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Category: Scanography

Day 19 Heart by Mary Gow
Day 19 Heart by Mary Gow

Day 19 – Heart in the Flower of Life

November 24, 2020 /
Day 19 Heart by Mary Gow

Day 19 Heart by Mary Gow

A small heart stone lies within a flower of life mandala. I remember learning about this sacred geometry symbol and being told to look at it often.

Welcome to Day 19 of my One Hundred Hearts Project. These last three days I’ve been creating hearts using photography to capture a feeling rather than paintings — both methods I then edit with Photoshop to add interest.

Today’s heart reminded me how much fun it is to compose by placing objects on a scanner. It’s the closest I can get right now to making photograms – which are created in the darkroom by placing objects on photo sensitive paper that are then flashed with light under the enlarger. The outcome is a mystery until it is taken through the photo chemical process.

Day 19 Heart was completed in Photoshop using the solarization filter.

Day 18 Heart by Mary Gow
Day 18 Heart by Mary Gow

Day 18 – Heart Emerging

November 23, 2020 /

Day 18 Heart by Mary Gow

Day 18 Heart by Mary Gow

Quickly, spontaneously, I grabbed some items to place on a scanner to compose this piece: 1) an angel a dear friend and former neighbor gave me; 2) three fake flowers I bought to wear in my hair a la Frida Kahlo, and 3) a scarf another dear friend gave me.

Getting back to my love of photograms and scanograms this process takes me out of my head to a space that’s timeless.

I placed these items on the scanner bed, arranged them, then scanned them.

Then I played with it in PhotoShop.

This process reminds me how well I can do when I don’t think too much and instead act on intuition.

Day 18 is an intuitive heart, I call “Heart Emerging.”

“Intuition is a spiritual faculty and does not explain, but simply points the way.” – Florence Scovel Shinn

The Longest Running Annual Art Exhibit in San Francisco

May 10, 2012 /
Seeds of Joy

“Seeds of Joy,” scanogram by Mary Gow

I have a secret about a scrumptious view of San Francisco. It’s at an exquisitely light-filled space and its staff has for 54 years had the generosity to host an annual art show! The Potrero Hill 54th Annual Artists Exhibition runs through June 1st.

The current show features the work of sixty artists ranging from sculpture and ceramics to painting and photography.

If you’re looking for an off-the-beaten-path place to see San Francisco, check out this awesome space, especially the six seats on the other side of the magazine showcase on the second floor.

The library was designed and renovated by the San Francisco Department of Public Works. It reopened in 2010. Here’s a slideshow the SFDPW produced that show’s off the space.

This is the same neighborhood where painter Wayne Thiebaud moved to in 1973. For more about Thiebaud and the Potrero neighborhood see Philip’s Garden Blog’s observations of the streets of Potrero Hill and Thiebaud’s depictions of them.

My piece in the show is a digitally manipulated scanogram titled “Seeds of Joy.” I produced it by placing objects on my scanner, and then pushed it further using Photoshop.

The scanner offers a stable surface for placing objects and the photo mechanism is securely mounted. What a treat for composing elements.

You might also enjoy:
–Inside the Modern
–The Portable Artist
–A Library of 3 Minute Explanatory Videos

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