Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Old Mansion


This image began with a photo that I took last week during an afternoon walk. This is the main house at Long Hill Gardens here in Beverly, MA, formerly a private estate but now open to the public. Today I used Painter's lighting and woodcut effect to make this lovely old house look scary for October 31.

Monday, October 30, 2017

Guest Artist Marjorie Kaye: "Arabesque 6"


This painting is by Marjorie Kaye.  It is gouache on bristol board, 5.5 x 7 inches. I am very happy to say that we now own this painting! Marjorie is a wonderful sculptor and painter, and is the founder of Galatea Gallery and until quite recently, the director. This painting was part of Marjorie's show in October.  On Friday we went to the closing celebration and we bought it.  The show was still up this weekend, but I was able to bring this home today.

Sunday, October 29, 2017

Pink Hydrangeas (Oil Bar Painting as of Oct. 29, 2017)


This is a work in progress, a small oil bar painting (8 x 10 inches).  My reference is a photo that I took in early September of a branch of hydrangeas turning pink.  (My reference is posted here on October 22.) Today I worked on the background, trying to even it out a bit, and I also adjusted the shape of some of the blossoms and added a few branches.  

Saturday, October 28, 2017

Indoor Garden (Fabric Appliqué as of Oct. 28, 2017)


Today I worked on this project for a while.  I am making a fabric appliqué by ironing pieces of (adhesive-backed) fabric onto the background, which in this case is a well-loved tea towel.  Today I kept going with the light green stems, which isn't that exciting, but as I worked I was also figuring out the composition and color scheme. (I started this with a very general plan and am working things out as I go.)  I am planning on four flowers in each pot, a combination of  yellow and pink blossoms and buds.  And the hanging vines will have leaves and flowers, probably purple, blue and pink blossoms, something like morning glory colors..

Friday, October 27, 2017

Red Leaves in the Rain


Yesterday we went to Long Hill Gardens, here in Beverly, MA.  The weather was cloudy and wet, and by the time we got there, it was sprinkling with some stretches of serious rain.  Not the best weather for a walk, but great for photography because the light made the colors pop.  I saw these red leaves and took some pictures. Here is the best one, just as it came out of my iPhone camera.

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Pink Hydrangeas (Oil Bar Painting as of Oct. 26, 2017)


This is the little oil bar painting I have been working on, a work in progress.  This is part of my "Branches" series, in this case a branch of hydrangeas turning pink.  My reference is a photo that I took in early September.  Still coughing so I limited my time on this again today, but I feel like I accomplished something.  I added a blossom on the upper left of the canvas, adjusting the composition to get a diagonal line.  Then I added touches of yellow to the blossoms, and put down some light green where sunlit leaves are going to be, and blocked in some light blue where I want to see sky.  I added a bit more purple shadow to some of the blossoms. . .and then it was time to stop.

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Pink Hydrangeas (Oil Bar Painting as of October 25, 2017)


I worked on this painting for a short time today. (Still coughing so I didn't want to spend too much time with my face in the oil bars.) But I was impatient to get on with this, so I did a big of work refining the blossom shapes and adding to the background.  This is a small canvas, 8 x 10 inches, and is part of a series called "Branches".  I am working from a photo that I took in early September of hydrangeas turning pink.  My photo reference is posted here on October 22. 


Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Indoor Garden (Fabric Appliqué as of Oct. 24, 2017)


I was eager to get back to the oil bar painting I started yesterday, but am still coughing like mad.  So I decided to give it another day and work on my fabric appliqué instead. I am creating a little indoor garden with iron-on appliqué.  I am using a favorite well-loved tea towel as the background. Today I added some leaves and the beginnings of stems for some spiky plants to fill the top of the composition.  If you want to see where this is headed, here is a link to another of my finished appliques: https://www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/23232623703/

Monday, October 23, 2017

Pink Hydrangeas (Oil Bar Painting as of Oct 23, 2017)


Well, I am still coughing and hacking, but against my better judgment, I decided to get this painting started today.  This is oil bar on a canvas that is 8 inched by 10 inches.  I am working from a photo (posted here yesterday) but am changing the composition a bit.  I worked quickly, just establishing where I want to put those big clusters of blossoms.  To be continued...

Sunday, October 22, 2017

Branch of Hydrangeas Turning Pink (Painting Reference)


I am getting ready to paint some small oil bar paintings, part of my "branches" series.  I have been coughing my head off all weekend, but time is passing by.  Although breaking out the oil bars would not be a good idea,  I decided to get my photo reference ready.  This image is from a set of photos that I took while on a walk in the neighborhood back on September 4th.  I did a couple of crops from the original photo and decided to go with this one.  I opened the image in Painter and resized it to get it to 8 x 10 (which is the canvas size).  I also posterized it a bit, and then printed it out to use as my photo reference.  I like the photo as it is, but I am planning to modify the composition a bit for the painting.

Saturday, October 21, 2017

Five Pumpkins (with Woodcut effect)


Here is one more version of my photo of pumpkins. For this one, I used my Painter program to add a woodcut effect.  I think these images might come in handy to make holiday greetings; not sure if I prefer the woodcut version or the posterized version.

Friday, October 20, 2017

Five Pumpkins (Posterized Photo)


Day before yesterday, I posted a picture of five pumpkins. This was a photo that I took at The Food Project (our CSA), digitally cleaned up with Painter's digital pastel.  Here is the same photo again, this time with posterizing effect added.

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Another Heart Shaped Box (As of October 19, 2017)


Today I went to Porter Mill Studios to work on this project for a while. This is a candy box (Turtles) that I am covering with collage and decoupage patterns created from printed metallic ribbon.  It is slow going, kind of like a meditation, but also a bit maddening, like a jigsaw puzzle in slow motion.  I am currently working on the underside of the box, which I am covering in pieces of brown ribbon with purple, pink, and green floral accents. And I am also currently worried that I will run short of brown ribbon.  I have already done a lot of work on the top of the box, also pictured, which has orange and purple stripes and will have a gold border when it is finished.  I call this project "Another Heart Shaped Box" because it is not the first.  If you want to see where this is headed, follow this link to my first such project: https://www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/albums/72157632769935420

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Five Pumpkins (Digitally Edited)


This image started with a photo that I took on October 5th when we went to pick up our farm share at The Food Project (our CSA). I saw pumpkins in a bin and took some quick pictures.  The pumpkins looked great, but once I got the image on my computer screen, I could see that some cleanup was called for.  So I opened the image in Painter and used digital pastel to clean up the pumpkins and simplify the background.  The stem of one of the pumpkins had been broken off, so I used some cut-and-paste and some digital pastel to restore it.  I was pretty happy with the result, so while I had Painter open, I created two more versions: one posterized and another with woodcut effect.  I plan to post those images here soon.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Indoor Garden (Fabric Appliqué as of October 17, 2017)


Today I was short on time but this afternoon did a bit more work on this fabric appliqué.  This is done with fabric ironed on to a background, which in this case is an old kitchen towel. I always liked the design, and kept this one around thinking I could do something with it someday.  

Monday, October 16, 2017

Indoor Garden (Fabric Appliqué as of October 16, 2017)


This is a project I started a while ago. This is an appliqué created by ironing pieces of fabric onto a background. The background is a well-loved tea towel, and I am creating flower pots overflowing with vines and flowers.  I started this project a few months ago, but until recently, the weather was too warm for a project involving ironing. It is getting cooler and today I went back to this project and continued work on the vines. The stems of the vines are a bit tedious, but I need to put them in first.  I don't have a detailed plan, but I did sketch out the general composition with some white chalk, which you can see if you look closely.  To be continued. . . .

Sunday, October 15, 2017

Pink Impatiens (with Prisma Filter)


A few days ago, I posted a photo that I took of some pink impatients on my patio.  Today I decided to try the same image with a Prisma filter, and I liked the result, so here it is.

Saturday, October 14, 2017

Cherry Tomatoes and a Stake


Here's another photo that I took on Thursday, just cherry tomatoes tied up on a stake.  I was out picking tomatoes at our CSA (The Food Project), which has its Beverly fields and pick-up at Long Hill Gardens

Friday, October 13, 2017

Another Heart Shaped Box (As of October 13, 2017)


I went to the studio at Porter Mill this morning to and work on this project for awhile. I am covering this heart-shaped candy box with collage and decoupage designs made out of printed metallic ribbon. In the photo you can see the top of the box, I covering it in purple and orange stripes. It is still not finished, But today I kept working on the underside of the box, which I am covering with brown ribbon accented with floral accents in green and purple. I finally feel like I am making progress, and was very happy to cover up more of the word "Turtles." I fought the impulse to do that first thing when I started this project, but thought I would get a more even surface and pattern if I did not. This is not my first heart shaped box, hence the title. If you want to see the first one, follow this link: www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/albums/72157632769935420

Thursday, October 12, 2017

Cherry Tomatoes and Parsley


On Thursday afternoons, we pick up our food share at the Food Project, our CSA.  We pick up veggies out of bins, but usually there are things to pick as well.  For the past few weeks, I have been picking cherry tomatoes, and today I got to cut some parsley and thyme as well.  It's an extra task, but it is really a nice break, especially if the weather is good,  and I enjoy a spending a few minutes searching for the best tomatoes (tasting one now and then), enjoying the bright colors of the tomatoes, and the fragrance of the herbs. The season is coming to an end, so today I decided to take some pictures.  Tonight I cropped this one to get this composition.

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Pink Impatients on Flagstone


For the past few months, I have been watering some big pots of pink impatiens in my backyard. The other day, when the weather seemed to be headed toward fall, I decided to take some quick photographs of them. Well, too quick, apparently because when I got the images into my computer, I noticed that I had included my shoe in the best photo. Well, never mind. Tonight I opened the image in Painter and got rid of the shoe with some cut-and-paste and digital pastel. While I was at it, I did some digital cleanup (fixed some torn leaves, etc.), and then cropped the image to get this composition.

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Branch of Sapphire Berries (with Prisma filter)


On October 3, I posted a picture of  sapphire berries, a photo that I took at Long Hill Gardens in late September.  Today I decided to add a Prisma filter to my photo.  I tried three or four filters, and decided on this one, with the unlikely name of "Comic".

Monday, October 09, 2017

Lanham's Purple (with Prisma filter)


Back on September 21, during a walk at Long Hill Gardens, I took a picture of a lovely shrub with purple clusters. I had to look on Google to find out that the plant is called "Lanham's Purple." I posted the original photo last week. Today, I decided to add a Prisma filter, and I liked the result, so here it is.

Sunday, October 08, 2017

Berries on Dogwood (With Woodcut Effect)


This is my photo of berries on the dogwood tree (taken during a recent walk at Long Hill Gardens, here in Beverly, MA).  I opened the photo and used Painter's "woodcut effect" to get this version, twirling the dials to get the right amount of black outline, the right amount of "heaviness," and the right number of colors.

Saturday, October 07, 2017

Berries on Dogwood Tree (Posterized)


Yesterday's post was a recent photo taken at Long Hill (here in Beverly, MA) of big red berries on a dogwood tree. Today I am posting the same image, but with posterizing effect added with my desktop Painter program.

Friday, October 06, 2017

Berries on Dogwood Tree (Digitally Edited)


This image began with another photo taken at Long Hill, of these strange red berries growing on a dogwood tree.  The original photo was too dark, but after I adjusted it, I could see that many of the leaves had dark brown tips (not enough rain, weather too hot?).  So today I opened the image in Painter and used digital pastel to get rid of the burned leaf tips, and then cropped the image to get this composition.  While I had Painter open, I also created a posterized version and a woodcut version, which I plan to post here soon.

Thursday, October 05, 2017

White Columns on the Path (Long Hill Gardens)


Here's another photo from our walk at Long Hill Gardens, here in Beverly, MA.  One of the things I like best is the constant surprise.  Sometimes the surprise is what's blooming, what's turning, what is making berries.  But sometimes the surprise is just juxtaposition, like the way these formal white columns appear in the midst of nature, framing a rough trail at the edge of the formal gardens.

Wednesday, October 04, 2017

Lanham's Purple (at Long Hill)


Another image from last week's walk at Long Hill Gardens, here in Beverly, MA. I saw a plant with beautiful purple clusters of berries or maybe blossoms, I wasn't sure. But I liked the way it looked, so I took a picture.  Some of the trees at Long Hill have identifying labels, and indeed there was a tag on this one but it was under some foliage, hard to get to, and hard to read. Even though I took a quick picture of the label, I still couldn't make it out for sure, even when I enlarged it on the computer.  But tonight I managed to identify this on Google, and then when I looked at the tag again, it made sense.  This is called 'Lanham's Purple," and the Latin name is Rhus copallinum, and a kind of sumac. Mystery solved and it is good to know its name.  Tonight I edited the original image to get this composition.

Tuesday, October 03, 2017

Branch of Sapphire Berries


Here's another image from a recent walk at Long Hill Gardens, here in Beverly, MA. These are sapphire berries -- not to be confused with blueberries (which I have in my yard),  I know these are called sapphire berries because I had to look them up the first time I saw them, which was at Long Hill.  In fact, I have never seen sapphire berries anywhere else! Anyway, they are amazing bright blue berries that appear in late September and into  early October.  Today I cropped the original photo to get this composition.

Monday, October 02, 2017

Red Berries at Long Hill Garden


This is a photo that I took during a recent walk at Long Hill Gardens.  I don't know what kind of shrub this is, but I liked it so I took a picture. Tonight I edited the original photo a bit in iPhoto and cropped it to get this composition.  I walk at Long Hill, for the flowers, for the photo opportunities, but what I really get out of it is a feeling of peace in those gardens. Posting this little moment of peace for anyone who might need it today.

Sunday, October 01, 2017

View from Long Hill Gardens


Here's another photo from a recent walk at Long Hill Gardens.  This is what you see from the house, looking across the lawn to a ballustrade and beyond that, the trails.