Edinburgh Hillside (Digital Woodcut)

Edinburgh Hillside (Digital Woodcut)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Here is another digital woodcut made from a photo that I took during a trip to Scotland a few years ago.  This is the view looking up towards the castle from downtown (Princess Street, I believe?)  As with the image that I posted last night, this is cropped and enlarged from the original photo.  Then I used Painter to create a digital woodcut, and also used color overlay on the sky.  This skyline is one of the many astonishing things about Edinburgh.

Edinburgh Memory (Digital Woodcut)

Edinburgh Memory (Digital Woodcut)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Mel's conference in Glasgow seems to have brought images of Scotland to mind.  I was looking through some photos of my trips, and found a photo of Edinburgh, which is one of my very favorite cities.  The original photo was too dark and the focus was too soft, but I loved the view of the skyline of the buildings near the castle.  So I cropped part of the image, enlarged it, and then opened it in Painter.  I adjusted the brightness and contrast, then created a digital woodcut.  I also used some color overlay on the sky. So here it is, a souvenir of Edinburgh, travel remembered and travel imagined.

Pink and White Necklace

Pink and White Necklace
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Tonight I finished making this necklace, a piece of costume jewelry that I started back in January.  When I last worked on this necklace, the design was somewhat similar (as can be seen in the post of January 21), but the strand was not long enough.  My plan was to buy some small gold beads to string on each end to extend the necklace.  But tonight I changed the plan when I saw that the shape of the gold beads was the same as the shape of the pink crystal beads.  So I decided to work the new gold beads into the design instead, which meant re-stringing the whole thing.  Then I added the crimp beads and clasp (which still is a struggle for me). Anyway, here is the finished piece, which I photographed tonight.  Taking pictures of jewelry is also a challenge, but I have been experimented with using clothing as a background (in this case, one of my lace-trimmed shirts from Chico's).

Heart-Shaped Box as of March 28, 2009

Heart-Shaped Box as of March 28, 2009
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a collage and decoupage project in progress.  I am covering this heart-shaped box with bits of printed metallic ribbon.  Today I worked on the inside of the box, finding and pasting down pieces of ribbon in various shades of red.  But whenever I came across some gold ribbon, I used it to fill in the gaps around the outside of the box. It was nice to be in the studio, and I stayed longer than I had intended.  But I enjoyed the time.

Prudential Center (Posterized)

Prudential Center (Posterized)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Yesterday I posted a photo of the Prudential Center seen from Boyleston Street (near the Fenway) in Boston.  I also used Painter to create a posterized version of the same image, and here it is.

Prudential Center from Boyleston Avenue

Prudential Center from Boyleston Avenue
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Tonight I cropped and edited this image from a photograph that I took a couple of weeks ago during a trip into Boston.  This is a view of the Prudential Center from Boyleston Avenue, in the Back Bay.  I am always trying to get a good photograph of "The Pru" and this one is not too bad.  I also used my Painter program to create a posterized version of the image, and I plan to post it here tomorrow night.

Tulips in Brown Paper (Posterized)

Tulips in Brown Paper (Posterized)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

I used my Painter program to create this posterized version of last night's entry, a photograph of bunches of tulips wrapped in brown paper (on display at a local Whole Foods).  

Tulips in Brown Paper

Tulips in Brown Paper
Originally uploaded by randubnick

For the past few days, it has been cold here, north of Boston, so this is part of my ongoing effort to find spring in the grocery store!  On a recent trip to Whole Foods, I saw bunches of tulips wrapped in brown paper.  I had never seen tulips displayed that way, and I really liked the way they looked, so I took a picture.  Tonight I noticed that I had inadvertently photographed a label and a plant stake right in the middle of the composition.  So I opened the image in Painter and used some digital pastel to draw over those objects and cover them up.  Here is the result.  I also created a posterized version, which I plan to post tomorrow.

Purple Crocus on Hillside (Posterized)

Purple Crocus on Hillside (Posterized)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

I have been admiring bunches of purple crocus coming up on a hillside.  Today I took some pictures, and cropped of them to get this closeup.  Then I posterized in it Painter.

Red and Yellow Roses Posterized

Red and Yellow Roses Posterized
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Yesterday I saw this bouquet of red and yellow roses at my daughter's.  I loved the colors, so I took some quick pictures.  I did get some nice photos of the roses, but I had also accidentally captured some objects I didn't really want to include, such as a light switch and part of a chair.  So I chose the best photo of the flowers, and then opened it in Painter.  I used some digital airbrush to eliminate the unwanted objects, but made sure to leave in some little reflections from a sunny window.  Then I posterized the image and cropped it to get this composition. 

Heart-Shaped Box as of March 21

Heart-Shaped Box as of March 21
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This morning, I had a chance to go up to the studio again today.  So I decided to take the opportunity because I want to make up for lost time, and besides, I woke up thinking about this project, a heart-shaped box that I am covering with decoupage and collage designs.  I am using metallic ribbons printed with a variety of patterns.  Although I did some work on the outside of the box (gold area), I concentrated on the inside of the box (red area).  Most of the work was in establishing a border around the edge.  It is hard to do because the pieces are small and I am working on the inside of the box, so this often means I am working at awkward angles.  At some points, I was in danger of glueing my sleeve to the inside of the box! But I spent an hour at it, and was happy with my progress.

Snowdrops

Snowdrops
Originally uploaded by randubnick

The weather was sunny but chilly today (high thirties, low forties), but not too cold for a walk at Long Hill Gardens, because it is finally spring, after all.  Today there were lots of snowdrops. The name reflects the color and shape of the blossoms, as well as the fact that these flowers bloom so early that there is sometimes still snow on the ground.  I thought this was a fitting image for a chilly first day of spring, so I took some pictures.  Tonight I cropped one of the photos to get this composition.

Heart-Shaped Box as of March 19

Heart-Shaped Box as of March 19
Originally uploaded by randubnick

I went up to the studio this morning to work on this decoupage and collage project.  The materials are printed metallic ribbon, and a box that once held a Mother's Day gift from my daughter.  Today I continued work on the gold area around the outside of the box, and the red area inside.  I stayed at the studio just a bit longer than usual, trying to make up for lost time and opportunity in January and February (due to snow storms and a hacking cough). I did make progress today, though it might be hard to notice! Although the work is very exacting and sometimes tedious, I found it hard to stop.  But I do make myself stop when I notice that I am conscious of time and trying to hurry, because that's when I am likely to make mistakes.

Waiting for Spring at the Pond

Waiting for Spring at the Pond
Originally uploaded by randubnick

I took this photograph sometime last week during a walk at Cummings Center Pond, and remembered it today during a return trip!  The weather has been improving, and today it was sixty degrees!  (It may not last, but here north of Boston, it's important to take advantage of good weather.)  It was warm enough to be comfortable walking at the pond, even though it feels colder near the water. Despite today's spring-like weather, there is still ice on the pond.  Tonight I cropped the original photograph to get this composition.

Irish Welcome (Posterized Photo)

Irish Welcome (Posterized Photo)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a posterized photo that I cropped tonight from a picture that I took several years ago during a trip to Ireland. We had lunch in a little Irish pub, on an island in the middle of a beautiful lake (Lough Erne near Enniskillin), and the only way to get there was on a tiny ferryboat that held a handful of passengers, possible one very small car at the most.  Everything was perfect, just as I had imagined.  This is one of a handful of houses on that island in the middle of the lake. I have lots of lovely memories of my trips to the Emerald Isle, but I think my best memory is of the people I met, who always said, "You are very welcome here."

Green Shoots and Purple Crocus

Green Shoots and Purple Crocus
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Here's another photograph of crocus, the first I have seen this spring: purple with green shoots poking up through the leaves.  This is what hope looks like.

Bright Yellow Flowers

Bright Yellow Flowers
Originally uploaded by randubnick

The weather has been warmer so it seemed like a good idea to take a walk at Long Hill Gardens to see if anything was blooming.  The answer was yes!  There were loads of bright yellow flowers in full bloom, so I took some pictures. I liked the way they looked in sun and shadow.Tonight I cropped this image to get a closer look.  I thought these might be crocus, but wasn't sure. (I am more used to seeing purple or white crocus.) So I checked (with a Google image search for yellow crocus) and in fact that is what these are.  The hardy crocus is an optimistic flower, and a reminder that spring is inevitable.

Heart-Shaped Box as of March 14

Heart-Shaped Box as of March 14
Originally uploaded by randubnick

I finally had a chance to get back to the studio to work on this project, a heart-shaped box that I am covering with collage and decoupage created from printed metallic ribbons.  This time, I continued working on both the outside of the box (the gold area) and the bottom of the interior (predominantly red).  I found some more pieces of bright red among the ribbons. The pieces were very small, but the intensity of the color more than made up for that.  

Strawberries (Posterized)

Strawberries (Posterized)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Suddenly there are lots of strawberries available at the grocery store, and at good prices, so they are in season (somewhere).  In any case, I take this as a sign of spring.  (When you live north of Boston, you look for spring wherever you can find it!)  The other day, I took pictures of the strawberries we were having with dinner.  I must have had the camera set wrong, because the focus was a bit too soft.  So I used Painter to sharpen the focus and then posterize the best of the photos.  Then I cropped the image to get this composition.

Posterized View Lynch Park

Posterized View Lynch Park
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This image began with the photo that I posted here yesterday, the view toward the north from Lynch Park (Beverly, MA).  Tonight I posterized the image, using my Painter program.  To get the effect I wanted, I selected some areas for different amounts or levels of posterized effect.  I also used some digital pastel to even out the color of the sky.

Looking North from Lynch Park

Looking North from Lynch Park
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a photograph that I took several days ago.  We had a few warm days, before the recent snow fall, good weather for a walk near at Lynch Park here in Beverly, MA.  This is a view from the beach at Lynch Park, looking further up the coast, towards Hospital Point, Pride's Crossing, Beverly Farms, and points north. Tonight I cropped the original photo a bit to get this composition.

Dancing Hamentashen

Dancing Hamentashen
Originally uploaded by randubnick

It's Purim and a few of my cousins have been e-mailing recipes for holiday cookies, especially hamentashen (little triangular filled cookies).  Oh, the recipes have been making me so hungry! No time to bake, but I decided that there is more than one way to make hamentashen.  Tonight I used Painter to sketch little triangular cookies, and they began to dance as I added some colors: apricot, cherry, and plum! Now I will send these little digital cookies out as holiday greetings to friends and family.

March Snow on the Tree

March Snow on the Tree
Originally uploaded by randubnick

I was surprised to see so much snow this morning, more than I expected.  As I made coffee, I noticed the view through my kitchen window, so I took a picture (through glass and screen).  Tonight I cropped the image, then did a little digital editing in Painter to remove a big clump of snowflakes, apparently stuck in my window screen, that were obscuring the view.  It took a little digital airbrush, a little digital pastel, and a light posterizing, but I like the result.

Heart-Shaped Box as of March 8

Heart-Shaped Box as of March 8
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This morning I went to the studio for an hour to work on this project, a heart-shaped box that I am covering with collage and decoupage created from printed metallic ribbons.  We have had two days of warm temperatures, and it was great to be in my sunny little studio today.  I spent the time I had working on pasting gold pieces of ribbon around the outside of the box, and pasting red pieces of ribbon on the inside.  The work is so slow!  I started this project last April, and would love to have this go faster!  But I am putting in as much time as I can, I am making progress, and I am really happy with the way it is turning out. When I see the way the sunlight plays on the heart-shaped box, I am encouraged to keep going.  And I will.

Staircase in Salem

Staircase in Salem
Originally uploaded by randubnick

I took this photo today in downtown Salem.  I was there to take a  peek at a jewelry designer's trunk show at Beadworks, but there was time for a short walk first.  I love Salem's old buildings.I noticed the beautiful scrollwork on this staircase, so I took a picture.  I guess I was attracted to it because I had jewelry-making on my mind, which often involves creating scrolls and patterns in metal, but on a much smaller scale.  Tonight I edited the photo and cropped it to get this composition.

Bass River (Posterized Photo)

Bass River (Posterized Photo)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is another image from Wednesday's little excursion to the wilds of Starbucks parking lot, on the banks of the Bass River here in Beverly, MA. There was just enough time for a quick walk on the path near the river, a coffee to go, and a picture or two.  This one is the view looking across the river, towards the center of town. Today I cropped this image from one of the photos, and then used my Painter program to posterize it. 

Snow and River Bank (Digital Woodcut)

Snow and River Bank (Digital Woodcut)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Today I used Painter to create this digital woodcut from the photograph that I posted here yesterday, of snow on the banks of the Bass River here in Beverly, MA.  The digital woodcut effect did emphasize the lines of the trees, as I hoped.  But the color still didn't quite capture what I had actually seen at the river: dark tree branches against bright white snow and intensely blue water.  So I used the magic wand tool to brighten the trees and a few areas on the snowy river bank on the far side of the river.  Then I used some transparent color overlays to bring the river back to the intense blue that made me want to take the photo in the first place.

Snow and River Bank

Snow and River Bank
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a photograph that I took this afternoon, from the parking lot behind a local Starbucks! The parking lot is on the edge of the river bank, with a little path for walking.  It was very sunny today, and the river was bright blue, so I took some pictures.  It is hard to get the contrast and saturation right, but this was the best I could do.  I like the composition, and am wondering what this would look like as a digital woodcut.  To be continued. . .

Blue Spruce (Digital Woodcut)

Blue Spruce (Digital Woodcut)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

I used Painter to create this digital woodcut from the photo that I posted here last night.  I thought the woodcut effect would emphasize the lines and patterns of the trees.  I also used a color overlay to even out the color of the sky.

Snowy Blue Spruce

Snowy Blue Spruce
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Well, we had a major snowstorm that started last night and kept going until around eleven. There was a lot of snow to shovel today, and I was out there for a couple of hours!  I liked the way the snow looked on this blue spruce, so I took a picture.  Tonight I cropped the original photo to get this image.  I also used the photo to create a digital woodcut, which I plan to post here tomorrow.

Sand and Ocean at Independence Park

Sand and Ocean at Independence Park
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Here is another photograph of the beach. I took it yesterday, during another walk with the dog, this time at Independence Park, another beach-front park here in Beverly, MA.  It was sunny, but the wind made it feel quite cold near the water.  (I took this photo wearing hat and gloves, or at least, one glove!) The colors of the water made it look warmer than it really was. The shallow blue water stirred up with the sand and created a green cast; also, the reflected sunlight was creating bright patterns in the water. I thought the effect was interesting, so I took some pictures, and tonight I cropped this image from one of the photos. Well, today we had a few inches of snow, with great heaps more are expected tonight, so I imagine we won't be walking on the beach tomorrow!