Go Crazy Creative in the Art Chick Studio
This week’s creative challenge theme at the Three Muses blog is MUSIC. So, of course, my music muse is always Michael Jackson–the King of Pop and the King of Music!
An epic moment from the Black or White short film…with a little digital magic thrown in.
I wanted to share two pieces of digital art I created in tribute to Michael Jackson’s short film and song, In the Closet. It’s one of my favorites of his songs, and these are two of my favorite creations of Michael Jackson Art to date.
I really love MJ’s look in this short film. I also really love the texture and color I was able to add to my digital art creations. I think the top one is my favorite. I think Michael is my favorite muse for creating digital art…with anything fairy related coming in a close second (or maybe a tie for first).
Time for another challenge over at the Collage Obsession blog. The theme this week is “Man.” We need to have “man” as our theme, or use the word, “man.” So I decided to create some Michael Jackson Art that went with that theme. And I came up with my Man In the Mirror digital art.
This photo is the work of one of my favorite photographers, Annie Leibovitz. She takes amazing photographs and I continue to be awed by her talent. She photographed Michael more than once, and the images (including this one, I believe) appeared in Vanity Fair magazine. And since Michael recorded the song, Man In the Mirror, I thought this photograph was the perfect subject for my digital collage. It is as much an homage to Annie as it is to Michael. It also includes sheet music from the actual song as prat of the design. I hope you like it.
A willow deeply scarred
Somebody’s broken heart
And a washed out dream
(Washed out dream)
They follow the pattern of the wind ya’ see
‘Cause they got no place to be
That’s why I’m starting with me.
I’m starting with the man in the mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change…
I’m revisiting this Oil Painting of Michael Jackson because it’s another piece of my art that I’ve put in my Fine Art America gallery. 
This was my first ever oil painting of MJ. I’ve painted him more than once, but this is still my favorite painting of him. I have one more I’d like to do in oils of Michael, but I most enjoy creating digital art to celebrate him. You can buy Michael Jackson Prints from this at the Fine Art America site. And there are lots of other wonderful artworks by other artists on that site available for purchase. I was blown away by some of the MJ art I looked at there. It’s wonderful. So if you’re an MJ fan be sure to check out what’s available. Or maybe it will inspire you to do your own MJ-themed art.
This piece of Michael Jackson Art was inspired by this week’s Entertainers Challenge at the Collage Obsession blog. You know how it is with me and Michael Jackson.
Ever the ultimate entertainer, and one of my favorite inspirations. Michael Jackson forever!
Time for another challenge at the Three Muses blog, and this time the theme is a quote. So I decided to add to my collection of Michael Jackson Art for this challenge and create some digital art based on one of his quotes.
Your music will never die, Michael.
I’m listening.
Just a little Michael Jackson Art, inspired by his Black or White short film, and its epic “Panther Dance.”
I’m grateful that MJ can still inspire me…at a time when not much else does. Trying to get my art groove back since my mother’s death has not been easy. But I’m still trying!
I was in the mood for some Michael Jackson art today. Flashing back to the Dangerous Era and In the Closet.
So Open The Door
And You Will See
There Are No Secrets
Make Your Move
Set Me Free…
I was in a Michael Jackson mood this evening, so I created some new Michael Jackson Art. This time it’s from the History era, from his short file, Ghosts.
I love that short film. You can watch it on YouTube if you’ve never seen it. I sure wish they’d put that out on DVD one of these days. So much work and creativity went into its making. It was co-written by Stephen King, and it holds the Guinness World Record as the longest music video, with a full running time of 39 minutes and 31 seconds (although the version that ran in regular rotation was a pared down version of a little over 4 minutes. You really have to see the short film in its entirety to appreciate it! If you have never seen it, check it out sometimes.
These creations were inspired by the DANCE challenge at the Collage Obsession blog for this week, and they’re now a part of my ever-growing collection of Michael Jackson Art. If I hear or read the word, “Dance,” Michael is usually the first thing that comes to my mind. So he was an obvious choice for my subject matter for this great challenge.
Click to See Full Image
Click to See Full Image
Blood on the Dance Floor is one of my favorite MJ songs, and one of my favorite of his short films. There’s just something about it I love, musically and visually, so I love when I can incorporate it into my digital art too.
I haven’t been participating in too many art challenges lately so I decided it is time to get my creative juices flowing again. This week’s challenge at Collage Obsession couldn’t have come at a better time. The theme for this week is a Song Lyric…so I chose one of my Michael Jackson favorites, Smooth Criminal and created a digital collage around it.
Michael Jackson defined the word “Epic” where pop music and music videos are concerned, in my opinion. He blazed a trail and set the standard in what once was a very boring visual medium. And Smooth Criminal is a perfect example of his epic creative genius. It is MJ, and the Bad era, at its visual best. It not only showcased a great song, but it told a story, as all of Michael’s short films did. I never get tired of watching it…and my grandson now loves to watch it with me. He especially likes the MJ anti-gravity “lean.” Such an epic MJ moment.
And so the legend lives on.
Time for some more Michael Jackson Art to satisfy my MJ art cravings for awhile. My inspiration for this piece is one of Michael’s legendary performances…Billie Jean.
Michael was pure magic (to me anyway) so I always like to add a little touch of magic to my MJ digital art. And I’m always mesmerized by any of his legendary Billie Jean performances. The fedora. The sparkle jacket. The white glove. He defined the word MAGIC, and gave new meaning to the word EPIC. My digital art can’t even do justice to how much he inspires me.
But I try.
It’s time for another great digital collage challenge at Collage Obsession. The theme this time is Black Cats. So the first thing that came to mind for me was the Michael Jackson Panther Dance sequence from his Black or White short film. It’s one of my favorite short films, and I love the Panther Dance itself. I remember when that video first came out, there was so much controversy surrounding it–people thought it was too violent. But that was the point: Michael was making a statement about all the inequality, prejudice, and violence in the world. All of Michael’s short films told a story, and some, like Black or White, carried important messages...IF one was willing to pay attention and read between the lines. Michael caught a lot of flack for that short film, but for the people with an open mind and heart, and a willingness to see and hear its message, it was very powerful. And it truly is one of his best short films.
So this Digital Collage is dedicated to Michael Jackson, and the Panther Dance.
See, It’s Not About Races
Just Places
Faces
Where Your Blood
Comes From
Is Where Your Space Is
I’ve Seen The Bright
Get Duller
I’m Not Going To Spend
My Life Being A Color…
(Excerpt from Black or White, by Michael Jackson)
This is a new digital collage and photo edit I’ve decided to use for the Three Muses Wings challenge. Michael Jackson is a favorite art subject of mine, so I love it when I have the chance to use him for a challenge piece too.
I’ve added some magic sparkles and feathers also, something I tend to do a lot when I’m creating fantasy type digital pieces. Seemed appropriate for this one anyway. I wanted it to appear like a little touch of magic was coming out of Michael and into his shadow on the stage. I hope you like my little piece of Michael Jackson Art.
Haven’t posted any Michael Jackson Art for awhile, so thought I’d post some now since I’m so far behind in my blog posts for October…and since I love it!
These all have my Tumblr blog watermarks on them. I always post them on my blog there, and just post my favorite ones here on the art blog. These are definitely some of my favorites from recent days. I have a thing about using sparkles. I love making things seem to have a bit of magic to them, especially where Michael is concerned. I love how these turned out.
OK, so it’s clear I have a love of all things fairies…and Michael Jackson. So I decided it was time to combine those two loves into one artistic Fairy Art creation. It’s a nice addition to my Michael Jackson Art collection.
Even if you’re not a Michael Jackson fan, but you love fairies, hopefully you’ll enjoy this. I love how it turned out. He truly was a magical being, living in his own Neverland. So it just seemed like a natural fit to turn MJ into a fairy.
In honor of Michael Jackson’s birthday (he would have been 53 today), I created something special to add to my growing collection of Digital Collages. I will post that photo below this excerpt from one of Michael’s books, Dancing the Dream. So this is Michael, in his own words.
“Consciousness expresses itself through creation.
This world we live in is the dance of the creator.
Dancers come and go in the twinkling of an eye but the dance lives on.
On many an occasion when I’m dancing, I’ve felt touched by something sacred.
In those moments, I’ve felt my spirit soar and become one with everything that exists.
I become the stars and the moon. I become the lover and the beloved.
I become the victor and the vanquished.
I become the master and the slave. I become the singer and the song.
I become the knower and the known.
I keep on dancing and then, it is the eternal dance of creation.
The creator and creation merge into one wholeness of joy.
I keep on dancing… and dancing, until there is only… the dance.”
Michael Jackson, Dancing the Dream
The photos are from one of my favorite photoshoots for Vanity Fair magazine. They were taken by one of my favorite photographers, Annie Leibovitz. I hope you like this little piece of digital Michael Jackson Art.
It’s been nearly a month since I’ve been able to get into my studio. So unfortunately, I haven’t been able to do much creating of late. I’ve only been doing digital art during that time, mostly of Michael Jackson, since he’s pretty much my favorite subject matter these days. But I did do one edit of a photo I took of my granddaughter, Destiny, on Easter. Thought I’d share that since I haven’t been able to share much else lately.
I decided to make the background of the photo black and white, and leave Destiny in color to make her really pop out more. I love how it turned out. And I know I am not impartial, but doesn’t she look adorable in her Easter dress? 
I’m quite fond of using this technique in my digital work. It’s really a great way to add emphasis to almost any photo. Just so you can see some more of my work using this technique, here are a couple of edits I did of photos of MJ. I post all of my MJ edits on my ArtChick4MJ blog, if you have interest in seeing more of what I do there.
When I can’t get into my studio, digital art is my creative outlet and refuge. Whether it’s just editing digital photos or creating different types of digital collage or other digital art, it’s what gets me through until I can get into my studio again.
I was in the mood to add to My Digital Sketchbook last night so I created this new piece of Michael Jackson Art to add to it. I’m calling this MJ Singing Magic. He’s kind of standing over a stage fan, with smoke and haze blowing all around him…always the kind of photo I enjoy of him performing.
Click to View Full Size MJ
It always did look sort of magical to see MJ surrounded by all the wind and smoke. So it was fun to work with this photo. I did a lot of filtering to this photo, converting to black and white and then adding other colors and the final artsy effect. I love how it turned out.
I just wanted to add a note about another blog I have on Tumblr. It’s where I post all of my favorite photos of Michael Jackson, after digitally editing them to put my creative touch on them. I love playing with photos, and I love working with photos of Michael (he is really my favorite face to play with, digitally speaking). I thought I’d post my blog links here, for anyone interested in either MJ, or digital editing. I don’t do anything profound. In fact, sometimes my editing is very subtle. And sometimes, it’s very obvious. But I tweak almost everything I post myself just because I love doing it.
Here are couple of samples from my MJ photo blog at Tumblr, to give you a sneak peak. I’ll show you the “before” and the “after” of each, so you can see what I mean (click to enlarge each to see the full versions).
Remember the Time MJ ~ BEFORE
AFTER ~ Remember the Time MJ
Come Together ~ BEFORE
AFTER ~ Come Together MJ
I love black and white photography. Back in the day, I learned how to develop black and white film and black and white prints. I taught black and white film photography when I was teaching Art at the local high school as well. I just loved it. So most of my edits are in black and white. To me, black and white is more creative, and more of a challenge. I mean, think about it: if you take a picture of a person, or a sunset, or a flower, and it’s in color, it’s going to look beautiful because of the colors. But if you take (or edit) that same photo in black and white, you don’t have the colors doing the work for you. So it really challenges you to capture the beauty of something (or someone) when it’s in black and white.
Digital photography is an amazing new world for me, and I’ve been having lots of fun with it. And I love that I can combine my love for MJ with my love of photography and digital editing.
If you’d like to see more of my digitally edited photos of Michael, please click the link below to visit my photo blog.
I look at it as my homage to Michael…a way of keeping his legacy alive, one photo at a time. Any photos that I have edited on my blog have a watermark of my blog’s URL somewhere on the photo creation. Since Tumblr has a “reblog” feature, allowing us to reblog posts of the other Tumblr blogs we follow, I do sometimes reblog other people’s MJ photos. But when that is the case I don’t watermark the photo. So that’s how you’ll know if it’s my creation or not. And that link will take you only to the most current blog posts. If you’d like to see an archive page, which shows thumbnail images of all of my posts/photos, follow the link below.
That link just makes it easier to view all of the images, and then you can just click on each one to view the full size images of any photos that catch your eye. I hope you’ll stop by and visit. Be sure to leave a comment if you do!
This week’s Collage Obsession Challenge is Tramp. The creation has to feature either an image of Charlie Chaplin as The Tramp, or it has to express the word “Tramp” in some other way. As soon as I saw this theme, I knew exactly what I’d be doing. But before I share it with you, I need to share with you a little bit of trivia about Michael Jackson and Charlie Chaplin.
Chaplin, by Michael Jackson
Childhood, by Michael Jackson
MJ Drawing Peter Pan
So for my Tramp-themed project, I used a photo of Michael Jackson, who is dressed as The Tramp. I did some filtering to enhance the image, then I added a sunflower-like flower to his lapel (because Michael liked sunflowers) for a little pop of color. I also added a line from the song, Smile. And I added an antique photo effect to give the collage an aged appearance.
I hope you like this addition to my growing collection of Michael Jackson Art. I loved creating it!
“The meaning of life is contained in every single expression of life. It is present in the infinity of forms and phenomena that exist in all of creation.”
~Michael Jackson
Time to add another page to my digital sketchbook. Michael Jackson has become a favorite subject for my digital playground. It’s rather difficult for me to exclude him from my creative efforts when it’s so much fun! So this is my latest digital sketch, Remember the Time.
Remember the Time was one of my favorite of Michael Jackson’s short films. Such a classic. And I really love how this digital sketch turned out!
I’m hoping to get into my studio tomorrow, but in the meantime I’ve been doing some digital sketches again for my digital sketchbook. I had created an edited version of a Michael Jackson photo that I love, from his Come Together video. Then I decided to take that a couple of steps further and add this creation to my digital sketchbook.
Michael Jackson inspires lots of creativity in me…sometimes he is a muse for an oil painting. Sometimes he inspires poetry. And sometimes it’s digital image creations. And somehow, I think he would love that this kind of inspiration is part of his legacy.
I was in the mood to play around in my digital sketchbook today, and I was also in the mood for Michael Jackson. So I created this MJ Bad Digital Sketch from a photo of Michael in concert (a BAD Tour Concert, of course). Be sure to click to enlarge it…it doesn’t look quite the same unless you see the full size version.
Click to Enlarge MJ
I used PhotoScape again to edit this photo. I love how it turned out. It has a definite watercolor sketchy feel to it. I am also quite the fan of MJ’s Bad era, and also of photos of him that show concert crowds in front of or behind him. He rocked his BAD self in sold out concerts in countries all over the world. I’m always in awe of the size of his concert crowds. Wish I could have been in one of them before he died. Sniffle.
But at least he can live on in his music, and in photographs and art!
