I love to do arts and crafts. I draw and do photography, but also collage, tole painting, calligraphy, and even on occasion make lamps or quilts. In the last three years or so, however, more and more of my work has been digitally created. I’ll go into the reasons why in a minute, but first I want to talk about something I noticed recently: when people compliment my work and ask how I did it, they almost invariably seem disappointed when I say that it’s drawn or painted digitally.
It reminds me of the look you get on someone’s face when they praise the cake you brought to the party, and you tell them it’s from a box mix — or Costco. Somehow, most people reevaluate downward their appreciation of the image; it’s like I’ve cheated them. Often, they’ll say something like: “Oh, my friend X does the real thing, you know, with paint.” Continue reading “Really real?”
The Reef 