Corner of Photo with Jute Border (For Memory Imprints)

Here is my progress on the photo keepsake project I have been working on. I am doing this for some Memory Imprints clients who wanted these photos made into keepsakes. (If you want to know more about Memory Imprints, go to memoryimprints.net.) The clients sent me photocopies of two very faded photographs. I scanned the images into my computer and over the past few weeks, have been doing a lot of digital editing and restoring the color. I also collaged jute on to canvas board to create a border for the photos and then painted the jute to get a faded and earthy blue/green. It took three coats to get the color you see here, but I am happy with it. If the clients agree, that's great, but if not I will change it. Yesterday I printed the edited photos out and mounted them on the boards. This is a closeup, showing the upper left corner of one of the photos. I am almost done but I still plan to do a little fine-tuning of each photo by hand with a small brush and tinted acrylic medium.

Blue Jute Border for Photo (Memory Imprints) as of Feb. 23

Over the past few weeks, I have been working on a photo keepsake project. I have been editing and restoring color in a couple of family photos, to be mounted on boards with a jute border. I am doing this for some Memory Imprints clients who wanted these photos made into keepsakes. (If you want to know more about Memory Imprints, go to memoryimprints.net.) This is how the jute border looked on February 23, when I added a coat of brown to the bright blue, trying to get a more complex and "earthy" color. This isn't the final color, but at this point, the color was getting there.

Digital Daisy Print in Pink and Purple

Tonight I went back to the computer and used Painter's pattern pen to create another "digital print'. I decided to keep going with my "digital daisies" pattern, the same one I used yesterday. This time I put in a background color and used some color overlays on the daisies. Then I posterized the image, using trial and error to decide how much of the posterizing effect to apply.

Digital Daisies (Digital Print)

Tonight I decided to do a little art work on the computer.  Making art is always a good choice and the computer is great when life is hectic (and it is.)  I made this with Painter's pattern pen, loaded up with my "digital daisies" pattern.  I used a very large "brush" and posterized the strokes afterward.  

February Snow Scene

This is the third photo that I found in my cell phone the other day. We had heavy snow on February 5th, so heavy that it took down some trees and power lines. But the next day was bright and sunny. I took this photo around noon on February 6th, looking out my office window.

Snow, Trees, and Blue Sky

Here's another of the photos that I found on my cell phone yesterday. We had a big snow storm here on February 5th, but it was bright and sunny the next day. I loved the tracery of the trees, backlit by the sun, so I took some pictures. Today I edited this in iPhoto, adjusting the exposure and cropping the original image to get this composition.

Morning Snow Scene

I found some pictures on my cell phone tonight, taken a few weeks ago on February 6th, the day after a big storm. The next day was bright and sunny, like a Colorado winter's day. I took this picture around 8 AM. I liked the way the trees looked back-lit by the sun. Tonight I used iPhoto to edit the original photo.

Blue Jute Border and Backing for Photos (Memory Imprints Project as of February 22, 2015)

This is part of a project that I have been working on for the past few weeks. I have been restoring color and otherwise editing a pair of family photos for a client, and then will mount them on boards with a jute border. This is a Memory Imprints Project. (If you want to know more about Memory Imprints, go to memoryimprints.net.) The photo editing is just about done, and now I am working on the jute borders on the backing. Today I added the first layer of color. Although I want the final color to be much more neutral, I usually start with a more vibrant color to get a better result.

Jute Border for Photo (Memory Imprints Project)

I have been working on adding color to a pair of old family photos. I am making keepsakes from these photos (this is a Memory Imprints project) and the client wants the photos mounted on a fabric backing. Although I was able to find ready-made jute-covered panels last year, this year they are no where to be found, so I made some myself. At this point, I am finished up the photo editing on the computer, and am almost there. I printed out a sample to make sure I had the size right. I liked the way the photo looked against the jute, so I took this picture, which just shows a bit of the corner of the photo. (I am going to stain the fabric before I am done.) If you want to know more about Memory Imprints, go to memoryimprints.net

Winter Road Boxford MA

Here's one more image from this week's walk in Boxford, MA. Tonight I cropped this out of a larger photo. I like to paint roads; maybe I will turn this into a painting one of these days.

Snow and Trees in Boxford

Here's another photo that I took on Wednesday, during a late afternoon walk in Boxford, MA.  I like the tall trees and the road outlined by the snow.  There was just one pesky bright blue recycling bin in the original version of this photo, but I used Painter's digital pastel to cover it up.  This might be a nice scene to paint some time.

Snow in Boxford

I was in Boxford yesterday and we took another walk.  This time, there was snow on the ground.  The trees were beautiful in the late afternoon light.  Tonight I cropped the original version to get this composition.

Roses and Tablecloth in Pink (Digital Print)

Here's a little closeup of my "Roses and Tablecloth" pattern, cropped from a digital print in pink. This makes it easier to see the individual "frame" of the pattern.

Roses and Tablecloth (Blue and Purple Digital Print)

Here's one more digital print created from my "roses and tablecloth" pattern, this time in blue and purple. I created this using Painter's pattern pen.

Roses and Tablecloth in Pink (Digital Print)

Tonight I kept going with my "Roses and Tablecloth" pattern. I made a couple more "digital prints", using Painter's pattern pen. For this one, I used a pink background, and posterized the image afterward.

Jute Backing for Memory Imprints Photo Project

For the past few weeks, I have been working on a photo project for Memory Imprints  (https://memoryimprints.net).  I am retouching and colorizing two family photos for a client.  The photo editing is almost finished. Then I will print the photos and mount them on painted jute-covered board.  Although I have been able to buy jute-covered board in the past, this time I wasn't able to find what I wanted. So I decided to make the backing myself with some canvasette board, 2 1/2 inch rolls of jute, and acrylic gel medium. This is how the backing looks raw (before it is painted).

Roses and Tablecloth (Digital Print)

Yesterday I used Painter's "capture pattern" controls to create a pattern from a 2007 photo of roses on a plaid tablecloth. Tonight I am posting a "digital print" that I made, using that pattern. (I call these "digital prints" because the process reminds me of printmaking.) I loaded the pattern pen with my new "roses and tablecloth" pattern. I used magenta, and made the pattern pen as large as possible, and then made a few brush strokes, which kind of reminds me of using a brayer. I posterized the result to bring out additional color.

Many Rose and Tablecloths

Today I used Painter's "capture pattern" to create a pattern using my posterized photo of roses on a plaid tablecloth. I like the pattern, and used it to fill this image. I am going to use this pattern to make some "digital prints".

Tree Removal (February 5th)

This video is the last of my photography of the February 5th snowstorm. I started the day with a video of softly falling snow, but by the end of the day, the heavy snow had taken down a tree across the street.

Big Tree Down (February 5th)

On February 5th, we had a big snowstorm, and I took pictures most of the day, starting in the morning when the snow seemed very light. The snow fell faster and heavier throughout the day. My little snow narrative took a surprising turn because around 3:15 PM, a beautiful old tree came down, just across the street. I didn't hear or see it happen, but found out when a neighbor posted a picture on Facebook, showing the tree completing blocking the street in front of our house. I went upstairs to get a good look, and took this picture of the tree, already being removed.

Late Afternoon Snow (February 5th)

Here's another photo that I took during the February 5th snowstorm. I took this around 3:30 pm, from an upstairs window. I liked the look of the snow on the tangled branches.

Early Afternoon Snow on Dogwood Tree

Here's another photo of the February 5th snowstorm. I took this picture around 1 PM. I liked the way the heavy snow looked on the dogwood tree. Today I cropped the original photo to get this composition.

Late Morning Snow

I took a lot of photos during the snowstorm on February 5th. I like this one, taken late morning from an upstairs window. The snow was starting to get heavier.

Early Snow Video Clip

Here is a little video that I took yesterday, in the morning, shortly after the snow began to fall.  I seem to be having problems posting the video here on Blogger, so I am also posting the link to the same video on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/24838214706

Early Snow

I expected to see several inches of snow on the ground this morning, but by the time I got up it was only just starting to snow. I have been taking pictures and videos all day, watching as the snow gradually became thicker and heavier thicker and heavier, until finally the weight of it took out a big old tree across the street. But this is the first photo i took, just a delicate coating on the branches of the dogwood tree.

Walking in Boxford (Digitally Edited)

Here's one more photo from a recent walk in Boxford, MA.  The later afternoon light was amazing! This is the same road from a slightly different angle. As with the other photo of the road, I did some digital editing in Painter to eliminate a recycling bin and a mailbox.

Little Pond in Boxford (Digitally Edited)

Here's another photo that I took yesterday during a late afternoon walk in Boxford, MA.  This little pond is on the same road I photographed yesterday.  Once I got the image into my computer, I could see that there was a black object along the water's edge: maybe a broken sign or even a plastic bag. So I opened the image in Painter and got rid of the problem with some cut-and-paste and finished up by drawing into the image with digital pastel.

Afternoon Shadows Boxford MA (Digitally Edited)

Today I took some photos during a late afternoon walk in Boxford, MA. I loved the long shadows falling across the road. This is one of the best pictures of the set, but when I saw it on my computer screen, I noticed a recycling bin and a garbage can lid along the road. (Today must have been trash pickup,) So I opened the image in Painter and with some cut-and-paste and digital pastel, I got rid of the garbage can, the recycling bin, and even a mailbox, while I was at it.

Daisies in a Vase (Pen and Ink plus Digital)

Here's one more little pen-and-ink still life. i have been drawing these little bouquets this week, using fine-line sharpie on paper (4 inches square). As with some of the other drawings, I also made some digital corrections. I used Painter to add more pixels to the top of the page, and also straightened out the baseline with some digital pastel. I have an idea for these little drawings, but I need to solve a few little technical problems to make it work.