Distressed/Damaged Zink Photos

I have been printing a lot of images on 2x3 Zink paper recently. I remember from

years ago when the Polaroid POGO first came out there was a video about how to

distress/alter the Zink prints. I decided to give it a go. I used household ammonia.

I used an eyedropper to put a few drops on the paper then spread it around with my

finger. The ammonia begins to eat through the top layer. You can sort of control the

destruction by running water on the photo. Be careful - the force of the water could

wash off more than you meant. You can also just dab the photo with a paper towel to

mop off the extra ammonia. I let the photos dry over night and then spray with

acrylic spray. Sometimes I use kamar varnish spray which is a little more glossy.

Examples below.

Two new artists I found (new to me).

I have recently discovered a couple of new artists that I really like. The first is Rachel Ruysch. You can find her bio here. She paints magnificent still lifes. The colors and lighting on her paintings are incredible. She also adds the occasional bug or butterfly to the setting. I really enjoy looking at her artwork. It's very inspiring as I try to make meaningful images with the camera of flowers and such.

The second artist is Dorothea Tanning. Her bio is here. She was a surrealist painter. She was at one time married to Max Ernst. I like looking at surreal painting - not sure I understand them - but something about them intrigues me.

Book Review: The Theater of Insects by Jo Whaley

Book Review: The Theater of Insects by Jo Whaley. This is a book of photographs created by Jo Whaley. There are more than 50 plates beautifully reproduced on very nice paper. The book is published by Chronicle Books in San Fransisco, CA. The book includes essays by Deborah Klochko and Linda Wiener, in addition to Notes from the Studio, by Jo Whaley.

Each photograph is a construction of insects and objects. The objects which she has chosen to complement the insects are often found objects. The compositions are three dimensional. The colors are wonderful. The textures are rich and complementary. A beautiful book.

The Theater of Insects by Jo Whaley is available at DiscountBookSale.com at a very attractive price. I highly recommend getting your own copy.

Chrisotpher Beane - "Flower" Book Review

I purchased this book straightaway after finding it in the "Bargain Books" at my local B&N. The photographs in this book are incredible. I was immediately inspired to take more flower photographs. The colors and textures of the photos are once again - incredible. I have very few specific favorites - they are all favorites. In quality of photographs I compare this book to Snowflakes by Kenneth Libbrecht, where every photograph is interesting in it's own way. There are several series of photos in the book, and I particularly like the B&W photos, along with the color photos using a simple background. This book would have been worth full price, but as a "Bargain Book", it was quite a steal. It can be found here: Flower by Christopher Beane and Anthony F. Janson .