Explore the Digital Art of Fingerpainting at the Flying Pig, July 12

On July 12 at 7 pm the Flying Pig Gallery and Greenspace will host a return engagement with artist Susan Murtaugh, a followup to her January presentation on the digital art of finger-painting. She will explain and demonstrate how the iPad has affected her work, discuss software changes and developments and how the world of finger-painting has grown.Susan is a Graduate of the Chicago Academy of Fine Art with Majors in Illustration and Graphic Design.

She’s worked for over 35 years in design and advertising, including 14 years as owner of her own design firm. She has retired, but not stopped working and lives in the Town of Two Creeks, north of Two Rivers, on Lake Michigan, with her husband Phil and artist son, Alex.

Susan Murtaugh explains the concepts of using digital technology in her artistic work environment:

“Since early 2009 my preferred medium has dramatically changed. And it’s being used by a growing number of artists in all genres. It’s digital. Not the familiar computer digital. I draw, ‘paint,’ express myself on my iPod Touch, essentially an iPhone and my new iPad. I’ve been doing this since February, 2009.

I use the  Brushes and Sketchbook Mobile apps. The effect is amazingly like painting on canvas. I start with a base layer and work up just as I would with oil or pastel. But, I use my finger and a Pogo stylus. To me the applications feel and look like my older pastel work. I’ve always loved my studio clutter but this frees me of it all. My ‘digit-alls’ are with me all the time.

Exploring this medium has excited me so that I’ve been working with Brushes developer Steve Sprang and the Canadian group, Autodesk, developing software that further enhances the experience of painting on small screens and then outputting the result archivally on paper for display.”