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The Discovery of Digital Art!

I don't know how some artists restrain themselves and stick to one medium only. Trying new mediums from time to time keeps my creativity flowing, my mind sharp and fills me with excitement.

In 2005 I piddled around with a few digital pieces, mostly small format stuff. Lacking a good program with choices of features and tools, I quickly lost interest.

One day in late 2006, I ran across a site I had saved quite awhile before. It was an online image manipulation site. The remainder of my day was spent experimenting with designs, color and layers. Little did I know then that I was officially "hooked" on digital art.

This medium has excited me like no other in some ways; there are no limitations it seems! Recently, I discovered GIMP-a free program comparable to PhotoShop and I've been learning the ropes there. It is quite enjoyable to create unique works of art that may not be possible with the former means.

Don't get me wrong! Working with paint, canvas, paper, fabric, woodburning tools, clay, glues, scissors, brushes, etc...will never be a thing of the past for me. Each medium I work in holds a special place in my heart (and studio).

I have simply extended myself, evolved, challenged myself, gave myself a gift of learning once again with digital art. It's just another tool of happiness for me. And I love the results.

In August of 2007, it dawned on me that I could use the hundreds of digital pieces I had created thus far, to draw from from when "artist's block" invaded in other mediums! I picked out a couple of my favorite digital pieces, created a few months before, and re-created them on canvas with acrylics! What an exciting challenge this turned out to be! The paintings are not exact replicas; just another version of the original, digital pieces. They're 3D art works I can hang on my own walls, or sell. With this new challenging idea, I will never again suffer from "artist's block"!

Learn more about this author, Sharon K. Shubert.
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