Sunday, March 01, 2015

Tar Patch Street Graffiti

I actually noticed these patches of cracks in the asphalt along my walking route last year. I noted how much some of them resembled graffiti and that they might serve as a design reference for surface design. Maybe I should take some pictures or even try sketching a few. But I wasn't very motivated to spend time sketching them, and I kept forgetting to grab my camera before heading out, and no - I do not have a cell phone that takes pictures. But today - today I finally remembered. I've not tweaked these in any way but can see how a little work in Paint Shop Pro might produce images for thermofax screens or patterns for lino cutting. What ordinary thing do you see on your daily route that your artist eye interprets as an interesting design element for future use?






















  




11 comments:

The Inside Stori said...

Very unexpected inspiration.....sharp eyes you have my dear!!!

Lucia Sasaki said...

Wow, Sheila, beautiful pictures!
Well, as I only bind books and make some paper decorations, my street pictures serves only to feed my blog posts and make happy.
Thanks!!

The Idaho Beauty said...

Oh, I don't know, Lucia. After reading your paste papers post, I'd think you might be able to use some of the tree parts as inspiration for making marks in your designs!

The Idaho Beauty said...

Mary, I don't know if it's sharp eyes or wandering brain. Once I get to walking, the mind goes on its own expedition which may make it more open to seeing things as something other than what they actually are. Or perhaps I just have a fertile imagination. ;-)

Christine Staver said...

How cool....tar artists. Bet they did not even know.

Michele Matucheski said...

I thought I was the only one who took pictures like that of pavements and street cracks ...

The Idaho Beauty said...

Chris, One of the blogs I follow recently showed pics of drop clothes - real drop cloths that the guy they hired to paint their house was using. He wondered why she was so interested in them so they had quite the conversation I guess. He ended up giving her one of the small ones that she said she may stretch over a frame. They look like marble to me. So yes, I'm guessing my tar artists had no idea... ;-)

The Idaho Beauty said...

Michele - you must be rubbing off on me! I think this is the first time I've taken street pictures, except when cobblestones or brick get exposed by failing asphalt.

Liz Plummer said...

Nice. It reminds me of that Chinese art where they repair cracked ceramics with gold (I think, can't remember what it's called...). I took photos of the paving slabs on the street near my house, and it's amazing what combinations of patterns are in them.

The Idaho Beauty said...
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The Idaho Beauty said...

Liz, I know what you are talking about and that didn't occur to me. Usually the patching is an all-over affair, not running along individual cracks like this. You'd think that would have been easier and faster! Besides graffiti, some of those last photos started looking like Arabic letters - those long swoops with tails. The mind does like to relate what it is seeing to something it already knows, doesn't it?