10/31/11

texture tuesday: and then some

Kim's challenge this week is to use her texture 'and then some'.....thought I'd try it on something other than a flowery thing this time -


I love this shot of my cat - so, first I copied the background and changed it to soft light (65%) to enhance the contrast, then I added the texture AndThenSome and changed the blending to soft light (100%) for the soft look and erased it at the center of the flower and around Tigger's eyes/nose.

Be sure to check out all the other great texture ideas going on for Texture Tuesday over at Kim Klassen's site.  I'll also be linking to Texture Thursday.

10/29/11

inspiration ave: masquerade

As I contemplated what to do for the theme masquerade, I was initially going to attempt a digital collage.  But as the week progressed and I hadn't even begun it, I had to revise the plan into something I could complete.  Since I'm still enjoying Zentangles so much, that was the logical choice.


Although I don't usually add color to my tangles, something about this theme sort of demanded at least a little color! :)  Be sure to visit Inspiration Avenue to see all the other talented folks and their interpretations of masquerade - just in time for Halloween!

10/27/11

digital abstract

I found a new site (I know, big surprise, huh?) that will challenge my digital art efforts in a new direction.  Pixel Dust hosts a Photo Art Friday to showcase digital experiments and artistic efforts.  After browsing Bonnie's site and seeing her style, I was blown away and inspired to give it a shot.  I've done some playing with textures and enhancing some of my images with that, but her free textures are so totally different and the results are quite dramatic.  This will take a little getting used, but I like the stretch!

BEFORE:  an interesting ceiling - I like architectural photos but don't always know what to do with them


AFTER:


I used her textures Happy Day (hard light @ 65%), Mauve Magic (color burn @ 60%) and one call Water Stains (hard light @ 20%) from Hibbary.  I love the vibrant color and how extreme it is from the soft look I usually do.  After reading her process on the example in this post, I really experimented with some of those blending modes that I never really touch and didn't use my fave soft light.  I can't wait to do more of this!

Next Friday's challenge is to try something totally new, something we've been considering but too timid to try - I already know what I'll be attempting...... be sure and check back to see my efforts :)

I'm also linking this to Artists in Blogland which is a place to share your creative efforts each week.  Check it out.  I produced a few different things this week, but picked this post to share because it was the most outside my comfort zone piece - and I actually quite like it.  Sometimes taking off in a new direction or trying a new technique is slow going and not always immediately satisfactory.  But, it's sure fun when it finally comes together!

texture tuesday: doubles

The theme for this week at Kim Klassen's is just to use 2 of her textures - she offers so many great ones for free, it's easy to find a couple to enhance any style of photo.

My 365 POTD today is of a ceramic pear in my collection - I liked the play of shadows from the sun (we don't get that all that often here in Seattle).  While the pic was okay, I thought it a good subject to manipulate with some texture.
BEFORE:


AFTER:

The two textures I used were 'stamped softly' for the linen like texture and words and tea stained for the warm color and random splotches.  Both very cool textures Kim.  Be sure to visit Kim's site to see lots more beautiful photography!

zentangle: punzel #45

This week's Diva challenge is to use the new Zentangle Punzel.  I found it a fun one to draw and easy to make tangelations of it.  It's based on the original pattern Chainging by adding the "behind" element making it a more dimensional chain.  I'm sure I'll be experimenting with it more....

Patterns used: top - punzel, cadent, mooka, gothic
bottom -punzel, woven, and a touch of shattuck

Since I was on vacation, I've fallen a little behind in the challenges, so here's a couple of make up ones.  Tangled on the Inside was a clever concept - choose a pattern as your 'string' and then tangle within it.  I chose assunta for the top and prestwood for the second tile.

Patterns used: top -assunta, zuan shi, meer, purk, florz, bateek, hollibaugh, jetties, dex, echoism
bottom:  prestwood, emingle, nzeppl, coaster, flux, chard, betweed

Finally, I completed a couple tiles for the sunflower prompt which was in honor of the Sunflower Fund of So Africa that supports SA Bone Marrow Registry.

Patterns used:  top: drupe, onamato, mooka;     bottom:  meer, shattuck, kee nees, nightsbridge
Check out more beautiful zentangle pieces at I am the Diva.

10/25/11

creative tuesday: fall

(ED: I'd forgotten that Creative Tuesday doesn't allow photography as one of it's artistic mediums so I'll just have to participate in their next theme; you can still enjoy my efforts....)  I've missed a couple weeks but upon my return the theme is "fall" and that's perfect because I have all these fall color photos I took in Vermont!




Since I haven't had time to get out my collage stuff or paintbrushes, I decided to digitize fall!  This is my photo taken outside Ben and Jerry's ice cream factory - yes, even in the midst of ice cream overload I was aware of the beauty around me!.  I added two textures from Jerry at Skeletal Mess and also a couple of PSE artistic filters - posterize edges, paint daubs, and fresco.  I played with the opacity etc and came up with this interpretation.  The original photo below.....




I don't know that it's improved - it's just different.  I like the vignetted corners and the painterly quality that the fresco and poster edges give the leaves.  You can see those details better by clicking to enlarge the pictures.


Be sure to visit Creative Tuesday to see more fall goodies!

10/23/11

vacation tangles

While I was on vacation I still managed to find some time to do some tangling in the evenings as we relaxed from all our 'leaf peeping'!  I didn't have computer access so didn't do any of Diva's prompts; I'll be playing catch up this week.




I'll try to get back on track this week ......

10/21/11

what inspires me?

Inspiration Avenue is all about inspiration this week.  I've been on vacation so missed out on a couple weeks but they're offering giveaways and all sorts of goodies in celebration of 3 years of blogging.  So go visit.  And, check out where people find their inspiration.

So, my sources.....my photography is the first thing that came to mind.  I love taking photos and stretching my ability and vision with a camera.


Using the photos, I've come to love creating various digital art projects - everything from a photo manipulated with textures and maybe a quote to bookmarks and calendars.


A street in Ronda, Spain followed by a digital manipulation, then by a watercolor.



Add some textures & a quote:


 I also fall back on my photos for inspiration in my watercolor painting and might combine elements from three or four pictures into one painting.


Lake Tahoe, followed by my attempt to paint it....

This watercolor was my first effort at using masking fluid for the white bare tree.  As usual, some things I like about the effort, others seem quite amatuerish......but I'm learning.

I pull inspiration from the internet ALL the time.  Sometimes I think I spend too much time seeing what all you other talented folks are doing that I don't create enough of my own :)  I've found that participating in various challenges and prompts keeps me moving, keeps me trying new techniques and the fact that I can share my efforts online to such a supportive community is immensely helpful.  Otherwise some of the pieces never see the light of day.....

For example, I took up art journaling this summer due to Twinkle Twinkle's daily prompts.

I enjoy learning and sharing with Kat and her Exploring with a Camera series; when I can, I share at Paint Party Friday, etc.  Just check out my challenges page at the top and you'll see the great places I find inspiration.  And of course, it goes without saying that Inspiration Avenue is a great place to find creative types sharing in all sorts of mediums.  Where does your muse hang out?

10/20/11

Found Textures

I've been on vacation for 10 days and so my posts here have been non-existent and my creations almost so.  I did a little tangling (will show in another post) but mostly used my camera to feed my creativity.  We were in Vermont being "leaf peepers" and enjoying the stunning autumn show.  If you'd like to see some of my photos of that great trip, you can see them on my flickr page or on my photography blog, PurkeyPages.

One of the first things I checked on my return is Kat's newest tutorial and challenge - the theme is one of my favorite subjects: Found Texture.  I love textural subjects though I struggle sometimes to show the texture to best advantage.  So here are a few of my favorite recent "texture" images.



A door to the capital building in Montpelier, VT.


I don't even remember where I saw this great wall but I had the idea that the textures would be perfect in a digital collage some day.

The texture on these fall leaves really captured my eye.

From smoothest water to rough water edge to rocky sand beach, a wealth of subtle textures (Alki Beach, Seattle)

I have lots of rusty pictures so I just picked a recent one that I particularly liked the way the shadows play up the edges.  I could go on and on, but in the interest of keeping your interest, I'll stop.  Thanks again Kat for so effectively explaining and demonstrating some great ideas for photographing texture!

Be sure to visit Kat at Kat's Eye View to see even more wonderful views of texture.

10/4/11

texture tuesday: gratitude


This week I used some of the new techniques learned in Kim's Skinny Mini texturing class - it's free!  Per challenge instructions, I used a couple of Kim's textures (empty page and a gray smoosh that I've lost the name of) and her great technique to boost the contrast:  duplicate the original photo and change the blending mode to soft light - instant drama.  If it's too much, it's easy to reduce the opacity to achieve the look you want.  Then add a texture or two and experiment with the blending modes and opacity til you find a combo you like.  Thanks Kim!

Check out Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen's Cafe to see other interpretations of 'gratitude'.  Also, I just found Photo Art Friday in my blog hopping and totally love this idea!  There are so many amazing photographers who love tweaking their images with a little Photoshop play and textures so visit this site to see some amazing creativity!  So for this week I'm having my gratitude do double duty.

living in las vegas

ABC Wednesday is all about the letter "L" this week.  Immediately I thought of the years that we lived in Las Vegas.  My lighthearted collage is composed from my own photos of the night lights, lively entertainment, and loose women (oops, left those out :).  Though you probably didn't learn much, hopefully this little trip down memory lane for me will bring a laugh to you!

Live, Laugh, Love - a good philosophy to live by and one that is easy to embrace in Las Vegas. There's lots to do - hike the red rock landscape, look at the luminous night lights on the strip, enjoy the luxurious hotel rooms and lavish buffets, take in some lively entertainment and last but not least, leave with a few extra dollars in your pocket!

Viva Las Vegas!


Be sure to visit ABC Wednesday and check out other depictions of "L".

10/2/11

Exploring with the Camera: complementary

Kat over at Kat's Eye is continuing her Exploring with a Camera series and now is covering using complementary and tertiary color schemes to take dramatic photos.  She shares a very informative and easy to understand explanation about all that, complete with some of her stunning photography, to help inspire you to notice colors when taking your own photos.

I went back through my photos and noticed quite a few that fit this week's theme:


Las Vegas signage (I was doing a project using typefaces so took lots of "letter" pics - Vegas sure knows how to use color!) - yellow and purple are complementary colors.


This bright bird was in a cage at the Bellagio - blue and orange are complements, and green/orange/purple is a triad - The bird has green and orange, so it's considered a Triadic variation.


A mosaic floor at the Wynn hotel - again with the orange/green blue.


This classic car was at a show in Kingman, AZ - love how that orange and blue really offer contrast!


A trip to China found this little garden tucked away and the one red tree against all the greenery makes a perfectly "complementary" photo!

This building in the Forbidden City, Beijing is a great example of a triadic combination of red, blue and yellow!  It also illustrates how proportion of color can set the tone in an image.

To see more complementary schemes, check out Kat's post and links.

creative tuesday: cupcake


I've finished my cupcake offering early since we're going to be on vacation 10/11.  I used my Zentangle patterns to create my version of an extra large cupcake and a window display of cupcakes!  :)  To see what other folks did to showcase this yummy idea, visit Creative Tuesday - maybe you'll even find a recipe or two!  All entries are due Oct 11 and then a new theme will be added and you'll have 2 weeks to create something....