when art begets art

Colville paintings fit comfortably with fiction because they often hint at an imagined world of relationships and a subliminal level of emotions. His symbols register as fragments of stories that are never entirely told, rather the way Paul Simon writes lyrics as fragments of narrative.

What Colville shows is engaging, but he hints that something even more gripping is happening offstage, not that he would be so literal as to show it. ... He quotes with evident pleasure a French critic who remarked that in Colville there is always something terrible happening, over the horizon, just out of sight.

(The National Post, October 31, 2000)

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Ever taken a photo and watched as it took on some unspeakable, barely-there hint of something else? Has bokeh felt like impressionism? Has visual staccato or abstract line or repetitive pattern or blocks of colour in your photos reminded you of modern art?

Today, share with us a photo that -- intentionally or unintentionally -- feels like art. Feel free to get specific, as to a particular period or artist (a painter, another photographer, any medium) or simply share with us something that feels artful to you.

Comments

[margie]

i took this photo in jerusalem last year. i always felt there was something much larger down those stairs than what i could just see.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/margela/

[Karyn]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kayak57/3102839650/in/set-72157611124137621/

This one surprised me by ending up looking like some kind of colorful painting. It's actually my hotel room in austin (the bluish lights are the tv) with the shutter open for 30 seconds.

[busymomma66]

I had Edward Hopper in mind when I shot and processed this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/busymomma66/3334604964/

[Kate C.]

These are my favorite "became something else" shots.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/katherinec/2041560578/in/set-72157603470981048/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/katherinec/3255146207/in/set-72157603470981048/

[Toni]

My first comment on this photo said it had a painted quality. Art History class was too many years ago to recall a particular artist, but this has a water color feel to me.

http://dailyvignette.com/2009/02/26/a-bug-in-the-barn/

[Katy]

For Christmas, my parents commissioned a family friend to paint each of my brother, sister, and I a piece depicting our cottage. For mine, she used a photo that I took, and turned it into a painting. It's a really special gift, and something that is going to be hanging in my house forever.

Here is the original photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29536663@N04/2856701175/

And the painting (I think she did a wonderful job):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29536663@N04/3360039356/

[Sue Henry]

Coincidentally, yesterday's blog post dealt with this very same subject. Please visit http://suehenryphotography.wordpress.com

[NotAnna]

I've played a few times with self-portraits, trying to learn how to place lights. My most recent experiment produced photo that was too grainy to make for a good photo, but one of the handy-dandy PS Elements tools turned it into a pseudo-painting that I quite like: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31866449@N04/3352838782/.

[Mod Girl]

Golden warmth with simple, almost abstract lines... I captured it in my home.

http://modobjectathome.blogspot.com/2009/02/micromacro-1.html

[Amanda Johnston]

A dream of spring:
http://endlesslightcreations.blogspot.com/2009/03/dream-of-spring.html

[debi]

Last spring I I had a very deja-vu experience while photographing a little pink dress. Turns out I'd painted such a dress 10 dress years earlier, but didn't realize it until I downloaded the images. Serendipity.
http://emmatree.blogspot.com/2008/03/little-pink-dresses_22.html

[Jamie-o-e-o]

I took a picture of a magnolia blossom yesterday; the shallow depth of field and overall softness of the picture made me think of watercolors blending together...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrs-eaves/3358778130/

[Charlane]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/charlaneg/3357536775/ to me, the light and the delicate baby hair made me feel like an old master

http://www.flickr.com/photos/charlaneg/3323048630/ here, I felt like Warhol

[Ange]

this is my favorite straight out of the camera, somewhat surreal shot

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8266875@N02/3247857404/

[Puna]

I surprised myself with the processing I did on this shot. I put the before photo in as well...

http://lifesignatures.wordpress.com/2009/03/16/before-and-after-the-barn/

Loved looking through the art of the commentors...

[camerashymomma]

this felt like a painting to me, the motion and the blur. lately photography has been wanting me to paint for this very reason. making something so flat look like textured paint.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/camerashymomma/3354029110/

that photo of yours is full of story. love this post kate.

[robin-bird]

how many ways can you love a photograph?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22496405@N03/3360330438/

[kosenrufu mama]

http://esterdaphne.blogspot.com/
here an art shot... for me art of life....

[robin-bird]

how many ways can you love a photograph?

whoops the above link is dead! here it is again...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22496405@N03/3360367506/

[Marcie]

This reminded me of a Japanese silk painting:
http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=718

[Barrie]

I recently took a photography class. This was one of my favorties photos from the class assignments. It makes me think of a still life painting.

http://barrieb.wordpress.com/2009/03/16/still-life/

[Kelly]

For the sake of time and a fussy toddler, I'm going with the "just feels artful": http://kellysphotographyblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/thirty-one-spray-bright-evening-into.html
and the old oil painting, which I know you've featured here already: http://kellysphotographyblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/weekend-giveaway.html

I just love the things you can do with a camera...

[Tracey Clark]

omg. i have soooo many shots that feel more like paintings than photographs. abstracts, blur, bokeh all lend themselves to this concept in my own presonal work.
this shot has always reminded me of a Mark Rothko painting.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/maypapers/3360428572/
great photo and post kate.

[Kathleen O./ko2008]

Nature's art...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ko2008/3358291878/

Longing for summer am I!

[KL]

When I first saw this picture, with the branches backlit by the grey winter sky, it had a very ink drawing or screen print quality to me. Even the the sprig in the bottom right gave me the impression of an artists signature.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12418609@N00/3359682161/

[Mrs. E]

This isn't recent. It was taken last fall. I like the misty quality of it. After a summer of really ugly tornado torn streets, it was nice to know that there was still some place in my small town that was pretty.

http://erickfam.blogspot.com/search/label/fall

[Jessamyn]

This was an instant favorite that was taken while visiting friends in Las Vegas.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/thelittlehouse/3359806519/

[Steph Wiese]

Sunsets or sunrises always capture my heart.

http://stephwiese.squarespace.com/

[CDScott]

Here are a few of my favorite "artful life" shots.

http://courtneysablogger.blogspot.com/2009/03/artful-life.html

[Leslie]

Here's my version of art "photography", with help of a little photoshop, a couple in love.

http://lesliephoto.blogspot.com/2009/03/when-art-begets-art.html

[Alejandra]

I came across this shot while dropping off my friend's car at the local mechanic's shop. This image caught me eye--the shapes, lines and rust.

http://fotografias-fotografias.blogspot.com/2009/01/yellow.html

[shelli]

I really don't know enough about art to compare it to another artist's, but I always felt like this shot was very artsy:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spabis/3016942236/in/set-72157607622594351/

[faith]

I really like this one: http://www.flickr.com/photos/faither81/3357761153/

and maybe this one: http://www.flickr.com/photos/faither81/3358578526/in/set-72157614448973046/

or: http://www.flickr.com/photos/faither81/3350503658/

Lately I find myself taking a lot of closeup almost bokeh photos, or at least trying to. :-)

[jody]

this one def. gave me the feeling of being on the edge of something else...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jodyangel/3173591911/

This is a photo I was asked to restore by my dear neighbor...I love the vintage look it has..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jodyangel/3157047179/

And this finally is a photo that I have fallen in love with from our trip this past week to Las Vegas =)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jodyangel/3356481671/

[Alicia]

One of my favorite "artistic" shots:
http://aliandsethinthecity.blogspot.com/2008/11/bethesda-fountain.html

Another I like from last fall:
http://aliandsethinthecity.blogspot.com/2008/11/tall-trees.html

And one last:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/34467943@N07/3286880634/

[Kate at LIttle House Monday]

Here's mine... Although not the traditional 'Matchstick' figurers of L.S. Lowry the urban theme, tone and colour remind me of one of his paintings...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30297021@N02/3106008942/in/set-72157608798327491/

and this one http://www.flickr.com/photos/30297021@N02/3361555022/
is taken at the sight that inspired Tom Thompsons 'Jack Pine' ay Great Lake in Algonquin Park, Ontario. Played around with a little to match the mood of the origional : http://johnhdoe.com/me/images/jack_pine.jpg

[Kath]

It happened to me on Sunday. I was working at it and took a lot of shots. The last photo in the series is the one that is "art" to me.

http://www.soeursdujour.com/2009/03/macro-monday-the-great-outdoors.html

[heidi]

The colors and DOF in this one remind me of watercolors:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hstender/3292033682/

[hi kooky]

We played in the sun today. I think our environment (combined with shadows) lent an air of "something else is there" to these photos, imho...

http://hikooky.blogspot.com/2009/03/all-light-and-angles.html

[cara]

This reminds me of Georgia O'Keefe:

http://caramoulds.com/index.php?showimage=224

This one turned out like a vibrant watercolor:

http://caramoulds.com/index.php?showimage=291

[JeanaMarie]

after seeing a Degas exhibition at christmastime last year i went a bit bokeh/blurry crazy. but it was fun.:)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeanamarie31/3361165699/

[claudia]

Here's one I still like from last year
http://www.flickr.com/photos/laurohunt/2577291628/in/set-72157603707815517/
And one from Monday
http://www.flickr.com/photos/laurohunt/3361392687/

[Liz]

it was an unearthly day of fog and blue ice
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lilybeth29/3236077798/in/set-72157613067839155/

sci-fi/fantasy landscape. or calvin and hobbes?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lilybeth29/2484980619/in/set-72157601159455456/

[Liz]

i take the second one back, and offer this instead:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lilybeth29/2376446914/in/set-72157604324544765/
and this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lilybeth29/2376453280/in/set-72157604324544765/

denver did me well, a year ago. :)

[tongue in cheek]

In my kitchen, the morning light came in, creating a perfect palette, still life with glasses, candlesticks and a clementine.
http://willows95988.typepad.com/tongue_cheek/2009/01/snowing-in-provence-.html

[jillruth]

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22096859

a ttv photo I took about 5 weeks ago. This chair sits on our acreage because of neglect--my daughter picked it up free curbside but didn't use it. "Life" has gotten in the way and we did not dispose if it and there it sat all winter. Now I like it--ALOT--and don't want to get rid of it.

[RubyBall]

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