Scary in Salem (Digital Woodcut with Special Effects)

Scary in Salem (Digital Woodcut with Special Effects) Originally uploaded by randubnick

It's October 31, the weather is gorgeous, and Salem is expecting 12,000 Halloween revelers tonight. Around here, it's hard not to get caught up in the fun of Halloween, even if you are just a spectator, like me. So today I used Painter IX to create this digital woodcut from a photo that I posted here October 4. This is a view of the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem. I took the original photo in the morning, so to change the mood, I used Painter IX to turn it into a digital woodcut, then adjusted the brightness, the colors, and the lighting to create an evening scene. It looks like a haunted house, just scary enough to be fun. But despite all the fun of Halloween, around here there also are lots of reminders of the Salem Witch Trials. (Some of those events actually took place here in Beverly!) Well, it is the story that frightens me, not the location, because it could happen anywhere. (There is nothing scary about Salem today, unless you count getting stuck in the Halloween traffic.) But back then, it was a short path from accusation to execution, and it is still alarming to think how labels can lead to real harm. Such a scary story! But that was centuries ago! Surely, that kind of thing can't happen today. . . .

Patterns in the Sand (Dane Street Beach at Low Tide)

Patterns in the Sand (Dane Street Beach at Low Tide) Originally uploaded by randubnick

Here is one more photograph from my recent adventure at Dane Street Beach, walking out on the sandbar during low tide. This photo is cropped to emphasize the late afternoon light, the patterns in the sand, and the colors, shifting from sand to water.

Walking on Sand Bar (Dane Street Beach)

Walking on Sand Bar (Dane Street Beach) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is the second in a series of photographs that I took yesterday during a late afternoon walk on Dane Street Beach. The tide was very low, and people were walking out on the sand bars, like the tiny figure of a person on the right. (I usually crop innocent passersby out of my photos, but I didn't in this case to show how far out people were going.) Some of the people walking out on the sandbar had their dogs with them. It looked like fun, so out we went, even though our dog was a little skeptical at first. The reflected light on the water makes it look deep, but the water is very shallow. You can stay pretty dry if you are careful where you step. (Taking pictures doesn't help with that, however.) As in yesterday's photo, the smokestacks mark Salem in the distance. I took lots of photos of the patterns made by the sand and the water, and I will post one of them tomorrow. But I wanted to post this photo first because it continues the story of my little unexpected adventure. My shoes got soaked, my clothes were full of sand, and dinner was late. But I was smiling all the way home.

View from Dane Street Beach at Low Tide

View from Dane Street Beach at Low Tide (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

I took this photo yesterday during a very late afternoon walk with the dog. It was a beautiful day, maybe the last of the good weather for a while, so we headed to Dane Street Beach here in Beverly, MA. I took a lot of photos, and this is one of the best. I took this picture while I was standing on the beach, looking toward Salem. (The smokestacks in the distance are in Salem, only ten minutes away from Beverly, MA, except it October when Halloween tourism creates major traffic jams. So this is probably as close a view of Salem as I will get until after Halloween.) The dark areas in the water are sandbars exposed by the low tide. Yesterday we watched as lots of birds and several people (and their dogs) were walking out on the sandbars, out towards the ocean. It looked like too much of an adventure to pass up. To be continued. . . .

Bright Tree in Boston's Back Bay (Posterized)

Bright Tree in Boston's Back Bay (Posterized) Originally uploaded by randubnick

Today was full of surprises, one of which was an unexpected trip into Boston for lunch with a friend. The weather was great, and I was in the passenger seat on the drive down, so I was taking pictures all the way. I took this photo through the windshield just as we came off of Storrow Drive and entered the Back Bay. There were lots of problems in the original photo (including too much sun and many reflections in the windshield). But I liked the bright tree against the Back Bay architecture, so I did some cropping. Then I opened the image in Painter IX, fixed some reflections with color overlay and the magic wand tool (no kidding!), and then posterized it.

Looking Up at Yellow Leaves (Posterized)

Looking Up at Yellow Leaves (Posterized) Originally uploaded by randubnick

I used Painter IX to create this posterized version of yesterday's entry, a photo of yellow leaves. I took the original photo in Beverly Farms, which is a short drive up the coast. I pulled in to a parking lot where I saw these beautiful maple trees in the neighboring lot, so I took some photos. Sometimes beauty can surprise you in the most ordinary places. So I try to remember to be prepared. . . .and to keep my eyes open!

Looking Up at Yellow Leaves (Digitally Modified)

Looking Up at Yellow Leaves (Digitally Modified) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This photo began on Friday afternoon, during an excursion up to Beverly Farms for a dog-walk. In fact, I took this photo in a parking lot! From my parking place, I could see the afternoon sun hitting these beautiful leaves. So I rolled down the car window, leaned out, and looked up! I took several photos, and tonight I cropped this view from the best of the lot. But there were a few marks on the leaves that I wanted to fix, so I opened the image in Painter IX and cleaned up the most distracting problems with a little digital pastel. Then I cropped the image again, paying close attention to how the lines of the branches related to the geometry of the image. I also created a posterized version, which I will post here tomorrow.

Red Leaves and Yellow House (Posterized)

Red Leaves and Yellow House (Posterized) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This picture began with the image that I posted here yesterday, a digitally modified and posterized photo of a beautiful red tree. While I was working on the original photo, I noticed that the leaves looked brightest against the windows in the yellow house, in the lower left-hand corner. So I cropped out that area, then rotated and cropped again until I had the composition I wanted.

Looking Up at Red Tree (Modified and Posterized)

Looking Up at Red Tree (Modified and Posterized) Originally uploaded by randubnick

During a recent walk, I saw this tree at the top of a steep hill. The colors were amazing, and I stopped to take a picture (and to catch my breath). There were a couple of heavy telephone wires running in front of the tree, and there was really no way to take a photo of the whole tree without those wires. But the tree was too gorgeous to pass up, so I took the picture anyway. Tonight I opened the image in Painter IX and used digital pastel to cover up the heavy wires, and then posterized the image.

Heart Shaped Box as of October 22

Heart Shaped Box as of October 22 (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

I went up to the studio early this morning to work on this project for a while. I am covering this heart-shaped box with printed metallic ribbons. I have enough gold on the sides of the box to begin to see how it will look when it is finished, and also I can begin to imagine how the red interior of the box is going to look. It seems to take forever to create the tiny collages, but bit by bit I am getting there. In art, as in all of life, perseverance is important.

Stairway to the Sea (Independence Park)

Stairway to the Sea (Independence Park) Originally uploaded by randubnick

Yesterday, during a walk through Independence Park here in Beverly, I noticed this old staircase leading down to the beach. Well, I have certainly seen it before, but yesterday I really looked. You could see the ocean waves coming in and hear them crashing against the shore. I liked the view of the ocean waves from above and the geometry of the staircase, so I took some pictures. This one is the best of the bunch. All it needed was just a bit of cropping and a little help with the contrast.

October Path (Posterized)

October Path (Posterized) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a digitally modified version of the photo I posted here yesterday: the path around the pond at the Cummings Center here in Beverly, Massachusetts. You can see additional colors on the path, and stronger areas of color in the shrubs. I used Painter IX software to posterize the image, and while I was at it, I also added a little gentle color to the sky with a color overlay of digital pastel.

October Path

October Path (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

This image is from a photograph that I took yesterday during a walk at the Cummings Center here in Beverly, Massachusetts. This is the path around the pond and the colors are beautiful right now. Tonight I cropped the image, trying to align the edges of the path with the lower corners of the image. I also made a posterized version of this image, which I will post tomorrow.

Heart Shaped Box as of October 18

Heart Shaped Box as of October 18 (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

I worked on this project today, a heart-shaped box that I am covering with collage and decoupage made from printed metallic ribbon. I am making progress on the sides of the box. I am beginning to see more gold than pasteboard, and that is encouraging. I also worked on the interior (red area). While I was in the studio, I looked through the remaining ribbons and made some decisions about the inside of the top of the box.

The Leaves Were Electric Red (Fall Fantasy 2)

The Leaves Were Electric Red (Fall Fantasy 2) Originally uploaded by randubnick

Today I was up in Beverly Farms with my daughter for a quick errand and a walk with the dog. On the way home, I noticed a beautiful tree with autumn colors. The leaves were an electric red! I was driving, so I couldn't take a picture. But the image stayed with me. So tonight I decided to create another "fall fantasy" at the computer, so I opened Painter IX and made this image using digital pastel. I worked from memory and imagination, and it was fun to create the swirling leaves on my computer screen. It was a nice way to relax after a hectic day!

Fall Fantasy

Fall Fantasy Originally uploaded by randubnick

I was too busy to get to the studio today, but after dinner I took a break for an hour to make art on the computer. I used Painter IX to create this digital pastel. It is a fantasy landscape drawing created from my imagination. But it is inspired by the bright fall colors of October in New England.

October Trees at Long Hill (Posterized)

October Trees at Long Hill (Posterized) Originally uploaded by randubnick

I used Painter IX software to create this posterized version of the photograph I posted here yesterday. This is a view of the road at Long Hill gardens. The little road is lined with fruit trees which are now full of with crabapples, apples, and berries. I used the posterizing to emphasize the dappled light and the golden colors of October.

October Trees at Long Hill

October Trees at Long Hill (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

During a recent walk at Long Hill Gardens, I pulled out my camera and started taking pictures because the trees looked golden in the October sunlight. Tonight I cropped the photo to get this composition, and used a bit of Painter's digital pastel to clean up a distracting mark on the asphalt in the foreground. The road from the gate to the gardens is lined with trees that are full of blossoms in May. But in October, you can find apples, crabapples, and berries in red, orange, and purple, decorating the trees for the harvest festivals of autumn.

Heart Shaped Box as of October 13

Heart Shaped Box as of October 13 (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

I got up early today so I would have time to go to the studio to work on this collage and decoupage project. I am covering this heart-shaped box with tiny pieces of printed metallic ribbon. Progress is slow, but like so many other things in life (learning to dance, getting in shape, building a relationship, changing the world), the only way to create the result you want is one little piece at a time.

Autumn Leaves (Digital Woodcut)

Autumn Leaves (Digital Woodcut) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is the third and last of three images of autumn leaves, all created from the same photograph, posted here several days ago. For this image, I used Painter IX to create a digital woodcut from the posterized photo. The posterized image emphasizes the fantastic colors, but I thought a woodcut would emphasize the textures and the patterns of the leaves. I heightened the saturation a bit to compensate for the effect of the black lines of the woodcut. So this is the last look at this little parking lot tree, but I guess I have gotten a lot of mileage from my little excursion around the block to see the fall colors! (And it didn't cost me a nickel in gas money!)

Heart Shaped Box as of October 10

Heart Shaped Box as of October 10

Yesterday I went up to the studio in the morning to work on this project for a while. I am using collage and decoupage to cover this heart-shaped box with designs cut from printed metallic ribbons. I am still working on both the outside (in gold) and the inside (red area). I have decided that I am going to need to mix in some patterns into the red because I am not going to have enough plain red ribbon. I started using some red with a little gold, especially around the inside edge. Progress is certainly slow, but every now an then a fellow artist stops by the studio, and reactions to this project are very encouraging! To be continued. . .

Autumn Leaves (Posterized)

Autumn Leaves (Posterized) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a posterized version of a photo that I posted two days ago. I took the photo during a little walk around the block to see the fall colors. Some of the most beautiful trees were on the edge of a parking lot! It's wonderful to go to Aspen or Vermont to see the autumn leaves, but beauty is all around.

Many Apples in Many Bowls

Many Apples in Many Bowls (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

Last week for Rosh Hoshana, I posted a photo of apples in a glass bowl. (Apples in honey symbolize hopes for a sweet year.) Yesterday I used that photo to create a pattern in Painter. Today was Yom Kippur, and the end of the ten days of reflection that begin the Jewish New Year, and one more chance to wish everyone a Happy New Year. So here are many apples in many bowls, lots of wishes going out to everyone for a good year ahead.

Autumn Leaves

Autumn Leaves (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

This is a photo from last week's little excursion around the block to see the fall colors. This is the tree that caught my attention and got me headed out the back door with my digital camera. The autumn leaves are bright, beautiful, and temporary, so it is a good idea to look at them while you can! This is the photo as it came out of the camera. But tonight I adjusted the contrast and brightness slightly, because I wanted to see how the photo would look posterized and as a digital woodcut. I will post those versions here soon. To be continued. . .

Heart Shaped Box Closeup as of October 4

Heart Shaped Box Closeup as of October 4 (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

Yesterday I posted a photo of my collage and decoupage project, a heart-shaped box that I am covering with pieces of printed metallic ribbon. This is a closeup view of the outside of the box, which I am covering with pieces of gold ribbon cut from a variety of printed patterns. As I combine the pieces, I am thinking about color and pattern, just as I would in a larger collage. What makes this project particularly challenging is that I am trying to fit the pieces together with very little overlap, so the top of the box will fit smoothly. So if you look closely, you might see some tiny gaps, which I plan to fill in later with a little gold acrylic paint.

Heart Shaped Box as of October 4

Heart Shaped Box as of October 4 (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

Yesterday I went back to the studio to work on this project again, trying to make up for lost time. This heart-shaped box, which once held a gift from my daughter, is going to be a container for keepsakes, and I am covering it with patterns cut from printed metallic ribbons. Yesterday I continued working on the sides (in gold) and the inside (in red). Progress is slow (like watching paint dry I guess), but I am filling in small areas around the side of the box and laying down the basic color for the inside. As I make the miniature collages on the box, I am trying to fit pieces together with little or no overlap, because too much overlap would keep the lid of the box from fitting well. This makes for slow going, and sometimes it is a lot like solving a jigsaw puzzle. While I was working, I looked at the ribbon patterns that are left, and thought about what colors and designs to use for the remaining areas.

Phillips Library Peabody Essex Museum in Salem (Posterized)

Phillips Library Peabody Essex Museum in Salem (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

Earlier in the week, I decided to go for a morning walk in Salem, Massachusetts. (I had some errands to run, and it would be on the way.) Salem is just over the bridge from Beverly, normally a ten-minute drive, but during October, it might as well be on the moon! Salem has tourists year-round, but the Halloween activities and grid-lock traffic begin in October, and peak on the 31st. But it was still very early in the month, and very early in the day, so I decided to go for it. I was glad I did, because I had a great walk, and Salem is beautiful in October. As I was walking near the Peabody Essex Museum, I saw this building. (I believe this is the Phillips Library, but in any case, it is part of the Museum.) I really liked the first view I had of the building as I walked along, so I took a picture from the same vantage point, behind the wrought iron fence post. Later, back home at the computer, I cropped the photo, and adjusted the contrast. Then I opened the image in Painter IX, where I used some digital pastel to eliminate a distracting sign, and then posterized it. I think this photo captures what appeals to me about Salem. People flock to Salem for Halloween fun, and witches, of course. But I like the narrow streets and old buildings. That is magic too, just a different kind, a sense of history so strong that you can almost believe in time travel.

Bright Vines on Tree Trunk

Bright Vines on Tree Trunk (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

Earlier this week, during a late afternoon walk at the Cummings Center pond, I was admiring the bright leaves of vines on a tree, so I took some pictures. Tonight I cropped the photo to get this composition, which concentrates on three patterns, the leaves, the tree bark, and the ripples on the pond in the background. I also adjusted the contrast and brightness to make sure all three patterns would show up. (If you see vines like this, stop and look! Take pictures if you like! But don't touch, because this looks like poison ivy!)

Heart Shaped Box as of October 2

Heart Shaped Box as of October 2 (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

This morning I went to the studio to work on this project. The heart-shaped box originally held a gift from my daughter, and now I am covering it with pieces of printed metallic ribbons. I am working on the outside of the bottom of the box, which is going to be gold, and today I began to outline the upper rim, and filled in more of the lower part. I am also working on the bottom of interior, which is going to be predominantly red. I am already worrying about running out of solid red ribbon, and may need to mix in some red pattern as well. I have no preconceived design. I am making this up as I go along, and still haven't decided what colors and patterns to use on the remaining areas, such as the inside of the box top. While I am working on this collage project, I am completely focussed on what I am doing. I usually have only an hour or so to spare, but even if I have more time, I have learned to stop when I feel like I am getting tired (or rushed or impatient). One way I can tell it is time to stop is that I realize that I am no longer making good decisions.

Red and Gold Leaves

Red and Gold Leaves (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

This is another of the photos that I took the other day during my little excursion around the block to see the fall colors. This is a little tree on the edge of a parking lot. I cropped the original photo to get this image, but not by much, and I adjusted the contrast a bit, but otherwise this is the image as it came out of my little digital camera. Some people travel quite a distance to see fall colors, but I think beauty can be found everywhere, if we remember to notice.