Ahhh, at last....I finally made it to the beach.  I have been couped up in the cold dreary northern town of; Cleveland, Toronto, Montreal, Fargo, Lake Winnipesaukee or Lake Wobegon for too long.  It was such a long-cold winter.  I couldn't even wait to get to the beach...this, this looks like a nice spot...it's such a nice day.

full size - www.shawnphotography.com/spring

The results were astounding to me... The mold had grown almost entirely of the orange, consisting within it very gracious shades of gray and shapes.  The sharp detail of the "fresh" mold spores encompassing the inner lying surface of the orange, reminds me that life is constantly evolving, into some form or another.  Although the orange itself is inedible, it is seamlessly adapting to change in its own way.  The apple had dented so gracefully, I decided to cut it open and let it rot for another day so the inside would catch up and hopefully allow the soft edges to curl around it... My study then grew to breads, and other types of fruit & vegetables.  Most recently, I completed the series after becoming obsessed with the extensive pepper family.  From green, red, and yellow bell peppers, to chipotle, cayenne and habanera; the pepper family is vast and beautiful.  The bold shapes and contrasted form each takes into its subsequent fresh rotten form, captures light in a brilliant perspective of food, nature and divine intervention. 

I recently completed the series in a manner that consists of 1/2 color study and 1/2 black and white, respectively. 

You may view the entire exhibition online @  

www.shawnpatrick.net/funk

A lot of people ask me; "How do I know that I am making a good investement, when purchasing a fine art photograph, when there are so many photographs and photographers to choose from?".

Here are a few pointers that I like to tell people whom are in the market to decorate their home, or collecting fine art photographs in general.

1.  Does the photograph appeal to you?

The first and most important aspect in purchasing any peice of art is that you must like, and enjoy your purchase.

2. Look at the quality of the print, ask questions.

I have seen a lot of exhibitions, some good, some bad.  There are a lot og overpriced photography out there that are claimed to be high quality.  For example in the recent past; my wife and I wnet to an exhibition opening reception in which a few photographers work was being showcased.  The prints were a bit pricey in the 400.00-600.00 range, yet you could tell the prints were printed on a poor quality inket printer, and some even had the line marks from an unclean head.  I was appalled for one, and offended as a photographer, that this type of work was being shown at suck high end pricing.  Needless to say, with the poor printing, the prints will most likely fade over a short period of time, since they most likely were not using archival inks....which is another very important aspect, the prints must either be traditional photographic process, or printed using archival inks that are rated for 75 plus years of display life.  Some people are still balking at the idea of collecting inkjet printed art, but there are a lot of high quality artworks available, and most of the high end prints are rated to last longer than traditional darkroom methods.  High quality inkjet archival prints have become an integral part of the photography being shown in mueums and gallery's around the world.

There are many facets in print production and quality of printing.  there are also many facts in regards to the quality of presentation as well.  Make sure all of your purchases for long term use are presented with archival display products, which incluse the matting, tape, spray and framing.

3. Get to know the artist.

While there is a lot of exceptional artwork being produced by "beginner" artists, you must certainly find out if the artist is as serious about their work as you are purchasing the work.  While nothing serves a print purchase greater than enjoying the artwork yourself, when you are purchasing a print, you a purchasing a part of the artist as well. 

Following these few simple guidlines when purchasing artwork, will help make your purchasing investment go a long way, and possibly yield higher returns in the future if you get into high end collecting.

I thought I would start this blog by expressing my appreciation for one favorite photograph, that I have in my collection.

First a little about Mark:

(from creativewilmington.com)

I had the opportunity to exhibit a couple collections of his when we had the gallery in Wilmington.  He and his wife Connie are two exceptional people and artists.

I currently have this photograph featured in my office...The artist chose not to give it a title....

I would call it a Timeless Classic, not as a title, but what it is.  I will not get into the details yet of why I like it, but will leave future comments, as I spend more time enjoying it.

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DODGE & BURN 
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