Donald Diddams
The Art of Digital Art
Fish Lips
Posted on August 18, 2009
Fish for Dinner? -- 2009
I saw these guys on ice in an open air market in New York last year, and finally got around to working with the image. I don’t know what kind of fish they are, but it’s clear they’d been giving the passers-by a lot of lip.
A Mango-Tangle of Colors
Posted on August 12, 2009
The abstract images below started as photographs of one large mango and six small ones.
The first image is more or less the original mango colors. Stored sunshine. The other two emerged as I was working with the image. For me — even though there is little or no content to the images — they each evoke a different reaction and different feelings. While I have a favorite, looking at the three together raises a question.
“I like art that makes me smile,” I’ve been told. Many people do, and many also don’t like — and don’t respond to — art that evokes less positive emotions. But does that make it any less valid?
Mango 1
Mango 2
Mango 3
Outfall
Posted on August 6, 2009
Outfall - 2009
This image started as an abstract, but somehow also became a reflection on our culture and economy. It is interesting how the colors, the grid-like overlays, and the shapes contribute to an ambiguity of meaning that the imagery of the pipe and wall alone could not carry.
Stories to tell
Posted on July 31, 2009
Stories to tell - 2009
Vacant and for sale, this old building in the heart of Frederiksted looked like it had many stories to tell. The stone and brick lower level, arched arcade, wood upper floor and tin hip roof epitomize the style of an earlier era that makes Frederiksted so charming. The entire town is a gem in the rough, just waiting for the restorer’s touch to make it sparkle again.
Tanker in waiting
Posted on July 25, 2009
Tanker in waiting - 2009
The oil tankers often lurk offshore waiting for their turn at the spigot. This one was empty, riding high, eager for its fill. He chose the calm lee of the island, hovering there in the fading and hazy light of a cloudy evening.
Contact!
Posted on July 21, 2009
Contact -- 2009
Two large rocks along the shore just barely touched, bridged by a few small stones and had a thin channel of seawater running between them. The shadows and colors reminded me of a bruise radiating out from where the rocks made contact.
For contact of a different sort, I had an opening reception for a show of my work last Saturday night at a small gallery in Christiansted . Even though this is the off-season here on St. Croix, we had nearly 100 guests and over 20 sales. I was thrilled with such a positive response. I guess I’ll keep working!
Upheaval at the shore
Posted on July 9, 2009
Upheaval at the shore - 2009
While walking along the beach, the blue waves of the Caribbean Sea were in sharp contrast to the sunlit golden sand, coral stone and little black sea urchins at my feet. Suddenly, the warm tones of the sand and stone just under the water’s edge burst out, threatening to tear the very fabric of the sea… I wonder if that happens every day.
In case of emergency…
Posted on July 3, 2009
... just pull the red handle - 2009
Did you ever feel like you needed an escape hatch? Here’s one. Just pull the red handle and see where you go.
The Baths at Wills Bay
Posted on June 26, 2009
The Baths at Wills Bay - 2009
The “baths” at remote Wills Bay on the northwest shore of St. Croix is essentially a large tidepool set among sharp jagged rocks. The water is clear and green and is refreshed periodically when a large ocean swell crashes into the rock barrier and splashes over into the pool. It’s a bit of a struggle to get there (unless you hire a jeep and guide), but is one of the magical spots on the island.
Primarily Abstract
Posted on June 17, 2009
Primarily Abstract - 2009
This image started as a photograph of some reddish-brown vines, green weeds, bright yellow/green paint spilled on the broken pavement, and shattered blue glass scattered across the area. I was attracted by the color fields and the texture of the blue glass.
Unfortunately, the areas of color were not clearly defined by a change in values and the scene was flat, despite the colors. This abstract is the result of my experimentation to find a solution and “save” what was interesting about the original scene.
Beyond the Green Door
Posted on June 11, 2009
Beyond the Green Door - 2009
This is from the same series as the “Window to the Past” in the previous post. Here the brightly lit interior space draws the viewer in toward the green door with the little round window. It looks dark through there. I wonder what is on the other side?
A Flower in the Magic Forest
Posted on June 1, 2009
Cannonball tree flower -2009
The cannonball tree is named for its heavy round fruit that grows on gnarled stems attached to the tree’s trunk (see photo below). The flowers are beautifully complex and colorful, with hues of red, orange, yellow and white – almost a world unto themselves. You can see a second interpretation of this flower on my web site.
This tree is a specimen at the St. George Village Botanical Garden on St. Croix, home to many strange and wonderful tropical plants. And no, the fruits are not edible. In fact they stink when they fall and crack open.
Cannonball tree fruit
St. Croix — Hotel Caravelle Artwork
Mocko Jumbies
Donald Diddams 