Fire In My Belly

I have learned some surprising things from making at least one new digital image every day for 437 days.

1) I really like making digital images. That may sound obvious, but I didn’t really believe digital art could be as satisfying to create as it has proven to be. And, as you can see, it is pretty hard to be that prolific using physical materials instead of pixels.

2) I like to think that making digital art is like taking a LOT of photographs. You have to wind up with a few really good ones.

3) I have a terrific collection of collage materials that are all original and by me.

4) Making digital images is my equivalent of reading tea leaves or tarot cards. Each one speaks to me, suggests certain themes and patterns, gives me a story. This has to be the biggest surprise of all.

5) A digital image I really like is basically an underpainting. It gives me either a wonderful place to start, or a place to wind up after I’ve done some other fooling around with paint.

Believe me, I keep it pretty simple. I duplicate and flip, layer, change the transparency levels, change color intensity and hue. The most complex thing I do is draw into the layers, or scratch into them (using the eraser). Yet, it has become more than something I consider a substitute for “real” art. I would now describe it as a real fire in my belly.

Fire In My Belly

With a fire in my belly, I rarely get cold feet. ………….~ Lynda Gaelyn Smith

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