August Update
- Aug 10
- 3 min read
Welcome to our August update. Let’s get down to business.
I am very proud of the way artists responded to our last challenge, A World Without Us. We received some truly epic matte-painting-style submissions, alongside deeply moving interpretations that showed just how far this theme could be taken.
The challenges are gradually becoming more demanding, and I hope you will stick with them. The aim is to keep pushing your artistic thinking, your techniques, and the way you build and develop an image.
It is always a pleasure to sit in my little office studio and look through the submissions. I am constantly surprised, moved and inspired by what you create, and it encourages me to keep creating too. I will do my best to keep the challenges interesting, varied and, of course, challenging.
As I mentioned in my emails, I will no longer be creating participation certificates. They turned out to be a little too ambitious on my part and simply took too much time. My main aim now is to keep the challenges running while also having some precious time for my own artwork and for creating new elements for my digital shop.
Please take a moment to visit the A World Without Us gallery, and we would be delighted to welcome you to our next August challenge:
And one very important thank you: I really appreciate everyone who supplies their submission information clearly and in a format that I can simply copy and paste into the final gallery. It makes the whole process much quicker and more efficient.
Who Decides What Counts as Art?
I have recently come across a few articles where digital montage and collage are described as secondary art forms because artists use photography, pre-existing imagery and already-designed elements to create their work.
I also frequently see and hear very strong opinions about AI art. I have had to look at some of my own biases too, and I still have to keep them in check. Our ideas about what art should be, how it should be made and what we consider “real” creativity are shaped by our own experiences, training and preferences. I don't think any of us are completely free of that. What concerns me most is the uncertainty these discussions can create for photographers, digital artists and image-makers. Harsh opinions can sometimes be hurtful or unsettling, especially when they make artists question the value of the way they choose to create.
Because of this, I decided to write and share an article that you may find interesting if you have not already seen it.
It certainly does not have all the answers, but it looks at some of the biases we carry as artists, where our ideas about originality come from, and why using existing material does not automatically make an artwork less creative or less valid.
Most of all, I hope it offers a little reassurance to artists who sometimes find the strong opinions surrounding digital art and AI a bit overwhelming.
You can read the article here: https://www.mariuselsphotoartistry.com/post/what-is-art
New Collections in my Digital Element Shop
If you have missed my updates on Facebook, this is a chance to view new or newish collections that you can find in my digital elements shop for creatives.
Here’s an Update on Some Previous Collections.
I’ve recently added elements to Vintage Photo Effects, Sketch Studio and Clothes & Accessories. If you’ve previously purchased these collections and have lost the PSD files or download links, please don’t hesitate to contact me through my website — I’ll respond as soon as possible. I kindly ask that you keep these links private, as they’re intended only for customers who’ve purchased the collections and may need to re-download or access updated versions.
For those that are not familiar with photoshop and image artistry, I highly recommend Sebastian Michaels' Photo Artistry Course. It's a great way to learn photoshop and to learn how to express yourself through this digital art form.
Please let me know if you have any questions or requests. Thank you for visiting my website.
Comments