David Blessum Madison, Wisconsin
		Listen to this artist. (AU 80K)

My digital art is a natural extension of my experience in photography and my interest in special effects in the darkroom and studio. I like the ability to fine-tune specific areas of a composition and to blend the separate parts into one vision. The artwork becomes a collage of the photographs that I've taken over the years that seem to fit together. After experimenting with different images and methods, I find the right combination that results in a final piece that rarely conforms to the original idea.

"Fallen Angel" raises questions about the icons of religion. As we view it we wonder why the man has turned away? Each of us will have a different view based on our own background and experiences. My hope is that each of us will question our own beliefs and see that there are similarities in different belief systems. With an understanding of others we will reduce the fear that causes alienation.

"The Nature of Mind" deals with perceptions of reality. The puzzle structure that frames the image represents the illusions of the world around us made from objects and concepts that we grasp at in an attempt to fulfill ourselves. At the center, we struggle with the illusions that confront us because we don't realize that the true sky-like nature of the mind is already within us. The pool reflects a distorted perception of how we see ourselves. If we deny the inevitability of change, the pool can become stagnant in comparison to the continually-changing flow of experience around us.