Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Petunias and Purple Flowers (Three Pattern Exercise)


Petunias and Purple Flowers (Three Pattern Exercise) Originally uploaded by randubnick

I have been making and using patterns from my own photographs on the computer with Painter IX. This compositional exercise uses three of the patterns. The center pattern is made from one of my posterized photos (Petunia Duet). It is the same pattern I posted here two days ago, but in this image, the focus is softer to make for better blending with the other patterns. The outer pattern also uses the petunia photo, but renders it in digital chalk over a colored background, purple in this case. (The image is bigger because I used a larger "pattern pen".) The third pattern is the border between these two, made from my photo of purple flowers (Little Purple Flowers Like Stars). I used a small pattern pen with a soft focus and swirled it around the border, moving the cursor just as if I were decorating a birthday cake.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Cabbage Closeup (Digitally Edited)


Cabbage Closeup (Digitally Edited) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a purple cabbage, growing in a patio garden. I took a picture with my phonecam because I love the pattern of the purple veins against the blue-green leaves. This is the digitally edited version; once I had posted the original photo, I saw that one of the inner leaves had been broken off or eaten, possibly by an insect with no aesthetic sensibility. So I opened the image in Painter IX and did a little repair with cut and paste and digital pastel. I thought this cabbage was worth the effort. Cabbage is really beautiful as it grows, especially purple cabbage. It looks like a rose, and it is easy to see how cabbage roses got their name. (Cabbage roses are the kind of roses that are in the "Ribbon Roses" collage that I have been working on.) Cabbage is quite an ordinary vegetable, and is easily found in every supermarket. But something ordinary can be quite beautiful. You just have to look. . . .

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Petunia Duet Pattern


Petunia Duet Pattern (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

Last night I used the capture pattern function in Painter IX to snag the image from the digitally modified photo that I posted two days ago (Petunia Duet). Then I used the pattern palette to adjust the size of the image, and decide on the configuration of the pattern (offset or squared up). Then I just filled a new image file with the pattern, and here it is. I still haven't mastered the trick of getting the pattern lined up evenly on all sides, so I had to crop this image. It helps that the original image had similar colors on the top and bottom. I like this image the way it is right now, but still the next step is to use this pattern to make another image or design. . . .

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Ribbon Roses (Collage Day 9)

Ribbon Roses (Collage Day 9) Originally uploaded by randubnick

I finally had a chance to go to Red Brick and work on this collage. There was just a little bit of work to do to finish bringing the background right out to the edge of the styrofoam tray. This is detail work, but it takes some time. I also put more gel medium down to make sure all the pieces are secure, and that all the gaps are closed. At this point, I think this image is complete, although I have been wrong about that kind of thing before. In any case, I need to decide how to finish the rim, outside edges, and the back, because although this can be hung on the wall, my idea was to make a tray (perhaps for letters, or paper, but certainly not glasses of lemonade!). So I guess I need to say "To be continued". . . .

Friday, July 27, 2007

Petunia Duet (Digitally Modified Photo)

Petunia Duet (Digitally Modified Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick

When I sat down at the computer tonight, I intended to find another photo and make patterns with it. I found a picture of two petunias that I took with my phonecam sometime last month. The flowers had strong color and I thought that two petunias would make a nice pattern. But there were a lot of distractions in the background. I opened the photo in Painter IX and worked on simplifying the background, using digital chalk. I became more interested in the image and kept going, using color overlays and posterizing to get the effect I wanted. I didn't get around to making a pattern tonight, but will do that in a day or two. Anyway, here is how the image looks now. To be continued. . . .

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Purple Star Flowers in Two Patterns


Purple Star Flowers in Two Patterns (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

It was too hot for the studio today, so I opted for digital art. I have had Painter for a long time, but I am still learning to use all its tools. Today I worked on using patterns. A while ago I used the "capture pattern" function to make a pattern from my photo of purple star flowers, so I started with that. I manipulated the pattern to get the size and configuration I wanted, then used it to fill the inner rectangle of this image. Then I opened the pattern pen, selected the same purple flower pattern, and swirled the pattern pen around in the outer part of the image. I adjusted the color, size, and transparency of the pattern pen to get the effect I wanted. (I am oversimplifying here, passing over the many mistakes, false starts, and discarded images.) I have used Painter's pattern palette and pen before with patterns that come with the program, but I am practicing using those tools with patterns I create myself from my own photos and images. All this trial and error provided me a lot of practice tonight. I worked until I got something pleasing enough to post, and here it is.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Basket of Artichokes (Posterized Photo)

Basket of Artichokes (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick

I would love to be able to say that I took this photo at an open-air market in France or Portugal, or even a quaint New England farm stand. But in fact, I used my phonecam to take this picture close to home in my local supermarket. During a recent grocery store run, I found myself admiring this arrangement of artichokes in a basket, so I took a quick picture with my phonecam. Tonight I cropped the image, and then posterized it in Painter IX. I also used some color overlays on the neighboring squash and eggplant, just to bring the highlights down a bit. Even though the only artichokes I bought this week were in a jar, I enjoyed this little visual treat in the produce aisle.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Roses in the Field (Posterized Photo)

Roses in the Field (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick

A few weeks ago, on a walk at Long Hill, I saw these bright roses. But they were not growing in the gardens there, but were at the edge of a grassy field near a vegetable garden. Apparently these roses were volunteers, and it was a nice surprise to see them.I liked the contrast of the roses and the grass, so I took a picture with my phonecam. Tonight I cropped the image to get the composition I wanted, then opened the image in Painter IX to posterize it. I also used some color overlays to restore color where the bright sunlight had washed it out, just to make sure this image does justice to the beauty of these roses, almost hidden in a field.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Tuscan Cantaloupe (Posterized Photo)


Tuscan Cantaloupe (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This image began this afternoon with a trip to BJ's Wholesale Club to buy groceries. That's where I saw this beautiful cantaloupe, labeled Tuscan Cantaloupe, right there in the middle of American wholesale market mania. That in itself made me laugh! I love cantaloupe anyway, but in this case, I bought this cantaloupe because it was so beautiful, with a scalloped shell and green stripes. Once I got home, I was hurrying to fix dinner and cut up the cantaloupe to serve it. I had forgotten to take a picture first, but I decided that it looked nice sliced as well, so I took a couple of phonecam photos before dinner. (The cantaloupe was absolutely delicious, by the way.) After dinner, I cropped the photo to get the composition I wanted, and posterized the image in Painter IX. A lot of trouble to go to for cantaloupe, Tuscan or not. But I think it is important to pay attention to the beautiful things in life, no matter where we find them.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Ribbon Roses (Collage Day 8)

Ribbon Roses (Collage Day 8) Originally uploaded by randubnick

Although I thought I was almost finished with this collage, yesterday I realized that because I have been adding foliage to the bouquet, the vase needs to be bigger. This morning I was thinking very hard about how to do that, so I decided to go to the studio and try out my idea. I enlarged the vase by about a quarter of an inch all around. I did this by adding darker pieces of ribbon, alternating with the original red ribbon. My idea was try to some contrast as well as a sense of volume, trying to approximate what I would do to make a vase look three-dimensional in a drawing. Of course, I also had to move the shadow beneath the vase. This felt like a pain in the neck at first, but it was worth it. Now the composition seems a bit more balanced and the vase shows up better. I think I am on the right track, and the collage looks better to me, though it still needs work.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Path to the Beach (Digitally Edited Photo)

Path to the Beach (Digitally Edited Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This image began as another of the photos I took during last week's early morning walk at Lynch Park Beach here in Beverly. I liked the way the sandy path looked in the morning light, so I took some pictures with my phonecam. When I cropped the image, I noticed some distracting marks in the sand and the grass, as well as a white boat in the ocean that was positioned in a way that spoiled the line of the blue and yellow boats on the path. So tonight I opened the image in Painter IX and used digital pastel to eliminate the distractions. Now the little boat has disappeared and the path to the beach is clear.

Friday, July 20, 2007

Ribbon Roses (Collage Day 7)

Ribbon Roses (Collage Day 7) Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Yesterday I went to Red Brick and worked on this collage for a while. I extended the upper part of the image to the edge of the styrofoam tray. As I worked on the pink background, I also added more leaves to the bouquet, extending the foliage out to the edge as well. I am almost finished with the front of the tray, which is good because I was worried about running out of pink ribbon. I have been thinking about how to finish the edges of the tray, and what to do about the back, as well.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

View of Woods in Fog (Posterized Photo)

View of Woods in Fog (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick

We still have cool weather today, with mist, rain, and some fog. Tonight I used Painter IX to posterize the photo of the woods in fog that I posted last night. I am slowly learning what sort of photos look good when they are posterized. In this case, I think the posterizing works with the soft edges and muted colors created by the fog.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

View of Woods in Fog

View of Woods in Fog (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

It has been rainy and misty all day, and by late afternoon we had fog. It was still foggy when I took a walk after dinner. I like the way fog reveals patterns and shapes, and makes you look at things differently. I took several photos. In this one, the woods look mysterious in the soft light. I am happy with this photo as it is, but I think it would also be interesting to posterize it. Perhaps tomorrow. . . .

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Ribbon Roses (Collage Day 6)

Ribbon Roses (Collage Day 6) Originally uploaded by randubnick

Today I took some paintings up to the studio. I wasn't intending to stay and work on this collage, but of course I did. I couldn't stay long, so I decided to just work on the lower part of the collage, extending the blue background to the edge of the styrofoam tray. As I worked, I realized that I only had one ribbon with that pattern, and worried that I wouldn't have enough of it left to finish. But I just made it, and then it was time to leave. To be continued. . . .

Monday, July 16, 2007

Newburyport Street Lamp (Digitally Modified Photo)

Newburyport Street Lamp (Digitally modified photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick

My friend Pam was visiting today, and we drove up to Newburyport for art galleries and lunch. I love the flowerbaskets on the old style street lamps in Newburyport, so I took a picture with my phonecam. I liked the composition of this photo, but in the original version, there were some scraggly tree branches in the background that were too distracting. Tonight I decided to open the image in Painter IX and used digital airbrush to do a little pruning. (While I was at it, I decided to clean up the glass in the street lamp.) This photo may have needed a little help, but it would be hard to improve on our visit to Newburyport. We had a great time!

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Beach Grass in the Morning Light

Beach Grass in the Morning Light (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

I used my phonecam to take this picture today, on a very early morning walk on the beach at Lynch Park. This is the beach grass that lines the sandy path from the beach back up the gentle slope to the road; I liked the way the soft grass looked in the muted morning light, and apparently my camera did too, because I didn't have to change a thing.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Ribbon Roses (Collage Day 5)

Ribbon Roses (Collage Day 5) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This morning I went to Red Brick to work on this collage. First, I added some red to the sides of the vase to add more definition to the shape. Next, I added some dark purple ribbon at the bottom of the vase to suggest a bit of shadow. Then I began to extend the image onto the edge of the styrofoam tray which is the base of the collage. Because I am now working out to the edges of the tray, I decided not to crop the image this time. I worked quickly, and although I began by thinking things out, once again I had the sense of working without effort (flow) as I got more involved in the project. It was great! To be continued. . . .

Friday, July 13, 2007

Purple Daylily (Digitally Edited Photo)

Purple Daylily (Digitally Edited Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick

On a recent morning walk, I took a photo of this purple daylily. I liked the contrast of purple and yellow, and especially liked the droplets of water on the petals of the flower. Later, when I tried to crop the photo to get a good composition, I realized that there were some discolored leaves that were very distracting. So tonight I opened the image in Painter IX, and used transparent digital pastel to correct the problem. I used a light touch on the problem leaves, and didn't touch the blossom at all. Then I was able to crop the image to get this composition.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Road in the Woods


Road in the Woods (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

During last week's brief excursion to Bradley Palmer State Park (Ipswich, MA), I took some photos with my phonecam. It was late morning; the morning weather had been foggy and overcast, but the sun was just about to come out. I liked the soft light on and through the trees. Tonight I cropped the photo to get the composition I wanted.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Climatis on Chain-Link Fence

Climatis on Chain-Link Fence

The climatis is finally open, blooming all over the chain-link fence. It makes me smile to look at it. Today I took some pictures of the climatis with my phonecam, and tonight cropped the photo to get this image.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Daylilies at the Pond

Daylilies at the Pond Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a photo I took on a recent walk at the Cummings Center Pond. On one side of the pond, close to the Cummings Center, there are flowers planted in lovely little gardens, but if you continue walking around the pond, you see wildflowers growing on their own, in wonderful confusion along the path. The other day, I came across this stand of daylilies, apparently volunteers, on the far side of the pond. I loved the surprise (no one plants gardens on that side of the pond) and the bright colors, so I took a picture with my phonecam. I tried cropping this photo and posterizing it, but I decided that I like the photo best as it is, without artifice, like these daylilies growing on their own.

Monday, July 09, 2007

Ribbon Roses (Collage Day 4) Closeup

Ribbon Roses (Collage Day 4) Originally uploaded by randubnick

Today I worked on this collage at Red Brick. First, I fixed a problem that I had noticed: one of the leaves seemed to blend right into the vase. So I added contrast by pasting a lighter leaf over it, and then added pieces of red ribbon positioned to contrast with the leaf. I also added more to the bouquet itself. Finally, I extended the blue pattern of the tablecloth to the edge of the image. I took a picture with my phonecam, which is difficult because of reflections from the metallic ribbon, but it was cloudy today, and that helped. This collage is on a styrofoam tray, and I have been cropping the image before posting to eliminate the raw styrofoam backing (which is why I call this a closeup). Before I left for the day, I tried out some ideas for dealing with the edges of the tray. I had originally thought about using additional patterned ribbons to create a kind of frame on the edge, but I think it would look too crowded. So at this point, I plan to extend the background patterns (top and bottom) to the edge of the tray. At least, that is what I think tonight. To be continued. . . .

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Finding a Clear Path


Finding a Clear Path (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

On a recent walk near a wooded area, I suddenly saw this view of a clear path. I liked the play of dappled morning light on the ground and on the trees, so I took a picture with my phonecam. Tonight, I cropped the image to get the composition I wanted.

Saturday, July 07, 2007

Geometry of Strawberries (Posterized Photo)

Geometry of Strawberries (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This image began as a photo taken on a recent visit to a local farmstand. I loved the pattern of the strawberries in the square blue boxes, so I used my phonecam to take some pictures. Tonight I rotated and cropped the photo till I had the composition I wanted, then used Painter IX to posterize the image.

Friday, July 06, 2007

Roses on the Fence (Posterized Photo)

Roses on the Fence (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick

Early this morning, I took a walk around the neighborhood, and saw beautiful roses on the fence, so I took several pictures with my phonecam. I liked the contrast of the roses and the pattern of the fence. Tonight I chose the best shot and cropped the image for the composition. Then I opened the image in Painter IX and posterized it to get the effect I wanted. Do you focus on the fence or do you see the flowers? Some people see a fence as a barrier or an obstacle; others see a fence as a great opportunity to plant roses.

Thursday, July 05, 2007

Cat Tails

Cat Tails (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

I took this photo with my phonecam today, on a walk at Bradley Palmer State Park, where we stopped for a quick walk on the way home from the vet. Tonight, I cropped the image and adjusted the contrast to get the cat tails to show up against the background of water lilies on the pond.

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Path at the Pond (Posterized Photo)


Path at the Pond (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This picture began with a photo that I took earlier this week on an early morning walk around the pond. As always, I took pictures of the water, but this time, I also took some pictures of the path itself, using my handy phonecam. I liked the way the morning light played on the path ahead. Tonight I cropped the photo to get the composition I wanted, and then used Painter IX to posterize this image.

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Ribbon Roses (Collage Day 3) Closeup

Ribbon Roses (Collage Day 3) Closeup Originally posted by randubnick

I wasn't satisfied with the way this collage looked yesterday, and after I left the studio, I kept thinking about how to make the colors more muted so the roses would stand out. Mr. Daigle, my college painting teacher, said that having a problem to solve is good for an artist, and in this case I could see he was right. This problem made me think hard, and it also made me hurry back to the studio. This morning, I went to Red Brick to try to change the color of the vase by using some bits of more muted pink and red, using two more of the ribbons with different patterns but related colors to do this, cutting and pasting tiny triangles. I liked the result, and plan to do more of that later, to suggest light and shadow on the vase. I was thinking that I should also try to change the color of the tablecloth too, and was trying to find another green or blue, but got distracted by the leaves in the original ribbon pattern (the one with the roses). Without really thinking too much about it, I cut out a set of leaves and positioned them between one of the roses and the vase, and that seemed to immediately create the sense of a bouquet and solve the color problem. Even the color of the tablecloth seemed to work better! So I pasted those leaves down and just kept going, cutting out more leaves and pasting them down fairly quickly. It felt as though I was working effortlessly, and the art was "making itself"; I think this what they call "flow"; it doesn't happen to me all that often, but it is great when it does! Anyway, I kept working longer than I intended, and stopped when I realized that I had a crick in my neck from being in the same position so long. Before leaving the studio, I tried to take pictures with my phonecam, but couldn't get a good photo because of reflections from the metalic ribbon. Then I remembered that my phonecam's "night mode" setting, and that worked. Here is the photo of the collage as it is today, cropped to eliminate the raw styrofoam backing. This is still a work in progress, but I am much happier with the direction it is going now. To be continued. . . .

Monday, July 02, 2007

Ribbon Roses (Collage Day 2) Closeup

Ribbon Roses (Collage Day 2) Closeup Originally uploaded by randubnick

Today I went to Red Brick to work on this collage for an hour. I knew I wanted to make a vase, but it took some experimenting to figure out what shape of vase I wanted. Then I added blue to indicate the table (or tablecloth). For both the vase and the tablecloth, I used different patterns of the same three-inch wide metalic ribbon. This is what the collage looked like at the end of the hour, although I have cropped the image to eliminate the raw styrofoam backing. The basic composition is coming together in terms of shapes. I can't say the same for the color at this point, because the bright colors of the vase and tabletop are overwhelming the subtler colors of the roses. However, I plan to modify the colors of the vase and table to make them more muted, so that the roses remain the center of attention. To be continued. . . .

Sunday, July 01, 2007

Butterfly in the Doorway

Butterfly in the Doorway (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

I took this picture a few days ago with my phonecam. It was a day full of errands, running around town, going in and out of doorways to get things done. And all of a sudden, a butterfly flew right in front of me and landed on the doorpost of the door I was about to open. I almost laughed with surprise. The butterfly was beautiful and it made me stop whatever I was so busy doing and look, a minor miracle on a day like that. I loved the pattern of the butterfly's wings contrasted with the texture on the doorpost, so I decided to see if the butterfly would let me take a picture. I slowly slipped my phonecam out and quietly took two pictures without frightening the butterfly away. Tonight I cropped the best of the two photos, and adjusted the contrast, and then used some digital airbrush in Painter IX to tone down some distracting marks on the doorpost. This picture is a souvenir of a little moment of peace that interrupted a very hectic day.