Sarah EK Muse Digital Collage

Harkrader captures, with camera, Sarah EK Muse at her exhibit on Church Street, Roanoke, 2008. Muse specializes in metalwork with motifs of plant life, feminine symbolism and figurative elements. Muse founded SVMAG in 2004 for local metal artisans. Southwestern Virginia Metal Arts Guild provide opportunities for education, creativity and information among its members. Harkrader photographed Muse and her sculptural metalwork for this montage composition. He then superimposed multiple photographs into one digital collage using Photoshop. Three metal sculptured panel provide a visual horizontal path to the primary Muse portrait. The background of zoomed facial features provide depth. Anticipation blooms for the 'Spring Celebration and Kentucky Derby Party' hosted by Muse tomorrow, May 1, 2010. Yea!

Early Digital Computage

Harkrader bought his first version of Adobe Photoshop in 1994 after purchasing his first computer to participate online with the now historic Blacksburg Electronic Village. The BEV was touted as the worlds first electronic village and was a collaboration between Virginia Tech, Town of Blacksburg and Bell Atlantic. He used Netscape to browse for the first time and Photoshop to create his first digital art. The image above was compulation of photographing an early Harkrader painting, photographing his wife's automobile, using Photoshop tools to paint, blend, merge and layer the digital collage into one single unit of blended art.