DIGITAL ARTS
JEN DELYTh
Page 5
From the 1960s contemporary artists have been using digital mediums to create original artwork.
Jen Delyth was one of the early pioneers in using this medium to create original Celtic artwork and multi-media from 1989.
Cutting Edge Tools - Ancient Art
The Celts are a curious and inventive people – who thrived on learning new processes and tools whenever they came across new ideas.
Jen was already a working photographer, who developed and printed her own film and photographs in black and white.
She had a eureka moment when she first came across an early Apple computer in San Francisco in 1987 – and decided there and then – literally – that this had all the potential to be used to create contemporary Celtic Art – evolving into our time – an “ancient to future” concept.
This seemed to her – as a young artist – to be an authentic part of the evolution of tools and in the spirit of innovation of those artists who came before, who enjoyed using the best tools and processes of their time.
The Celtic artists were known for their innovation, and their advanced skills in metalworking, developing a wide range of tools and implements, weapons, and decorative objects.
As a contemporary Celtic Artist – back in 1989 – Jen was inspired as one of the very first “modern day” Celts to continue this heritage of technical innovation using a computer – to create original new artwork in the ancient Celtic style.
EARLY APPLE COMPUTER
Jen was inspired by that very first version 1.0 Adobe Illustrator software, with its fluid vector curves – just came out with the early Macintosh Mac SE computer.
And so her journey began intending to use it as an “avant garde” tool to continue the tradition of “ancient” but “modern” art forms.
The Mac Se had only 1 mb of Ram, and a 20mb hard drive, and a 9″ screen!
Yet some of her most complex work was created on this early computer tool.
At the time – 1987 in San Francisco – this was Jen’s personal special “nerdy” instrument of innovative experimentation – that only a relatively small group of artists were using.
Who imagained that decades later nearly all modern humans would have some access to these same tools – or at least viewing and interacting with digital art on a daily basis – now accessed on a tiny device in the palm of your hand!
CELTIC ART
One of her first complex original digital art pieces is “Keltic Mandala” ©1990 – which was originally output to film in sections on 8 different “floppy” disks (only holding 800 kb each!)
Being the very early days of this new technology – the output “crashed” the service bureau – who had not come across such complex art with the new vector program before – and it took 3 days – and a few tries – processing overnight – before successfully outputting the layers of film.
Being a photographer, jen already had experience with film – and pieced these “layers” together to create one new piece of film to “burn” onto a metal plate and then print onto water color paper using an old school Heidelberg printing press.
Its hard to imagine this today!
DRYAD GRAPHICS LOGO
Arriving as a young unemployed immigrant in 1985, Jen began as a self-taught designer with early desktop publishing using an early PC computer to typeset books and academic papers for clients.
One of her first original “Celtic Art” pieces was designed for her personal business logo “Dryad Graphics” ©1989.
Depicting a “modern” Celtic stylized female figure weaving together the words and images she was creating in her home studio.
Jen was genuinely excited by being one of the first of these “cutting edge” techniques as a contemporary Celtic artist – and a woman fairly outnumbered in a very techie male world (at it was at the time).
She balanced the new tool with integrity of her original work and well researched understanding of the traditional art form – with authentic insight into the traditions.
But it was difficult to explain to folks what it was exactly that she was doing – or even how the new digital software computers operated.
Many assumed that maybe you pressed a button and out popped original intricate art.
Which these days with AI is sadly a possibility!
Jen was proud to be mastering the complex vector programs which also were perfect for detailed textile design – but certainly took much labor intensive determination to use.
Delyth balances this late 20th century tool with 4th century AD egg tempera painting techniques.
She often collages the two art forms together – creating a collage of new work, weaving and bridging both ancient and modern tools.
Different mediums to transcend the process and express the same vision. Each playing their part.
Text & Illustrations from Jen Delyth’s Full Color Hardbound Coffee Table Book
Celtic Folk Soul – Art, Myth and Symbol
Signed Copies Available Here
Design - Publishing - Licensing
Oakland California
Ninth Wave Publishing LLC
JEN DELYTH
ARTIST, AUTHOR, DESIGNER
Since 1987, artist Jen Delyth has illustrated and designed a wide range of books, textile products, stationary.
Celtic Art Studio is HOME STUDIO SITE of Jen Delyth – and Celtic Mythic Line
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The Horse was loved and worshipped by the Celtic people. Horses decorate bronze, gold and silver objects as creatures of grace, intelligence and beauty. Horses also serve as solar symbols, embodying the sun’s divine qualities of strength and fertility – and golden Celtic Coins were often minted with images of the Horse, and solar symbols such as the wheel..
