Dreamscapes . . . My First Digital Collage!!

I have been sharing my new addiction to texturing photos and now I have taken it a step further. I wanted to share some digital collage. The above image was my first attempt using 3 of my own photos. I used a beach sunset image, butterfly image, and a lake image. Then I added the text on top. I layered the images and played around with opacity, hue, and saturation.

For this one I used 3 images again. My chrysler building photo, my butterfly, and an image of some trees.

On this one I used some texture as well as 2 of my own photos. One was of a lake and some tree branches. I like what the texture does for this image.

These I did through trial and error as I don't really know what I am doing yet! I did mostly layering of the images similar to how I learned to add the texture. I am reading one of Susan Tuttle's books Digital Expressions which is great so far. If you are interested in learning about digital art using photoshop elements than I highly recommend it!

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!! xo

Wordless Wednesday. . .

Our Yard, 2010

Texture Tuesday

This week we had to use Kim's Serendipity texture and I really love it! I chose this photo I took out in Newport of the beach cottage we stay at. I love the vintage feel it give to the image.

Check out the original image below!

If you would like to join us for Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday's hop over to her blog

HERE!!

This week Kim is hosting a giveaway of her textures! You can check out that post HERE to enter!

Candle Still Life Finished!

"Candles in the Window"

acrylic on 8x10 canvas board

Hope you all had a lovely weekend and for those that celebrate Easter a great holiday! For our Easter Sunday it was just me, Lou, some ravioli, and homemade pizelle cookies that he made! And I ate way too many of them! I also had some studio time this weekend so that I could finish my candle still life. I continued with my monochrome palette and let me just say that painting in monochrome is teaching me a ton about color theory especially about lights and darks. My hubby was the one who suggested the window in the background. At first I was unsure how I could do it but I sketched it out and just started adding color.

The more I paint without the intention of perfection I notice that I paint better and get in the zone more. And I am trying to listen to what I vibe to as far as colors. I saw this color in my head and for a second hesitated because I thought it wasn't bold enough but just went with it.

This above image is the stage when Lou suggested the window. My original plan was just to add some flowers coming out of the smaller candle which was going to be a tiny flower pot! In the end I really like the depth the window frame gives the painting.

The more I do this type of painting with acrylics I am learning to love the forgiveness of this medium! As I paint I constantly think "Hey, if I don't like it I can just paint right over it and start again!" And that in itself is helping me to loosen up in my painting and enjoy the process much more.

I am thinking of starting a landscape next. In my mind I see it with a limited palette of yellow and purple!

WIP . . . Inspired By Wordless Wednesday

Today I dragged out my standing easel. I was disturbed at the fact that it took me so long to figure out how to open it up and get it standing! It was dusty! I had been using my table top easel but it is hurting my back because I like to stand. After many minutes of putting together the easel I was able to get some paint on my latest canvas.

I was inspired with the photo I shared yesterday of the candle so this is where I am at for now. I am painting a candle with 2 votives which may end up containing some mini flowers! Not sure yet. I am going monochrome with this one and chose the color I used in my last still life from the vase.

Below is one layer prior. . .

It feels good to try and enjoy the process and just get some paint moving again! I really want to make the effort to paint more. I am realizing that I just need to practice and forget about the product! And the more I paint I am seeing the benefit of layers! It even feels better under my brushes to paint over a few layers of color. And of course I am a bit frustrated with my inability to get good photos of it.

Hope to finish it soon and not obsess too much! lol Yeah right! :)

Wordless Wednesday. . .

Texture Tuesday Fun!

This week the challenge was to use Kim's "sweet treat" and "silence" textures. I have added the original image below. I took this picture at the Botanical Gardens in the Bronx last year. Normally I am super scared of bees but thanks to the zoom lens on my canon I was able to capture this lovely shot!

If you want to join us and play with textures check out the button along my sidebar!

Wishing you all a lovely Tuesday!

PS . . . Thanks to all who commented on my still life in my previous post! I am so happy you like it just as much as I do! xo

Still Life Is Finished!!

Thank you all so much for your supportive comments on my last post. Again I feel so grateful to have a wonderful community to share those feelings with who really "get it"!

I am excited to share my still life once again now that its complete. I lost count of how many times I painted over the flowers! That was quite frustrating but then I tried to realize that it is all a part of the learning process. Too bad my left brain is always working overtime! If you look at my last post you will notice that I changed the table so it didn't look as if the vase and candle were hanging onto the edge. I wanted more depth and with practice was able to achieve a look I was happy with. I did however need to step away from the canvas before I reworked it too much and potentially ruined all I had accomplished.

Hope you are all enjoying this day. I am off to get some dinner soon with hubby and then we are going to take the pug for a walk. The bad storms we had last night have left nice breezy weather behind!

Getting Back In The Zone With Still Life . . .

acrylic on 9x12 canvas board

Lately I have been feeling scared when it comes to my art. I feel like I am jumping all over the place in the art world which I think is ok sometimes but it has become distracting. I will always do photography (its my first love) but I really want to develop my painting skills. My fear is in doubting my skills, doubting I will ever find where I fit in, doubting that I can even call myself an artist. I hate feeling this way. I hate that I cannot enjoy the process of creating. I hate that I focus too much on the product and what will fit in my etsy store. I haven't been able to focus on painting because I am afraid to paint ugly. But I don't realize that in the "ugly" can be something amazing waiting to happen.

So today I decided that I would get back to a canvas that had been staring me down for months. It was a still life I started last year and repainted it twice. I hated the colors, the way I couldn't stay in the lines, and how I had trouble blending. I wish I had taken a photo of it before I painted over it today because you would not believe how much better it is! And what is more important is that I can see that myself. I can see the progress I have made as an artist (dare I call myself that). I painted today just to paint. Just to feel the paintbrush moving on the canvas, to get in the zone so to speak without worrying what it was looking like. I know that technically this is not right but it looks good to me. And I didn't even fuss over the colors. You all know how notorious I am for that! I like the muted colors, the white candle, the peachy vase against the gray backdrop.

I will be adding some yellow flowers to the vase and highlighting more but I wanted to share my progress so far! I will be sure to post it when I am finished. And I hope I don't leave it in the corner waiting like my urban landscape!

Wordless Wednesday. . . Bunny Love

"Bunny Love"

Newport, 2009

Texture Tuesday

I took this shot at the Bronx Zoo last year. It is a photo of the front gates that face Fordham Road. I am posting this today for Texture Tuesday's hosted by Kim Klassen who I blogged about last week. Each week I will be posting a textured photo for her challenges. I am excited as it will be such fun! For this weeks challenge you could use any one of her textures that you wanted for your photo. For this one I used the "She Loves You Yeah" texture. It is the one I have been using on all the photos in my last 2 posts. Love it! I thought I would share my before picture so here it is . . .

I used two layers of texture, and altered it with a sepia tone as well. I am loving the vintage look this particular texture gives the photos!

Click on the link below to participate or just check out the other entries!

Texture Tuesday's With Kim Klassen

More Fun With Photo Texture And A Blog Feature!

"City Traffic"

NYC, 2010

Thanks for all the amazing comments on my last post! It was so much fun! This weekend I spent some time printing my photos and framing them for the art exhibit. Since they are all black and white/sepia I went with simple black frames. As you can see I had more fun altering a few photos! Addicting!! "City Traffic" was shot on the corner of Park Ave. and 42nd Street at dusk, altered with sepia, texture, and blurring. I really love this one with the texture!

"View From The Top of the Met"

NYC, 2010

The above image was altered with texture and I lightened the hue to make it look more aged.

"Wishing Well"

Our yard, 2009

For this photo of the well I used a yellow toned texture, sepia tone, and blurring. I think the blurring gives it a dreamy quality don't you?

Hope you are enjoying these! I cannot promise that I will be able to stop posting these anytime soon! lol

Oh, and in other news I was excited that one of the first mixed media pieces I incorporated a photo into was featured on the Creative Catalyst Productions blog! You can read the post HERE!

Textured Photography . . . My New Addiction!

I got totally sidetracked today from painting. I happened to find Kim Klassen's website and watched some tutorials on adding texture to your photos via photoshop elements which is a program I have had for months. I haven't used it because I couldn't figure it out! lol She shares all the how to's in her video "Textures in Ten" which I highly recommend if you are interested in this technique. It was so much easier than I could have imagined! And she provided free textures she designed!

For my above image of the Chrysler Building and the one below of the Brooklyn Bridge I used the same texture. I thought it went well with the urban feel of these photos. I love how distressed they look! The brooklyn bridge was also altered to an antique tone as well.

The photo below that I took in Newport at a horse farm was altered using 2 separate textures with some yellows and browns to them. And I love the distressed look in that photo as well.

This was alot of fun! I like altering my photos with sandpaper and ink for my paintings but this was way cool being able to distress them with texture digitally! I think I have found a new addiction!

I am thinking of using the two city photos for the art show with texture as you see above. What do you think?

PS . . . Thanks for all the great comments on my angel ballerina from my last post!! You guys rock! :)

Angel Ballerina Is Painted And She Sold!!

"angel ballerina"

mixed media on 8x10 canvas board

sold

Good morning my dear friends! I completed this piece over the weekend. I went with a similar color palette as the angel bride. Its funny how I get stuck in a color that I really like. I have another angel to put on canvas and I hope I can break away from the pink!

I have to admit I did obsess over her a bit especially on the top layer details. At one point I had to ask my hubby to take it away from me before I ruined it! lol Then I posted her on facebook as I do with most of my art to share her with friends and I sold her before I even got a chance to list her on etsy! She is on her way south to a little girls room. It really makes my heart happy to think that my art will be in a new home and hopefully inspire its new owner. She will be added as a print to my etsy shop later today!

I have a couple of works in progress one of which is an altered photo piece. This time I am being daring and using a 11x14 wrapped canvas covered in black gesso waiting for one of my altered photos. The photo is all scratched up, inked and ready. We will see how it goes! The other is a background for my third angel although I still need to figure out what color the background will be.

Dare I go with pink again??

Wordless Wednesday. . .

Sending Birthday Wishes To Heaven . . .

This is one of our first pictures together. Dad and I on my first christmas circa 1969. I think I was about 6 months old. Today is his birthday. He would have been 63. Three years ago today was the last day I saw him. He passed away from pancreatic cancer 2 months later.

Our relationship was a difficult one no doubt but in the end none of that seems to matter. My dad was an artist. He liked to sketch and draw but unfortunately life got in the way as did an alcohol addiction and he never utilized his creativity. I think I get my creative side from him. And I never realized this until he was gone and I began creating art! Sometimes I feel sad that he never lived to see my art but I think somehow he does see it from where he is now. Or at least I hope he does.

This photo was taken of us together at my wedding in May of 2003. I am pretty sure we were dancing to a Sinatra song. He was a big Sinatra fan. One of his favorite's was "Summer Wind". These days I try to take some solace in knowing he is now free to fly in that summer wind . . .

Angel Ballerina

In staying with the theme of my angel bride I sketched out this angel ballerina! I wasn't sure how I would do drawing a ballerina but I do love her. She looks so happy and peaceful! Today I worked on a layered background. I stalled out though in the placement of some collage. But the good thing is what I don't like I can always cover up!

Hubby and I are back from a lovely dinner at our favorite italian place. The gnocchi I had are sitting in my tummy like lead! But it was so worth it. And then there was tiramisu too! Next up, some Seinfeld reruns . . . love that show! It makes us laugh. . . alot!

Thanks for the photo suggestions for the art exhibit! I will keep you posted as it gets closer!

Hope you are all enjoying the weekend my dear friends!!

More Newport Pics And I What I Want To Know From You!

As promised I am back with more Newport photos. These I altered in sepia/black and white tones because as you know I love the effect they give an image. The above image is the front of our beach cottage.

Each morning we walked up this hill to the main house for a lovely breakfast from a dining room overlooking the ocean. And the above photo was taken as I was standing beneath those trees.

This last shot below was taken at the Cliff Walk. Lou pointed it out to me. I am glad he did because I think it is a cool shot. And come to think of it I do believe it will make a good photo for a new altered black and white piece!

Now for what I want to know from you! As most of you know I am a breast cancer survivor. I was treated down in NYC at Sloan-Kettering. Each year have a Patient Art Exhibit at the hospital. I attended it last year and it was great. This year I will have the opportunity to exhibit some of my work! I have decided to show some of my photography. I would love to hear your suggestions for photos of mine that stand out to you!