Michael Koratich

Some recent works

2007-02-07T09:08:00.000-06:00

Here are a few of my favorite recent works. All are available on my site as free HiRes downloads.

Lots of HiRes files ready for download

2007-02-01T12:20:00.000-06:00

All of my HiRes images from January 2007 are ready for free download!!! ENJOY and please let me know what you think!!!

All my art as FREE downloads

2007-01-18T19:22:00.000-06:00

I have decided to make all my work from 2006 and all future work in 2007 available as a high-resolution JPEGs. You can print these high-resolution images at home, upload to one of the Internet photo printing services ( I recommend the Kodak Gallery), or take to your local camera store, Walmart, or drug store digital photo center. These image files are great for printing up to 16 x 20 inches and are the equivalent quality of a 7 megapixel digital camera (they are large 7-10 megs). Unlike prints of paintings, I create my art specifically for making prints. Thus, you will be displaying my art in the format that I intended it to be displayed. It will take me a little while to get all the HiRes files uploaded. So what I suggest is to email me the name of the image you want and I will upload the HiRes file and send you the link. My goal is to have all the files uploaded by the end of January. A list of files ready for immediate download can be found on the Free Download page.You are permitted to make as many prints as you want, you are not permitted to sell either the prints or the files.

1-16-07a

2007-01-17T09:25:00.000-06:00

1-15-07a

2007-01-17T09:24:00.000-06:00

1-14-07b

2007-01-17T09:23:00.000-06:00

1-14-07a

2007-01-17T09:20:00.000-06:00

Weekly free HiRes Download 1-14-07

2007-01-14T09:40:00.000-06:00

A free HiRes file of this image is available on the Download page at my website MichaelKoratich.com. This file is perfect for printing up to 16x20 inches. You can make as many prints as you want, just do not sell them. There is also a 1024x768 version of this image that is perfect as your desktop wallpaper. ENJOY!!!

The meaning of my art

2007-01-13T19:26:00.000-06:00

I really believe that a lot of problems in understanding abstract art come from art critics and historians pretending to know what the artist was thinking when creating a particular work. When in fact, the artist may not have known what he/she was thinking. I also believe that some artists have felt so much pressue to explain their art that they end up making up some story to satisy the art establishment. Obviously this does not apply to all abstract artists/art, but I bet it does to more than we imagine.

I have had people try to explain some of my own images to me and I just laugh. In some of them I am trying to convey some emotion or feeling, much the way that instrumental music conveys emotion (Kandinsky swore that he could hear color like music). However, in a lot of my stuff I am just experimenting (and believe me I have a lot of experimenting to do). Does this work with that, what if I changed this a little...

I am so caight up in the moment when I am creating that I don't have any idea what I'm thinking about and my art generally has no meaning. My art exists because I like the way it looks. Because of this, some may say that my work is in fact not "art" and that is fine by me. I enjoy creating my non-art and that is all that matters.

1-13-07b

2007-01-13T19:24:00.000-06:00

1-11-07a

2007-01-13T19:22:00.000-06:00

1-8-07a

2007-01-13T19:20:00.000-06:00

1-7-07a

2007-01-13T19:17:00.000-06:00

Weekly free HiRes Download

2007-01-07T11:18:00.000-06:00

Welcome to 2007

2007-01-05T19:05:00.000-06:00

A few new works for the new year. Enjoy!!

1-2-07a

1-4-07a

1-4-07b

Happy New Year

2007-01-01T08:33:00.000-06:00

May this year be as good or better than last.

I am launching a new download service where you will be able to purchase a HiRes file of any of my artwork for $3.00. You can then print these high-resolution images that at home, upload to one of the Internet photo printing services ( I recommend the Kodak Gallery), or take to your local Walmart or drug store digital photo center. These image files are great for printing up to 16 x 20 inches and are the equivalent quality of a 7 megapixel digital camera. Unlike prints of paintings, I create my art specifically for making prints. Thus, you will own my art in the format that I intended it to be produced.

Check back here or on the Purchase page on my site for additioanal details on this launch.

Download for week of 12/31

2006-12-31T10:11:00.000-06:00

Here is the latest free weekly abstract download. Remember, these dowloads are available as 1024x 768 wallpapers and HiRes files for printing upto 16 x 20 inches. Yous are free to do whatever you want with these images, except sell them. Enjoy and please let me know what you think!!

New Website and Free HiRes Images

2006-12-29T16:45:00.000-06:00

I have launched a new website, MichaelKoratich.com and am providing free HiRes images for download. On my Weekly Download page you can get FREE wallpapers (1024 x 768) and FREE high-resolution images that you can print at home, upload to one of the Internet photo printing services ( I recommend the Kodak Gallery), or take to your local Walmart or drug store digital photo center. These image files are great for printing up to 16 x 20 inches and are the equivalent quality of a 7 megapixel digital camera (they are large 7-10 megs, so be patient when downloading). You are free to do whatever you want with these files except sell them. I do ask that you leave my name and website visible when you frame the prints, but that is ultimately up to you. I will add one new image a week and previous images will remain available for download for at least a month. I hope you enjoy!!

Below is the first image you can download on my site.

PP-2B

2006-05-14T20:30:00.000-05:00

(Z739)(RSBC)(DL)(R 90CW)(FT)(BC D)(FI)(USM 500,4.5,0)

PP-2A

2006-05-13T16:15:00.000-05:00

(Z604.96)(RSBL)(PE 10,5,0)(Z90.48)(RSBL)(USM 500,57.7,0)

(BC 0,+17)(S 10,25,1)(USM 500,5.5,0)

PP-2

2006-05-13T13:44:00.000-05:00

(z156.83)(RSBC)(S 10,25,1)(USM 500,1.1,0)

PP-1B1B

2006-05-13T10:17:00.000-05:00

(Z635.98)(RSNN)(USM 500,7.3,0)(USM 500,44.3,0)

(RC)(RC)(S 10,25,1)

PP-1B1A

2006-05-12T20:24:00.000-05:00

(Z405.52)(RSNN)(USM 500,250,0)(USM 500,250,0)

(S 10,25,1)(USM 500,250,0)(USM 500,250,0)

PP-1B1

2006-05-12T20:20:00.000-05:00

(Z547.39)(RSBC)(USM 500,14.6,0)

PP-1B

2006-05-11T15:52:00.000-05:00

(Z600)(RSBC)(USM 500,6.1,0)(S 10,25,1)(USM 500,6.1,0)

The Pixel Playground Project Website

2006-05-11T14:43:00.000-05:00

The Pixel Playground Project website has gone live (http://pixelplayground.sciartists-online.com). You can now purchase prints using PayPal directly thru the site. Please take a look and let me know what you think.

PP-1A2

2006-05-10T19:17:00.000-05:00

(Z191.55)(RSBC)(USM 200,1.9,0)

PP-1A1

2006-05-10T19:11:00.000-05:00

(Z80)(RSBC)(USM 200,1.9,0)

PP-1A

2006-05-10T19:06:00.000-05:00

(Z1600)(RSBC)(USM 500,100,0)(SP 10,12,5)(USM 200,1.9,0)

First Pixel Playground Daughter

2006-05-10T15:09:00.000-05:00

PP-1

(Z600)(RSBC)(USM 500,250,0)(SP 10,12,5)(USM 200,1.9,0)

The Pixel Playground Project

2006-05-10T14:27:00.000-05:00

When it comes to digital art, I have been fascinated for several years with the process of starting with a single master image and by zooming in to various areas of that image, creating a seemingly endless number of new images. In fact, many of these zoomed images are far more interesting than the original. In turn, each of these daughter images can then serve as the master for another series of zoomed images. This has been the main process that I have used to create many of the images that populate this blog, my website, and my ArtWanted gallery.

Until now, I have always used this process freely without any established method of recording the relationship between images or the steps taken to produce each image. This new project, The Pixel Playground, will be my attempt to document an extended series of images starting from a single master image (seen at the end of this post).

All work will be done using only Photoshop 6 and the standard set of features that come with PS6. The starting parent image will always be 3600 x 2400 pixel image and my default magnification for working with this image will be 21.53%. Each daughter image will also end up being 3600 x 2400 pixels.

The steps used to create each daughter, granddaughter, great-granddaughter…will be documented using a system detailed in this example:

(Z350)(RSBC)(USM 500, 3.5, 0)(SP 10, 12, 5)(USM 200, 1.9, 0)

Z350 = Zoomed in on image to 350%, selected area, and copied to new file

RSBC = Resized image to 3600 x 2400 pixels using bicubic resample

USM 500, 3.5, 0 = Unsharp mask filter - Amount 500%, Radius 3.5 pixels, Threshold 0 levels

SP 10, 12, 5 = Sponge filter - Brush size 10, Definition 12, Smoothness 5

USM 200, 1.9, 0 = You can figure this one out

Other steps will be similarly documented and I will generate a key as the project progresses. Generally, steps used in creating each daughter image will be kept to a minimum. I will not document the location in the parent image where the daughter originated (some things have to be kept secret).

Tracking the lineage of each image will be accomplished using a simple naming system. Here is an example and explanation of a name:

Image name: PP-1A1A

PP: The Pixel Playground master image
PP-1: Daughter 1 derived from PP
PP-1A: Daughter 1 derived from PP-1
PP-1A1: Daughter 1 derived from PP-1A
PP-1A1A: Daughter 1 derived from PP-1A1

Another example:

Image name: PP-1B2A

PP: Master image
PP-1: Daughter 1 derived from PP
PP-1B: Daughter 2 derived from PP-1
PP-1B2: Daughter 2 derived from PP-1B
PP-1B2A: Daughter 1 derived from PP-1B2

Both of these names represent a fifth generation image and PP-1A1A and PP-1B2A would be second cousins (at least I think that is how it works out) and PP would be the great-great-grandmother.

I almost forgot to mention. Each image (except the master image) will be for sale as a limited-edition print (only 2 prints will be made of each image and 1 of them is mine). I will sign each print and provide a letter of authenticity. The prints will be made using Fuji Hunt Chemicals on Fujicolor Crystal Archive professional photographic paper (matte finish). This is a very high quality process that you find in most pro-labs with a very long life before any fading will occur. Each print will be 20 x 30 inches (the image is 16 x 24 with a 3-inch white border to make framing easier). The price of each print will be $100 and includes free shipping to the continental US (Please contact me for shipping outside of the US). Payment can be made through PayPal (preferred and only method for overseas payment) or by Postal Money Order (US only).

Over the next couple of weeks, I will establish a website dedicated to this project where you will be able to order prints directly. Until then, if you see one of the PP images that you would like to purchase, please send me an email with the name of the image you want to buy and I will contact you to work out the details.

And now, here is the Master Pixel Playground image

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2006-04-30T08:59:00.000-05:00

2006-04-29T08:41:00.000-05:00

2006-04-29T08:38:00.000-05:00

2006-04-26T21:17:00.000-05:00

2006-04-26T21:16:00.001-05:00

2006-04-26T21:16:00.000-05:00

2006-04-26T21:13:00.000-05:00

2006-04-24T14:08:00.000-05:00

2006-04-23T09:36:00.000-05:00

2006-04-23T09:32:00.000-05:00

2006-04-21T21:03:00.000-05:00

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