go on tour? Oh wouldn't that be nice! Paid to visit and hang out at other people's ponds taking a gazillion pics (that's what it takes, btw) to get those sterling slices of time to work with. But no, I haven't been commissioned to do that...yet.

Quote: Originally Posted by The Pond Digger Thanks for your detailed description. Very interesting so say the least. Can you post some top view work you have done? Origianlly, I thought you would wake up one day and say, "l'm going to master piece a wonderful Showa this week and then Shiro Utsuri next week and then move onto Kumonryu (notice my taste?) and so on. HOWEVER, it looks like the fish you have available to photo can dictate what you produce. I'm sure you can change the pattern on the fish randomly with your computer program BUT now I think just how unique your style is. You are actually producing enhanced pieces from actual fish! Even better! Do you go on tour? I don't imagine you would be bowling every fish you want to do art on and then showing them in a side viewing tank for photographing. IS IT AN UNDERWATER CAMERA? I imagine your talent could be in high demand. You know, visiting the home of Steven Speilberg and photoghraphing is prized Koi and then producing art to be hung in his library or media room. YOU SHOULD KNOW ME by now! Thinking big.

[The Pond Digger]

I see an underwater camera in your future!

The Pond Digger

[smithvillemike]

I can lend you mine. I have been in my koi pond testing new scuba gear. When it warms up I'll have to get some good pictures.

[The Pond Digger]

I hope to add some underwater camera equipment to my addiction in 2008.

After looking at your artwork from above, by the way which is very nice, I really have a better understanding why I'm moved by your other pieces so much.

Looking into the face of your finned friends really changes everything. The change in perspective is super refreshing as most people don't have a chance to view their koi from that angle. You begin to understand their personality from facial expressions.

I will look forward to adding underwater equipment to my camera supplies so I can find the right photo to commission your way.

If you plan a tour through Southern California you might have to put me on your route after you finish up at Speilberg's place.

The Pond Digger

[The Pond Digger]

Quote: Originally Posted by smithvillemike I can lend you mine. I have been in my koi pond testing new scuba gear. When it warms up I'll have to get some good pictures.

Can you give us some details about your underwater camera equipment? Better yet, can you post some photos you have using the equipment.

Limitations? Pros, Cons, experiences and such.

Thanks,

The Pond Digger

[Meg]

I knew that was you!
and how is The Beautiful Tigerlily?

you art is beautiful! If you every see one of my pictures and want to play with it it is yours for the asking!