Creativity Blog # 2, Arizona Photographer Paul Gill

 A few years ago when I stumbled across the photographs of Paul Gill, I was a bit overwhelmed.  I had the feeling like I had discovered a photographer with something of the same sensibility as what I had hoped to bring to my own best paintings.  A sense of design.  A sense of the extreme variations of color captured in the desert - if one knew the land well enough to have a sense of timing and urgency to find the land at its highest point of expression.  I actually felt like Paul saw the scenes that he photographed much like some of the best painters I knew.  It was clear that to him an image is more than a digital click - it has all the potential to be a piece of art.  Paul Gill, more than any other Arizona photographer I am aware of, makes photographs rise to the level of fine art.

He is also one of the very few photographers whom I have sought out for permission to paint from his images (A reminder to all artists, you should not be painting from other people's photographs without permission.  Paul and I made an arrangement by which I could paint from his images ).  A handful of some of my own best paintings of the desert, mostly in spring themes, have been highly stylized versions of Paul Gill images.

A short bio on his website says it best:

" A native of the Arizona desert, Paul’s photographs have appeared on the cover and pages of Arizona Highways magazine, calendars and books along with Natures Best magazine and many scenic publications, calendars and books as well as displayed in fine art galleries. Paul received his bachelors of fine arts from Arizona State University and had worked as a art director for 17 years. before turning all of his attention to photographing the grandeur of nature."

Paul Gill
Photographer











Official website:
http://paulgill.photoshelter.com

Below is the website for the book "Wild in Arizona" by Paul Gill and Colleen Miniuk-Sperry.   I HIGHLY recommend this book.  It is a great resource for everyone, whether you are interested in photography, or if you are a painter looking for amazing spring blooms! Click below:
http://www.wildinarizona.com/index.htm

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/paulgillphoto


Below are Paul's responses to my "creativity" questions...

 
1) What personal habits do you have that you feel make you more creative?

Previsualization is the key for me to take elements that I have seen from a location or subject matter and find a story of what it is I want to say about it. I then can create a image in my head making decisions about time of day and light direction to tell the story. Sometimes I will remember past images I have seen and will try and think of a ways to change the image to fit my vision. This is always a driving force to get me to a place where I want to create, funny thing is I almost never find that previsualised image but it do’s influence how and what I see.

2) Who are the creative artists, in any field, that inspire you the most?

I was originally inspired by Maxfield Parish and his great sense of light. My photography is inspired by the Father of near-far David Munch and Tucson's own Pulitzer prize photographer Jack Dykinga both of whom I have had the great honor to photograph with in my earlier years. 

3) What do you do when you are not feeling creative?  Or - how to you get yourself back to a point where you are feeling creative?

To be inspired I try and place myself into beautiful light locations and that triggers the creative spark but that's not always possible so to start creating I will make that first image this helps me get in touch with my surroundings and I will start seeing line shape and light, which leads to finding compositions that I can come back to when the optimal light is on them. If nothing is working I will stop trying to force it to happen then come back latter and take that first step by making an image. 

4) What are some creative outlets that you enjoy outside your own respective creative field? 

Music is always my catalyst with upbeat positive tunes to pump me up before a shoot and relaxing background sounds to slow me down so I can concentrate on what is in front of me giving me the ability to focus on one subject at a time and break down a scene to its most simple components. This helps me block out the world around me.

5) For someone who has talent in a creative field, how would you suggest they go about converting that talent into something original - something that stands out from the crowd?

We all have distinctive visions and directions to move our images but sometimes seeing other artists work can help direct our own originality by filtering out what we do and don't like. I found that the more time I spent with professionals the more I developed my own look and personality to my imagery. And it was only then that I was able to explore and experiment with the talent I have which looks nothing like the photographers that originally inspired me. 

For someone just starting out in the creative field and not sure about their direction I like the book: 

Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative. Austin Kleon 

I wish this book was out when I was just starting out.

 

           (This image, "Ponderosa Bloom" is featured in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian)

 http://paulgill.photoshelter.com



 www.neilmyersart.com

Creativity Blog # 1, Singer-Songwriter Joanna Smith

Creativity.  It means a lot of different things to different people.  I have begun to realize, the longer I have been an artist, that creativity is really what most interests me - above and beyond the technical capabilities of being able to paint a hand perfectly, or play a scale on guitar, or write a coherent paragraph - or act out those compelling lines.  At some point it occurred to me; since I have been fortunate enough to have some personal contacts with highly creative people in various fields - ie, the arts, music, etc, I thought it might be interesting to write up a set of questions on creativity and ask those same questions to different people.  So we could see the variations in their creative processes and how they view the act of being creative.

This is the first profile in what I hope will be an extended series of blogs on creativity!
 
This week's Q and A is with RCA Nashville recording artist Joanna Smith.  A few years back I stumbled onto several tracks by her on myspace.  I remember the first song I heard by her was a tune called "Let me Kiss You Again" and immediately I was hooked.  It was delicate, sweet, beautiful and crafty - and I found that she had an entire group of wonderful songs.  Perhaps my ultimate compliment to her is this - I am NOT a big country music fan.  I grew up in the south but was always a rock and 'southern rock' kind of guy.  But this girl had me hooked.  I always wanted to hear more.  And sure, she IS country - but she didn't hide behind any of the cliches of country music.  In fact she reinforced the fact that country, as a genre, is very wide and has room for all kinds of artists working under that stylistic umbrella.  She is an original.  When I first heard her I realized that, despite her being young in years, she was a very mature as a songwriter, and a very well polished performer.  And I have to say this too, she is an absolutely lovely person.  That matters a lot.  I met her at a show in Phoenix in 2011 and saw she was a charismatic performer, as well as being a natural with people one on one.  As a true artist herself, she was kind enough to answer my Q and A for our first blog on creativity...

Joanna Smith
Singer-Songwriter

Official website is: http://www.joannasmithofficial.com/us (This link has a direct link to her latest video, which is a must see, called "We Can't Be Friends".  Do check it out!)

Her music is also available on itunes!



1) What personal habits do you have that you feel make you more creative?
Caffeine!!!!  I love to have my morning cup of coffee and dig into a song idea I may have previously written down.  I get my brain going by first writing in my diary.

2) Who are the creative artists, in any field, that inspire you the most?

Springsteen, hands down.  Steinbeck.

3) What do you do when you are not feeling creative?  Or - how to you get yourself back to a point where you are feeling creative?

I hate that feeling!  I stress about it!  I feel like I'll never feel creative again, and surely it's the end of the world.  But then I remind myself.... it always comes back.

4) What are some creative outlets that you enjoy outside your own respective creative field? 

Studying others' creativity.  I love art of all kinds and it inspires me to make my own.

5) For someone who has talent in a creative field, how would you suggest they go about converting that talent into something original - something that stands out from the crowd?

Always, always be you.  Be open to the journey.  You may start by imitating others' work, then have what you do be criticized at which point make necessary changes as you see fit.  Be open to criticism but listen to your gut.  This is the most natural thing,  it takes time and years of experience to be better at it.  "It" being just being yourself.

Links and info:

Check out Joanna's latest release, the EP "Be What it Wants to Be" available on iTunes


Look for Joanna on tour with Maranda Lambert this spring!  Visit http://www.joannasmithofficial.com/us/home




Here is Joanna Smith's latest music video "We Can't be Friends"








www.neilmyersart.com