I am not sure where to start describing how I did this one. There are two basic images here; the sky/water and the glasses. The original for the sky was a small brass statue of Buddha which formed the top left quadrant of the sky. This was changed to a negative, duplicated, flipped horizontally and a Flood Filter added to create the water reflections. The dip in the water was obtained via the Transform Distort Tool. The three overlapping spheres were added using PS Spherize and arranged within the frame to create the diagonal left-to-right lead-in line. This provided the theatre backdrop against which the players could perform; the positive eye in the sky and the distorted glasses/lips over the water. A white line was stroked around the image to provide a sense of containment. Overall, I wanted to create an image where the bottom was falling out of my world.
4 comments posted
Hazel Price
Wow! Do you often get as drunk as that Brian? Some super experimentation and interesting ideas. I am not sure I understand to connection between the different elements but it definitely creates the feeling of disorientation and falling over the edge or into the abyss. Also I enjoy the colours in the sky and water. Posted: 02/08/2025 21:06:51
Brad Becker
Brian, This is a beautiful and provocative image. I agree with Hazel in not fully understanding how the elements connect but I'm ok with surreal imagery that allows the viewer to wrestle with meaning. Nicely done. Posted: 02/15/2025 02:21:22
Melissa Cramer Sonnen
The bottom is falling out, isn't it? When I looked at this - I think I actually got it! But, for me, the white around the glasses took my mind away from the mystique of the artwork. I like the angle of the white box and the glasses, but maybe a different color in the box would not be so distracting. I love the thin white line around the work. Think about extending the stroke at the bottom of the box, leaving everything where it is, and extending just the dipping section of the water down until is spills over the boundary of the box into 'eternity'. That's what came to my mind. Posted: 02/19/2025 22:19:04
Nadia Trevan
Brian, I'm glad you provided a description of your image as it gave me an idea of how all of the elements work together. I believe that this is nice piece of surreal work, all of the elements are there to keep the viewer intrigued and drawing some interpretation of what it might be. My only suggestion would be to cut the glasses with the lips out and make them transparent so that the sky and water is seen through them. This would add to the strength of the story. As it stands the white box with the glasses, in my opinion, appears as an "entity" on its own and detracts from strength of the image almost as if the rest of the elements are secondary to it. Very nice work Brian Posted: 02/20/2025 10:28:21
