Mom's Baby Picture (Before and After)

This week I edited some family photos for a Memory Imprints project (a memory book about my mom). I edited and restored this baby photo of her, one of just a handful of childhood photos that I have of my mother. The photo was scratched and torn, as you can see in the "Before" picture on the left. I used basic photo software to remove scratches and marks, but then did some serious restoration in Painter, using cut-and-paste and digital pastel to draw in the missing upper corner. I am glad I did because I love this picture of her. (If you want to know more about Memory Imprints, follow this link: memoryimprints.net)

Pink Light on Zakim Bridge

Here's one more image from the set of photos that I took on the Zakim Bridge back on July 1. We were heading home from Boston around 8:30 PM and the lights on the bridge were pink. I liked the look of the bridge against the gray sky so I took some pictures. Tonight I cleaned up the original photo and then cropped it to get this composition.

Zakim Bridge (Build Bridges, Not Walls)

Here's another photo that I took back on July 1, coming home from Boston around 8:30 PM.  I was in the passenger seat, so I took pictures as we went over the bridge, as I always do, and tonight I cleaned up the original image and cropped it to get this composition. I love bridges, but I especially love this one, maybe because I watched it going up during  the Big Dig.  And it is beautiful.  But I also love the story behind its name.  It is named for Lenny Zakim, a civil rights leader who was New England Director of the Anti-Defamation League and worked on relations between Jewish and African American groups in Boston. The bridge was named after him because he spent his life trying to build bridges between different groups. 

Zakim Bridge in Pink

I love to take pictures of the Zakim Bridge, so every time I am in the passenger seat, I try to take a photo. This is one I took back on July 1. We were headed home from Boston around 8:30 pm and the bridge was lit up in pink.

Summer Sunset

Today I attended an event at the Danver's Yacht Club. It's a beautiful place with a great view of the western sky, so around sunset I went outside and took this picture. When I got home, I edited the original photo to get this image.

Closeup of Watermelon Slices (Digital Woodcut)

This is the last image of watermelon, I promise (even though i am going to slice some up for dinner tonight). I decided to use Painter to add a woodcut effect to my watermelon photo because i though a little bit of black outline would look good. So that's it for watermelon, folks, though I might use some of these images to make summertime greeting cards on Zazzle.com

Closeup of Watermelon Slices (Posterized Photo)

It's summer and it's hot, so here's some more watermelon to cool things off. I used Painter to apply a posterizing effect to the photo that I posted here yesterday.

Closeup of Watermelon Slices

Yesterday's post was a photo that I took of a plate of watermelon slices -- for last night's dinner. I liked the photo so much that I decided to more with it. The first step was to get a closer crop of the image, and here it is. To be continued. . . .

Slices of Watermelon

Tonight I was slicing a beautiful little watermelon to for dinner. I was admiring the colors and shapes, and so I decided to take a photo with my iPhone camera. Later I cropped the original to get this composition.

Heading North from Boston (Digital Woodcut)

I have already posted two versions of this image (yesterday and the day before), and this is the last, I promise. This is a view of Boston as we are heading north, and about to enter the tunnel. I took the original photo on July 1, around 8 pm. For this version, I applied a woodcut effect, which I like because of the black outline. But this is more of a monochromatic approach, so the tunnel ahead looks white instead of yellow.

Heading North from Boston (Posterized Photo)

Last night I posted a photo that I took a few weeks ago as we were driving north from Boston. Tonight I used Painter to add some posterizing effect.

Heading North from Boston

I took this picture on July 1. We had just left the opening reception at Galatea in SOWA (South of Washington) in Boston. It was about 8 PM, not yet dark, but the city lights were starting to come on. We were about to head into the tunnel. Tonight I did a little editing of this photo, and cropped it to get this composition.

Memory Imprints Design Horizontal with Border

Over the past week, I have been working on a design for Memory Imprints, and I finished it two days ago. Yesterday I created a simplified version of the design to use when we need a horizontal format. Today I went back to the horizontal version and changed the placement of a couple of leaves. Then I added a border. I may need to make more changes, but I do like this version better. Memory Imprints helps people capture their family memories in words and images. (If you want to know more about Memory Imprints, follow this link: memoryimprints.net)

Memory Imprints Design Horizontal Version

Over the past few days, I have been working on a design for Memory Imprints, and I finished it last night. Tonight I made this simplified version to use when a horizontal format is needed. Memory Imprints helps people capture their family memories in words and images. (If you want to know more about Memory Imprints, follow this link: memoryimprints.net)

Memory Imprints Design with New Colors

I have been working on a design for Memory Imprints. Last night I posted a version with color. Tonight's version is the same design, but I am trying out a different color scheme, adding blue and using dark green lines instead of black. Memory Imprints helps people capture their family memories in words and images. (If you want to know more about Memory Imprints, follow this link: memoryimprints.net)

Memory Imprints Design with Color

Here is the design I have been working for Memory Imprints. I used Painter to clean up the drawing and to try out adding some color. Because Memory Imprints works with people to record family histories, my design uses tries to evoke family trees, books, and memories coming to life from the page. (If you want to know more about Memory Imprints, follow this link: memoryimprints.net)

Drawing for Memory Imprints Design

Yesterday I posted a quick sketch of this idea for Memory Imprints (for brochures, etc.). This is the drawing that followed from the sketch (done with Sharpie fine-line marker on paper). I made a few changes in the composition, but it is basically the same idea. Memory Imprints helps people record family histories in words and images, so I tried to combine concepts of family trees, books, and memories coming to life from the page. (If you want to know more about Memory Imprints, follow this link: memoryimprints.net)

Quick Sketch for Memory Imprints Design

Yesterday I made this sketch with fine-line marker in a small (4" square) notebook. I was playing with a number of ideas for a design for Memory Imprints (for brochures, etc.). Memory Imprints helps people record family histories in words and images, so I was trying to combine books, family trees, and memories coming to life from the page. Although the composition needed work and the sketch was rough, I decided to keep going with this idea, so consider this part of an ongoing project. (If you want to know more about Memory Imprints, follow this link: memoryimprints.net.)

Another Heart-Shaped Box as of July 12, 2016, Closeup of Ribbon

Yesterday I went to Porter Mill Studios and worked for a while on my heart-shaped box project. (I am covering a Valentine's candy box with collaged designs created from pieces of printed metallic ribbon.) This photo is a closeup of the underside of the box, which I am covering with ribbon pieces with brown background and purple and green flowers, accented with floral border designs. (To get this photo, I had to sharpen the image in Painter, and while I was at it, I decided to cover up the lettering in the background. The reason that I call this project "Another Heart-Shaped Box" is that it isn't my first one. If you want to see where this project is headed, follow this link: www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/sets/72157632769935420

Another Heart-Shaped Box (As of July 12, 2016)

This morning, I went back to Porter Mill Studios to continue work on this project for a while. This heart-shaped box was once a Valentine's box of candy (Turtles, as you can see.) I am covering it with collaged designs created from pieces of printed metallic ribbon. This photo shows both the top of the box (with orange and purple stripes) and the underside of the box, just beginning to be decorated. I am still working on the gold border for the top of the box (on the left), and also working on the underside, using ribbon pieces with brown background and purple and green flowers, accented with floral border designs. I call this "Another Heart-Shaped Box because this isn't the first one I have made. If you want to see where project is going, follow this link: www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/sets/72157632769935420

Flowers in Planter Coloring Book Page for Wicked Art Bar

Here is the third of the three coloring book pages made from my pen and ink drawings. These were drawings that I did for the Wicked Art Bar (located in Porter Mill Studios) in response to their invitation to Porter Mill Artists to contribute coloring book pages for their coloring book events. This one is of flowers in a planter. It's fun to see how my drawing looked as it was printed out for people to color at the event.

Daisies in a Vase Coloring Book Page for Wicked Art Bar

A few days ago, I picked up copies of the coloring book drawings that I did for the Wicked Art Bar (located in Porter Mill Studios). Porter Mill Artists were invited to contribute coloring book pages to be used by the Wicked Art Bar at their coloring book events. This one of daisies in a vase is the second of three drawings that I contributed. Here you can see how my drawing looked as it was printed out for people to color at the event.

Window Box Coloring Book for Wicked Art Bar

Recently, the Wicked Art Bar (located in Porter Mill Studios) invited Porter Mill Artists to contribute coloring book pages to be used at their coloring book events, so I contributed three drawings. They gave me copies of the drawings as they looked on the pages they distributed at their event. This one is my window box drawing.

Flowers Sketched with Stylus

Last week at Best Buy, I tried out a stylus on an iPad in Notes. (Who knew you can draw in notes?) Anyway, I drew this little sketch in about five minutes, then took a picture of it with my iPhone.

Closeup of Another Heart-Shaped Box (as of July 6, 2016)

Yesterday I posted a photo of my project, "Another Heart-Shaped Box" as it looked when I had finished working on it. This project is a heart-shaped candy box that I am covering with collaged designs created from pieces of printed metallic ribbon. I have been working on the the underside of the box, decorating it with  ribbon pieces that have a brown background with purple and green, with occasional pieces of scalloped pink and green border pattern. This closeup shows the ribbon patterns. This photo also shows that the bottom of the box doesn't look like much at the moment. But I am not worried because I have done this before.  I call this "Another Heart-Shaped Box because it isn't the first one I have made.  If you want to see where this is headed, follow this link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/sets/72157632769935420

Another Heart-Shaped Box (as of July 6, 2016)

This morning, I went to Porter Mill Studios and worked for a while on this project. I am covering a heart-shaped box with collaged designs created from pieces of printed metallic ribbon. It felt good to get back to this project. This box used to hold Valentine candy (Turtles, to be specific). I am still working on the gold border for the top of the box (on the left), covered with orange and purple stripes. But I have already started working on the underside of the box. It seems more efficient to work on both at the same time, but I am really doing it is more fun. Today, although I added some pieces to the gold border of the top of the box, I concentrated on the bottom of the box (on the right, which doesn't look like much at the moment). For that, I am using pieces with brown background and purple and green flowers. Today I continued to establish the outline of a border. And while I was working, I decided to also add some occasional pieces of green and pink floral border designs. (I will post a close-up tomorrow.) I call this "Another Heart-Shaped Box because it isn't the first one I have made. If you want to see where this is headed, follow this link: www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/sets/72157632769935420

Green Mountain Rain (Framed)

Here's another one of my larger paintings as it looks framed and on the wall at Galatea Gallery (galateafineart.com). This painting is 18" x 24", acrylic paint used with water on watercolor paper. My "mountain daydreams" are mountain landscapes done from my imagination and my memories of the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Three Small Paintings for Just Be-Cause

The opening at Galatea was pretty crowded, so I didn't get too many photos.  But here is a picture of my three post-card sized paintings for the "Just Be-Cause Show."  (All the art word is 5" x 7", and artists donate part of any sales to a cause of their choosing.)

Gold Mountains (At Galatea Fine Art)

On Monday, we packed up the car, stopped at Michael's to pick up six larger paintings (18" x 24") that had been framed there, and then we headed down to Boston to deliver my artwork to Galatea Fine Arts (galateafineart.com). My paintings were all hung in short order, so we had a chance to take some pictures. Here is a picture of one of the larger painting, hanging on the wall of the gallery. Photo by Mel Dubnick.

Tangerine Mountains (Framed)

This is the third of 3 small (5" x 7") mountain landscapes that I framed last weekend. These little paintings are all done with acrylic paint, used with water on watercolor paper. All three are now hanging at Galatea Fine Arts in a special special members show called "Just Be-Cause." This show is post-card sized art works by participating artists, with a portion of sales proceeds going to a charity designated by the artist.* This show is running concurrently with the group show, "A Sense of Place." I am in that group, so this month I have been painting for both shows.

*(My choice was F.O.R.C.E., Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered.)

Gray Clouds Red Mountains (Framed)

This is the second of 3 small (5" x 7") mountain landscapes that I framed last weekend. They are all acrylic used as water media on watercolor paper. All three are in a second show at Galatea in running concurrently in July, a special members show called "Just Be-Cause." This show is post-card sized art works by participating artists, with a portion of sales proceeds going to a charity designated by the artist.*

*(My choice was F.O.R.C.E., Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered.)