Defining One’s Muse for Creating Art

If I do have a muse it is in the form of Mother Nature.

Starting as a child of 11, when my parents gave me a home darkroom kit, I spent most of my time shooting and printing captures of Mother Nature’s creations around where we lived. That has continued throughout my life.

My photography is defined in the way I capture light and shadow and endeavor to do so in the way those elements are created in natural scenes, be they landscapes or seascapes, night or day.

Fenwick Island Dunes and Waves
Fenwick Island Dunes and Waves and Sea and Sand in the Afternoon Sun

I could not say why I “create as I do” but I know that if something out there catches my eye, I will go and take a look. Someplace in my mind I like to think that my photography attempts to capture some of the beauty seen in nature. No matter what medium or the camera used, I have tried to capture the essence of what is seen in nature through the camera. Being able to do so allows me to enjoy every shoot and, as a result, my camera becomes an extension of my eyes.

It is true that the architectural endeavors of mankind are also creative and beautiful and at night they may need artificial light (man-made) to be seen. However, during the day it is Mother Nature that brings out the designs, forms and textures of that architectural “masterpiece.”

Historic Waccamaw River Bridge in Black and White
Mother Nature sets the stage for the creations of man, the bridge and the pier are surrounded by the texture, light and shading that sets this scene apart from normal – especially in a black and white presentation.

My goal or wish, through my photography and writing, is to share with you the view of Nature that I have come to know over the last half century. Just as a painter strives to find unique ways in capturing and creating images, I too am always searching for a variety of creative outlets in photography and, occasionally, in writing.

Photography with its many disciplines is vast, it has been said that there are as many definitions as photographers. My photographs may not be for everyone, but if someone wants to see my work I invite them to do so at:

Link to: My Full Gallery at Pictorem

Link to: My Ocean City Gallery at Pictorem

Link to: My Full Gallery at Fine Art America

Link: Fenwick Island Dunes and Waves Panorama

Link: Waccamaw River Memorial Bridge at Conway in Black and White

The world is full of photographers, the ubiquitous cell phone camera has made sure of that, and anyone can look at the creations of others and say to themselves, “I could do that.” But do they (or we) really have the “eye” to see it? The creative eye that takes something out of nothing and creates a work of art? What does one need to do in order to create art? I have been striving to answer that answer for a very, very long time.

What I am seeking is what my Muse gives me when I visit her throughout the wonder of Creation’s pathways. What is within me seeks expression in the form of capturing a feeling or mood which often resides in the compositions that appear before me. For me it starts with an idea and evolves into the moment of commitment to an image. That is what I endeavor to share with my viewers and buyers.

Camera Screen with a Scene of the Indian River Bridge at Sunset

Mother Nature Is My Favorite Artist

…regardless of using a Vivid or a Monochromatic palette…

Mother Nature is my favorite artist. Whether her palette is abundant with vivid colors or monochromatic, grayscale or black and white, she creates beauty and intrigue all around us. My “job” as a mortal artist is to capture some of that beauty with a camera – so it can be shared with others.

With “brush strokes” of bright yellow on a red-orange canvas, She painted these leaves in Bar Harbor, Maine for all to enjoy.

Autumn Leaves in Bar Harbor Framed

The only “color” in this scene (below) was created my man. Mother nature provided the silver monochrome sky and reflections in the Atlantic Ocean and Indian River Inlet in Coastal Delaware.

Indian River Bridge Moonlight Panorama Framed

My respect and admiration for Mother Nature is reflected in my artworks. In most of my collections, nature is the co-creator of each piece I have created or, you may say, documented with my camera. The sun, the sea, the trees, and everything I see in my wanderlust are captured where they are most beautiful.

Click below to browse larger images and to see more like this.

Link: Autumn Foliage in Bar Harbor, Maine (Fine Art America)
Link: Autumn Foliage in Bar Harbor, Maine (Pictorem)

Link: Indian River Bridge Moonlight Panorama (Fine Art America)
Link: Indian River Bridge Moonlight Panorama (Pictorem)

Link to: Full Gallery at Fine Art America

Link to: Full Gallery at Pictorem (w/ Free Shipping)

Two thoughts about Mother Nature’s creations…

  1. Wherever we look, nature is fashioning her own personal art scene. From a sweeping prairie to a quiet pond, from the hills of Tuscany to the streets of New York City– Mother Nature inspires with the perfect canvas and the richest pigments. The result? A celebration of color so brilliant it captivates us all.
  2. Soft white clouds and a bluebird sky may welcome a calico kitten or may be a perfect compliment to the serene grayscale image of a mother deer in her misty woodland home with her fawn. A tranquil scene reminds us all that we can enjoy the simple pleasures in life and breath easier knowing that there is such beauty everywhere around us.

Brewing a Pot of Tea as Part of a Challenge at FAA

A pot of hot tea is a great way to begin the day – even with camera in hand.

Being a fairly active member of the art Discussions (forum) at Fine Art America I have been involved in several “Art Challenges” over the last year. These involve posting one new piece of art based on a theme, one piece per day for a set number of days. The Forum Moderator, Abbie (a talented painter and photographer), creates these challenges along with the help of another uniquely talented artist, Donna. These challenges help us, as artist-participants, focus for a period of time on a particular theme, which encourages new creativity. We all get to see how colleagues interpret the theme, creating a win-win activity for all involved.

The current challenge is “7 Day Kitchen Macro Images” and has about 30 guinea pigs, er – participants, creating close-up images of things in/around a kitchen. I started off with my morning kitchen routine of making a pot of tea for my wife and a cup of coffee for me. My only change in routine was to have my camera in hand affixed with a macro (close-up) lens. My first image was of the fire used to heat the teapot full of water.

Blue Flams heating the Tea Pot
An Expressionism view of blue gas flames heating a pot of water to make tea.

Yesterday, day #1 of the Challenge, I heated the water for a pot of tea – so today (day #2) I added in the tea bag. The teabag was easier to photograph than the gas flame because I didn’t have to put the camera right on the stove near the burners.

Tea Bag as a Charcoal Sketch
A traditional tea bag hanging by its string and presented as a simulated charcoal sketch.

I was able to hang the tea bag by its string and photograph it with a shallow depth of field to blur out the background, which is actually a brown wicker-back chair near a window. A tea bag, by itself, is rather plain so I edited this into a simulated charcoal sketch presentation.

Link: Blue Flames Heating Up the Teapot Expressionism

Link: Tea Bag Rendered in Charcoal

Tomorrow I will need to photograph a cup of coffee as it is being brewed. 🙂

Visit my FAA gallery at Bill Swartwout Photography.