THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 17, 1995 TAG: 9505180055
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TERESA ANNAS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
GOD MIGHT think like this: ``I don't like that tree, so I'll take it out. Let's get rid of those telephone lines. I think I'll make it a pretty sky.''
That's Lloyd Davies talking. He's a Richmond computer artist who no longer dirties his hands with oil paints and turpentine. Not since he discovered how to make traditional seascapes, landscapes and portraits on his Macintosh Centris 660AV.
It has been only two years since Davies bought that computer and he's already noted as a pioneer. In January, he became the first artist to be featured in America Online's (AOL) new Fine Art Gallery. He remains the only artist shown on the on-line gallery.
America Online is a computer information service with about 2 million subscribers nationwide, all of whom have access to Fine Art Gallery.
Davies will demonstrate his process Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Walter C. Rawls Library and Museum in Courtland.
He usually begins with his own photographs, mostly taken of picturesque outdoor sites in Virginia.
He scans a photo into his computer using a software program called Adobe Photoshop. Then the photographic image can be manipulated on the computer screen with ``tools'' that create painterly effects. They include erasers, brushes, pencils and smudging tools.
Once completed, the image can be stored on a floppy disk.
AOL users can log on this very minute and see 20 of Davies' paintings. Just type in the keyword ``artist.'' The screen will offer three choices, among them ``full art library.''
Two clicks on the mouse will show you that library, home to Davies' art. A list of his titles will come up on the screen. Click on a title and a ``thumbnail sketch'' of the painting will appear to the right of the title.
If you like the image, you can download it into your computer. The image can be stored in the computer or on a floppy disk.
Since January, about 700 people have downloaded his art from the Fine Art Gallery, he said. Davies has artwork available in other AOL programs, too, including one called Graphic. Including all sites, Davies' computer art has been downloaded more than 5,000 times.
What do people do with his art?
``They just enjoy looking at them,'' Davies said, ``just like you would any other artwork. I know of one lady in Washington State who sounds like she has collected everything I've done. She has the Davies art gallery in her computer.''
Davies, 71, is not in it for the money. He has never tried to sell his art. ``I'm too old to start a second career,'' he said. ``I know what it takes to sell artwork - an awful lot of running around. I don't want to do that. This is just a hobby.
``I guess it's a pretty expensive hobby, but not as expensive as belonging to a private club and playing golf three times a week.''
When he retired in 1989 from his job as salesman for a Richmond printing company, Davies picked up on his early interest in art. Nearly half a century ago, he had earned an art degree from Richmond Professional Institute, now Virginia Commonwealth University.
After making 80 or so paintings, Davies grew bored. Then he figured out how to paint on a computer.
``Almost anybody could do this,'' said the artist, ``if they had any artistic talent at all.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
LLOYD DAVIES
Graphic
More examples of Lloyd Davies' computer art also available on the
Fun Page of Pilot Online on the Internet's World Wide Web. The Web
address is http://www.infi.net/pilot/
by CNB