Cracked Earth

rosepepper

Cracked Earth

Montage
A composite of an oil pastel drawing and images of the landscape worked in Photoshop with blending and adjustments tools to get the tonal renderings and contrasts.

Cracked Earth
The land is parched and dry and the dog looks to the sky for life giving rain. At dusk the air is cooler, a welcome relief from the heat of the day.

Australia is ravaged by drought and the skin of the earth cracks and rips open. The land suffers in an impoverished ecosystem, lost to its natural state of wild bush and wetlands forever. The clearing of land, the cultivation and the chemical overload have wreaked havoc. Still there is no rain.

Cracked Earth belongs to the following groups:

All Things Poetic, Artistic, Philosophical, Current Issues, Environmental Awareness, Mixed Media, Passions and PixElations - The Art of Photoshop Available for sale as

Greeting Cards and Matted Prints

Cracked Earth by rosepepper
Cracked Earth by rosepepper
  • PERUGINA

    PERUGINA

    Wow this is really different.

  • margpie

    margpie

    brilliant, and what an excellent message

  • mcquaid

    mcquaid

    Absolutely stunning this projects a lot of emotion.Regards.

  • H M Bascom

    H M Bascom

    Let’s hope for rain soon, and better management of resources. Great work

  • Barbara Sparhawk

    Barbara Sparhawk

    Powerfully beautiful, rosepepper. It reminded me at once of some 1800’s woodcutter’s illustration in a favorite old book, I can’t remember the name but I had them in childhood and could never stop looking. This has the same effect, but better for the three dimensional strength you traditionally bring to your figures. Wonderfully active, great proportion and depth, very moving.

  • rosepepper replied

    Glad you picked up on the old, I wanted a pink kind of vintage glow. I know what you mean about the charm of old woodcuts and engravings. The etchings by Rembrandt have the fine line detail to build up form but more memorable are the etchings for newspapers by Goya- images that stay, black birds in flight like a warning. Smooth skin of the dog against the textural roughness, still not sure. Thank you dear Barbara always for your feedback. Hope you can find the illustrations again to revisit them, strange how our visual memory can start so young.

  • rosepepper

    rosepepper

    Thanks guys for your wonderful and encouraging comments. There have been a few drops of rain Helen and mud is welcomed over dry dust!

  • Barbara Sparhawk

    Barbara Sparhawk

    Your work is always unusual, and outstanding for it, rosepepper. This is just wonderful. I keep going back to it. When possible, I’ll buy a copy in some form. And yes, the early and lasting impressions of first looks. But your unique work here triggered a memory and surpassed it.

  • shanghaiwu

    shanghaiwu

    can see why you love REDBUBBLE

    have enjoyed all your images/brilliant

  • rosepepper replied

    Yes I do like this place, some brilliant artists in house and great variety. Thanks for addressing the Bill Henson issue, great to bring that up on RB. My artfelt regards to you.

  • Peter Coleman

    Peter Coleman

    unique composition,
    like the form you have drawn the dog in

  • paul boast

    paul boast

    interesting composition

  • rosepepper

    rosepepper

    To Peter and Paul thank you for noticing this. A simple triangle (or pyramid) in a rectangle creating an upward pull at apex. Homage to Delacroix and Gericault from Romanticism who used this simple device to generate drama in their political paintings.

  • Cindy  Perrinjaquet

    Cindy Perrinj...

    Incredible & very touching work of art!!!

  • rocamiadesign

    rocamiadesign

    Wow, this is stunning!

  • Robert O'Neill

    Robert O'Neill

    Great. How much of Australia is barren?

  • rosepepper replied

    Good question. 30% of Australia is desert but the whole of Australia at different times is affected by the water crisis problem that started in 2003. Please see my journal entry where I have explained further. I hope this answers your question.

  • Peter Harpley

    Peter Harpley

    This is really good. Its one of those kind of images which on one level is quite simple yet powerful and moving – it makes a real statement – at least the way i see it.

  • rosepepper replied

    thats for sure Peter, clutter confuses impact ….. I do spend more time elimating and claiming space these days..nothing is that precious that it cant be taken out… Thanks heaps Peter.

  • rosepepper

    rosepepper

    really please to get your encouraging comments Cindy and rocamiadesign. Thanks from rose.

  • joak

    joak

    this just makes me so sad what a powerful composition might be a bit simplistic of me to say it captures our treatment of animals and the planet so well …but then again i have just lost ma wee dug so i might be a bit emotional!!!

  • rosepepper replied

    dear joak so sorry to hear you have lost your friend, not really gone, they dont really leave us…. love cannot just disappear. Thanks so for your wonderful comment, animals are suffering too, so true.

  • MuscularTeeth

    MuscularTeethVoted Most Helpful Bubbler

    an amazing artpiece. i think this is fantastic, and it should be a moving cartoon its so damn good.

  • rosepepper replied

    merci beaucoup muscular teeth.. chuffed to have such a compliment from you Visual intelligence that matches words so well and makes people laugh is the genuis of making the complex simple and your work has that. Do not have the skills for the moving image, but i can imagine the elongated neck in cartoon.

  • DaveBassett

    DaveBassett

    Superb art work. An amazing blend of ‘photography’ and ‘art’.

  • rosepepper replied

    I guess it is an attempt to update a traditional artform (studio art) with contemporary communication. thanks from rose.

  • MuscularTeeth

    MuscularTeethVoted Most Helpful Bubbler

    WOW rosepepper, you do my great honor with that statement.
    im just some guy..

  • Todd Weidman

    Todd Weidman

    Love the concept and detail. Great work.

  • rosepepper replied

    Thanks Todd. It took a while to create this one I have to say.

  • Cain Doherty

    Cain Doherty

    the three dimensionality is mighty fine with you layering adjustments – the presence of a landscape and its protector in great pain shines through so well

  • rosepepper replied

    thank you Cain for your wonderful comment, there has been rain but not much and the subsoil still needs more.

  • StacyLee

    StacyLee

    Incredible work! I love the way this was put together!

  • rosepepper replied

    this one was conceived in the mind before it was made, unusual for me. thanks Stacy.

  • Matthew Scotland

    Matthew Scotland

    amazing emotive piece

  • rosepepper replied

    I remember you from the impact the twin towers drawing had on me. Thank you Matthew.

  • JaneAParis

    JaneAParis

    Beautiful work. Smiles from Jane:-)

  • rosepepper replied

    Thanks Jane for your appreciative comment :)

  • dnlddean

    dnlddean

    i really get this one i can feel the dog cathcing the scant breeze iv seen my dog do the very same thing and you have captured it beuatifuly

  • rosepepper replied

    thanks dniddean… and dogs have a more developed sense of smell, they know. :)

  • dnlddean

    dnlddean

    yes all animals are amazing and if there is such a thing as past lives then i must have been a dog befor because i feel a real affinity with them have you seen the work theive done with dogs for medicine how thet now know that dogs can smell cancer befor it can be diagnosed and how they can let thier owner know that they are about to have an epilectic fit truly amazing is the world of animals

  • rosepepper replied

    yeah it is amazing about smelling sickness on humans, truly amazing. And dont we underestimate the superior senses in animals that we dont have in ourselves. :)

  • dnlddean

    dnlddean

    tottally we humans think we buy a pet and then we look after them but in reality they look after us i have learned so much from my dog i have some health probs that lead to me being in constant pain 24/7 but over the years my dog has suffered a few very painful probs and now she is nearly 14 she has all sorts of problems but every morning no matter what she is there to greate me with licks and affection and she is up an ready as soon as she hear me put my shoes on animals fight for life till thier last breath never giving up and when you see one lose its leg they respond as soon as they wake up by trying to get up on thier legs as if nothing has happened imagine if you went to sleep then woke up minus a leg with no explination yes my sassy has taught me much over the years

  • jyoshi

    jyoshi

    Wow this is pure Gold-Outstanding

  • rosepepper replied

    hello and thank you jyoshi for your neat comment. :)

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