Explore the edges of reality with digital art

An adult with multiple arms holding a book, sketchpad, scissors, brush and paint can

Sam Charboneau. Self portrait courtesy of the artist.

#AtHomeArt projects from Youth and Family staff. Sponsored by SONIC Drive-In.

The digital world offers endless possibilities for making art. Take it from Sam Charboneau, an Oklahoma artist who has developed a quickly expanding body of work centered on pixels and programs. Taking digital manipulation to its logical extreme, Charboneau generates fantastical and surreal landscapes that blend natural and computer-generated images to dazzling effect.

Charboneau's visions begin with handmade sculptures photographed in natural light to match images of specific settings in her everyday life. The photos are then digitally edited to create a single, quirky piece. Her visual vocabulary ranges from fictional works to references of Post-WWII Magical Realism painters, but is always grounded in objects and settings she has personally created or captured.

Today’s #AtHomeArt project is inspired by Charboneau's unique practice. For this project, you'll need a smartphone or tablet, along with an editing app that gives you the ability to cut out a selected part of an image and add it onto another image. (If you don’t already have a program you're familiar with, we recommend a free app called PicsArt.) Explore your creative curiosity through photography by combining some of your own photos to create one-of-a-kind works.

Until you're able to experience Chabroneau's work for yourself in our now-delayed Shadow on the Glare exhibition, try seeing the world through her eyes. Create something that speaks to your life in this moment, whether it be lighthearted or a little more serious — and, as always, be sure to share your work with us on social media!

Here's a video from our Youth and Family staff to help you get started:

Digital and physical worlds collide in today's #AtHomeArt project. Image by Kau’i Kanahele.

Kau’i Kanahele, coordinator of Youth and Family Programs
Christine Gibson, manager of Youth and Family Programs

Images:

Sam Charboneau. The Momma, 2016. Digital image.

Photo of Sam Charboneau courtesy of the artist.

#AtHomeArt project photo by Kau'i Kanahele.

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Sam Charboneau digital art Shadow on the Glare photography surrealism At Home Art