Artwork – Page 9

February 1, 2022January 31, 2022

Spiral Pattern Abstract Created from a Real Photograph

The colors just seemed to work for a new art creation in blue and black.

A spiral pattern created from an actual night photograph of Fire Control Tower #3 at Tower Beach Park of the Delaware Seashore State Park System. When it comes to abstract art I am more about colors and patterns than anything else. I have always liked blue – nearly all shades – and it goes well with black. So I created this abstract by swirling a “real” photograph that was primarily the shades of cobalt blue you see here along with a nearly all-black background. The colors caught my eye and I thought – just let me swirl these around a bit.

Galaxy Collective Spiral Abstract in Blue and Black

Here is the original photo…I simply thought the colors “worked” for the new rendition. FCT #3 is currently being restored as a museum piece and is lighted at night by cobalt blue spotlights. The tower was originally photographed by me, Bill Swartwout, in a swirling rain. The cobalt blue swirl was, hence, derived from the original image keeping only the blue of the tower and the black of the sky. A collection of lights swirling against a black void is, of course, a galaxy collective and, in this instance, in cobalt blue. A galaxy is made up of stars so the star accent was added for a touch or realism. Right?

While the tower is no longer recognizable in the least, the colors are pretty much intact and make a distinctive design when “swirled” in my image editing software.

Fire Control Towner #3 Night with Blue Lighting

It is rather obvious from where the abstract was developed once you see the colors of the original photograph. Hey, wouldn’t that (the abstract) make a challenging jigsaw puzzle?

Chose a link below to see the full image for each photograph above. You can see it on various substrates for wall art and also as a variety of home decor items.

Link: Galaxy Collective in Cobalt Blue with Star

Link: Fire Control Tower 3 in Cobalt Blue

Link to: Bill’s full Gallery at Fine Art America

Link to: Bill’s Gallery at Pictorem

Fire Control Tower #3 is bathed in cobalt blue light on a rainy night in coastal Delaware. Fire Control Tower #3 is located at the Tower Beach Facility in one of the the Delaware Seashore State Parks. This tower, along with Tower #4 in the same state park, and several others along the Delaware Coast provided targeting information for the big guns at Fort Miles, several miles to the north.

Fort Miles and the World War II Fire Control Towers of the Delaware coast were an early example of, what we call today, Homeland Security. Fort Miles and the FCTs were built to protect the Delaware Bay from invasion by enemy ships. They proved to be an excellent deterrent because fire was never directed on an enemy vessel throughout the war.

January 26, 2022January 24, 2022

Fried Bologna Sammy in Myrtle Beach

If you like fried bologna you’ve got to try the sandwich at Duffy’s B&G.

On our most recent trip to Myrtle Beach we visited one of our “must” places on the first night – Duffy’s Bar and Grill at The Bowery, 9th Ave and the Boardwalk. While Duffy’s is known for having outstanding burgers (that’ll be another story), I found solace and a great sammy in “Tammy’s Grilled Bologna Sandwich.”

Fried Bologna Sandwich at Duffy's and The Bowery — Fried Bologna Sandwich at Duffy’s and The Bowery

I suppose it’s a recipe created by Tammy – or it may be a menu item named after a customer or a celebrity (I’ll have to ask next time). They (back in the kitchen) take a thick chunk of bologna and grill it, as they say, to perfection. Then it is flash fried for a delectable crispness and serve it up on lightly toasted white bread slathered with mayo with lettuce and tomato. The kitchen staff must take pride in their work because it truly is a work of art. That’s why I included this photo in my “Food As Art” Collection in my online gallery. Oh, yeah, I washed that sammy down with a couple Bowery Beers, their own brew, that’s not far off from a “Bud” – but tastes a good bit better.

Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and SkyWheel from the 14th Street Pier

So, if you get the munchies when visiting Myrtle Beach the Bowery’s version of a classic Bar and Grill is Duffy’s. It’s easy to find – a few blocks south of the Myrtle Beach SkyWheel and half way down the block from the Boardwalk. It actually fronts on the “empty” space that, years ago, was the Myrtle Beach Pavilion, where the lights went out in 2006.

Yes, believe it or not, this “Food as Art” image is available in my on-line gallery. Click the links below to see more.

Link: Fried Bologna Sammy in Myrtle Beach

Link: Myrtle Beach Oceanfront from the 17th Street Pier

Link to: Bill’s Gallery at Fine Art America

And that’s no baloney! Right?

January 15, 2022January 15, 2022

Mother Nature Is My Favorite Artist

…regardless of using a Vivid or a Monochromatic palette…

Mother Nature is my favorite artist. Whether her palette is abundant with vivid colors or monochromatic, grayscale or black and white, she creates beauty and intrigue all around us. My “job” as a mortal artist is to capture some of that beauty with a camera – so it can be shared with others.

With “brush strokes” of bright yellow on a red-orange canvas, She painted these leaves in Bar Harbor, Maine for all to enjoy.

The only “color” in this scene (below) was created my man. Mother nature provided the silver monochrome sky and reflections in the Atlantic Ocean and Indian River Inlet in Coastal Delaware.

Indian River Bridge Moonlight Panorama Framed

My respect and admiration for Mother Nature is reflected in my artworks. In most of my collections, nature is the co-creator of each piece I have created or, you may say, documented with my camera. The sun, the sea, the trees, and everything I see in my wanderlust are captured where they are most beautiful.

Click below to browse larger images and to see more like this.

Link: Autumn Foliage in Bar Harbor, Maine (Fine Art America)
Link: Autumn Foliage in Bar Harbor, Maine (Pictorem)

Link: Indian River Bridge Moonlight Panorama (Fine Art America)
Link: Indian River Bridge Moonlight Panorama (Pictorem)

Link to: Full Gallery at Fine Art America

Link to: Full Gallery at Pictorem (w/ Free Shipping)

Two thoughts about Mother Nature’s creations…

Wherever we look, nature is fashioning her own personal art scene. From a sweeping prairie to a quiet pond, from the hills of Tuscany to the streets of New York City– Mother Nature inspires with the perfect canvas and the richest pigments. The result? A celebration of color so brilliant it captivates us all.
Soft white clouds and a bluebird sky may welcome a calico kitten or may be a perfect compliment to the serene grayscale image of a mother deer in her misty woodland home with her fawn. A tranquil scene reminds us all that we can enjoy the simple pleasures in life and breath easier knowing that there is such beauty everywhere around us.