Forsythia Up Close

Forsythia Up Close
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Over the past few weeks, we have had some warm days, interspersed with cool ones because, after all, we are north of Boston. And now bright yellow forsythia is blooming all over the place. The sun was shining when I took this picture, but I think that forsythia looks like sunshine, even on a cloudy day. I have tried to get some good pictures of forsythia, but usually the bushes are too far away, and the color just doesn't hold up at a distance. But on a recent walk, I came face to face with a forsythia bush, so I took this picture with my phonecam. After I loaded the image into the computer, I still had to play with the saturation just a bit to get that bright, sunny yellow.

Path Seen From Above

Path Seen From Above
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

The other day, walking where I often do, I looked down and saw a path I had never noticed before. I liked the shapes of the rocks, and the trees, and the path itself, so I took this picture with my phonecam. Isn't it funny how easy it can be to miss a clear path? But sometimes all it takes is a change in perspective, and there it is!

On Boyleston Ave, Boston

On Boyleston Ave, Boston
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

This is a picture I took on a slushy winter day as we were driving down Boyleston Avenue. I always think of Boyleston Avenue during the Boston Marathon (which is tomorrow) because that is where the finish line is. What I like about this image is the juxtaposition of two Boston landmarks, the John Hancock Building and the Boston Public Library. I thought the weather was against me when I took this picture, and you can certainly see its effects in the photo. At first, I defined that as a problem and tried to fix it, but have decided that I kind of like the effect. Anyway, this seems an appropriate image for the Boston Marathon, and for all those runners who carry on, even when it seems that the weather might be against them.

Clear View of Casa Velha, Cascais

Clear View of Casa Velha, Cascais
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

It's time for another nice memory of Portugal. Mauro showed me around Cascais when I visited in July of 2004. Cascais is a very lively beach town, with lots of white buildings and colorful flowers. I took pictures of one of the main streets, but sometimes it is better to capture the feel of a place with a closer look. So tonight I cropped this image from one of my photos. I think it communicates a sense of Cascais looks like. Taking photos in the bright sunshine of Cascais was a challenge; I adjusted the contrast, but not too much because the bright light and dark shadows are part of the experience. But after all that, there was a pesky television antenna that was creating a distraction in the background, so I opened the image in Painter IX, and used a little digital airbrush to create a clearer view.

Mom in Print Dress (Restored Photo)

Mom in Print Dress (Restored Photo)
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

I was looking for a nice picture of my mom, and I found a snapshot that I liked in an old album. I especially liked the patterns in black and white. But there were some problems in the original photo: lots of clutter on the coffee table, and in the background, and even an upended porch chair visible though the window! But I really thought the snapshot had potential. So I scanned the photo and opened the image in Painter IX. I used some cut and paste to get rid of the porch furniture, and digital airbrush to neaten up some stray marks (and while I was at it, her cigarette). Then I cropped the image to get the composition that I wanted.

Times Square Daydream

Times Square Daydream
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Today a cousin called me from Times Square; she is in New York for Passover. It was fun hearing about her visit and comparing notes on seders we have known over the years. As we talked, I could hear the sounds of Times Square through the cell phone. Afterwards, I found myself daydreaming about New York City. So I cropped this image out of the background of a photo I took in Times Square several years ago. Then I opened the image in Painter IX and used digital airbrush to add some color and contrast. I call this a daydream not only because I was remembering great visits to Manhattan, but also because this image has been digitally modified.

Parsley

Parsley
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

I used my phonecam to take this picture during my pre-Passover grocery store run. I noticed the slogan on the matza box (Streit's) said "the taste of memory." I think that's right, so if it's Passover, then it is time to cook and make memories.

Dock at Marblehead, Massachusetts

Dock at Marblehead, Massachusetts
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

I took this photo of the Marblehead dock last summer, using my cell phone camera. I have been picturing this dock for the past few days, because I have started reading a new Robert Parker novel called Sea Change, set in a Massachusetts town north of Boston that strongly resembles Marblehead. Part of the action takes place at the city's dock, as in this photo. I started reading Robert Parker novels when we moved to the Boston area. They are great reading, and as a bonus, a great way to explore the Boston area.

Purple Pansies in the Sun

Purple Pansies in the Sun
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

No time for a break today, but I did have to make a grocery store run. And I was happy to see pansies for sale outside the store in the afternoon sun. Here north of Boston, that's a sign of spring (and the optimism of New Englanders). I liked the way the dark purple pansies looked when the sun hit them, so I took a picture with my cameraphone. Later, I loaded the image into my computer and cropped it just a bit. Pansies always make me stop, look, and smile.

Oxford (You Are Here)

Oxford (You Are Here)
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

I took this picture in Oxford during a trip a few years ago. We were driving down to Heathrow so I could catch a flight. We only had time to stop for dinner, but I could tell I would like the place! It looked like a typical university town, lots of fun to visit! Too bad there was no time left. This is the only picture I have (I guess I was out of film as well as time). Mel is making another quick trip to another British university town, so I decided to post this little souvenir of Oxford. But first I opened it in Painter IX and cleaned it up with photo tools and digital air brush.

First Pink Blossoms

First Pink Blossoms
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Today it was cloudy and almost cold, so I was surprised and excited to see these first pink blossoms. I took a picture with my phonecam, then loaded the photo into the computer and cropped it to improve the composition. But after taking a look at the image on the computer screen, I decided that there were too many distracting areas in the background. So I opened the image in Painter IX, and with the airbrush tool, did a little digital yardwork.

A Cape Cod Beach

A Cape Cod Beach
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

I was looking through my pictures tonight, and found one that needed to be rescued. I took this photo at the beach during our very short trip to Cape Cod a few summers ago. But the original version had problems with the color and composition. I started by corrected the color of the sky, which was almost chartreuse (which can be interesting, but not in this case.) Then I cropped the picture to focus on the visual information that was the most interesting: the lines of the horizon, the beach and the fence, framed by the dark foliage in the foreground.

Little Flowers Like Purple Stars

Little Flowers Like Purple Stars
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

The weather is slowly improving, and we have better walking weather. This is a picture that I took with my phonecam on a recent walk. I spotted these little purple flowers next to the sidewalk. I don't know what kind they are, but I call them those little flowers that look like purple stars.

Early April Snow

Early April Snow
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

We had a surprise snowfall this morning, great big flakes coming down thick and fast. I grabbed my digital camera and took a few pictures through the window. I didn't think the snow would last, and I was right. The snow soon turned to rain, and it has been raining the rest of the day.

Electric Bouquet

Electric Bouquet
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

I call these electric flowers because they are made of pixels. This is a piece of digital art that I started on my Clie handheld paint program. I have been getting a "fatal exception" message when I try to synchronize my Clie, and though that only affects the Palm software, still it might be time to look into a new handheld and the new Palm Paint program. But I love my Clie and I hate change. So I am trying out a new cradle to see if that does the trick. We shall see. Meanwhile, while I was sitting at the computer waiting for my Clie's batteries to charge, I decided to finish this little digital sketch. So I opened it in Painter and used digital pastel to add more flowers, clean it up, and use some transparent layers to soften the image. In the midst of my frustration about my handheld, it is good to remember that technology can be a good friend to art; you just have to take the time to get acquainted.

Newlyweds April 4 1943

Newlyweds April 4 1943
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

This is a picture of my parents, during their honeymoon trip to New York. I found the original image tonight, a small snapshot in my mother's album. (She pasted photographs on black paper and wrote about the pictures in white ink.) I didn't remember seeing this image before, but I liked it immediately. So I scanned the image into the computer. First I restored the black and white image, cleaned it up with digital scratch remover, and rotated the image to straighten it out.. Then I opened it in Painter IX and did a little cut and paste to get rid of a distracting tree trunk. Next, I cropped the image, and saved it as a black and white picture, which I like enough to keep just as it is. Then I created a copy in Painter IX, and used transparent digital watercolor to see if I liked the effect. I decided that I liked it so I kept going, and here is the result. It's a lot of fuss over a snapshot, but I was very happy that I found it!

Tree Trunk and Moss

Tree Trunk and Moss
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Today it was cool with gentle rain and mist, a reminder that it is still very early spring. Here's a photo to match the day. This is from a batch of photos I took in early spring of last year, on a misty spring day when the daffodils were in bloom. It was a Sunday and I took a morning walk on the campus of Endicott College, taking pictures with my phonecam as I walked along. I was following one of the many paths across the campus when I saw this tree. I liked the pattern that the moss made on the tree, so I took this picture.

Colors at Singing Beach

Colors at Singing Beach
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Today Heather suggested a walk on Singing Beach, so we took the dogs up to Manchester-by-the-Sea. It was warm but windy, and as usual, loads of people were walking up and down the beach, most of them accompanied by their dogs. Besides the hilarity of hundreds of dogs playing on the beach, we had a beautiful show of sound and color. The water seemed to sparkle because of the wind, and the waves were crashing and roaring on the sand. I was looking at the different colors that were in the water today, from the deep blue at the horizon to the subtle periwinkle blue reflected by the water over the wet sand. I wanted to capture those layers of color, so I took a few pictures of the ocean with my phonecam, and this is the one I like the best.

Crocus Convention

Crocus Convention
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Yesterday the temperature shot up to 75 degrees, and apparently the flowers took notice! A bunch of crocuses that had been closed the previous day were suddenly wide open! I liked the patterns and colors so well that I took a picture with my phonecam. When I looked at the image today, I was bothered by one flower in the upper left that looked more white than purple, and because it was in the corner, was too much of a distraction for the composition. So I opened the image in Painter IX and using digital airbrush, I put a transparent layer of very light purple over some areas of the flower. It is a very subtle change, but I am announcing it here in the interest of full disclosure.

Shadow and Sun in the Alfama, Lisbon

Shadow and Sun in the Alfama, Lisbon
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Here's another souvenir from Portugal. I took this picture several summers ago in the Alfama, an old and mysterious district in the hills of Lisbon. Tonight I cropped the photo just a bit, to focus on the sun and shadows hitting the building.

Park Benches, Lynch Park

Park Benches, Lynch Park
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Today at noon, we took the dogs to Lynch Park here in Beverly, Massachusetts. At first glance, Lynch Park looks like a typical city park, until you realize that it is bounded by water on three sides! It has park benches, of course, like those you might see in any city park, except that they are placed so you can sit and watch the ocean. Although I did take a few pictures today, I prefer this one, which I took with my phonecam around this time last year. I think this picture captures the feeling of being at Lynch Park on an early spring day, before the trees leaf out. So tonight, I cropped it for the sake of the composition and here it is. Rest a minute and enjoy the view.

Morning Sun on the Tree Branch

Morning Sun on the Tree Branch
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

As I was getting up this morning, I noticed how beautiful the morning light was on the tree outside my window. It is getting warmer and soon the trees will leaf out, but the bare branches have a beauty of their own. So I decided to grab my digital camera and take a few pictures, before I even had my coffee. Then I loaded the photos into the computer. I did a little cropping to get this image, focussing on the dappled morning light on the tree.

A Sheepish Sheep

A Sheepish Sheep
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Today I used pen and ink to draw this cartoon of a sheep. It is going to be an illustration in a 'zine

Pink and Yellow Bouquet

Pink and Yellow Bouquet
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

This is a photograph I took yesterday of some flowers I saw at Heather's. I liked the soft colors and shapes of the mums, so I used my cameraphone to take a quick picture.

Snowdrops

Snowdrops
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Here's another picture from Long Hill Gardens, where we went again today because it was warmer. I have been busy complaining about how hard it is to wait for spring, but meanwhile the flowers have been busy blooming. These snowdrops are scattered all over Long Hill, so I used my phone cam to take this picture.

Three Purple Crocuses

Three Purple Crocuses
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

It's cold today, with a gray sky, and it feels like winter again. But just two days ago, it was warm enough to take the dogs for a walk at Long Hill Gardens, which is where I saw these crocuses. I liked the way the sunlight was hitting them, so I took a picture with my phonecam.

Shady Path in Ermesinda, Portugal

Shady Path in Ermesinda, Portugal
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Time for another picture of Portugal. This image began as a photo I took in Ermesinda, which is a little town in the mountains around Porto. Tonight, I did a little digital editing, and cropped the original photo to focus on the shady path, and then opened the image in Painter IX and removed some telephone wires with a bit of digital airbrush.

Quiet Day at CarrickFergus Castle, Northern Ireland

Quiet Day at CarrickFergus Castle, Northern Ireland
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Tonight Mel was watching a movie set in Belfast called Mickybo and Me. It looked like a great movie, so I joined him. Some of the scenes were shot in towns in the Belfast area near the coast, including CarrickFergus. After the movie, I found a photo taken at the CarrickFergus Castle during my first trip to Belfast, but the original photo didn't have quite as clear a view of the castle because there were several tourists on the sidewalk. I opened the image in Painter IX, and with some cutting, some pasting, and some digital pastel, I managed to convince three tourists to kindly clear the sidewalk, but I decided to leave the little black dog where he was.

Exercise in Mapping the Function of Color

Exercise in Mapping the Function of Color
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

This is a piece of digital art that I was playing around with tonight. I have been looking at mathematical graphs and illustrations, and thinking about lines and what they mean in math. For me, a line is a quick way to communicate the shape of a mountain or the gesture of the human form. To a mathematician, a line can quickly communicate a mathematical relationship -- different approaches to communicating something true about the world. Tonight I opened a file in Painter IX and began with the idea of making something that looked like a graph. I opened the pen digitizer tool and began making arcs. I can't say I had a lot of control over this tool (I almost never use it), but with trial, error, and a lot of "undo" commands, I made some shapes I liked. Then I decided to fill in the shapes with color, using the digital airbrush, and bringing in soft colors and blurred edges. Math and geometry shouldn't be consigned only to the textbook, the classroom, and the laboratory. Math and geometry are part of the world, and so they are part of art.

Morning Woods in March

Morning Woods in March
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

While I was at the gym this morning, I looked out the window and noticed the sunlight hitting these trees. (The gym where we work out is in a beautiful wooded area.) The scene just looked so typical New England (look at that birch tree!) and typical March. So I took a picture with my phonecam. Tonight I loaded the image into the computer and cropped it for the composition. We are all waiting for spring and for the trees to leaf out and blossom. But winter has its own pleasures, one of which is being able to see the branches of the trees more clearly.

Strawberries in the Colandar

Strawberries in the Colandar
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Today is the first day of spring, but here north of Boston, it was just above freezing and windy, with no sign of spring anywhere. But you have to take spring where you can find it, and I found signs of spring at the grocery store, in the form of strawberries on sale. I bought some, and before serving them up for dinner, I used my phonecam for a little photo shoot in the kitchen sink. After dinner, I loaded the images into the computer, and found I had to do some adjusting to get the color and lighting to come out right. Then I cropped the images to get the composition I was after. I like this one the best of the group, maybe because of the contrast of the pattern of the colander with the pattern of the strawberry seeds

Korean Mystery Picture (Found Art)

Korean Mystery Picture (Found Art)
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

This is a piece of found art, based on a photo that Mel took while he was in Korea and sent to me as a multimedia message. He sent a lot of pictures at once, and it was good to get a peek at Korea. But one of the pictures was hard to "read" and very mysterious, with strange shapes and colors. Now that Mel is back home from his latest trip (Australia), I asked him about the mystery photo and he said it is a picture of a park, and he was moving while he took the picture. I wanted a closer look at the photo, so I transferred it to my computer. The image was not salvageable as a "wish you were here" type of photo, but it had some interesting effects in it. I decided to crop it and made three abstract images out of it, and this is the one I like the best.

Pink and Orange Rose

Pink and Orange Rose
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

I saw this orange and pink rose in a bouquet at Heather's apartment, and the color was so unusual that I decided to take a picture with my phonecam. Today I edited the image, cropping the photo to concentrate attention on the rose, with the freesia in the background.

Necklace with Rhodonite, Aventurine, Hematite, and Sterling Silver

Necklace with Rhodonite, Aventurine, Hematite, and Sterling Silver
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

This is a necklace that I have been working on, and yesterday I finished it, and took this picture.

View Across the Fence in Ireland

View Across the Fence in Ireland
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

I took this picture in Ireland two summers ago as we exploring. A nice memory of Ireland!

Daffodils in the Kitchen

Daffodils in the Kitchen
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Today I ran out to the store to buy milk, just as it started to snow, undeniably and unexpectedly. But the grocery store was having a sale on daffodils, $1.88 per bunch! (Tell me, what is the value of a daffodil, and how much is too much to pay?) So I bought some and went home and did a photo shoot right in my kitchen, with my phonecam. Of the photos I took, this picture had the best composition and color, but there were some distracting shapes in the background, just around the edges. So I opened the image in Painter IX and cleaned up the background with some digital pastel just a bit. By now we have snow on the ground, with cold wind blowing outside. But spring is inevitable, and I have the daffodils to prove it.

Sidewalk in Cascais Portugal

Sidewalk in Cascais Portugal
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

This is an image I cropped out of a photograph that I took in Cascais, Portugal in July of 2001. The sidewalks in Portugal often have patterns like this, as do the sidewalks in Brazil. I took this picture because I love the patterns, and because this reminded me of walking near the beach in Rio when Mel and I visited there in 1994. To an American eye and ear, Portugal and Brazil seem very similar at first, but of course there are many differences. (The way you say refrigerator is different in Porto and in Rio, for example, and so is the brand of soft drink you might find inside the refrigerator!) Whether I am walking in Cascais near the beach, or strolling down Avenida Atlantica in Rio, you can be sure I am looking at the sidewalks as well as at the ocean, and you can also be sure that I have a big smile on my face.

University of Kansas Campus Memory

University of Kansas Campus Memory
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

This piece of digital art is based an image cropped from the background of a photograph I took of the KU campus at Mauro's graduation in 1988. Lawrence and the University of Kansas were on CNN this morning and on my mind today because of the news about the tornado that did some damage to the campus. Many of my pictures from Lawrence, Kansas are of the wonderful people I met there, but when I looked for an photo of the campus, I found far fewer than I expected. So I decided to use this image because, for all its problems, it captured the characteristic shapes of the campus skyline. The small image that I cropped from the photo was extremely blurry, and you could hardly make out the buildings against the pale pink sky. So I opened the image in Painter IX and used the colors in the original photo to darken and sharpen the shapes of the rooflines, and changed the color of the sky to blue to add more contrast. Then I added more pastel to the foreground and even covered up the top of a football scoreboard. The effect is closer to a drawing than a photograph. I like the soft edges that evoke the workings of memory, even though my memories of the time I spent there are as clear and bright as crystal.

Fantasy in Newark, New Jersey

Fantasy in Newark, New Jersey
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

This view of the Newark skyline began as the background of a photo I took in Newark with Mel when he taught at Rutgers. Once we moved up to Boston, Mel rented an apartment in Newark where he stayed during the week, and I used to like to visit when he was there over the weekend. Mel lived in Newark when he was a teenager; for me, the city was an acquired taste. At first, I just saw it as a convenient launching point for getting to New York City (which it certainly is). But then I began to really look at the 1940s buildings, the skyline, Ferry Street with its Brazilian and Portuguese culture, and I began to appreciate Newark for its own sake. I was thinking about this today because we are all waiting for the Sopranos to air tonight, and I became a fan of the show the first time I saw the photography of New Jersey in the opening scenes. So I decided that my photo of Newark was worth rescuing. I opened the image in Painter IX and used digital chalk to even out the color of the sky, and then sharpened the edges of some of the buildings, picking up colors that were already there in the original photograph. So I call this a fantasy in Newark, New Jersey, not because of the Sopranos (another New Jersey fantasy), but because the image has been digitally edited.

Earrings with Dyed Jade, Aventurine, and Sterling Silver

Earrings with Dyed Jade, Aventurine, and Sterling Silver
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Today I made these earrings. To me, making jewelry is like making miniature sculptures, trying to find the best arrangement of shapes, textures, and colors.

Walk at Sundown

Walk at Sundown
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Is it spring yet? It was in the sixties today, and the days are getting longer. Tonight Heather stopped by and we walked the dogs in the neighborhood as the sun was getting ready to set. One of the pleasures of warmer weather is walking at sundown. I had forgotten how beautiful that is. The colors were great, so I decided to try to catch the colors of the sky with my phonecam. Later I cropped the image for the sake of the composition.

Fantasy at the Railroad Crossing

Fantasy at the Railroad Crossing
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

This is an image taken with my phonecam, but I call it a fantasy not because I was daydreaming at the railroad crossing (although I was), but because the image has been digitally modified. Today, trying to get home after running some errands, I found myself first in line at the railroad crossing just as the commuter rail train from Boston was approaching the station. I love trains, so while I was sitting there, I took out my cellphone and took a picture with my cameraphone. I was interested in the diagonals of the train and the wires in the sky. But when I opened the image in my computer, I was frustrated by an annoying street lamp that interrupted the long line of the train. So I decided to open the image in Painter IX and see what I could do. I did some cutting and pasting, and used some digital pastel and airbrush. Now I like the composition better. You may think that is a lot of trouble to go to for a tiny image of a fleeting moment. But art makes you look, it makes you notice, and it makes you value the fleeting moments that make up a life.

Purple Mountain

Purple Mountain
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Whenever I hear from friends from Colorado, as I did today, I think about home and those mountains. Tonight I came across this piece of digital art that I produced with my Painter program sometime during the past few years. (I think this might have been done with an earlier version of Painter, but I am not sure.) In any case, what I am sure of is that it is an image of the Colorado mountains, from memory and imagination. Tonight I opened it in Painter IX and cleaned it up a little bit with digital pastel so I could post it here.

Spring Break

Spring Break
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

It seems like I have been working non-stop, rushing from one project to the next. So today, after I mailed off a package, I decided I needed a fifteen minute vacation, so I decided to take a break and stop in at the new Panera's here in Beverly and have a pumpkin muffin (my favorite). But when I walked in the door, I came face-to-face with this bouquet of spring flowers that were placed right at the entrance. So I stopped in my tracks and just enjoyed them for a minute. It made me smile to think that this was a different sort of break than what I had in mind, a better break, a spring break. So I decided to take a picture with my cameraphone. Later, when I got home (yes, of course, I still ate a pumpkin muffin), I cropped the photo just a tiny bit to bring the tulips closer to the center.

Scene from the Borderlands

Scene from the Borderlands
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Tonight I was looking through my photos and came across this one, a nice memory from the week we spent touring in Scotland two summers ago. I took this photo from the car as we were driving through the Borderlands between England and Scotland, heading west to Stranraer to catch the ferry back to Belfast. The scenery was already amazing, but this view came up suddenly, and just as suddenly I lowered the car window and took the picture. I liked the mill (if that is what it is) and the long row of trees. Tonight I played with the possibility of eliminating the top of the bridge or guard rail that appears at the bottom of the image. But I decided that the image would lose too much in the transaction, and that the diagonal line at the bottom of the photo worked with the diagonal line of the trees. Also, it helps make it clear that the viewer is looking down on the scene below. I think I would like to use this photo as the basis for a painting sometime. . .

Dancing Gardenias

Dancing Gardenias
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

The other night, after spending several hours in ballroom dance class, I made this piece of digital art using Painter IX's image hose and pattern pen, making swirls and twirls with the cursor.

Pencil Sketch for Portrait as of March 4

Pencil Sketch for Portrait as of March 4
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

This drawing began as the preliminary sketch for the portrait I painted for my friends. I have been trying to finish up the pencil sketch, too. The most recent changes are opening up the eyes a bit more, and adding some reflected light. I also made some changes to the proportions of the collar and tie.

Korean Souvenir

Korean Souvenir
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Yesterday Mel called from Korea, where he has been this week. I have never been to Korea, but this is Mel's second trip. Tonight I looked in my photo albums and found the pictures that he took during his first trip there, which was at least ten years ago. I love the look of the Korean street signs in Mel's photos. I decided to crop this image out of the background of one of them, focussing only on the Korean street signs to create the effect of a kind of ready-made visual collage.

Necklace of Knotted Leather Cord with Purple Glass

Necklace of Knotted Leather Cord with Purple Glass
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Today I finished up three necklaces made of knotted leather cord with glass beads. This is the one I like the best.

Flowers for the First of March

Flowers for the First of March
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Here north of Boston, the temperature has been under thirty degrees for days, and we are due for yet another snow tomorrow. But still, it is the first of March, and spring is inevitable. Today at Heather's apartment, I saw these flowers in a vase. The colors looked like spring to me, so I took a picture with my phonecam. Tonight I cropped the photo just the slightest bit to bring the flowers right to the edge of the image.