Flora

by Michael Critchley

A unique blend of digital painting and photography

For my wonderful wife Francine, for her faith and support in the work I create.

FLORA The design, photography and paintography in this book are Copyright Š 2009 by the author Michael Critchley.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any mechanical or electronic means without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Photography: Michael Critchley Paintography: Michael Critchley Design: Michael Critchley Distributed by blurb.com

A unique blend of digital painting and photography

By using various computer software, filters and

My aim with this work is to highlight digitism,

custom defined brushes that vary in size and texture,

(the quality and recognition of ‘paintography’) and its

percentage of coverage and pressure, Michael Critchley

place in the art world. My interest in this art form began

transforms his photographs into ‘paintographs’.

in the early 90’s with ‘Painter’ and if I had to classify my

This is what Michael has to say about his work.

style of work with an ‘ism’ – naturalism, idealism and

“Paintography for me is the linking of a lifetime

romanticism would all come to mind.

interest in photography and painting and my profession

The purists of photography will have difficulty in

as a graphic designer. This modern descriptive word for

accepting the transformations of my art, as will the artists

my art is so new it’s not in the dictionary yet.

who believe that only physical, manual brushstrokes can

So how to describe my art? I would say it is the

truly be called painting. I hope to bring to your attention

passion for creative freedom and daring to be different.

that paintography has its rightful place in the art world.

The computer is a great blending tool for colour, form

I leave that to you, the viewer, to look at and formulate

and texture. From one photograph I like to see the

your own individual interpretations.”

technical permutations developing into an exciting compilation that generates a new series of paintographs.

I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o’er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the Milky Way, They stretch’d in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazed - and gazed - but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils.

William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

Ah Sunflower, weary of time, Who countest the steps of the sun; Seeking after that sweet golden clime Where the traveller’s journey is done;

Where the Youth pined away with desire, And the pale virgin shrouded in snow, Arise from their graves, and aspire Where my Sunflower wishes to go!

William Blake

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