It's a great day at Softly Lit Studios! I'm feeling a sense of accomplishment. Making digital art from my photographs has been an active component of my creative pursuits for a little over two years now, and apart from sharing the pieces periodically on social media, I hadn't really found my "voice" yet with this outlet. That all changed with the shows I've been producing on Twitch. I've been including slide shows of my digital art and photography that play in the minutes before a stream begins, and people are starting to take notice.
The community of people who have gathered around the shows, both on my channel as well as Evan's, have given me such inspiration, support, and a sense of connectedness. It's been amazing! Out of that community, one stepped forward and inquired about purchasing a large metal print of this piece, called "Portal Beyond". This marks the first time I have sold a print of my art. A milestone for sure!
Over the years, I've been blessed to have sold many prints of my photographs, from large to small, from friends and strangers alike. But this is a whole new level. I am so stoked.
This image was originally one I took at the Huntington Gardens in 2019, seen here:
I so adored the lines and shadows of this gorgeous little building, so I decided to process it in two ways - as a black and white photograph, which I called "Portal":
and then I took it into various art apps I like to use, on both Android and in Photoshop, to come up with this version, called "Portal Beyond".
The art patron was generous enough to furnish me a photo of the piece hung on their home wall:
I've got smiles for miles today!!