The News

New Year, New job, New plans, New opportunities, New… stuff.

2013 opened at a rapid pace with welcome changes, and I can now legally introduce myself as a Graphic Designer for the national signage and advertising firm FASTSIGNS. Included in the job description… the design and production of custom graphics, logos and backgrounds for tradeshow banners, window displays, billboards, menus, props, decals, vehicle graphics, wall art,… You name it, we print it or have a subsidiary that does it for us. FASTSIGNS presented me a welcome departure, well received, from previous careers that had no focus on art. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

My duties continue with the Pinellas Park Art Society. In addition to welcoming new members I have been seeking venues for the display of public art. The first of which was Largo Public Library’s Gallery 120. The Library welcomed thirty artists of PPAS, for a month long show in their spacious gallery wing and we eagerly await our next opportunity to display our work. If you own or work with a venue in Tampa Bay with ample wall space and an appreciation for fine art, send me an email. We at PPAS have the talent to give you a great exhibit.

It’s still only January and already my works have hung in Ruth Eckerd Hall, Park station, Largo Public Library, Suntan Art Center, The Menaul Fine Art Gallery and more, but 2013 shall be a year when I aim to do more with my art. I’m reaching out to my peers for critique, and taking up, anew, many of the artistic genres that I enjoyed prior to college…  Charcoal, Pencils, Pen and ink, Pastels. My sketches have hung in Park Station and Suntan Gallery in previous shows, but I hesitate to give my sketches equal billing, beside my photography, until I know that others view them as quality art. (In truth, my drawing style arises from the techniques I have learned from many different peers and professors. Some of those instructors emphasized point perspective and the golden ratio, others insisted that art based on math is “cold” and encouraged emotion at the expense of perspective. Not all the techniques I learned work well together. So I aim to attain “the nod of approval” from at least a few peers who owe their good reputation to similar art.) Perhaps soon I will have online galleries devoted to sketches as well?

Thanks for reading

L Polyak

Below: Anatomy of a work in progress

(2 C More Art go to www.themindscapeartfoundry.com or www.artoflylepolyak.com)

PPAS Art Fair 2012 Photo Album

Please enjoy the below photos taken at the Pinellas Park Art Society's 2012 Art Fair.

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

Yours Truly, Lyle Polyak

(2 C More Art go to www.artoflylepolyak.com or www.themindscapeartfoundry.com)

On the job

11/17/2012 -

You know, I've never really bought into the concept of "superstition" ...No no, I'm not talking about broken mirrors or warding off bad juju with salt over the shoulder. The act I'm referring to is called "tempting fate." Actually, I'm sure my friends and readers have found themselves in similar situations... You hear a bit of good news, a rumor from a friend or a plan put forth at work which, at once, would change your daily routine for the better. You advertise it to all your friends and family and, lo and behold, it falls through the cracks?  Now, I'm not one to believe that the mere act of spreading potential good news makes the outcome that much less likely. Still, it's good not to invoke Murphy's Law by celebrating your good fortune until you know it's a sure thing. "Don't count your eggs until they hatch" is the sort of adage I'm referring to.

That said... I've been an employee of FASTSIGNS for the last four weeks. By all indicators, my new co-workers and new boss have accepted my "eccentricities" and they mean to keep me employed as a full time Graphic Artist. Sorry I kept the news from you all this long!

These past weeks, I've designed logos, I've laid out banner art, I've created graphics used for trade shows and consulted with customers. All the while I've noticed something about this job that I've yet to see in any of my previous careers. It's not tiring. It's not stressful. This is actually really fun and I look forward to it every day.

Since college, I've been in a number of careers to make ends meet as I gathered the resources and experience to make it here. I've answered call lines, I've worked in a mail room, I've drafted letters for a legal department, I've mailed letters for the FCRA. It's been a long path, but if it was preparation for this destination, well then, it was well worth it.

Thanks for reading!

Lyle Polyak.

(2 C more art go to www.artoflylepolyak.com or www.themindscapeartfoundry.com)

Island Times

9:00AM November 11th -

Salutations Blog Readers!

It’s a beautiful sunny morning. Seventy-some degrees with the constant comfort of a gentle seaward breeze, coming off the Gulf. I’m typing this letter to you from my HP Mini with a palm hammock to my back and the open Gulf ahead of me. Checking my map of the shipping lanes I see that I’m looking at the Straits of Tampa Bay. Somewhere in the distance a ship’s bell is tolling and to my side are the white washed bricks of a lighthouse.

Yes, I’m on an island. Egmont Key to be exact, enjoying the distinct comforts of a beachcomber with my Nikon D7000 at my side. A juvenile bald eagle flew overhead a moment ago and I know the island’s reputation as a haven haring for gopher tortoises, osprey and various sea birds. Before the day is out I hope to get a collection of new images for the website.

A union soldier was visiting the sales booths a moment ago. He’s talking with the light-keeper at the moment, two of the historical reenactors sharing this day with me. The occasion is Discover the Island Day, a history fair held here on Egmont Key to advertise the sprawling beaches and Historic Ruins of Fort Dade. For a history buff and nature lover like me it’s a great chance to get out, do what I do best and make some extra cash selling my wares.

11:00 AM -

The sun over the Egmont Key Lighthouse Station made a beautiful surreal image, and I found a means to reach the peak of the Macintosh Battery for a great shot of the Light Station over the tree line. I happened to take a walk earlier and sadly did not have my camera with me as I witnessed a hilarious sight. A gopher tortoise crept out of the brush and approached the children's area, then proceeded to methodically knock over each of the rungs of a children's croquet set. He would have continued his fun if a volunteer had not noticed him and scooted him away.

For those of you interested the Fair is scheduled to run every November. The ferry to the island leaves from Fort Desoto Beach from 9AM to 4PM. Come see the island, it’s open to the public and one of the last real deserted islands presenting a walk through Florida’s past.

Pictures to be uploaded later ...

Thanks for reading!

L. Polyak

(2 C more art go to www.themindscapeartfoundry.com or www.artoflylepolyak.com)

A Twist on Portraiture at the Zoo

When it comes to wildlife photography, nothing beats taking the camera and the telephoto lens out to a preserve and following your senses. Often bird-calls and a well-trained eye allow you to locate a scene worthy of framing. Other times luck guides you to a one in a million snapshot. However until it becomes economical to travel to Borneo or Australia, to capture what we would term "exotic" animals in their native habitat, the zoo is still the best bet to set your sights on those creatures.

Lowry Park Zoo is the closest environment in my area to go for candid photos of an exhausted meerkat or an awestruck crane. Confused by my adjectives? Wait until you see the pictures. It's like I said in my portfolio...

"Expressions are the lifeblood of portraiture. As mature human beings, we tend to hide our expressions from peers, however animals do not adhere to those norms and as a result, their expressions are genuine, unencumbered, and shine beautifully in photographs."

Seeing an orangutan with his hand on his chin, looking out at a certain onlooker in the crowd, with a stare that could be called contemplative, I can't help but ask "I wonder what he was thinking?" Or observing a sandhill crane suddenly go wide-eyed and drop its jaw when a camera beep is followed by the bright light of a flash, it's easy to call the expression awe or surprise. Even the gestures of some animals have their parallels with we humans. Glimpsing the meerkat, who has spent the past half hour digging in the dirt, suddenly stagger off and plop himself down wearily, we can empathize. "That's hard work."

Looking for a twist on the usual portrait? Try taking your camera to your nearest zoo or just observe the animals around you at work and among their own kind. What you see might just change your outlook on the world.

Thanks for reading.

Lyle Polyak

(to see more art go to www.artoflylepolyak.com or www.themindscapeartfoundry.com)

In the news again!

In early July, Pinellas County artists were invited by The County and The Florida Gulf Coast Center For Fishing to enter their creative works for selection as the official Pinellas County Centennial Poster. The winning image was fated to be used as official art for the September 14th Celebration of The County's hundred years of existence. Participants were invited to submit interpretations that serve to reflect the rich heritage and unique history of Pinellas County. It gives me great pleasure to announce that my own submission titled "Timeline Pinellas" will be used for this purpose and recently appeared on the front page of the Pinellas Park Beacon.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

(2 C More Art go to www.the mindscapeartfoundry.com or www.artoflylepolyak.com)

Christmas Cards!

5x7 Folded Card

View the entire collection of cards.