Presidents Day in Old Town

Dannie in Old Town, originally uploaded by tony.eckersley.

Presidents day meant a day off work! In addition to that it turned out to be a beautiful day outside, reaching 70 degrees at one point. Of Course that didn’t last!

While in Old Town we took a look inside the torpedo factory, and I quote:”The Torpedo Factory Art Center is the highlight of Alexandria’s Potomac River waterfront, attracting approximately 700,000 visitors annually. Visit 82 artists’ studios, six cooperative galleries, two workshops, and the Alexandria Archaeology Museum. Sign up for an art class with The Art League School. Then stroll along the waterfront, shop and sightsee on nearby historic streets, have a picnic on the dock behind the art center, or eat in the area’s many fine restaurants.

The Torpedo Factory Art Center houses more than 165 visual artists who produce artwork in a wide variety of media including painting, ceramics, photography, jewelry, stained glass, fiber, printmaking, and sculpture. The artists invite visitors to join them in their studios and observe their creative processes. You may ask questions, learn about each of their art forms, and purchase original work.”It’s a great little hang out for artists and people alike. Of course I spent most of my time visiting the local photographers. Two that caught my eye were Craig Sterling and James Steele. Both were great artists who had some very inspiring work. Kicked me up the butt a little to start being a little more pro-active with my photography.

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Craig Sterling really inspired me. His choice of printing exclusively in monochrome really attests to his beautiful work while he mixes traditional photography with today’s modern means. Some of his pieces looks like he uses a tilt shift lens to really pin point the focus on a particular point. Wish I could afford a tilt shift lens, but for now, I’ll continue to “fake it” in photoshop! Take a look at some of these added to my Flickr account

Mount Rushmore, originally uploaded by tony.eckersley.

Yellowstone, originally uploaded by tony.eckersley.