Chairway to Heaven

My apologies to Led Zeppelin.

I had a couple of revelations this week in the studio as I was working on focus studies using the same subject I've been playing with for a while.  I used values and color temperature (and color intensity) to create focus.

When I saw the result, I burst out laughing - I had created the chairway to heaven.  Surely if you just sit down in one of these seemingly everyday metal chairs, the glow of heavenly inspiration will be upon you, or maybe you just instantly transport directly from the chair to the heavenly realms.  Perhaps you must rise and walk through the heavenly portal I also created as the second focus alternative.

Seriously, I have learned quite a bit from these studies.  The focus studies are obviously exaggerated in their style, but I can apply these basic principles to improve my work. 

I shared a gradation study last week using these same metal chairs and a couple of personal communications I received about that piece shocked me.  I looked at it as a throw away exercise, but each person indicated that they would not only frame it, but would love to own it.  I had never even considered that. It was a revelation.

And I didn't even need to sit in the chairs to receive it.