Raspberries Everywhere

Raspberries Everywhere
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

For exercise this morning, I did yard work. Raspberries like this are growing everywhere. They have been growing like crazy because of all the rain. I know I have to pull some of them up because they would overtake the whole yard, and they do have pretty good thorns on them too. But still I love the color and shape of the leaves, and the beautiful berries, so I am going to leave some of them growing by the back fence. This is a picture that I took last year with my old phonecam. Tonight I cropped the photo, and then adjusted the contrast to try to make the image clearer.

A Street in Porto

A Street in Porto
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Yesterday I posted a colorized version of a street in the Foz in Porto. Here is the same photo as it looked before I added any color. It is fun to add color, but it also can help make the shapes show up more clearly.

A Fantastic Morning in Porto

A Fantastic Morning in Porto
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Here's another little glimpse of Porto. It was a fantastic morning indeed, but the title also refers to the fact that I have colorized the image and taken liberties with the color. This image began as a quick photo that I took early one morning of a little street in the Foz in Porto during my very first visit. Tonight I cropped the photo to get this image. I liked the view of the street with its patterns and shapes, but I decided to enhance the color just a bit. Lots of the buildings in Porto are muted pastel colors, and in the Foz, faded with time. I decided to brighten the color, to get an idea of what this might have looked like when the colors were new. I opened the image in Painter IX and used transparent digital pastel. First, I used slightly brighter colors that were already in the image. Then I pushed the gray towards muted violet, and added just a bit of bright pink on one building. I used just a touch of bright pink on the foliage above the wall, so the suggestion of bougainvillea is part of the fantasy. This image is not true to the colors of the original photo, but it is certainly true to the excitement of finally being in Portugal.

Another Sunset

Another Sunset
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

I was looking for an image of a sunset today and came across a picture that I took last summer as we were driving home from a wedding in Maine. I took the photo from the passenger seat of a moving car. The phonecam I had last summer was lower resolution than my new one, but sometimes it produced interesting effects. The photo is full of technical problems such as glare, blur, and reflections, but when I looked at it again tonight, I decided that I like it anyway. So I cropped the image for the sake of composition, then opened it in PainterIX and toned down one distracting reflection with some opaque chalk. In art (and in life), it pays to see past the problems and focus on the possibilities..

Pink and Blue Flowers

Pink and Blue Flowers
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

In the summer, I like to take walks in the morning. Here's another photo from yesterday's excusion around the neighborhood. I liked the colors and textures, so I used my phonecam to take a picture. Tonight I cropped the image to improve the composition.

Tiger Lilies in the Morning

Tiger Lilies in the Morning
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

I saw these flowers on a recent morning walk, and took a photo with my phonecam. I liked the way the flowers were still just opening up in the morning light. These flowers are blooming now all over the neighborhood. My grandmother used to call these tiger lillies. I am not sure if that is the right name, but they sure do bring back memories of the house where I grew up. Tonight I cropped the image to focus on the flowers, and corrected the color just a bit.

Bowl of Cherries

Bowl of Cherries
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Seeing cherries in a bowl always makes me think of the song ("Life is just a bowl of cherries") and this is a good reminder not to take things too seriously. I love cherries, the way they taste, and the way they look. Here's a recent photograph that I took with my phonecam. Then I cropped this image to square the circle.

Red Sunset

Red Sunset
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Yesterday I went for an with an evening swim with my daughter. As we were leaving the pool, the sun was going down. The sun looked bright red, so I took a picture with my phonecam. Later, I cropped the photograph to focus on the sun just above the horizon.

House in Cascais

House in Cascais
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Here is an image cropped from a photo that I took in Portugal, on a visit in July of 2001. Mauro showed me Cascais, a beach town near Lisbon. When I cropped this photo, I was trying to focus on the patterns and colors in the bright sunshine.

Mel

Mel
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Yesterday Mel showed me his new laptop with a tablet. Naturally I wanted to try it out. "Give me that thing," I said graciously. I used the little Microsoft Paint program to do a very quick (five minute) sketch of Mel, just to see how it the tablet works for making art, and to show Mel that there are no hard feelings, even if he does have a tablet and I don't. Later, he e-mailed the file to me, and I opened it in Painter IX to do a little cleanup, and then cropped the image. When Mel came home tonight, I said I was planning to post this sketch on my blog. "Good, it is already posted on mine."* Wouldn't you know. . .

*AccountabilityBloke.blogspot.com

Boat on the Water in Oban, Scotland

Boat on the Water in Oban, Scotland
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Here north of Boston, it has been cool, overcast, and rainy most of the day, and right now it is threatening to rain again. I grew up in southern Colorado, and this doesn't seem like summer weather to me! But the weather we are having here reminds me of our trip to Scotland two summers ago, when I really learned the meaning of a cold day in July. Tonight I came across this souvenir of our travels through Scotland, and cropped it just a bit to improve the composition.

Crop of Amazing Petunias

Crop of Amazing Petunias
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

A few weeks ago, I used my phonecam to take some pictures at a wonderful garden store in Marblehead. Among the photos was a picture of some pretty terrific petunias. But later when I looked closely at the image, I saw some little problems here and there, effects of the summer heat. Besides, the composition was not balanced. Tonight I came across the image again, and still loved those petunias. So first I tried a little digital editing in Painter IX which was alright, but does NOT appear here, because I decided to crop the image instead. (One of the benefits of my new phonecam is that you can do that without losing clarity.) So this is a crop of amazing petunias, exactly as they came out of the camera.

Pencil Sketch for a Portrait as of June 26

Pencil Sketch for a Portrait as of June 26
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Here is the latest version of the pencil sketch I have been doing. This is to get ready to paint my next portrait, and sometimes making a sketch in pencil helps me get ready. Today I made some minor adjustments in the face, added some highlights, and then worked on the hair and blocked in the clothing.

Just One Planet Earth

Just One Planet Earth
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

I created this painting (and collage) back when I was in college at the University of Colorado. I did a series of paintings inspired by the moon landings. (Mel calls it my Star Trek series.) I wish I had more images of that series. This is acrylic paint used as water media, with the rising planet Earth cut from another piece of paper and pasted onto the surface. I am posting this because today Mel and I went to see "An Inconvenient Truth" which begins and ends with the first photo of the Earth seen from space. I haven't done any paintings in my planetary series in quite a while (but maybe I should!). although this basic composition still turns up in my landscapes as images of sun and mountains. But "An Inconvenient Truth" is a great reminder of what that first photo of Earth meant, and the commitment to the environment that came along with it for a lot of us back then. Like this old painting, that commitment needs to be dusted off and reconsidered (however inconvenient), because after all, there is just one planet Earth.

Impatiens Fiesta

Impatiens Fiesta
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Today Heather and I went to one of our favorite garden stores. I saw this table full of impatiens, and the colors were so bright that it looked like a fiesta. I took a picture with my phonecam, trying to capture the diagonal rows of flowerpots against the diagonal lines of the table. Tonight, I cropped the image to get the best composition I could.

Clematis by the Pool

Clematis by the Pool
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Around here, it finally gets warm enough to swim about the same time the clematis gets ready to bloom. The other day, I noticed this clematis blossom open on this chain link fence, so there was an opportunity to get a picture with the purple clematis against the bright color of the pool in the background. I took a picture with my phonecam. Later I cropped the image to get the composition the way I wanted it, and then opened it in Painter IX to do a little digital cleanup in the background.

Daisies in the Morning

Daisies in the Morning
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

The other day, I saw these yellow daisies outside the gym. The color in the morning sun was amazing, so I took a picture with my phonecam. Tonight, I cropped the image to adjust the composition. As I did, I realized that the color had lost something in the translation, so I adjusted the saturation just a bit to get that yellow to glow in the sunshine.

A Quiet View of the Castelo in Braga, Portugal

A Quiet View of the Castelo in Braga, Portugal
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

During my first trip to Portugal, Mauro showed me a garden and this castle in the center of town in Braga. I took a quick picture even though the sun was about to set. (It was October, but flowers were still in bloom.) I captured the fading light on the castle, but there were some problems with the image, which was disappointing because it is such a nice memory. For one thing, I had taken the picture with someone standing in front of one of the arches. Tonight I decided to see what I could do about it. First I rotated and cropped the image, then I opened it in Painter IX and made a copy of it. I cut and paste to create an empty archway, then used digital pastel to enhance the illusion. Now the image matches my memory of the magic of Portugal and the surprise of finding a castle downtown.

Iris at Dusk

Iris at Dusk
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

I saw these iris on a recent evening walk. I liked the muted colors, so I took a picture with my phonecam. Once I opened the image in my computer, the iris were royal blue, so I had to readjust a bit to reproduce the color I actually saw in the soft, fading evening light.

One Yellow Rose

One Yellow Rose
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Yesterday we went out for a Father's Day breakfast at a popular local diner. Naturally, we had to wait for a table. While we were waiting, I saw this beautiful yellow rose in a planter outside the diner, so I took a picture with my phonecam. Tonight I rotated the image and cropped it. At that point, I noticed two distracting marks, one on the stone, and one among the leaves. So I opened the image in Painter IX and did a little cleanup with digital pastel.

Me and My Dad

Me and My Dad
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

This image began long ago, as a black and white photo of me and my dad, taken by my Uncle Ike. He was a great photographer and also a great dad himself. The photo is one of my all-time favorites, so I decided to colorize it and post it for Father's Day. I scanned the photo and opened the image in Painter IX. I used digital watercolor to tint the photo, trying to keep the colors muted to go with the tones in the original photograph. This was a good project for Father's Day. It was fun to "collaborate" with my uncle across time and space, and also a way to spend some time with my dad, through the blessing of memory and the magic of art. I was lucky to have a father who always knew how to make me feel like a million bucks.

Field of Ferns

Field of Ferns
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

We went to Long Hill Gardens today to walk the dogs. There was a lot to see and I took several photos with my cameraphone. But the biggest surprise was suddenly coming upon this field of ferns. I had never seen so many fern plants together before, and I love the pattern the leaves make. Tonight I cropped the photo to make the pattern easier to see.

Wild Roses on the Fence

Wild Roses on the Fence
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

This is from a recent walk at twilight, the best time to walk dogs in hot weather. I saw these wild roses growing against a chain link fence. I liked the soft colors in the evening light so I took a picture with my phonecam. Tonight I cropped the image to get the best view of the cascades of flowers.

On the Beach in Portugal

On the Beach in Portugal
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

I think it is time for another picture of Portugal. Tonight I cropped this image out of a photograph Mauro took of me, standing on Portuguese sand on my very first day in Portugal ever. (In fact, this was the first stop coming directly from the airport on my very first trip.) When I saw the beach, I was surprised at how much it looks like the beaches in Massachusetts, but then Porto and Boston are at approximately the same latitude. Now when I see the ocean from the beaches here on Boston's North Shore, it is nice to remember that Portugal is just on the other side of the water.

Skyscape (Sunlight and Clouds over Danvers, Massachusetts)

Skyscape (Sunlight and Clouds over Danvers, Massachusetts)
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

The other evening I headed out to Target with my daughter, to make an ordinary purchase at a very ordinary destination. But the company was great and the sky was amazing, so I took a picture with my phonecam. Later, I cropped the image to capture only the sky. Art every day means looking for images everywhere, but sometimes you have to remember to look up!

Purple and Yellow Iris

Purple and Yellow Iris
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Here's another photo from a recent walk. I liked the look of the flower against the pattern of the leaves, so I took a picture with my phonecam. Tonight I cropped the image to get a pleasing composition.

Portuguese Garden with Kale

Portuguese Garden with Kale
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Here is another souvenir of Portugal. I took this picture in a little town call Ermesinda, near Porto, during my visit in July of 2001. It seems odd to take pictures of a vegetable garden, but I wanted to take this picture because I always noticed the beautiful blue-green plants growing in the countryside around Porto. It was kale, of course, called couve, in Portuguese. One of the many wonderful things I have learned from my connections in Brazil and Portugal is how to make feijoida (a black bean dish, typical food for celebrations) and to serve it with kale and with sliced oranges. This morning, I planted some kale in my own garden, and I remembered this photo and decided to post it.

A Fantastic Drive Into Boston

A Fantastic Drive Into Boston
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

I call this a fantastic drive not because it was a beautiful day (although it was) but because this image has been digitally edited. I cropped this image out of a photo I took this morning with my phonecam as we drove towards Boston. Tonight I cropped the image to get the composition I wanted, but the buildings were all reading as gray, gray, gray. So I decided to open the image in Painter IX and add a litle color with digital pastel. Now the image is less realistic, but it does a better job of communicating how exciting it was to see Boston in the bright morning sun.

Ocean Seen From Route 127

Ocean Seen From Route 127
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

This is a view of the Atlantic Ocean seen from Route 127, heading from Beverly up to Beverly Farms. This image began as a photo taken with my cell phone from the passenger seat of a car on a rainy day. To get this ready to post, I rotated and cropped the image. In the original photo, you could see the raindrops on the car window. The effect was interesting, but the raindrops were getting in the way of the view, so I opened the image in Painter IX and got rid of the raindrops with digital pastel.

Anniversary Waltz

Anniversary Waltz
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

The inspiration for this piece of digital art was dance, specifically the new waltz figures we have been learning in ballroom dance class, and the way it feels to make circle after circle on the dance floor. I used Painter's pattern pen tool to make this image, and thought about the turning dance steps across the floor as I moved the cursor in this rectangular space.

Pencil Sketch for a Portrait as of June 8

Pencil Sketch for a Portrait as of June 8
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

This is the latest version of the pencil sketch for the next portrait I am going to paint. I have been looking at the pencil sketch all week, comparing it to the photograph I am using as a source. Today I finally had a chance to work on the pencil sketch, so I made some of the adjustments I have been thinking about all week. Most of the changes have to do with the shape of the face, and the way the hair frames the face.

Seen Through a Window Screen on a Rainy Day (Rhododendrons)

Seen Through a Window Screen on a Rainy Day (Rhododendrons)
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

It rained hard all day and more rain is predicted through Sunday. Everyone is tired of rain, and it seems a shame that it is raining just as the rhododendrons are blooming all over the place. I took this picture anyway, through a window screen. I was trying to capture the rain on the leaves and the window. I decided I liked the effect of the screen. However, the window was dusty, so I opened the image in Painter IX and cleaned it up with a little digital pastel.

Bright Poppies

Bright Poppies
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

I always associate poppies with the field of red flowers in the Wizard of Oz. These are just as magical, but are much closer to home. I saw them on a recent walk here in Beverly. I liked the color of the flowers, as well as the texture and silver-green color of the leaves, so I took a picture with my new phonecam. I am still amazed at how much detail it captures. Tonight I cropped the image to focus on the four bright flowers.

Doorway Print (restored)

Doorway Print (restored)
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Sometimes it is fun to go back and look at the art work I did in college. This is a monoprint I made for a college class; I used cardboard cutouts and corrugated paper to create the image. Although the image seems to be faded, I still like the composition. But I noticed that one of the lines on the left side was missing or faded, and it seemed to throw the composition off balance. So I opened the image in Painter IX and restored just the one line by cutting and pasting. Then I used digital pastel to even out the color of the background. I guess this is a kind of time-travel, a collaboration with a younger version of myself.

Pink and Yellow Petals

Pink and Yellow Petals
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Here is another photo that I took last week at the garden store in Marblehead. I am not sure whether these are mums or zinnias. But I was interested in the patterns made by the pink and yellow petals, so I took a photo with my phonecam. Tonight I cropped the image just a bit for posting.

Rhododendron in the Rain

Rhododendron in the Rain
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Well, we are back to rainy days here in Massachusetts. Today when I was leaving the gym, I noticed this newly planted rhododendron. I liked the way the raindrops looked on the blossoms, so I stopped and took a picture with my phonecam, despite the fact that I was getting wet. Later, I did I little cleanup of the background with Painter IX, and cropped the image for posting.

Branch of Redbud Tree

Branch of Redbud Tree
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

There are so many flowering trees in Massachusetts, but one kind I don't often see around here is the redbud tree. (I remember walking on the campus of the University of Kansas in spring, under a canopy of redbud trees.) So when I saw a redbud tree in bloom on a recent walk here in Beverly, I took a picture with my phonecam. The tree looked nice against the white house and black shutters. Tonight I cropped this image to get a closer look at the tiny buds that cover the branches.

Souvenir Shop in Lisbon

Souvenir Shop in Lisbon
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Time for another picture from Portugal. This is from my trip in July of 2001. Mauro showed me Lisbon, and we explored the Alfama and then the Castelo de Sao Jorge. This souvenir shop is near the castle. I took the photograph because I liked the building, the colors, and the patterns of the merchandise. But I didn't buy anything in the shop. Photos are the best souvenirs.

Colorado Dream House with View

Colorado Dream House with View
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

My friend Herman sells homes in Colorado, and today he sent me two photos, one of a home in the mountains near Colorado Springs, and the other of the view from within the house. I decided to put the two photos together, to show inside and outside at one time. By the way, this house is available, and if you are interested in this dream house in the mountains (or any other home in Colorado), Herman's web site is http://www.hermansusser.com/

Planting Pansies

Planting Pansies
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

With better weather, I am trying to make up for lost time in the garden, too. Yesterday I planted some pansies in window boxes. This pansy's "face" made me smile, so I took a picture with my phonecam. Tonight, I noticed some spilled potting soil creating a distraction in the background, so I opened the image in Painter and cleaned it up with digital pastel.

House at Long Hill with Wisteria

House at Long Hill with Wisteria
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Now that the weather has improved, we are making up for lost time. Here's a picture from a recent outing, the house at Long Hill Gardens. Around here, wisteria is in bloom and I especially like the way it looks against the brick. I took this photo with my phonecam, then cropped the image to get the composition I wanted.

Rhododendrons on Sale

Rhododendrons on Sale
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Here's another image from yesterday's trip to the garden store in Marblehead. I enjoyed seeing all these little rhododendron plants for sale, so I took a picture with my phonecam. Tonight, when I was getting ready to post it, I noticed a sales tag, so I opened the image in Painter IX and removed it with some cutting, pasting, and digital pastel.

Stall at the Garden Center

Stall at the Garden Center
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

We went to the garden store in Marblehead this morning. It was beautiful there and I took a lot of pictures with my phonecam. I love to walk up and down the rows of stalls like this one. Tonight I cropped this picture for the sake of the composition, and then used Painter IX's digital pastel to eliminate two small but pesky signs that were distracting.

Blue Columbines

Blue Columbines
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

I saw these columbines at a garden shop yesterday. They reminded me of Colorado, so I took some pictures with my phonecam. (Then I decided to buy three columbine plants for my garden.) Tonight I cropped the image to focus on the blossom of the columbine.

Pencil Sketch for A Portrait as of May 25

Pencil Sketch for A Portrait as of May 25
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

I will be starting to paint another portrait soon, but sometimes I like to start with a pencil sketch. It is a good way to "learn" the face, and it can be helpful even if (sometimes especially if) the face is familiar. It helps me to draw what I see, not what I think I know or remember. Here is the pencil sketch as it looks tonight.

Looking at the Beach from Pao de Acucar

Looking At the Beach from Pao de Acucar
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Time for another picture from Brazil. This is a view of the wonderful beaches of Rio, seen from the top of Pao de Acucar. This was taken during our long-awaited trip to Brasil in 1994. We had no sooner arrived than we were taken on this amazing adventure to the top of Pao de Acucar by suspended cable car. This is a happy memory of a trip that was worth the wait. Before the trip, I used to say, "I have never been to Brazil, but Brasil has come to me." And I am still very glad that it did.

Dad March 7 1938

Dad March 7 1938
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

One of my cousins recently sent me a box of family photos, and I have been enjoying looking at them. Here is one that caught my eye. This is my dad (years before he became a father). Tonight I loaded the digital version of the photo into Painter IX and cleaned it up with digital scratch remover and in one or two places, some digital pastel. Then I cropped the image to improve the composition.

Garden Walkway with Azaleas

Garden Walkway with Azaleas
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

This is a digitally modified image of a photo I took recently at Long Hill Gardens in Beverly. We sometimes go to Long Hill with the dogs, for the exercise, and the flowers. You feel peaceful there after just five minutes, no matter how hectic or difficult the rest of the day has been. It's not easy to walk dogs and take photographs at the same time, so sometimes the results are not ideal. But I liked the azaleas and blue forget-me-nots , so I took a quick picture with my new phonecam. The resulting photo had potential, but also some problems. The foreground was fine, but some of the color in the background was washed out, making it hard to see the railings. Basic adjustments didn't seem to work. So I opened the image in Painter IX and used digital pastel to restore color where it was needed. Then I did a little digital pruning of an azalea branch that was blocking the view of part of the railing. Now the image looks more peaceful, and matches the way it feels to be in this beautiful garden.

Harvard Windows

Harvard Windows
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Mel and I drove in to Cambridge this morning, and we had great weather for it. I took a picture with my phonecam as I was walking toward the Harvard Bookstore. Tonight I cropped the image to focus on the patterns of the windows and the spring green leaves.

Sun on the Lilacs

Sun on the Lilacs
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

It has been such a rainy week, so it was great to get out this morning. We went to Long Hill Gardens with the dogs. There were lots of lilacs, and I like to get right up close so I can smell their perfume. I like the way the lilacs looked in the bright morning sun, so I took this picture with my phonecam. Tonight I cropped the image just a bit to balance the composition.