How does an artist know when a piece is finished? This is a question I’ve been thinking about since I read a quote by German artist Gerhard Richter, whose astounding work ranges from photorealistic to abstract expressionist: “At the beginning, I feel totally free, and it’s fun, like being a child. The paintings can look…
Recently, I’ve been combing through megabytes of photographs that I’ve taken over the past few years, looking for images worth processing. Now, I’d love to say that this is part of a brilliant strategy: take photos, wait a while, then work on the ones that I spared from the delete key. Such an approach would…
If you’ve been following this blog, you might have noticed that I’ve been on hiatus for the past four months. During that time, I’ve been regrouping as I expand my work from traditional photography into abstracts and composites. It took me a while to get comfortable with the idea of taking and making images of…
For those of you who attended the reception for my “H20 Extremes” exhibition, hosted by Drinkwater’s Cambridge, many thanks. For those who couldn’t, here’s a multimedia recap (see below). The exhibition juxtaposed photos of Death Valley with images of Iceland. The extreme water part of the show concluded with images of the world as seen…
She Loves Me: When Mother Nature Shines Favorably… Back in February, when I visited Death Valley and the surrounding desert areas, I didn’t realize how fortunate I was that the weather cooperated perfectly. During the day, the temperature was mainly in the low 70s. At night, the thermometer dipped down to the mid-forties and then to…
I’m pleased to announce my upcoming exhibit, “H20 Extremes.” The show juxtaposes images devoid of water—such as those taken in Death Valley—with photographs that feature water in abundance. The latter include images of the Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon in Iceland and, much closer to home, close up shots of raindrops collecting on spider web filaments and…
MINDSHIFT GEAR CAMERA BACKPACKI rarely write much about camera gear, but I’m particularly excited about two photography products I used during my trip to Death Valley in February. Both helped make the adventure especially enjoyable and productive. (Note: neither of the items were provided for review by their respective manufacturers.) First, there’s the MindShift Gear…
This month marked another annual father/son sojourn of sun, sand, and solitude. Our 2018 trip took us far from winter’s gloomy cold grip on the Northeast to a place with blazing sun and delicious 80-degree temperatures: the desert. My son Noah and I traveled from Las Vegas to Death Valley National Park, then made our…
For me, nothing is quite as gratifying as seeing my photographic work framed, matted, and on display for the world to see. Recently, I‘ve had the opportunity to do this with 14 images from my portfolio. They’re hanging on the walls of Simon’s—a cozy little café in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The exhibition is called “Matters of…
If 2018 were the year of the Dragon, not the year of the Dog, I’d be especially excited about the image below. To my eye, anyway, the subject of the photo resembles a fanciful beast. From right to left, see the head, body, and tail? ICE + ZEISS = NICE!The “dragon” photo is actually a…
Jane Sherrill - This was a terrific read. I love this last one. The skyline really brings it to a whole new dimension for me.
Steve Bennett - Thanks Jane! When the whole evolutionary series is done I’ll add a new post. You’re a fabulous painter. How do you know when it’s time to put the brush away?
Belle Brett - When is it done? A great question to ask for both artists and writers. Love this last image!
Steve Bennett - Belle, glad you like the images and the question! So, how do YOU know when you’re done with one of your collages? And how did you know when your wonderful novel, Gina in the Floating World, was done?
Ellen - Spot on, Steve. Your work needs to be seen by many.
Steve Bennett - Thanks Ellen. I appreciate the support!