Raccoons 2021 (animation)

I created this on my iPad with the Procreate video. These little raccoons are ready to put 2020 in the bin, but as they do, I want to say that I remain grateful for the good things that happened in 2020 (including discovery of vaccines, let's not forget). But whether it was a retirement, a new job, an engagement, a new project, birthdays, family reunions, holidays, all these happy events  were shared only at a distance -- and with the fear and tragic losses and great hardships of Covid as a backdrop.  So like my little raccoons, I am ready to welcome 2021 with the hope that we will all have a happier, healthier year and brighter days ahead.

Waldo Canyon Wildfire (Acrylic Watermedia) as of December 29, 2020

This is my current project as it looked yesterday.  This is a representation of the Waldo Canyon Wildfire of  2012, which took place near Colorado Springs.  My painting reference (posted here December 22) is a photo that I took during a visit to Colorado in 2016. I used Painter's digital pastel to add colors suggesting fire and smoke.  Yesterday I was still working on the composition and the shapes of the mountains in the distance.  I added some shadows for definition and some texture to suggest burned-out forest. To be continued. . .

Waldo Canyon Wildfire (Acrylic Watermedia) as of December 28, 2020

Yesterday I continued work on this project, a representation of the Waldo Canyon Wildfire near Colorado Springs. My reference photo, posted here December 22, is a photo that I took in Colorado in 2016, with colors suggesting fire and smoke added.  Yesterday I continued working on the composition. This is still quite rough. I also added some blue to the sky and reworked some of the shapes.  I also did more work to the foreground. I am going to try to convey the feeling of looking past the live green trees in the foreground, to the gray hillside and burnt out forest in the background. I hope to show this painting in the upcoming special exhibit at Galatea in January.  To be continued. . .

Waldo Canyon Wildfire (Acrylic Watermedia) as of December 27, 2020

Here's my current work-in-progress as it looked yesterday. The fire, four miles from Colorado Springs, was caused "by human activity,"  caused wide-spread evacuations, and was finally brought under control by firefighters, but it took six weeks. I hope to show this painting as part of the "Heroes and Villains" show at Galatea Fine Arts next month. My painting reference is posted here December 22. I used my photo of the scene taken in Colorado Springs 2016 (damage remaining four years after the actual fire), and based on news photos, I changed the colors of the sky to resemble the fire scene.  Here you can see my work to establish some basic shapes in the sky, and to refine the shapes in the mountains.

Waldo Canyon Wildfire (Acrylic Watermedia) as of December 26, 2020

I have been working on this painting, and this is how it looked as of yesterday. This painting is a representation of a wildfire near Colorado Springs. My photo reference is posted here December 22; I created it from a photo of a fire-damaged area that I took in 2016 while visiting Colorado, and then digitally added colors to suggest fire and smoke.  Now I am trying to translate that image into paint. Yesterday I continued to work on the composition, focussing on placement of major shapes.  To be continued. . . .

Waldo Canyon Wildfire (Acrylic Watermedia) as of December 25, 2020

Yesterday, I finally had a chance to get this painting started. I am hoping to contribute this painting to a special exhibit with a "Heroes and Villains" theme. The Waldo Canyon wildfire near Colorado Springs killed several people and destroyed many homes and lots of forest. It was started by human activity but it was brought under control by firefighters (villains and heroes). Back in 2016, I was visiting friends in Colorado Springs, and they showed me these foothills, still scarred by the Waldo Canyon Fire which took place four years earlier, in 2012.  Of course, I took some pictures. I recently edited the original photo to use as a painting reference by using Painter to add colors to suggest fire and smoke. (My painting reference is posted here December 22nd). Life has been hectic, but after some delays, I finally had a chance to begin.  I started by just trying to sketch in the basic composition.  To be continued. . .

Reposting: Squirrel Says Happy Holidays (Digital Drawing)

Yesterday I reposted my holiday video featuring a squirrel.  Of the holiday videos I have made, that video is  a favorite. I created that video on my iPad with a drawing app that captures each stroke as you draw. Today's post is the digital drawing that was the last frame of the video. Like the little squirrel, I say “Happy Holidays."  Wishing you happy times, whatever and wherever and however you are celebrating.  Much love, and stay safe.

Reposting: Squirrel Says Happy Holidays

Of all the holiday videos I have made, this is my favorite. The squirrel says “Happy Holidays” and so do I.  Much love to all, and whatever and wherever and however you are celebrating, stay safe.

Winter Walk in Georgetown, MA (with Prisma filter)

Today's find on my phone: a photo that I took in Georgetown, MA, during a walk with my daughter.  I added the Prisma filter and cropped it to get this composition.

Waldo Canyon Wildfire (Digitally Modified Photo): Painting Reference

I am getting ready to paint for a special exhibit with a "Heroes and Villains" theme. I am going to paint the Waldo Canyon wildfire near Colorado Springs, which hit pretty close to home. The Waldo Canyon fire, which killed several people and destroyed many homes and lots of forest, was started by human activity but it was brought under control by firefighters (villains and heroes). Back in the summer of 2016, I was visiting Colorado Springs and on the way to Garden of the Gods, my friends drove past these foothills, still scarred by the Waldo Canyon Fire which took place in 2012.  Of course, I took some pictures. A few weeks ago, on December 9th, I cropped the original photo and effects to emphasize thee burnt trees, and posted the image here. I also asked my friends for more information about the wildfire, and they send me some articles and images. Since then, life happened and this project came to a standstill. But now this project is now back on track. Today I finished preparing my photo reference. I opened the December 9th photo in Painter, and beginning with the original shapes of the clouds,  I used digital pastel and posterizing effect  to add colors to suggest fire and smoke (and of course that red sun.) Tomorrow I plan to start the painting.

Snow Seen Through Back Door (with Prisma filter)

Yesterday's post was a photo that I took on Thursday, after an overnight storm of snow and wind.  Tonight I am posting the same photo, with a Prisma filter added.

Snow Seen Through Back Door

We had a big snow storm this week, with high winds overnight on Wednesday. When I looked out the back door on Thursday morning, this is what I saw.  Snow had blown onto the glass in the back door, creating an extra layer of texture.  I liked the effect, so I took a picture.

Reposting: Two Sisters (Detail)

Yesterday I posted a double portrait of my mom and my Aunt Edy. Tonight I am posting a close-up of my aunt, cropped from the double portrait. This was done some years ago with acrylic paint used as watercolor, based on a small snapshot (2 x 3 inches, black and white). I think I managed to get a pretty good likeness of Edy, as well as of my mom. With art, sometimes you just get lucky. In life also, and I was lucky to grow up the way I did, with my parents, my aunt and uncle, my grandmother, and my cousin in one big house. I like to say I was raised by a committee, and I am very glad Aunt Edy was part of that committee.

Reposting: Two Sisters (Painting)

This is a painting of my mother (left) and my aunt (right),  painted sometime in the 1990s. After my parents died, I found comfort in family photos, and started painting portraits based on them. This is what I said the first time I posted this double portrait here: "This is a detail from a painting of my mother and my aunt.  I did this painting several years ago, from an old snapshot taken in the 1940's, standing in front of our house in Pueblo. I used acrylics as watermedia on watercolor paper.  I like to look at this painting because it captures the essence of my aunt's smiling face, and what I see of my mother when I look at my daughter's face."

Edy (Edited Photo)

I have been looking a lot of old pictures of Edy, but tonight I found a more recent one that I took during a trip to Denver, not sure of the year but I will try to figure that out.  Anyway, I liked the way she looked with the light coming from the side.  So I edited it a bit to simplify the background, and then did a little bit of editing in Painter.  And now I have a more recent portrait of her.

REPOSTING Guest Artist Edythe Sigman Necklace with Green Agate

In memory of my Aunt Edy, who died this week, I am posting photos of some of the jewelry she made. She didn't start making jewelry until she was 87, but boy did she make up for lost time! We would always talk about making jewelry on the phone, and when I visited her, she would pull out her designs to show me. They were beautiful!  This is one of three necklaces she gave me  when I visited her in 2016. She was 97 when she made this necklace.

REPOSTING Guest Artist Edythe Sigman: Long Necklace with Cane Glass Beads

Reposting in memory of my Aunt Edy, who died this week.  I first posted this in 2016, short after my excellent adventure with my aunt.  Here is what I said in 2016: "The guest artist, Edythe Sigman, is my Aunt Edy, 97 years old.  She has been making jewelry for about 10 years, something she decided to try at age 87 after cataract surgery improved her vision, so she took some lessons at a bead store.  During my recent trip to Colorado, she showed me over 100 pieces that she has made. This necklace is one of three that she gave me: cane glass with an intricate pattern of very small black and blue beads.  It's a long necklace and can be doubled. When I unpacked from my trip, I decided to photograph the necklaces and post them here."

(Reposting) Guest Artist Edythe Sigman: Necklace and Earrings with Black Springs

I am reposting this in honor of my Aunt Edy, who died this weekend. When she was 87, she started making jewelry. She decided she wanted to learn, so took some individual classes at a bead store. Here designs were beautiful. She had jewelry sales to celebrate her 100th birthday, and taught her grandchildren how to make jewelry.  Anyway, here's what I wrote when I posted this back in 2016: "The guest artist is my Aunt Edy who is 97 years young.  She started making jewelry about 10 years ago, after cataract surgery improved her vision.  During my recent trip to Denver, I helped Aunt Edy get ready for her move to Baltimore.  We ran errands all over Denver, we packed boxes, and suitcases, but somehow we managed to make time to look at over 100 necklaces she has been making.  She gave me a few of them, and I wore them during my trip. While I was unpacking today, I decided to photograph my new necklaces and post them here.  Aunt Edy not only designed this necklace and earring set, she also made the beads by winding wire into tiny coils, using on a device called a gizmo."

Reposting: Two Faces

This image began with a rescued snapshot that my Aunt Edy sent me a few years ago, a double-exposed picture of herself (in the back) with my mother (in front). I added some special effects with Painter and posted it on February 25, 2020, after a long phone call with Aunt Edy. My Aunt Edy was part of the committee that raised me and often filled in for my mom when I was a kid.  When I posted this image last February,  I said, "Since my mom died (in 1984) it seems that when I want to talk to my mother, I call my aunt, who is now almost 101!)"  Well, Aunt Edy died this weekend, so now I feel like I am kind of on my own.  But, as I have found myself saying today,  this isn't my first rodeo. I know from other losses I have had that you don't really ever completely lose someone you love.  I will miss Aunt Edy.  But I will remember what she tried to teach me, and there's a long list:  jewelry making, comedic timing, intuitive cooking, assertive generosity,  joyful dancing, befriending others, aging gracefully. And I will try to "pay it forward," and make sure that her memory will be for a blessing, as was her life.

A Chanukah Transformation (Final Version)

Two days ago, I posted an animation that I made on my iPad with the Procreate app, which captures a stroke-by-stroke video as you draw.*  Yesterday I posted an image of the menorah, the final frame of the video.  I liked the image, but as a friend noticed, the placement of the candles was off, so it didn't really look like a proper menorah, which has eight candles on a lower level, plus another candle -- the shamos (used to light the other candles) -- that is placed higher than the others.  So I decided to fix the problem. I opened the image on my computer, and used Painter to throw a grid over the image. Then I used some cut-and-paste and digital pastel to get my candles to behave.  While I was at it, I did a little more clean-up and re-cropped the image. Here is my new, improved menorah.

*If you want to see the original video, here is the link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/50703468041

A Chanukah Transormation (Digital Drawing)

Yesterday's post was a little animation that I made on my iPad with the Procreate app, which captures a stroke-by-stroke video as you draw.  My idea for the video was a bouquet of flowers that transforms into a menorah, which is why I called it "Chanukah Transformation." This image is the final frame of the video, cleaned up a bit and cropped.  I thought about changing the name of the image. The little bouquet is not longer visible. But I kept the original title because Chanukah always involves transformation (darkness to light, oppression to freedom, etc.). Sending this out to wish everyone celebrating a happy holiday.

*If you would to see the video, https://www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/50707370307

A Chanukah Transformation

Here's a little Chanukah video that I created today on my iPad. Sending this out to wish everyone light, courage, freedom, and better days ahead.

Waldo Canyon Fire, Aftermath (Reference for Painting)

This image began with a photo that I took back in the summer of 2016, during a trip to Colorado.  I was visiting Colorado Springs and my friends took me to Garden of the Gods, but on the way we drove past these foothills, scarred by the Waldo Canyon Fire.  Today I cropped the original photo and added posterizing effect to emphasize the texture of the burnt trees.  I am planning a painting for a special themed show, and I am going to use this as a reference, but I plan to change the colors of the sky, to evoke the aftermath of a forest fire.

Rocks and Ocean Lynch Park (with Prisma filter)

Here's another image I created the other day when I was trying out a new "Daily Filter" in my Prisma app. The filter is called "Rock and Roll" and it produces predominately turquoise and brown colors. I thought it might work well on some photos that I took last month at the beach at Lynch Park.  The original photo was taken when the tide was out, revealing some of the rocks that often covered with water.

Stairs and Wall at Lynch Park Beach (with Prisma filter)

Yesterday I was trying out a new Prisma filter called "Rock and Roll".  It's mostly blue and brown, so I tried it on some fall beach photos.  This is from a recent walk in October when the tide was out.

Lynch Park Beach at Low Tide (with Prisma filter)

Today we were ready for a big snow storm and got less than an inch, not even enough to take good pictures.  What's a disappointed photographer to do? I was playing around with my Prisma app on my phone and discovered today's "daily" filter called "Rock and Roll".  It's a predominantly blue filter, so I decided to try it out on some of my beach photos taken in October.  When the tide is low at Lynch Park, you can walk far down the beach and see sights from perspectives that would be impossible when the tide is in, and rocks and walls usually covered by water.

Red Bench in Snow (Edited)

This is a photo that I took back in late October, when we had that unexpected snow.  I liked the way the red bench looked under those white branches, so I took a picture.  I have been thinking of using the image in a greeting card, so I edited it today, and now I think it is ready to go.

Unexpected Snow (with Prisma filter)

We are expecting a Nor'easter this weekend, mostly rain but possibly snow.  Here's an image created from a photo that I took after our last unexpected snow, back in October.  I added a Prisma filter to this one.

Reposting: August Flowers

Here's yet another of my small drawings that are currently part of  Porter Mill's Virtual Small Works Show.  This is 6" x 6" square, drawn with my beloved sharpies.  Here's a link to all my drawings in the show: https://www.portermillstudios.com/randa-dubnick

Reposting: Winter Fantasy

Here is another of my six little drawings currently in Porter Mill's Virtual Small Works Show.  In the winter, I fantasize about flowers. Do you? These are 6" x 6" (offered framed 8" x 8"). Here is a link to all six drawings that I have in the show: http://www.portermillstudios.com/randa-dubnick

Reposting: Dreaming of Morning Glories

This is another of my small drawings, one of six that are currently in Porter Mill Studios Virtual Small Works Show.  This is 6" x 6".  Here is a link to my other drawings in the show:

www.portermillstudios.com/randa-dubnick