Playing in Photoshop

This certainly isn't new information for everyone, but I just realized that every piece of art I create can become a new piece through the magic of the computer. I had already figured out that every image captured with my camera was fair game to design with, but the concept of re-entering  art made from camera images back into the computer for artistic transformation has just hit me like a bag of hammers!

For example, let's begin with the following print

recreated to be a compilation of a fun, young couple's engagement photo session using hand-carved stamps and watercolor pencil.

With just a little bit of tweaking in Photoshop  it can be transformed into something like this:

And with an addition of one piece of hand-painted paper from my extensive paper stash,

which can also be altered by computer, multiplying my paper stash to  truly monumental size,

I am left with a new image..

...which could become countless other images with the a few simple mouse clicks.

The combinations are endless. Yikes! So many choices, if only I enjoyed making virtual messes as much as I enjoy getting my hands messy.  Did I mention I really enjoy getting my hands messy?
Ah, the limitations of my tactile and kinesthetic ways.

Replacing Mona Lisa

I went to visit my family this spring and while taking out the trash, I discovered a treasure. In the dumpster. Someone had either redecorated or possibly evicted someone with Pop Art tastes, disposing of his graphic interpretation of Mona Lisa done in oranges and poison greens. The canvas was probably 36x40. SCORE!! I was going to be in town 3 weeks and was beginning to miss studio messes. Unfortunately, no one I knew in town had any painting supplies. However, I did plan a visit to my friend, The Visionary, in a town 3 hours away and I thought she might at least have some house paint I could prept the canvas with. I dragged Mona Lisa along on the visit and returned a week later with a relatively covered canvas ready for my use. But if you look closely, you might be able to see the 4 famed faces I brushed over.

As I had no paints, I determined to work out a shape of a large butterfly using torn newspaper to fill in the negative space. Butterflies are my mother's passion and the final piece would stay behind and hang over the door to the patio.

Once a vague butterfly shape  had been collaged onto the prepared canvas, Mom and I went through her wrapping paper stash, pulling colors she prefers for her house. We also went to the craft store and purchased pack of tissue paper. From this found and purchased paper, a butterfly emerged.

The final touches included some stray tissue and a meandering flight line.

Life is Good

Abraham Lincoln said,
"Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be."

Saw this sign in a shop last week...

Preview

BE HAPPY TODAY

A Little Bit of Whimsey

Inspired by Giselle's shirt the other day, I decided to do a few covers with colorful flowers.

My first interpretation with a new medium, oil sticks, yielded  the above. And remembering that every piece of art has its ugly stage, I moved on, creating a couple of graphic floral covers and coordinating striped backs.

The oil sticks go on creamy and blend beautifully with fingers. The colors were rich and bright. I was in hog heaven!

I'm thinking this will be my new favorite medium, but who knows? Later this week I'll be working with glazes and molding paste. I do tend to be fickle and love whichever medium I'm with...

Studio Expansion

After the incident yesterday with oil paint sticks and the carpet, the Professor has decided to put down a canvas drop cloth in the living room to match its twin in the studio/dining-room. Seems he doesn't trust me not to drop oil sticks or their shavings onto the carpet again. He's usually right about these things anyway. I'm just grateful our carpet is nearly the same color as the drop cloth, at least initially. I suppose if we owned this place it wouldn't be such a big deal.

In preparation for both the Fire Belles Christmas and the Allied Arts Christmas Festival (yes, I got in!), my living-room has begun to look like a factory. A table liberated from storage has taken up residence behind a chair providing an extra surface above and storage beneath for the  mountains of paper needed to fill my ever-increasing collection of journals. A tower of 12x12 canvasses are snugged in under there as well.

Dining table now has a 2nd tier for drying created with an extra table top and glass vases.

 And I am daily gaining stamina by simply showing up and playing in said factory. I can't wait to get started each morning at the drafting table.

And I fall into bed and sleep like a baby every night.Life is good.