Artist Spotlight: Ailsa

Today's spotlight artist is Ailsa. She is a grandmother from Western Australia. She is part of a site called Aceanimations.

Aceanimations is used for making tubes from graphics. These tubes are used for animation, web pages, graphics, etc. She decided that since copyright was such a great concern and because she is a member of several copyright aware yahoo groups, that she would utilize her photographs and make tubes of them. Eventually the number of tubes grew and she decided to put them on a website with the help of a very good friend, Moonshadow.

Ailsa has been interested in art since she was a young child. She always had her paints out and that interest continued until she left school. She sometimes things of painting again when she finishes with other things she wishes to do. However, at this time her main hobby is photography along with her husband who loves photography as well. This fits well with their love of travel. They enjoy doing this together and being together is important to them.

Photography is very interesting to her because she like to try to capture the perfect photo whether it is a macro (which in an insect or a flower), landscape or seascape. She states, "To have the right light, to have a crisp clear sharp photograph with colors which are true. To have it stand out and know you have a winner is what I find most exhilarating." No matter where you are there are always photographs to be taken whether it be at home, in the garden, in the city in the country, at the sea or of people. She can loose hours in the garden just trying to capture the perfect bee.

Ailsa likes to take photographs of insects using a Macro Lens. She would like to perfect this in the next few years or so. She also likes to travel and take photographs of landscapes. She has so many photographs on her walls that it is like her own gallery and it brings back so many memories of each trip she has taken. They also make a great conversation piece.

She has just completed going through and processing the photographs from her trip to South Australia, Flinders Range, Wilpena, William Creek, Lake Eyre, Coober Pedy and Woomera. She will possibly do a few small trips in Western Australia later in the year.

She admits she has never wanted to give up photography although she may go a few weeks without using her camera. Sometimes life just gets in the way or your imagination just isn't working for you.

Ailsa enjoys viewing landscape artist. Particularly Australian ones such as Ken Duncan, Steve Parish, Neil Pritchard and Christian Fletcher among several others. She admires the fact that these artists have achieved a great level of excellence.

Her husband is also a hobby photographer and their sons both have cameras as well as their grandchildren who have both had success in small competitions.

In her spare time she loves to be with her family, gardening and traveling.

When asked her view point on her images and usage on the Internet she states, "With the tubes I like them to have either ©Aceanimation or Ailsa on them. It lets others know who the original came from. Proper credits should be given to all images and if the creator is unable to be located then it is not to be used. There are always items, photographs and images stolen on the Internet. This is very sad as it does make some people think prior to uploading images or photographs and can cause such grief for the artists. I have seen one young man so upset he was close to never posting an image on the Internet again, however I believe in the future, there will be better ways to protect ones work."

Although she has not sold any of her photographs she would be open to discussion if anyone were interested in purchasing them. The prices would vary depending on if it were to be framed, on mat board or just the photograph by itself.

Ailsa's message to children is whatever you decide for a career, you will probably change at least once or twice. Go with the flow and just do your best. She states, "the jobs of the future will be things I have never seen or heard of. Just as when I was a child there was no Television or Internet."

Alisa's message to artists and other photographers is to enjoy what you do and bring out the beauty in all you do.

You can view Ailsa's photographs on Flickr. She hopes to one day have a website of her very own.

I hope you have enjoyed reading and learning about a very unique artist and will visit her site as well as comment on her beautiful photographs.