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There is a storm on the horizon

There is a storm on the horizon, 4 1/2" x 11 1/2" excluding wings, 2003


This is a piece that I made quite a long time ago, but I thought I'd share it with you, because it uses a couple of techniques that might help you out some day.  I really need to get a new picture of it sometime, because about 1/2 inch has been clipped off on the left by my too-short scanner.

At the time I made it, there was a lot of upheaval going on in my life (much like now!) so maybe that's another reason that I was drawn back to this piece.  I can see some things that I would do differently if I were making it now, but that's ok.  I digitally changed this shot of the Grand Canyon (a view from Plateau Point) by stretching it out width-wise and by enhancing the colors.  What I wanted was a much more "atmospheric" look, so I tried to make the foreground brighter and the mountains in the background dark and ominous.  Looking at it now, I really think I should have made the sky darker and roiling with angry clouds, with the butterfly escaping into maybe a tiny little remaining patch of light. What do you think?

Anyway, once I got the image the way I wanted it at the time, I printed it out and used traditional collaging methods to add the leggy butterfly and the text.  The part that I absolutely like the best is the way the wings break free from the edge of the landscape.  That is something I wouldn't change!
Copyright 2011 Cyndi Lavin. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit. May be printed out for personal use or distributed electronically provided that entire file, including this notice, remains intact.

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Comments

Mice Aliling said…
I also get that with my short scanner... There are a lot of images that you just can't seem to fit into it. Anyway, the piece is interesting. I like the flying words.
Cyndi L said…
Thanks! It's good to know that I'm not alone in my (sometimes) frustration :-)
Hi Cyndi,

I like the whole concept - both the old and the new.

But if you make the sky darker and more ominous, will the butterfly stand out at all? Or are you think of lightening the orange foreground as well?

Definitely have the butterfly heading toward a patch of light. That will be very evocative.

Hope the storm clouds clear up soon.
Cyndi L said…
LOL!! I don't know if the butterfly would stand out as well, but for now I think I'll leave it be. If I decide to fool around with it, I think it will be digitally so that I don't end up with "buyer's remorse"!