When I discovered Photoshop, I felt that I had come across the Holy Grail of the collage artist. After many years of working with photographic collage, laboriously cutting and pasting physical photographs, (either my own or ‘objets trouves'), I felt I had reached certain limits of the medium. I wanted more control of scale, color, light and transparency. So I left collage and went on to work in paint, pastel and printmaking- my ‘Caribbean period' (See www.Arawakart.com).
I returned to America in 1993 to work on my video Visions of the Arawaks . When I moved to California in 1994 and formed the Sanctuary of Light multi media studios with Dr Christopher Hills, I discovered Photoshop. I embarked on a learning curve to gain some kind of control of the medium. I took a couple of classes at the college to give me some basics. I was also fortunate enough to be able to learn ‘by osmosis' when we engaged a graphic artist- Christine Kekenos- to create a series of labels for Dr Hills' Light Force company. I had the vision for the labels and Christine had the skill set for realizing them. Watching her gave me a good initiation into the program. She worked for Kai Krause and I was very excited about the tools Kai was offering to the creative artist.
Thousands of hours of application and trial and error helped me align with the ‘magic box' that Photoshop and its filters represent.
In 2001 Dhiren Dasu became my media partner. He brought his own creativity and a skill set in digital media that complimented my own. He has played a key element in bringing these visions into reality. Dhiren participated in the creation of a number of these digital collages, as well as being my techno muse throughout and the person to whom I turned to solve my problems. I acknowledge and appreciate his support and contributions.
This gallery of images consists mainly of images from three of my ongoing projects – The 64 Dakini Oracle, Ecstatic Portals and Rainbow Body Awakening . I have been working on these projects – in both digital art and video – for several years. Rather than wait until the projects are completed, I decided to start sharing these images now.
As I am able to express myself in many media, I really appreciate the special qualities and process associated with each one. In creating collages on the computer, I can enjoy painting with the light spectrum rather than pigment. I can work with very fine detail which would take a long time to replicate in a painting. I can create layers of images which can be manipulated in a myriad of ways to create new associations and dimensions. It is a rich and fertile arena for the creative spirit.
It is my hope that digital art will take its rightful place in the pantheon of the fine arts.
Penny Slinger |
