Good morning everyone,
I am writing this 10th issue of A Twenty Percent Creative early on Monday morning, May 16, 2022. I had intended to write and send this issue yesterday but the weekend was quite busy with chores around the house. It appears as though Minnesota forgot to schedule the Spring season this year. We went from winter weather a few weeks ago to full summer weather this week including strong summer-like storms and a tornado warning on Wednesday. Thankfully, the beautiful weather this weekend aligned nicely with the relatively new annual tradition in our neighborhood. A real estate agent living in our neighborhood secures a very large portable waste container (ie dumpster) for the weekend and allows all of us in the neighborhood to fill it with our trash from spring cleaning at home. We had a surprising amount of “stuff” to throw away this year. After a few trips to the dumpster, a good sweeping in the garage, and the preparation for storage of the snowblower and use of the lawnmower complete, we finished the weekend ready for another gorgeous summer here in Minnesota.
Throughout the issue, I have sprinkled in a series of photographs from a rainy evening in March. I took my daughter to dance practice and had about 45 minutes to take photographs around the park nearby. The temperatures were above freezing this week which led to the ice skating rink at the park melting into a lake. With minimalism as the photography assignment for Stolen Echoes in March and April, I tried to capture a series of minimal photographs that told the story of a slightly warmer, rainy evening in Minnesota. How did I do?
I am happy to share the 10th issue of A Twenty Percent Creative with you. If this issue brings you value, please Like It and Leave A Comment too.
You can expect the 11th issue to reach your inbox on Sunday, June 5, 2022.
Thanks and have a great week!
Jeff
INSPIRATIONS
CONCEPCIÓN STUDIOS
I am intrigued and inspired by the work of Patrick Concepción and Concepción Studios. Concepción Studios specializes in graphics for the entertainment industry. I really enjoy how each work of art blends photography, illustration, graphic design, and collage in a unique, visually interesting way. You can learn more about Concepción Studios via their website and @concepcion_studios on Instagram. Patrick also has a thriving Etsy store with more than 44,000 sales and 5,800 strongly positive reviews.
NO REGRETS
“No Regrets” is a list of the actions I have taken since publishing the previous newsletter.
I still haven’t received a response from the local church I cold emailed more than one month ago. For now, I am moving this project to the pause pile while other projects keep my busy.
I heard back from the photo center about my submissions for the Abstract themed gallery. Unfortunately, my work was not selected for the exhibition. After reviewing a preview of the selected photographs, I think I should have gone more abstract with my submissions. All in all, it was a good learning experience.
Last week, I submitted one of my photos (called 4-3-2-1) to the Street Photography International (SPi) Awards. I think the results are released in a few weeks.
I will be submitting my work to the Minimalist Photography Awards 2022 competition later this week.
I continue to explore Adobe Illustrator for making 24 x 36 inch posters. Recently, I heard a quote about gifting one’s artistic works as means to get them out into the world. I am taking this advice and have printed dental themed posters (12 x 18 inches) that I created a few weeks ago. I used a local print lab called White House Custom Color. They did a fantastic job with the printing (the colors looked fantastic and true to my digital file), packaging, and shipping process. The turn around time to receive the posters was quick too. I will be giving these posters as gifts in June. I will let you know how they are received.
I have begun to redesign my website to position photography, illustration, mixed media art, and writing as the four pillars of my creative pursuits. I need to be careful here as time spent in organization is time lost from creating new work. I am investing 30 minutes per day maximum in this project right now.
**What are you working on? What’s on your mind?**
I would love to highlight your projects in future issues. Please reach out via email at jeff@jeffreymkarp.com or let’s start a discussion in the comments below.
LEARNING LINKS
Secrets of Color Grading in Photography — @JoannaKustra
Illustrator Vector Poster Design Tutorial — @Satori_graphics
A Carbon Almanac for Kids — The Carbon Almanac
Yayoi Kusama: Great Art Explained and @yayoikusama_ on Instagram
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I welcome feedback about the newsletter. Please email me directly at: jeff@jeffreymkarp.com
Instagram: @jeffreymkarp
Jeff, your work has improved by leaps and bounds since I first met you. You are my inspiration now for creative work. I love minimalism, which is the pursuit of my work; though my images are more realistic and yours more graphic, I still find inspiration from what you do and share. Thanks for sharing this blog; it is one of a kind, and I thoroughly enjoy the content!