Donald Diddams
The Art of Digital Art
Point Udall View to Buck Island
Posted on May 8, 2009
Buck Island View from Point Udall - 2009
Local tourism brochures advertise Point Udall on St. Croix as the easternmost point in the United States. The park and monument on Point Udall are on a high hill. This view looks back to the northwest along St. Croix’s north shore toward the iconic Buck Island in the distance. Although abstracted into a study in shape and color, the glowing attraction of the offshore landmark is still recognizable.
The Changing Room
Posted on April 30, 2009
The changing room - 2009
This image came from a little park on the beach nearby. There is a small building with changing rooms for swimmers, and a number of large rocks and boulders that have been painted bright pink, yellow and purple. The half door, the colored boulders and the play of the shadows under the eaves in the early morning light led to this abstraction.
Carambola Dream
Posted on March 9, 2009
Carambola Dream (2009)
Believe it or not, this too started out as a picture of a carambola — a single fruit on a marble slab.
But it is still there — its gentle curves and angular shapes, ripeness, tartness, splinters of color reflected and from within, and the smooth leathery feel of its skin.
Abstracts and Imaginary Landscapes
Posted on February 26, 2009
There is always a distinct tension for me between accessible realism, and the more abstract. By moving too far toward the abstract, there is a danger that the connection points for viewers get lost. The images in this post are part of a series of abstractions inspired by the brilliant color fields of Sandy Point and illustrate this tension.
Breaking Wave (Sandy Point - 2009)
I have read that there is a trend toward realism right now. Perhaps that is a response to economic factors, and what sells. Or perhaps it is something deeper, reflecting shorter attention spans, less time for reflection and contemplation, or a need for the familiar in a changing world — and a corresponding desire for art that is comfortable and accessible. If communication is the goal, perhaps a trend toward realism is a good thing. Any thoughts?
Lines in the Sand (Sandy Point - 2009)
Fort Christiansvaern, Take 2
Posted on February 14, 2009
Here’s a slightly different perspective on our old fort, all planes, shapes and colors. Just the picture for today. That’s all. Time to get back to the shoreline…
Fort Christiansvaern, take 2
Mystery at the Water’s Edge
Posted on February 9, 2009
There is a story about zen master Shunryu Suzuki-roshi who was asked to summarize Buddhism in a single sentence. His answer was, “everything changes.” Where the sea brushes the shore is a place of constant change, and sometimes mystery – almost a metaphor for life.
Mystery at the Water's Edge - 2009
This image was inspired by a spot along Davis Bay on St. Croix where the water had carved the sand into soft curves and mounds. That glowing green object held in the shadowed curve of sand emerged as I worked on this image. It had to be coaxed out into the open.
Buck Island View
Posted on January 18, 2009
One of the visually stunning aspects of living on St. Croix is the nearly constant view of the ocean and the shoreline. The colors and textures of the transition from land to water inspired this image.
Buck Island View - 2008
This was sold at a benefit show for Haiti Community Support, a local non-profit dedicated to helping a small Haitian community. It has also led to the beginning of a “shoreline” series.
It would be easy, working with the color fields of ocean and beach, to venture off into purely decorative abstraction. I like to think “Buck Island View” is enhanced by the natural elements in it that help ground the image and evoke some of the wonder that the sea is due.
I enjoy producing images that are a pleasure to look at. But it is also important to me for a piece to have some meaning beyond pure decoration. Balancing these elements is one of the things that makes the artistic endeavor endlessly challenging and exciting.
St. Croix — Hotel Caravelle Artwork
Mocko Jumbies
Donald Diddams 