Rosh Hashana Still Life (Digital Drawing)

Sending this out to wish everyone sweet days ahead. I drew this with my iPad using the Procreate app, which captures a video replay as you draw.  So this is the final frame of the video that I posted recently.  I also did a little digital clean-up of the image on the computer with Painter.  If you missed the video, here is the link:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/52383363590

Rosh Hashanah Still Life (video)

I made this on my iPad with the Procreate app, which captures a "replay" as you draw. This little video is a great demonstration that art is about making mistakes, revising, trying again, making changes to make things better.  Just like life.  Sending this out to say "L'Shana Tova" to those celebrating the Jewish New Year, and to everyone, wishing you sweet days ahead.

 

Path near Kelleher Pond

I took this photo during a walk around Kelleher Pond back on August 23rd. There is something about a tree-lined path that makes me want to take a picture.  And I often do.  It is still amazing to think that this little bit of nature is tucked away in a residential neighborhood.  

Mandevilla Rocktrumpet (Brazilian Jasmine)

This photo is from last Thursday, taken during a walk in my daughter's neighborhood. I saw these lovely flowers so got right up close and took this picture with my iPhone.  (This was taken a shortly BEFORE I got the new iPhone that does fancy closeups, and that should be helpful in the future.)  I found the name of this flower by searching Google images, and in spite of the exotic names, this plant really does grow in Massachusetts.

 

Multicolor Necklace and Earrings (Custom Design)

This project began this summer in a bead store in Nashville, where my daughter-in-law found the multicolor assorted glass chevron beads and where I found the recycled green glass beads and the black coconut beads to add to the necklace.  But there was no time to put this all together because it was time to head home. Back in Massachusetts, I experimented with the design, and finally decided to add red seed beads.  After a couple of attempts at stringing the beads, I arrived at a final design for the necklace that was light enough and moved well.  Then I made the earrings to match. I finally finished this project this week and  will soon be mailing this set to Nashville. . .

Hydrangeas Becoming Pink (with Prisma filter)

Just for fun, I used the Prisma app to add the "Watercolor" filter to the photo that I posted here yesterday.

Hydrangeas Becoming Pink

Here is a photo that I took back on August 23rd, during a walk around the block.  Next door the hydrangeas were starting to turn pink, so I took some pictures.

Twin Towers from the Brooklyn Bridge (with Prisma's "Sketch" filter)

Even though we made frequent trips to New York City during the time we lived in New Jersey, I have very few photos of the Twin Towers.  In July of 2001, we were in New York and decided to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge.  It was a lot of fun, but my attention was the bridge itself.  But I took a photo of the New York skyline from the bridge, including the twin towers.  I didn't know that would be the last time I would see it.  Since then, I have made many versions of that photo.  And here's another one, this time with the Prisma app's "Sketch" filter.   This version captures the happiness of that moment on the bridge, not the tragedy of what came just a few months later.  

Shadows on the Path (with Prisma filter)

I added the "Flora" Prisma filter to my recent photo, taken at Cummings Center Pond. Suddenly the dappled light was more dramatic.

Shadows on the Path

From a recent walk at the Cummings Center Pond.  I liked the play of sunlight and shadow on the path, so I took this picture.  I used the Prisma app to make another version which I plan to post here tomorrow.

Glenwood Canyon Memory (in new home in Brazil)

After a long and complicated journey* that began in July, my painting "Glenwood Canyon Memory" has finally reached its new home in Goiania, Brazil.  Yesterday, Sandra, the new owner, sent me pictures. She tells me that this may not be the final location of painting in her house, but meanwhile I like the way the painting looks on that yellow wall.  They say  "The road to the house of a friend is never long."  I guess that is true of paintings, too. 

*The complicated journey:  In early July I left the painting with the local UPS store to be wrapped for shipping, intending to then pick up the wrapped painting and mail it from the US Post Office. But when I went back to the UPS store to pick up the wrapped painting, it had disappeared!  Phone calls and in store video revealed  that a UPS driver inadvertently picked up the painting, wrapped but unlabeled apart from a post-it note with my name and number. The UPS label scanning system was down that day,  the driver wasn't scanning packages, and so didn't see that the package had no label, but just put it in the truck. After many phone calls over the next two days, the painting was located at a UPS processing center, so we drove over to retrieve it.  A few days later I mailed the painting to Brazil from a local post office. Then I was able to track its progress until it arrived in Brazil.   But after that, radio silence for several weeks until I became convinced that it was lost (again). But Sandra, my friend and the new owner of this painting, found out that the painting was in Brazilian customs, awaiting payment! (Oh no!!!) It took awhile for her to retrieve it, but now it is finally in Sandra's house, and we are both relieved.

PS: For any potential art buyers: I have sent a number of paintings via UPS and also via the US  Postal service without incident. Typically in the US shipping takes 3 to 5 days and costs around  $50.00.  I have mailed other international packages without problems.  And this experience has taught me some things about insurance and customs forms that should help avoid such delays in the future. 

Composition with Woodpecker

Yesterday, as I worked in my upstairs office, it was easy to tell that the woodpecker had returned. From the noise and vibration, you would think that someone was hammering into the house, just below my office window. I was able to work right through the noise because the woodpecker has been here many times. But I had never seen the bird in action until yesterday.  After I finished my work, I went downstairs and the noise got louder as I approached the deck.  My husband was already out there on and motioned me to be silent as he pointed up at the woodpecker, hard at work destroying our siding.  So I took a quick picture just before the bird flew away.  Today I cropped the photo to get this composition  and adjusted the contrast to make it easier to see the bird. Hard to believe this little bird could make so much noise or do so much damage.  From the sound, I was expecting a bigger bird, probably with red and blue feathers. . .oh, right, that would be Woody Woodpecker.  But this was just a small bird with quiet black and white markings. It looks like we are gonna have to replace one corner post. And that's all, folks!

Hy Zagon, Fishing in 1941 (Prisma filter added)

Last week, I started working on this snapshot of my father.  First, I rescued the snapshot, which was badly tilted.  In order to do that, I had to use Painter to create additional background on the right side of the photo so that I could then rotate and crop the image.  Then I used Painter to create a second version with some subtle color.  I liked it but it didn't quite capture the joy of the moment.  So yesterday I decided to see what a Prisma filter would do, applied over the work I had already done.  I tried out several filters, but decided to go with "Watercolor," which is one of my favorites.  I liked the result, though I did a second round of editing in Painter to correct a few things, toned down some blue on the teeth, and decided to cover up some sort of badge on the shirt.  I am glad I did the additional work on this; it makes me happy to see my dad smiling in the sunshine.

Pink Flowers at Cummings Center Pond (with Prisma filter)

Here is the photo of pink flowers that I took at the Cummings Center Pond a few days ago, but this time I used the Prisma app to add the "Watercolor" filter.

Pink Flowers at Cummings Center Pond

Today we went for a walk at the Cummings Center Pond.  We have had too little rain here. The grass is dry, the water level is lower than usual, and some of the trees are loosing leaves early. But I spotted these spiky purple flowers at water's edge and took a picture.  Later I cropped and retouched the image, and here it is.  I also used the Prisma app to apply a filter, and I plan to post the result here tomorrow.