Night View of Mill and River with Digital Overlay

Night View of Mill and River with Digital Overlay (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

Yesterday, during a walk around the pond, I was looking at the water as I always do. And then I realized what I need to do with my painting of the Merrimac River at night. I wanted to make the ripples of the water closer together, to create a sense of a flat plane (and quieter water). I couldn't go back to the studio yesterday, so I decided to try my idea out on the computer first, to see if it would work, before I changed the painting. So I opened the photo of my painting in Painter IX and sketched in the changes with digital pastel. What you see here is what the photo looks like with additional waves drawn over it on the computer. I also made a change in the shoreline as well. I decided that I like the changes. The next step: making the changes on the actual painting. To be continued. . .

Mill and River (Oil Bar Painting Day 1)

Mill and River (Oil Bar Painting Day 1) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is the painting I started yesterday at Red Brick, another view of the Merrimac River in Manchester, New Hampshire, part of a series for a show in January. Yesterday I only had a short time to work on this, but I managed to rough in the basic composition, using oil bars directly on the canvas. I am using one of my photographs (also posted here) as a reference. Meanwhile, today I decided that I am not finished after all with the night view of the mill and river (posted yesterday), and that I need to do more with the water in the foreground. But that's another painting, another story, and another post for tomorrow.

Night View of Mill and River (Oil Bar Painting Day 9)

Night View of Mill and River (Oil Bar Painting Day 9) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This morning I went to Red Brick and worked on this painting of the Merrimac River in Manchester, NH. I used my T-square to straighten out some lines, and then added a little more periwinkle blue to the sky and to the reflections of the sky in the water. This is just about finished, although I know that I will see things that I want to fix. But it is high time to get started on the next painting, which is exactly what I did this morning, and I will post it here tomorrow.

Mom in New York Subway Station (Digitally Rescued Photo)

Mom in New York Subway Station (Digitally Rescued Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This image started with a snapshot in my mother's album. She met my father in during World War II. (He was from Brooklyn, but was stationed briefly in Pueblo, where she lived.) They married and had a honeymoon in New York City. This photo was taken during that trip, probably by my father. My mother started her album the day they met, and included pictures of their courtship, wedding, and honeymoon. After my father went overseas, she included pictures he sent her from Europe, and pictures of what she was doing in Colorado. She labeled each photo, in white ink on black paper. Well, if it weren't for her labels, I would have had no idea what this was, because the original snapshop was a small indistinct square of gray, with a diagonal pattern in it. Her label read "Dim of me in NY Subway." Although you couldn't really see her (or anything else) in the snapshot, she put it in the album all the same, so I figured this must have been an important memory. So tonight, I decided to try to rescue the photo. I scanned it into the computer and adjusted the contrast. I could see the letters (OGA AVE), so I guessed this must near Saratoga Avenue in Brooklyn, where my dad grew up. I could also see two figures and more of the subway station. I liked the long diagonals and the patterns of the windows. I opened the image in Painter and tried equalizing it , and suddenly got more contrast, and more clarity, as well as some interesting colors and effects. Then I used digital chalk to clean up a fold in the photo, and cropped the image to get this composition. So there's my mother, in the foreground. I don't know who the second person is, probably a stranger waiting for the subway. Both figures are indistinct, almost transparent, but I like the effect. Although I can't see my mother clearly, I know she is there, just the same. Her birthday was in early November, so rescuing this snapshot is a kind of (very, very belated) birthday gift, and a way of spending a little time with her, even though she has been gone now for over twenty years.

Under the Japanese Maple

Under the Japanese Maple (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

I took this photo today during an afternoon walk at Long Hill. There were such strong winds last night that I didn't expect to see many leaves still on the trees, but I was pleasantly surprised. It has been cold at night, so finally there are some bright red leaves. The leaves of a Japanese maple have a red cast all year, but in autumn, the red can be very intense. I shot this photo with my phonecam pointed up at the sky. But the bright light made the color very dark in the photo, so I had to play with the contrast controls and saturation to bring the photo back to the color I saw this afternoon. Then I cropped the photo to get the square format.

Night View of Mill and River (Oil Bar Painting Day 8)

Night View of Mill and River (Oil Bar Painting Day 8) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This morning I went to Red Brick to work on this painting for an hour or so. This is a view of the Merrimac River in Manchester, New Hampshire, part of a series I am doing for a show in January. Although I did take reference photos up in Manchester, this particular scene is only partly based on them. The rest is from memory of the scene and imagination. Today I worked on improving the relative scale (window size to foliage). I lowered the shoreline by about a quarter of an inch, brought the foliage higher, and then added some taller trees at the sides of the building. I wanted the tallest trees to be about two and a half stories high. Then I made corresponding adjustments to the reflections of the trees in the river. This painting is almost finished. But next time, I want to recheck the lines (especially in the foreground, in the water). I also want to add just a little more periwinkle blue to sky and water, because it is one of the colors that attracted me to the scene in the first place. To be continued. . . .

Purple and Gold Leaves

Purple and Gold Leaves (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

While I was taking a walk today, I saw these beautiful autumn leaves. I liked the shapes of the leaves and the unusual colors, so I took a picture with my phonecam. Tonight I cropped the image to frame the purple and gold leaves in the November sunshine.

Perfect Autumn Leaves (Digitally Modified Photo)

Perfect Autumn Leaves (Digitally Modified Photo) (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

This image began with a photo I took yesterday. During a walk near a wooded area, I saw these beautiful leaves with wonderful fall colors, couldn't be better. I liked the dappled light playing on the multicolored leaves, so I used my phonecam to take a picture. Tonight I transferred the photo into my computer, and then I could see that although the color of leaves was perfect, the leaves had been chewed up a bit. So I opened the image in Painter IX and used a little cut and paste as well as digital pastel to patch up some holes. Then I cropped the image, framing the leaves against the tree trunk. I considered posterizing the image, but decided to leave well enough alone. These leaves are already perfect!

Farm Stand Pumpkins (Digital Woodcut)

Farm Stand Pumpkins (Digital Woodcut) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This image began as a photo that I took last year at a local farmstand with my trusty phonecam. Today I used a little of Painter's magic to transform it into a digital woodcut, adjusting the controls to get the effect I wanted. Then I cropped it to frame the pumpkins, and here it is. I thought this would make a nice image for October 31.

Autumn Leaves and Train Tracks (Posterized Photo)

Autumn Leaves and Train Tracks (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This image began as a photograph that I took recently while I was walking by the commuter rail station. I liked the color of the trees in the afternoon sun and the play of the leaves against the shiny train tracks to Boston. I used my phonecam to take the photo, and later I cropped the image, posterized it in Painter IX, and used just a bit of digital airbrush to add some shadows behind the trees.

Night View of Mill and River (Oil Bar Painting Day 7)

Night View of Mill and River (Oil Bar Painting Day 7) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This morning I went to Red Brick to work on this painting of the Merrimack River in Manchester, New Hampshire. I didn't have a lot of time today, but I wanted to add more purple to the mill building. I decided to applied paint directly with the oil bar (just like a big crayon) and then used a small brush to blend it in, mixing the color right on the canvas. That worked pretty well, and I am happier with the building color now. Working the same way, I added blue and purple shadows to the foliage, and then mirrored those colors in the river. By then, it was time to go. Next time, I plan to adjust the scale (relative size of windows to foliage); I am going to add height to the foliage, maybe paint in a few trees, and I think I may also move the land/water line down just a bit as well. To be continued. . .

Evening Sky

Evening Sky (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

This image began with a photo that I took with my phonecam about ten days ago. It was early evening, and I was in the passenger seat, on the way to the computer store to deal with a hard drive crash on my laptop. I was not in the most optimistic mood, but the western sky was beautiful, so I took a photo with my phonecam. Although the computer issue didn't get resolved that night, taking the photo restored my perspective on things. Tonight I came across the photo again and cropped the image and enlarged it to get the composition I was after. But apart from that, I didn't do anything to it because I didn't need to and couldn't improve on it anyway. Problems, big and small, are part of life. But I have found that when I am looking for art, or beauty, or peace, sometimes it helps to look up.

Yellow Leaves at Long Hill (Posterized Photo)

Yellow Leaves at Long Hill (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This image began as a phonecam photo that I took on a recent walk through Long Hill Gardens. Tonight I cropped the photo to frame the beautiful yellow leaves. Then I opened the image in Painter IX and used a little digital airbrush to add blue to the sky, which was looking washed out in the photo. Then I posterized the image and here it is.

Bright Fall Leaves (Posterized Photo)

Bright Fall Leaves (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This image began as a photo that I took yesterday in Beverly Farms. The weather was great and the foliage was beautiful there, so I took a picture with my phonecam. This is the original composition, but tonight I posterized it in Painter IX.

Night View of Mill and River (Oil Bar Painting Day 6)

Night View of Mill and River (Oil Bar Painting Day 6) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This morning, I went to the studio at Red Brick and worked on this painting of the Merrimac River in Manchester, New Hampshire. Today I concentrated on the mill building. I mixed up a neutral color with purple tones, and got to work straightening out the windows, using the smallest brush I could find. This might sound easy, but it requires a lot of control and concentration. While I was at it, I made the windows smaller, as in an older building, so the building won't look contemporary. I also used some whites and yellows on the windows. When I was nearly finished, I decided to repaint four columns of windows because the spacing was wrong, so I roughed that in. By then, it was already past time to leave, so I turned the painting upside-down, and added some of the same purple color to the building's reflection in the water, scumbling the color on to keep the reflection looking less precise than the building itself. I am still not sure about this color for the building. I may add still more red-purple to it, to restore it to the color I used on Day 5. To be continued. . . .

Hilltop View of Lisbon (Posterized Photo)

Hilltop View of Lisbon (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick

Earlier today I was looking through my photographs of Portugal, taken a few years ago. Mauro showed me the Alfama in Lisbon. This image began as a one of a number of photos taken that day from a hilltop near the Alfama. I loved that view because you could see all the way to the ocean. And you could also see layers of Lisbon's history in the different styles of architecture. Tonight I decided to crop this image from the photo and then I posterized it in Painter IX, changing levels until I got the effect I wanted.

Red Leaves in Afternoon Sun

Red Leaves in Afternoon Sun Originally uploaded by randubnick

Yesterday the temperature was in the high seventies, warm enough for a late afternoon ice-cream run. At the ice cream stand (one of the few local stands that stay open year round), I saw a beautiful shrub with bright red leaves. (Some people call this "burning bush".) I loved the colors, so I took a picture with my phonecam. This is the way the color came out of the camera, and I didn't have to do a thing to it. However, I did crop the photo to get this image, which frames what I most wanted to get: the play of the afternoon sunlight on the bright scarlet, pink, and orange leaves.

Night View of Mill and River (Oil Bar Painting Day 5)

Night View of Mill and River (Oil Bar Painting Day 5) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This morning I went to Red Brick and worked on this painting of the Merrimac River in Manchester, New Hampshire. I reworked the surface of the water in the foreground, using a T-square to straighten out the perspective. I added more purple tones to the water and to the foliage. I am paying more attention to the colors now. When it was almost time to leave, I decided that I want to change the color of the mill to a color that is closer to magenta. I played with that idea for a few minutes, just to see if would be possible. (Yes, but that will have to wait till next time.) To be continued. . .

Golden Leaves at the Pond

Golden Leaves at the Pond (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

This image began as a photo that I took with my phonecam during a walk around the Cummings Center Pond last week. It was early evening and the colors were great, so I took a quick picture with my phonecam. When I tranferred the photo to my computer, I was disappointed in the color. The trees were too dark (almost black) and the leaves were brassy instead of golden. So I made some adjustments to the contrast and to the color, to restore the warm pink and orange tones of the late day light. (They are subtle, but they make a big difference.) Then I cropped the image for the composition, and here it is.

Autumn Leaves in Lexington

Autumn Leaves in Lexington (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

According to the news, autumn leaves in Massachusetts are less colorful than usual this year because of climate change. That's probably true, but you can still see great fall color around here. Last week, I drove out to Lexington, Massachusetts, and the trees were beautiful all the way. I took a walk downtown to see some of the galleries, and just as I was walking back toward the parking lot, I saw this view. I loved the combination of colorful leaves against the brick, so I looked up and took a picture with my phonecam. This is the image as it came out of the camera. When I got home, I tried cropping the image to improve on the rather quirky composition. But I finally decided that I like the photo best just as it is.

Ocean and Fog from Lynch Park Beach

Ocean and Fog from Lynch Park Beach (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

Yesterday it was suddenly warmer, and with higher temperatures came fog that lasted a good part of the day. It was great weather for walking on the beach at Lynch Park. I like fog because it makes you see things differently, so I took a lot of pictures with my phonecam. This is one of the views I liked the best, so tonight I cropped it just a bit to improve the composition, and here it is.

Night View of Mill and River (Oil Bar Painting Day 4)

Night View of Mill and River (Oil Bar Painting Day 4) Originally uploaded by randubnick

I went to my studio at Red Brick this morning and worked on this painting, a night view of the Merrimac River in Manchester, New Hampshire. Today I concentrated on the foreground, the surface of the water. I also worked on the windows of the old mill building. Then I cut the sharp green of the foliage. It still needs to be darker. But by the time I had accomplished that much, I had already stayed longer than I had intended. The whole time, I was struggling with mixing and applying colors with the oil bars. But it was a good struggle, because I was also learning the whole time. To be continued. . . .

Vines on Tree Trunk in Autumn

Vines on Tree Trunk in Autumn Originally uploaded by randubnick

Here is another photo from a recent walk at Long Hill. When I saw these vines against the tree trunk, I liked the pattern and the colors, so I used my phonecam to take a picture. This image is pretty much the way it came out of the camera, with just a tiny adjustment to the contrast.

Roses in Autumn

Roses in Autumn (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

A few days ago, I posted my photo (posterized) of a single rose, still in bloom in mid-October. I thought it would make a good pattern, so I opened the image in Painter IX and created a pattern. Then I used the pattern to make this image of many autumn roses.

Night View of Mill and River (Oil Bar Painting Day 3)

Night View of Mill and River (Oil Bar Painting Day 3) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This morning I went to Red Brick to work on this painting of the Merrimac River in Manchester, New Hampshire. This time I remembered to take a copy of my reference photo along, mainly for the colors at this point. Today I tried to get the sky closer to the periwinkle color that it is in the photo, and changed the reflections in the water from turquoise to a purple tone as well. I added more blue shadows at the shoreline. Then I began changing the color of the mill building to a neutral with some purple tones (as in the photo). In the process of applying the new color, I tried to straighten out some of the windows. By then it was time to leave. This is still very much a work in progress. Next time I hope to work on the foreground (surface of the water). I also want to make the windows a bit smaller.

Late Afternoon at Longhill (Posterized Photo)

Late Afternoon at Long Hill (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This image began with a photo that I took today during a walk at Long Hill Gardens. The late afternoon light was amazing as it came through the golden leaves, so I took some pictures with my phonecam. Tonight I cropped this image out of one of the photos, and posterized it in Painter.

Autumn Rose (Posterized Photo)

Autumn Rose (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick

It is always a nice surprise to see roses in bloom in October. I saw some today while I was walking, and here is one of them. Tonight I cropped this image out of the original photo, then used Painter's digital pastel to restore some color to a few places that were washed out by the bright sunlight. Then I posterized the image, and here it is. I think this might make a good pattern.

Red Leaves and Stone Wall

Red Leaves and Stone Wall (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

While I was taking a walk this morning, I saw brightly colored leaves cascading over a stone wall at the edge of a local cemetary. The combination of stone wall and autumn leaves seemed so typically New England that I took some pictures with my phonecam. Tonight I cropped this image out of one of the photos. The phonecam picture didn't quite capture the brightness of the leaves, so I adjusted the contrast and saturation just a bit, and here is the result.

Night View of Mill and River (Oil Bar Painting Day 2)

Night View of Mill and River (Oil Bar Painting Day 2) Originally uploaded by randubnick

Tonight we had open studios at Red Brick, so I spent a few hours there, and while I was there, worked on this painting of the Merrimac River and mill buildings in Manchester, New Hampshire. I forgot to bring my reference photo to the studio, so I worked from memory again. My goal tonight was just to make the colors more muted. I was really struggling with the oil bars, trying to remember how to get the effects I wanted, and just basically trying to get the oil bars to behave! I have two different brands, and one is much easier to apply than the other. I used the oil bars directly on the canvas, but also used a palette knife, a brush, and even my hands. At the end of my painting session, I added a suggestion of the reflections on the river. To be continued. . . .

Autumn Leaves and Blue Sky (Posterized)

Autumn Leaves and Blue Sky (Posterized) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is another image from yesterday's walk at Bradley Palmer State Park. I saw some red and orange leaves, and took a few pictures with my phonecam. (There aren't too many red leaves yet, but the nights are getting cooler, so there will be more fall colors soon.) Today I cropped this image from one of the photos, and then posterized it in Painter IX, choosing a level that created some impressionistic effects. Red leaves mean the nights are getting colder, but those hot colors are still something to celebrate!

Road in Autumn

Road in Autumn (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

I used my phonecam to take this picture today at Bradley Palmer State Park. It's a great place for dog walking. I loved the golden trees and the dappled light on the road. Tonight I cropped the image to get the format that I wanted, but everything else is just as it came out of the camera.

Night View of Mill and River (Oil Bar Painting Day 1)

Night View of Mill and River (Oil Bar Painting Day 1) Originally uploaded by randubnick

Today I went to Red Brick to start this painting, a night view of the Merrimac River in Manchester, NH. Before I left home, I looked at my photo of this scene, and then worked from memory and imagination. (I had already worked out the composition in a digital sketch on my PDA.) I began painting right away, without drawing first, just sketching with yellow oil bar. I used a T-square for straight lines. I used the oil bars like giant color crayons, just to establish the composition. For the most part, I wasn't mixing colors, which is why these colors are so strong. I will tone the colors down quite a bit as I work, but I wanted to be able to see the composition quickly. I could only work for a short time, so this is as far as I was able to go today. I want to do six to eight paintings in this series by January, and I plan to have two or three of the paintings in progress at the same time. It's more fun, and it helps to make sure that the paintings are visually related (in technique, color, style, etc.). It is also a practical way to deal with the relatively slow drying time of oil paint.

Merrimac River From Bridge (Posterized)

Merrimac River From Bridge (Posterized) Originally uploaded by randubnick

I have been thinking about possible compositions for the paintings I plan to do of the Merrimac River in Manchester, NH. Today I cropped this image from one of the photos I took recently, using a square format. I used Painter's digital airbrush to get rid of some distracting marks, and then posterized the image.

Bright Orange Berries Closeup (Posterized)

Bright Orange Berries Closeup (Posterized) Originally uploaded by randubnick

The original version of this image is a photo that I took recently during a visit to Newburyport, MA. In the park near the waterfront, there are many trees that look just like this. While I was walking through the park, I noticed the clusters of bright orange berries, so I took a couple of quick pictures with my phonecam. I have seen this kind of tree before, but have never seen so many of them in one place! I had to do a search to find the name of this kind of tree: European Mountain Ash. Tonight I cropped one of the photos to get this composition, and then posterized it in Painter IX. It's a nice souvenir of a beautiful October day.

Mill and River (Posterized Photo)

Mill and River (Posterized Photo)

This is one of the photos I took recently in Manchester, New Hampshire. The photos are for reference because I am going to do some paintings of the Merrimac River in Manchester. I was looking at my photos today because I am planning to start painting this week, and am trying out some compositions. I plan to use square canvases, so tonight I cropped this image to get a square format. I also cleaned up some distracting marks with Painter's digital pastel, and then posterized it.

Ribbon Roses Collage, Finished Tray (Oct. 4)

Ribbon Roses Collage, Finished Tray (Oct. 4)

Today I went to Red Brick and finally finished this piece, made from ribbons pasted over a styrofoam tray. I added a few pieces to the bronze border around the edges of the tray, and then used acrylic gel medium to seal any apparent gaps, and then I was done. Then I wanted to get one last photo. In this view, the image is visible (three roses in a vase). Of course the design on the back doesn't show in the photo, but is also posted on this site. This piece can be hung on the wall, or used as a decorative tray. I suppose it could even hold mail or some such. But practicality was never the issue. I just loved the ribbons and wanted to make something beautiful out of them. After I finished today, I put away all the ribbons and glue, for the next time, whenever that is. I am glad I finished this project because I need to start painting for a show in January. But I am also a little sad to be finished. Despite the difficulty and occasional tedium of this project, there was also something special about it, using bits of beautiful ribbon to transform a styrofoam tray into art.

Sketch for Mill and River at Night (As of Oct. 3)

Sketch for Mill and River at Night (As of Oct. 3) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This morning I worked a little bit more on this sketch of the Merrimack River in New Hampshire. I made the sketch on my PDA (handheld computer), but am working in Painter on a PC to revise the image. In Painter I can enlarge the image and can even use a grid to try to straighten out my lines. Today I re-worked the reflection of the mill building in the water, trying to make the river look quieter, as it is in my photo (posted a few days ago). I worked on straightening the lines of the building's reflection in the water, without losing the sense that this is a image reflected in a river. I also added some shadows to the water near the shore line, and darkened the foliage. I wanted to re-work the foreground a bit, but I didn't have time today. Maybe I can do that over the next few days.

Sketch for Mill and River at Night (As of Oct. 1)

Sketch for Mill and River at Night (As of Oct. 1) Originally uploaded by randubnick

I really hadn't planned to keep working on this little digital sketch of the Merrimac River in Manchester, N.H. (I was sketching to prepare to paint.) But after looking at my photo of the same scene (posted yesterday), I did want to make some changes in the little sketch. I had made the sketch quickly from memory, without reviewing the photo before I started. I had used my handheld to make the sketch, but had already transferred the file to my computer, so yesterday I opened the image in Painter IX. I changed the color of the building to a brown that is close to purple. Then using a grid and square digital chalk, I straightened up the windows a bit. I noticed other things to fix. (For example, in the photo, there is less movement in the water and the reflection is more stable.) But it was time to stop. So this is how the sketch looked yesterday when I finished working on it.

Modified Photo of Mill and River at Night

Modified Photo of Mill and River at Night (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

This is the view that I was thinking about when I made the digital sketch (posted yesterday). I didn't look at the photo before I sketched, so I was curious to see how much I had remembered. This photo was the last one that I took when I was in Manchester a few weeks ago. I am going to use the photos as resources for some paintings I am going to do. It was late and I had finished taking pictures, but saw the mill buildings reflected in the river. So I took this photo through the window blinds. I also caught a lot of reflections of the interior of the building as well. I generally like the play of refections, window blinds, and even screens in photos like this. But there was one troublesome relection that was in the wrong place, so I opened the photo in Painter IX and got rid of it with some cut and paste and digital pastel. Then I adjusted the contrast just a bit, and cropped the image in a square format.

Sketch for Mill and River at Night

Sketch for Mill and River at Night (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

This is a digital sketch that I made this morning using the Pocket Painter program on my handheld computer (PDA). I am about to start a series of paintings of the mill and river in Manchester, New Hampshire, and this is one of my ideas for a painting. This is a night view of the mill and river, with the lighted windows reflected in the water. I have been thinking about this idea, which is roughly based on a view that I saw through a window on a recent trip to Manchester. I did take a photo of that view a few weeks ago, but didn't look at the photo today before I made the sketch. Instead, I worked from memory and imagination. (Tonight I found the photo to see how close I came; I will post it tomorrow.) Even though this sketch is rough and unfinished, it helped to work on it. Now I have a better idea of what I want the painting to look like because this is going to be the basic composition. Although I will make some changes, this is the basic color scheme. I am going to use oil bars for the painting, so of course it will look very different from this digital image. I don't really need to go further with this digital sketch, but I like it for its own sake, so I may return to it and finish it later on.

View of Ocean from Lynch Park

View of Ocean from Lynch Park Originally uploaded by randubnick

For the past week, we have had summer weather here, and it has been warm enough for walks on the beach. Here is a recent photo of the ocean on a very sunny day.

Ribbon Roses Collage, Back and Sides (Sept. 27)

Ribbon Roses Collage, Back and Sides (Sept. 27) Originally uploaded by randubnick

Here is a closer look at the collaged tray that I have been working on, using printed ribbons pasted over styrofoam. Yesterday I took this photo that shows the back and sides of the tray. I need to do some cleanup work, but this is basically the way I want the sides of the tray to look.

Ribbon Roses Collage, Back (Sept. 27)

Ribbon Roses Collage, Back (Sept. 27) Originally uploaded by randubnick

I have been trying to finish this collage design, which is on the back of a tray. This is made of printed ribbon pasted over styrofoam, with a second collage on the front of the tray showing three roses in a vase. Today I went to Red Brick and finally completed the back, bringing the border all the way around the sides. Although there is some cleanup to do, all the surfaces are covered and the design is basically there. So this is the last time I will post this view of the tray (I can hear the cheers and the sighs of relief), but not so fast; tomorrow I am going to post a closeup of the border. I don't know if I would have started this project if I had known how long it would take or how hard it would be. But still, I am glad I did because I have never made anything quite like this before in terms of style and technique. Apart from the glue (acrylic medium), this is made entirely from discarded materials (styrofoam tray from the produce section of the grocery store and ribbons that a friend was giving away).

Pink Mums (Posterized Photo)

Pink Mums (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick

Today, while I was out running errands, I noticed a display of mums in front of the grocery store. I especially liked the pink mums, so I took some pictures with my phonecam. The original version of this photo had the best composition, but the focus wasn't sharp enough. So I decided to open it in Painter IX. I tried sharpening the focus, but I didn't like the result. Instead, I posterized it, adjusting the levels till I had what I wanted. At the last minute, I noticed that part of a supermarket label, complete with bar code, was visible through the leaves. I could have just cropped it out of the image, but I really liked the composition as it was (just as it came out of the camera). So instead, I used some digital pastel to make the label disappear, and here is the result.

Ribbon Roses Collage, Detail of Back (Sept. 24)

Ribbon Roses Collage, Detail of Back (Sept. 24) Originally uploaded by randubnick

Yesterday I posted a photo of the collaged design that I am making on the back of a styrofoam tray. I also took a closeup view of the tray on its side. In this view, you can see the bronze pattern around the edges. I am using patterns to create the edges between the bronze pattern and the red and pink areas. I am not finished, but this view shows what I am trying to do.

Ribbon Roses Collage, Back (Sept. 24)

Ribbon Roses Collage, Back (Sept. 24) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This morning I returned to Red Brick to try to finish this collage on the back of a styrofoam tray. (On the other side of the tray there is another collage of three roses in a vase). As you can see, I didn't quite succeed in finishing, although I did bring the design to the edges. Now I am working on the border around the side, but I am almost done. To be continued. . . .

New Hampshire Lake at Dusk

New Hampshire Lake at Dusk (Originally uploaded by randubnick)

On the drive home from New Hampshire last week, I was taking pictures with my phonecam from a moving car (from the passenger's seat, of course). The trip to and from Durham is beautiful, because you pass by and over several large lakes, and the light was amazing at dusk. Even viewing the original photo on my cell phone screen, I could see its potential right away, even though problems were apparent immediately as well. The trees were too dark and it was hard to distinguish the trees from the dark reflections in the water. But I liked the color and the patterns of light and dark in the water. So tonight I adjusted the light and dark areas, and then adjusted the saturation to restore the color. Then I cropped the image to get the composition that you see in the image posted here.

Ribbon Roses Collage, Back (Sept. 21)

Ribbon Roses Collage, Back (Sept. 21) Originally uploaded by randubnick

On Friday morning, I went to Red Brick and worked on this design, which I am trying to finish up. It is a collage made of printed ribbons, on the back of a styrofoam tray (yes, from the produce section of the grocery store). The collage on the other side of the tray is already finished: a collage still life of three roses in a vase. Progress has been slow, but on Friday morning, I actually brought the red and pink designs to the edge of the tray in some places. I also started pasting in the pieces that will create the border between the bronze colored "frame" and the red and pink areas design on the back. Those transitional pieces will be geometric designs from the red paisley pattern for the red area, and leaves cut from the crewel design for the pink area. So far I have only pasted those pieces down in a few places, so it is very hard to see in this photo. But I hope to post a closeup view in a few days. To be continued. . . .

September Morning with White Flowers (Posterized Photo)

September Morning with White Flowers (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick

Yesterday I took some photos of the white blossoms on the vines covering the chain-link fence. These blooms last into September, and although they are hard to photograph, I thought they would show up well against the dark green foliage of the trees. I was concentrating on the flowers while I was taking the photographs, but I did notice the morning sun in the background. Later, as I began to work with the image, I became more interested in the sunrise and the sunlight through the trees. In the original photo, there were already some pink highlights in the sky and through the leaves. But the light in the sky was reading as white in the photo, making it hard to tell the flowers from the sky. So I opened the image in Painter IX and used some gentle pink and yellow color overlays in selected areas. I also cropped and posterized the photo to get the image that you see here.

View Through the Window Blinds

View Through the Window Blinds Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is another view of the afternoon light in September. Yesterday I was admiring the light playing against the window blinds, so I decided to take a picture with my phonecam. The original photo included the entire sliding glass door. Tonight I cropped out a portion of the door to focus on the pattern of light and shadow juxtaposed with the pattern of the window blinds. Creating such a close-in crop created the soft focus. I had planned to posterize the image, but decided I didn't need to do that. But I did want to tone down the highlights, which were bright white in the original, so I opened the image in Painter IX and applied a very soft and transparent pale blue color overlay.