Digital Painting

To The East, Dawn	To The East, Day	Canyon Lake, Winter -Cold!
Valley Creek, Rain Coming	Valley Creek, Clearing	Valley Creek, During Snow
Valley Creek, After Snow	River Bend, Chill	River Bend, Fog

HE LANDSCAPES SERIES reflects my desire to create artwork that reveres natural beauty and is meant to assuage our culture's cynicism. They are atmospheric in many ways. Sometimes man-made elements such as roads, fences, and buildings are included -all working in harmony with their surroundings. These scenes are completely invented, and follow nature's patterns and forms so they seem to be recognizable. Sometimes I think I've been there! This familiarity occurs when I delve deeply into a subject. The feeling of space, atmosphere, life, and time are created by drawing as though I am in the landscape. My hand moves into the depth. I forget the tablet...and dream. Many of these compositions go along with poems written by myself or my wife, Becky.

hat is digital painting? Well, to me, it means using the computer to create artwork that would otherwise be done using traditional painting materials. Of course, it also means doing things with the medium that would be utterly impossible with traditional materials (such as putting watercolor on wet oil paint).

enjoy and believe in this medium for several reasons. The color palette is beautiful. I like to work with "light" -the digital medium is light. Since I have a computer anyway, painting is practically free (after getting software and a drawing tablet). A work in progress can be stored on disk or transferred via the net to any location for further work. Variations on a theme are super-possible, allowing more freedom to explore. Prints can be made on archival paper as the need arises. The artist's hand is never in the way of the composition. One chooses to view the whole composition or just a detail as required. It's not necessary to photograph work; it is virtually ready for publication. No mess! No toxic materials. No cleaning-up! Best of all, I feel expressive when I'm drawing and painting with a tablet and my Macintosh.

he above are available as high-resolution signed prints. If you would like one, email me at: mmcginnis@santarosa.edu. Framing is also available. Image dimensions: 4" x 6" (8" x 10" mat/frame).