artwhispers

back finally

     
Finally feeling better after 2 bouts of a virus. Did a lot of sleeping and not much else. But now am full of energy. Shown are some images for the calendar and one panoramic holiday card. June's angel is from New Orleans and is very powerful up close. The blue is light shining through a blue window. Someone had broken several windows in the crypt which houses it. I photographed the statue blindly because I'm too short. Thank goodness for digital cameras when you are not sure where you're focused. 

 

this might be january

 This might be January, photo taken in Costa Rica many years ago.

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Calendar

Still working on images for calendars. This image was in front of my Mom's nursing home in Lansing, Michigan. It's been years since I lived in Detroit and had never experienced it being so cold there, or at least I don't remember. It was a bittersweet time. Mom passed away but us four kids were together in the first time for many years. This sweet angel makes me smile. Thinking I will do one calendar with angels only and the others mixed imagery.

Uniquely you

This is a manequin that needs a new life. Maybe we'll decorate it for the holidays. She is now dressed in a 1940's silk nightgown. The circular pattern is one of many textures, this one from an image of the rings on the cedar tree we had removed. Miss the tree and the shade it gave the house, but after large branches fell on the roof, we had it taken down. 

Another angel from the past, with new layers.

expressive

This is my granddaughter looking out the car window, texturized of course.

Doll face, lilypad, appletree, oh my

Still working on textures and images for a calendar. I love this doll (Linda you lucky person)! Raggedy lilypad at the bakers on Salt Spring. Outbuilding on Salt Spring on old homestead. Appletrees along a fenced drive, same homestead. In Sept they have apple festival, great way to see the island and taste a variety of apples. Not going this year but have enjoyed in the past.

challenge

Surfing on the web and found this challenge that made me want to play. This is the image that was offered to embellish:

Check out the website to see the challenge:

www.thisdisorderedlife.blogspot.com/2009/07/what-would-you-do-with-this.html  This is my rendered version:

This is a combination of images from Salt Spring Island, Victoria on Vancouver, and a few good men from a printmaking session combined with one texture screen. Its so easy to get caught up on all the possibilities! Now have to go can some yellow asian plums that have ripened all at once in this heat Seattle is having. Maybe that's why the shades of green and blue called to me this morning. Luckily will be going back to our normal weather soon.

Back from vacation

It is hot in Seattle, high 80's -90's. Am sitting in front of a fan playing in photoshop, playing with textures. This is an image from New Orleans of the oak trees with texture added.

Same technique but daisy photo taken in the studio. I'm working on images for a self published calendar, individual months in a 4x6 format, each calendar grouping can be different and individualized for family, friends or selling. They are great to put on a desk.

This is my grandson on vacation at Salt Spring Island (would move there in a second).  It was his first time in a canoe. Both kids got to practise their swimming with great improvement and confidence in deep water. Having a lake right in front of me would be wonderful right now! When we got home from Canada we had to deal with realities of life. The kids hamster had developed tumors and was euthanized, wasps were overtaking our front porch, husband stung several times and bruised when he fell, grandson got hit in mouth with a baseball bat.  But that was last week! Am going to sit in front of the fan and work on a doll of felt, moss, beads and sticks, some collected from Salt Spring. I grew up in Detroit, didn't like the heat then, still don't. However, heard they are having rain and cooler weather. One of the art groups I belong to is meeting here Wed nite and the topic is "pig snouts" (picked out of suggestions in a hat). The group is called no rules because it's true but I followed the theme and made a hanging and earrings from tins symbolizing the topic. I'll show them after the group is here. I love this group. There is such diversity among all the artists ranging from poetry, paintings, photos, digital art, sketches, stained glass, linocuts, etchings, fused glass, etc. Makes for a lively evening.

raining

Trying to water the garden in between storms before we take off for Salt Spring Island again.  Luckily a neighbor will watch and water while we are gone. Plus she will watch my grandkid's lizard (Lizzie) and the hamster(Hamsty) as they are coming with us plus my daughter. We have rented a 2 bedroom log cabin on a lake and am excited to show them the area we love so much. Missing the lavendar festivals however but couldn't be helped with availabilty of kids and cabin. Have been doing macro photos of the flowers and playing around with overlays. Starting to plan for the calendar for next year and will make some for etsy (finally will add something new) and for holiday sales. Here are some samples of todays playing:

making the most of whipped cream

Friday night was my grandsons birthday party. Six boys in a tent in our backyard. Neighbors were warned that there might be noise, and indeed there was. My daughter has a reputation of giving great birthday parties and this was no exception. She also spent the night here with granddaughter who had a friend as well. Luckily they live around the corner from us as all the boys and girls had to be showered off after the whip cream extrangavaza and no one had brought extra clothes. Don't think anyone actually ate the whipped cream on the pie, most was on the kids, making wonderful sculptures with their hair, etc as you will see in the photos. Other than doing a lot of laundry so the kids could wear their own clothes home and scubbing off the patio and dog, it was just another party. The kids drew pictures of each other, what they liked about that person and made a little booklet with some photos of the party. I have these wierd glasses so all the kids did mug shots for me. So here are some photos: Fun huh?