Iris and Stone (Posterized Photo)

Iris and Stone (Posterized Photo)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

During one of the cold, rainy days that we had this week, I took photos of some purple iris against a stone wall.  The rain made the stone surface almost irridescent, and enhanced the color of the iris.  But when I got the images into the computer, I was disappointed because the focus was a bit off.  I think I had made a mistake with the settings.  So I opened the best photo in Painter to see what I could do.  I sharpened the focus just a bit, and then posterized it.  Then I cropped it once, and then cropped it again, to get this composition.

Heart Shaped Box as of May 30, 2009

Heart Shaped Box as of May 30, 2009
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This morning I worked on this project for a while.  This heart-shaped box once held a Mother's Day gift from my daughter.  I am covering it with collage and decoupage created from printed metallic ribbons.  Today I continued working on the outside of the box (gold surface) as well as the floor of the box (red surface).  At this point, I am filling in gaps around the sides, so that is progress.

Two Sisters (Detail)

Two Sisters (Detail)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a portrait of my aunt, my mother's sister.  Tonight I cropped this image out of a painting that I did back in the 1990s.  The painting is called "Two Sisters," and is a double portrait (my mother and my aunt).  I posted the original painting back on July 12, 2005.  The painting, done in acrylics used as water media paint, was based on a snapshot taken back in the forties. I always thought this was a pretty good likeness of my aunt, and captures the essence of her smile.  I am posting this today because today is my aunt's ninetieth birthday!

Pink Peony Blossoms

Pink Peony Blossoms
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Here is yet another photo from a recent walk at Long Hill Gardens, here in Beverly, MA.  So much has been blooming at once that it is hard to keep track!  This is a pink tree peony with blossoms just opening.  I liked the soft green leaves, the bright pink blossoms, the patterns of the leaves and petals -- and of course, the light.  Tonight I cropped this image out of the original photo to frame the two blossoms.  The tiny blue flowers in the background are forget-me-nots.

Orange Rhododendron in Sunlight

Orange Rhododendron in Sunlight
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Tonight I edited another of the photos that I took during a recent walk at Long Hill Gardens here in Beverly, Massachusetts.  The rhododendrons are starting to blossom everywhere.  This one was an unusual color.  But what really attracted my attention was the dappled light.  I shot this photo from behind the bush, and it looked like the rhododendron was back lit. I didn't change a thing about the color or the contrast.  I just cropped this image a bit to get the composition I was after.

Lavender Azalea in Dappled Light

Lavender Azalea in Dappled Light
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Tonight I cropped this image from a photo that I took during a recent walk at Long Hill Gardens.  Right now, you can find azalea in bloom, in many colors.  I liked the lavender flowers, and the dappled light, which always reminds me of one of my favorite poems, "Pied Beauty" by Gerard Manley Hopkins. In fact, here it is:

Glory be to God for dappled things - 
For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches' wings;
Landscape plotted and pieced -fold, fallow, and plough;
And all trades, their gear and tackle and trim.
All things counter, original, spare, strange;
Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)
With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:
Praise Him.

Sailboat Seen from Shore (Posterized Photo)

Sailboat Seen from Shore (Posterized Photo)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

A few days ago, during an evening walk at Lynch Park, I saw a beautiful sailboat close to the shore.  I hurried to take a photograph, and managed to capture the image, but the focus was a bit fuzzy.  But there was something about the picture that I liked.  So tonight I used iPhoto to crop this image out of the original version, working to get the composition I wanted.  I also adjusted the shadows.  Then I opened the image in Painter, sharpened the focus a little, and then posterized it, experimenting with the controls until I got the effect I wanted. There's something about the sailboat and the park bench. I thought this image seemed right for Memorial Day, for all those who sailed away, and for those who watched them leave and hoped for them to return.

Pink Azaleas in Sunlight

Pink Azaleas in Sunlight
Originally uploaded by randubnick

I took this photo last week during a late afternoon walk at Long Hill Gardens here in Beverly, MA.  The azalea plants were blooming!  I loved the look of the dappled sunlight on this hot pink azalea, so I took some pictures! It looks like a celebration in the garden!

Lilacs at Long Hill

Lilacs at Long Hill
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Tonight I cropped this image from a photograph that I took Monday evening, during a walk at Long Hill Gardens here in Beverly.  The lilacs are blooming along the roadside, and they are wonderful!  These color and fragrance of these particular lilacs are like those that were growing near the house where I grew up, back in Pueblo, Colorado. 

Country Road in Massachusetts

Country Road in Massachusetts
Originally uploaded by randubnick

I took a little (4 x 6 inch) sketch pad along to Starbucks tonight, and did some drawing with a Sharpie pen while I had my coffee (and luscious lemon tart).  I began with the idea of working with textures and patterns, and with no particular goal other than practice.  I had a couple of false starts, but then relaxed into the fun of drawing.  I drew the house, and started a stone fence, and then the rest fell into place. I was drawing from my imagination, but also from memory of what I see so often whenever I travel on the older roads around here (north of Boston): low stone fences, quaint little houses, gardens and small farms, and rolling hills.

Pink Sky at Dane Street Beach

Pink Sky at Dane Street Beach
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Tonight I cropped this image from a photo that I took yesterday during a walk at Dane Street Beach here in Beverly, Massachusetts.  An evening walk near the water is a good choice for walking the dog, but dogs are restricted from the beach between Memorial Day and Labor Day.  So now is a good time to walk on the beach while it is still possible. The weather was wonderful, and the view was spectacular.  The sky was pink, and so was the ocean, and the little cream-colored boat was perfect, so I took some pictures. (The camera battery was nearly gone, but I took a chance and I am glad I did!) An evening walk on the beach was definitely a good idea!

Water Plants at Bradley Palmer State Park (Posterized)

Water Plants at Bradley Palmer State Park (Posterized)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Today I used Painter to posterize the photograph that I published here last night: water plants at the pond at Bradley Palmer State Park.  I think posterizing emphasizes the contrast of the lily pads and water plants against the dark water.

Water Plants at Bradley Palmer State Park

Water Plants at Bradley Palmer State Park
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a photograph that I took last week during a recent walk at Bradley Palmer State Park.  You can see marsh and pond from the road, and water plants emerging.  What I was interested in the patterns made by the plants and their reflections.  Tonight I cropped the photo to get a closer look.

Digital Bouquet (Revision)

Digital Bouquet (Revision)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a revision of the image I posted yesterday, a digital sketch created with an online program called Art Painter (available on iGoogle).   Today I made the image into a jpeg. (It was a png format.)  Once I had managed to do that, I opened the jpeg in Painter, and did a little editing.  I resized and cropped the image to make the flowers more prominent.  I also used a little digital pastel to make the red and purple rosettes more uniform.  I also added a little detail to some of the leaves. I liked the original image a lot, enough to warrant a second look and a little revision. 

Digital Bouquet

Digital Bouquet
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a digital bouquet that I made today while trying out an internet drawing application (Art Painter) on my iGoogle page. Later in the day, at the Apple Store, I learned how to post the image here.

Heart Shaped Box as of May 16, 2009

Heart Shaped Box as of May 16, 2009
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This morning, I squeezed in a little time to work on this project, a heart-shaped box that I am covering with collage and decoupage created from printed metallic ribbons.  I was at the studio for about an hour. I spent the first half of the hour working on the red interior of the box, and the second half hour working on the gold area around the outside.  But I spent all of my time there working on myself, becoming more peaceful as I cut and pasted little bits of ribbon.

Pink Lilacs (Posterized)

Pink Lilacs (Posterized)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Here's another photo from last weekend's excursion to Lilac Sunday at the Arnold Arboretum.  There were so many different colors of lilacs.  These looked almost red-violet or fuschia.  Tonight I cropped this image out of the original photograph, and then used my Painter program to posterize it.

Lilacs on the Path (Posterized)

Lilacs on the Path (Posterized)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is another image from Lilac Sunday at Arnold Arboretum on Mother's Day.  It's hard to capture an event like Lilac Sunday in photographs, but I thought I would give it another try. What I was wanted to convey here was the profusion of purple and white flowers along the path.  Tonight I cropped this image from a larger photograph and then used Painter to posterized the image.

Lilacs on Sunday (Posterized)

Lilacs on Sunday (Posterized)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

More lilacs from my Mother's Day outing at Arnold Arboretum in Boston!  Tonight I cropped this image out of one of my photos, and then used my Painter software to posterize it.  There were lots and lots of lilac bushes in bloom, all different colors.  This image is just a small sample. . . .

Detail, Heart Shaped Box as of May 11, 2009

Detail, Heart Shaped Box as of May 11, 2009
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a detail of my collage and decoupage project, a heart-shaped box that I am covering with pieces of printed metallic ribbon, arranged in collage and decoupage designs.  Yesterday I worked on the project and posted a photo of it here last night.  This is a closer look at the outside of the box which is going to be predominantly gold.  Tonight I cropped the detail photo (taken at the studio yesterday) and am posting it here to give a clearer idea of what I mean by tiny collages made of pieces of ribbon. 

Heart Shaped Box as of May 11, 2009

Heart Shaped Box as of May 11, 2009
Originally uploaded by randubnick

I went to the studio this morning to put in an hour or so on this project, a heart-shaped box that I am covering with collage and decoupage.  I am using printed metallic ribbons to cover the surfaces.  Today I continued working on the gold areas around the sides of the box, and did a little work on the red interior as I went along.  At this point, it feels like I am filling in gaps around the sides, which means that there is progress, however slow!  I enjoyed the quiet time I had working on my heart-shaped box, and later on in this very busy day, I was very glad that I did.

White Lilacs in Boston

White Lilacs in Boston
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Tonight I cropped this image from a photograph that I took this morning in Boston at Arnold Arboretum.  Today was "Lilac Sunday" at the Arboretum, and this was a Mother's Day outing with my daughter. The weather was great, and the lilacs were amazing!  I took lots of pictures. There were so many colors and the scent of the lilacs seemed to vary with the color. It is usually easy to overlook the white lilac, but these were really lovely flowers, and you can see the delicate shape of the lilac blossoms in this image. 

Red Bud Tree

Red Bud Tree
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Tonight I cropped this image from a photograph that I took during a recent walk at Long Hill Gardens here in Beverly.  You don't see too many red bud trees here in Massachusetts.  But when I do see them, I always think of the rows of red bud trees lining Jayhawk Boulevard on the campus of the University of Kansas in Lawrence. 

Many Orchids in Many Cups

Many Orchids in Many Cups
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Yesterday's post was a photograph (posterized) of an early Mother's Day gift: a teacup full of orchids.  One of my Flickr contacts commented that she got a new teacup and saucer every Mother's Day.  That gave me the idea for this post (Many Orchids in Many Teacups), a pattern created with Painter software.

Orchids in a Cup (Posterized Photo)

Orchids in a Cup (Posterized Photo)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Today I received an early Mother's Day surprise, this arrangement of orchids in a cup and saucer!  I love it!  I took some pictures, of course.  Tonight I cropped one of the photos and then posterized it in Painter.

Marblehead Light Seen from Marblehead

Marblehead Light Seen from Marblehead
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is from a set of photographs that I took on April 25th at Marblehead.  I remember hesitating about driving out to Marblehead for a walk. (There was so much going on in the week ahead. Would I be ready?) But actually, an excursion to Marblehead was the very best thing to do, which I realized as soon as I got there. The water was beautiful, and I started taking pictures right away.  Tonight I finally had a chance to edit the photos, and this is one of the best, a view of Marblehead Light seen in the distance. I had some trouble getting the photograph to look straight, though.  The islands in the distance, the light on the water, and the diagonals of the shoreline can confuse the eye.  But then I realized that I could use the lighthouse as a guide (of course!) and so I aligned the image using the vertical line of Marblehead Light. 

Dogwood Tree on a Rainy Day

Dogwood Tree on a Rainy Day
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Today is one of the cold spring days we get here, north of Boston.  We had rain all day, with temperatures in the fifties.  But something about the light on a rainy day enhances the spring colors.   I spent most of the day working at the computer, and frequently found myself admiring the view from my office window, a dogwood tree in bloom. So right after dinner, I took some photographs, making good use of my second-story vantage point.  This one is the best of the photos. Here it is, just as it came out of the camera. 

Waves at Lynch Park Beach

Waves at Lynch Park Beach
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Yesterday I posted a photograph taken from Lynch Park Beach during an after dinner walk.  Writing yesterday's post helped clarify for me what most interested me in that photograph: the way the waves looked in the evening light.  So tonight I cropped this image from that same photograph, this time making the waves the center of attention.

Evening Walk at Lynch Park

Evening Walk at Lynch Park
Originally uploaded by randubnick

I took this photograph last weekend, during an early evening walk at Lynch Park.  It was low tide, so it was easy to walk out onto the beach and photograph this view, looking north towards Hospital Point.  What I was most interested in was the way the evening light cast strong shadows that defined the incoming waves.  Tonight I edited the original photo, but there wasn't much to do, just straighten, crop, adjust some shadows in the foreground, and here it is.

Heart Shaped Box as of May 2, 2009

Heart Shaped Box as of May 2, 2009
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Life has been complicated for the past few weeks, offering no chance to work on this project, a heart-shaped box that I am covering with collage and decoupage made from printed metallic ribbons. Even though life is still hectic, I really wanted to get back to this project today, so I spent an hour at the studio this morning.  Today I concentrated on the gold area around the outside of the box, pasting tiny pieces of ribbon in place. I was thinking, as I worked on this project, that this box (like life) is made up of many small decisions.  But with patience, the result becomes apparent over time.  

Tree in Bloom (Posterized)

Tree in Bloom (Posterized)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Last night, I also posted A.E. Housman's poem, "Loveliest of Trees," which suggests that in the course of an average life, there is really very little time to see trees in bloom.  So here is another look at the tree blooming in my front yard. . . . I used my Painter program to posterized the photo that I published here last night.  I think the posterizing intensifies the colors and shapes of the blossoms.