Evening at Dane Street Beach (Posterized)

Evening at Dane Street Beach (Posterized)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Here north of Boston, it has been very hot for the last few days. An evening walk on the beach is a good way to cool off. This image began with a photograph that I took during a recent walk on Dane Street Beach (in Beverly, MA). The colors of the sky and water were amazing. Tonight I cropped the image to get this composition, cutting out a bright blue towel left on the beach, and also used Painter's digital pastel to eliminate a pile of sand that a child had built right along the edge of the water. Then I used the magic wand tool so I could posterize most of the photograph except the sky. I like this image because it shows that the sea really does shine. (It's not just a song lyric.)

Happy Birthday Rose

Happy Birthday Rose
Originally uploaded by randubnick

While I was running errands today, I passed some beautiful rose bushes in front of a local restaurant. The roses were big, beautiful, and growing at eye level so I took some pictures. Then I went home and cropped this image out of the best photo, and cleaned it up a little with iPhoto software. This beautiful flower looks like it belongs on a birthday cake, a happy birthday rose.

View of Zakim Bridge from the Train

View of Zakim Bridge from the Train
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Here is one more photograph from last Friday's trip into Boston. I try to photograph this bridge whenever I get a chance (which usually means whenever I have the opportunity to be in the passenger's seat on a trip to Boston, and taking pictures of a bridge from a moving car is not easy!) But Friday, I took the commuter rail into Boston, and the train's path is just below the bridge. The train moves at a nice slow pace as it approaches North Station. This gave me the opportunity to take pictures of the bridge from a different vantage point. The reflection of the train's windows created a diagonal across the top of the photo, geometric and yet somehow magical, like the Zakim Bridge itself.

Birches in the Courtyard (Posterized Photo)

Birches in the Courtyard (Posterized Photo)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

I used my Painter program to create this posterized version of yesterday's post, a photo of birch trees in the courtyard of Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. On Friday I took the train to Boston to see the exhibit of paintings by Veronese, Titian, and Tintoretto. Afterward, I had a quick picnic for one in the courtyard. Although I had been looking at paintings from the Renaissance, this scene reminded me of an impressionist painting, so I took a picture. I thought posterizing the image might enhance the effect.

Birches in the Courtyard

Birches in the Courtyard
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is another photograph that I took during yesterday's trip into Boston. I went to the Museum of Fine Arts to see the exhibit of paintings by Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese. After I saw the exhibit, I picked up something to eat in the cafeteria, and ate outside in the courtyard under some birch trees. The light was wonderful, so I took a few photos. The trees in the background are willow, I think. Tonight I also created a posterized version which I plan to post tomorrow.

MFA Banner (Posterized)

MFA Banner (Posterized)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Today's adventure was a trip into Boston to see a show at the Museum of Fine Arts: paintings of Veronese, Titian, and Tintoretto. I took advantage of the offer of an extra ticket, and took the train into Boston to see this show, and just in time, too, because it is about to close. I really enjoyed the exhibit! You can't take photos in the museum, but as I was leaving, I turned back and took a picture of the front of the building, including the banner that shows part of one of the paintings. Tonight I cropped the original photo to get this composition (also cropping the banner to get a family-friendly image). Once I had the composition I wanted, I noticed that the tree looked dry and bedraggled, so I opened the image in Painter and used some digital chalk, color overlay, and the magic wand tool to add some green. Then I posterized the image, and added a very pale green overlay to entire surface. This is my favorite image of the day because it manages to include the art exhibit, the beauty of the museum, and the excitement of being in Boston.

Pink Roses Yellow Wall (Posterized Photo)

Pink Roses Yellow Wall (Posterized Photo)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Tonight I noticed a bouquet with pink roses in my daughter's new kitchen. I took some quick photos in low light. When I got back home, I transferred the photos to my computer, and cropped this image out of the photo I liked best. I used iPhoto to adjust the exposure, and then I opened the image in Painter and posterized it. This emphasized some shapes in the background, and I think that improved the composition.

Sunflowers (Posterized)

Sunflowers (Posterized)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

On a recent trip to a local Trader Joe's grocery store, I saw a display of sunflowers. They were in big bunches and at eye level, perfect for taking pictures, so I did. Today I cropped this image out of the best photograph, then used Painter to posterize it.

Sailboat Near Lynch Park

Sailboat Near Lynch Park
Originally uploaded by randubnick

I took this photograph yesterday during an after dinner walk here in Beverly, MA. The vantage point is from a walkway that leads from the end of Woodbury Street to a beach at the far end of Lynch Park. It's nice and cool there, and the view is great. The trees and lawn on the left are Lynch Park (which is surrounded by water on three sides) and you can see across the water all the way to Salem Willows and Marblehead, in the background. The colors were beautiful last night, and I was crazy about the sailboat, so I took some photos. I liked this one the best, so tonight I edited it in iPhoto. I straightened it out and cropped it. Then I adjusted the exposure of the shadows, and added just a touch more saturation to bring the image closer to the colors that I had actually seen.

Thirty-Five Minute Still Life

Thirty-Five Minute Still Life
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a digital still life that I have been working on five minutes at a time, using Painter's digital pastel and working from my imagination. I started this sketch last Monday during a very hectic day, and have been working on it all week, one five-minute session every night. Tonight I used the five minutes to clean up the background. I also added a petal to the flower on the right because I wanted to make the drawing a bit more symmetrical. Nothing is ever perfect, but at this point, I am happy with the little drawing, and am willing to say that I think it might be finished.

Thirty Minute Still Life

Thirty Minute Still Life
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a digital sketch that I started last Monday. Because it was such a hectic day, I had the idea of doing a five-minute sketch (like the timed warm-up sketches in a drawing class). I liked the exercise, so I kept at it all week, with a five-minute session each day on this sketch. I am using my Painter software's digital pastel and working from my imagination. Tonight I changed the color of the leaves to make them show up against the blue, and added some buds to hold up the blossoms. I cleaned up the background a little, and made the vase a bit more symmetrical. The five minutes was up, but I decided to check for symmetry with a grid. It was off, so I decided to crop the image to get the vase closer to the center. When I did that, I noticed that the blossoms were closer to one edge than the other. So I added just a bit more to the blossom on the right. At that point, I had actually worked on this sketch for seven minutes rather than five. Well, I was about to declare that I think it is done, but I can already see a few things I would like to fix. But we're almost there. Maybe just another five minutes. . . .

Twenty-Five Minute Still Life

Twenty-Five Minute Still Life
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a digital drawing that I have been working on five minutes at a time. I started a little sketch on the computer last Monday, a extremely hectic day, because I wanted to fit in some art, even if I only had five minutes. I kept working on the sketch all week, not only because life has remained busy all week, but also because it was fun to see how much I could do in five minutes! I am using Painter's digital pastel and working from my imagination. Tonight I worked on the blue background, added definition to the leaves, and filled in the flowers with more pink. I may have gone over the five minutes just a bit. This is almost done, but I think I need another five minutes to clean it up.

Heart Shaped Box as of August 6, 2009

Heart Shaped Box as of August 6, 2009
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Yesterday we had a little break in the hot weather. I went to the studio to work on this project, a heart-shaped box that I am covering with collage and decoupage cut from printed metallic ribbon. It was still very warm in the studio, so for the first half hour I concentrated on the inside of the box top because I am using larger pieces of ribbon right now. (That matters because the warmer it is, the stickier everything gets, and the smaller the pieces are, the harder they are to handle.) I spent the last half hour filling in tiny gaps around the perimeter of the box (gold area) with little tiny bits of ribbon, and adding some pieces to the red area on the inside of the box. After about an hour, everything was sticking to everything else, my hands were all over glue, and I felt like I was in a sauna. But I was happy.

Twenty Minute Still Life

Twenty Minute Still Life
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a digital sketch in progress; I have been working on it since Monday, five minutes per day. (Well, tonight I might have gone to six or even seven minutes; I got carried away.) I am using digital pastel in Painter. I started this project because Monday was so hectic (my daughter's moving day) and I wanted to fit in some art, even just for a few minutes. But I kept going because it was fun to see what I could do in five minutes. Tonight I worked on the background, and corrected the shape of the vase.

Fifteen Minute Still Life

Fifteen Minute Still Life
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a sketch done on the computer with Painter's digital pastel.  I started it on Monday, a very hectic day because I was helping my daughter move into her new place.  But I took just a few minutes and did a five-minute sketch, a familiar exercise from drawing classes.  Last night I worked on this sketch for five more minutes and posted the result (Ten Minute Still Life).  Tonight I worked on it again for another five minutes, so it is now a Fifteen Minute Still Life.  I added some reflections to the vase and filled in part of the background.  I plan to do another five minutes tomorrow.

Ten Minute Still Life

Ten Minute Still Life
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Yesterday was very hectic, but I was determined to find a little time to make art, so I did a little five-minute drawing exercise.  I used Painter's digital pastel to make a quick sketch of flowers in a vase.  I liked the result, and had fun with the exercise, so tonight I decided to see what would happen if I spent just five more minutes on the drawing.  (I checked the clock.)  This is the result.

Five Minute Still Life

Five Minute Still Life
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This was moving day for my daughter, and I had a very hectic day.  I got home very late, without much energy or time to make art.  But I decided to do a drawing in five minutes or less;  most drawing classes start with warm-up exercises of quick sketches, some as short as thirty seconds.  It's always good practice. So that's what I decided to do.  I did this little digital sketch in Painter, using digital pastel.  It's just a simple little still life, but it feels like a little triumph to me.  Although I only managed five minutes of art today, it's the commitment behind this simple little drawing that is important.

Front Range Mosaic

Front Range Mosaic
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is another little digital mosaic that I made with my Painter program tonight. Because I am trying to learn the technique and mechanics of making digital mosaics, I am concentrating on familiar subject matter. I grew up in Colorado, and the Rocky Mountains are always in my mind's eye (and in my heart)!  Tonight I thought I would try to capture the landscape I grew up with (in Pueblo, Colorado): the view of blue mountains in the distance, the dry dusty pink earth, and the sparse sage green vegetation.  

Red Day Lilies (Posterized)

Red Day Lilies (Posterized)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This image began as a photo that I took during a recent walk at the Cummings Center Pond here in Beverly. I saw some beautiful red day lilies in sun and shade, so I took  a picture. Tonight I cropped this image out of the original photograph, and then used my Painter program to posterize it.

Mountain Morning Mosaic

Mountain Morning Mosaic
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Tonight I decided to do another digital mosaic in Painter. I don't often make digital mosaics in Painter, but I like the way they look and would like to get better at it. In art, the only way to do that is to keep going. So this is a similar composition, but a bit more complicated, and I used smaller tiles. I used mountains as the subject matter, working from imagination and drawing on memories of the Colorado mountains. When I began to add pink to the sky and mountains, I was thinking of waking up in Boulder or in Colorado Springs and watching the mountains turn pink as the sun comes up.... 

Mountain Mosaic

Mountain Mosaic
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Tonight I used my Painter program to create this digital mosaic.  I haven't done very many digital mosaics; I think this is my third attempt, and it has been a while. The controls are quite different from the other digital media in Painter.  So I started this tonight as an exercise, to try to learn how to do this.  I wanted to concentrate on technique, so I used familiar subject matter (mountains, inspired by my memories of my home state of Colorado).  It was fun, and even though there are a lot of rough edges, this little image makes me smile.

Yellow Lilies and White Fence (Posterized Photo)

Yellow Lilies and White Fence (Posterized Photo)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This image began with a photo that I took at the end of a recent walk along the beach at low tide.  The walk ended at the south edge of Independence Park, here in Beverly, MA.  On the other side of the long driveway that borders the park is a long white fence, and yellow lilies were blooming all along the driveway (which leads from the beach to the street, and is about a block long).  I liked the contrast of lilies and white fence so I took some pictures.  This image is cropped from one of them.  I used Painter to clean up some dried leaves, and then posterized the image.  When I posterized the entire image, I lost the white of the fence.  It became turquoise and purple, which was interesting, but in this case I wanted the original color.  So I selected large areas to posterize in the lower part of the photo, and used the magic wand tool to select very specific areas to posterize in the top part of the photo, and that made it possible to posterize some of the flowers without posterizing the fence.

Looking Back at the Beach

Looking Back at the Beach
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Here is a photograph from my recent adventure, an evening walk on the beach at low tide.  We walked along the beach all the way to the far end of Independence Park.  When we got there, I turned around and looked back at the beach where we had walked, and took this picture.  You can see all the way to Lynch Park.  When I looked at the photo on the computer screen, I noticed two figures in the foreground.  In this case, the figures were a distraction. (Besides, I don't like to use images of people without their permission if the image is large enough to be recognizable.)   I tried cropping, but I didn't like what it did to the composition. So I opened the image in Painter and did a little digital slight of hand to make them disappear.

Beachscape 3 at Low Tide

Beachscape 3 at Low Tide
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Here is another photograph that I took during a recent walk on the beach at low tide, here in Beverly, MA.  I was wearing very flimsy shoes during this unplanned adventure, so I had to keep my eyes on the ground.  But I got interested in the changing scene that I saw as I looked down, so I took some photos.  I think of them as "beachscapes".  As we walked south, the beach became sandy, but I still had to watch my step because of all the mussel shells, some of them broken and sharp!  I love the color and shape of mussel shells, so I took some pictures.  I cropped this image out of one of the photos, trying to get a good composition.

Beachscape 2 at Low Tide

Beachscape 2 at Low Tide
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Here is another photograph that I took during my recent walk on the beach at low tide. Because I was wearing very flimsy shoes during this unexpected adventure, I had to literally watch my step. But as I did, I became interested in the changing view beneath my feet, and so I took some photos ("beachscapes") of what I was seeing when I looked down. These rocks that are usually underwater, but that day they were only partially submerged.  They are covered with tiny moss-like plants and snails.  I certainly didn't want to step on the snails! I cropped this image out of the original photograph to get this composition. 

Beachscape 1 at Low Tide

Beachscape 1 at Low Tide
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a photograph that I took a few days ago during a walk on the beach at low tide.  This was an unexpected adventure; the original plan was to walk on Lothrop Street here in Beverly, MA, and to see the lovely homes on this residential street near the ocean.  So I was dressed for a walk on sidewalk, not for exploring a rocky beach at low tide. I was wearing my Croc sandals, which are only slightly more substantial than flipflops.  These are great for sand, but not so good on stones. So I really had to watch where I was stepping to keep my balance in my very silly shoes.  But looking down has its benefits. Because I was looking down, I was paying attention to what I was seeing on the ground. I noticed that the stones were quite beautiful and took some photos. Tonight I cropped this image out of one of the photos of stones, trying for a close-in view and a pleasing composition.  I call it a "beachscape";  as the walk continued, the view looking down shifted, so I kept taking pictures.  To be continued. . .

Heart Shaped Box as of July 24, 2009

Heart Shaped Box as of July 24, 2009
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a project that I am making out of a heart-shaped box that once held a Mother's Day present from my daughter.  Now I am covering it with collage and decoupage created from printed metallic ribbons that were given to me by a friend. This morning I went to the studio to work on this project for a while.  I forced myself to begin with the most tedious task, finding small bits of gold ribbon to fill in gaps around the side.  I also added some red pieces to the interior. Finally I worked on the inside of the lid, which I am covering in a crewel pattern that is predominantly pink, with some fuscia, purple, and orange.  I think it is going to look good against the other parts of the box.

View of Lynch Park at Low Tide

View of Lynch Park at Low Tide
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Yesterday I had an adventure, an after dinner walk on the beach at low tide.  The photograph I posted yesterday was taken looking down at the scene from a little neighborhood park above the beach, off of Lothrop Street here in Beverly, MA. We walked down to the base of the little park, and then walked down the stone stairway to the beach, which is where I took the photograph I am posting here tonight.  I had never been on this part of the beach before.  It is about mid-way between Dane Street Beach and Independence Park; the beach itself is public, but can only be glimpsed from the street, obscured by the private homes along the ocean's edge. I was very excited to see all of this. I took this photograph looking toward Lynch Park, across the water. A close look will reveal people walking, some with their dogs, on sand bars far out from shore. 

Ocean Walk at Low Tide

Ocean Walk at Low Tide
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Tonight, an after dinner walk turned into an adventure.  The plan was to walk up and down Lothrop Street which is along the coast here in Beverly, MA, and is lined with beautiful big houses with ocean-side backyards. While I was parking the car in a little pocket park off of Lothrop Street, I could already see that the tide was extremely low.  People and their dogs were walking way out on the sand bars exposed by the low tide.  So we changed our plan and instead of walking along Lothrop Street as we had planned, we walked towards the ocean, following the stairs to the base of this little seaside park and then down another stone staircase to a very rocky beach.  This is one of the first pictures I took, and if you look carefully, you can see the people and their dogs enjoying low tide, walking on sand bars very far out from shore. 

Day Lilies (Posterized)

Day Lilies (Posterized)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Yesterday I posted my photo of day lilies; this is a posterized version (made with Painter). The image seems to have a 1940's or 1950's feel, partly because of the effects of the posterizing.  But that may just be nostalgia because I remember day lilies in the garden, growing up in Colorado. The day lily is right for celebrations in July, beautiful even when it is too hot for most other flowers to bloom.

Day Lilies (Edited)

Day Lilies (Edited)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This image began with a photograph that I took during a recent walk at the Cummings Center Pond here in Beverly.  I took a picture of large group of day lilies that bloom in July.  Tonight I cropped this image out of the original photo.  I liked the resulting composition, but there was one stem that was throwing things off.  So I opened the image in Painter and used cut and paste and a bit of digital pastel to fix the problem.  

Heart Shaped Box as of July 19, 2009

Heart Shaped Box as of July 19, 2009
Originally uploaded by randubnick

We have finally had some hot weather. Although I expected it to be hellishly hot in the studio, I went over to Red Brick this morning to work on this project.  (The heart-shaped box once held a Mother's Day gift from my daughter.  Now I am covering it with collage and decoupage created from printed metallic ribbons.)  The studio felt like a sauna, but I opened a window and got to work. I began by working on the interior of the box top, which I just started recently, so it is more fun to work on for me. Besides, at this point I am using larger pieces of ribbon for that area, easier to handle in the heat.  I worked for about a half hour and made some progress. Then I switched to the gold area around the side, filling in tiny gaps. I was right; the smaller pieces were harder to handle in the heat.  Everything was very sticky!  But I did what I could and also pasted some red pieces into the interior.  After about an hour, I was definitely overheating, so decided to pack it in.  I always take a photo just before I leave, and today as I set it up, the sunlight playing on the heart-shaped box reminded me why I am doing this project. 

Ivy (Posterized)

Ivy (Posterized)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

I used my Painter program to create this posterized version of the image I posted yesterday, a photograph of an ivy-covered wall that I noticed up in Beverly Farms.  In this case, I think the posterizing emphasizes the effects of the soft sunlight on the leaves.

Ivy

Ivy
Originally uploaded by randubnick

I was up in Beverly Farms today, and saw some beautiful ivy covering a wall. The light was wonderful, so I took some pictures. I like this one best.

Many Hot Pink Roses

Many Hot Pink Roses
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a digital pattern created from a posterized photograph, the image of a hot pink rose that I posted here yesterday.  I used my Painter program to capture the image of the rose as a pattern, and I offset the pattern to get an effect that suggests lattice-work.  

Hot Pink Rose (Posterized)

Hot Pink Rose (Posterized)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Tonight I used my Painter program to posterize the image that I posted here yesterday, a photograph of a bright pink rose.  I also used some color overlay with the magic wand tool to try to darken the mulch just a bit.  Now I am wondering how this would look as a pattern. . . .

Hot Pink Rose

Hot Pink Rose
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is another photo from a recent walk at the Cummings Center Pond.  I saw a scraggly little rose bush surrounded by mulch, but the roses were beautiful.  Tonight I cropped the image to focus more attention on the rose itself.  I think it might look good posterized.  Perhaps tomorrow. . . . Life has been pretty hectic, but I am glad I took some time today to "smell the roses," even if the roses were digital.

Cat Tails

Cat Tails
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a photograph that I took a few days ago during a walk at the Cummings Center Pond here in Beverly, MA.  I liked the way the cat tails looked against the water, so I took a picture. Tonight I cropped the image to get this composition.

Heart Shaped Box as of July 12, 2009

Heart Shaped Box as of July 12, 2009
Originally uploaded by randubnick

I had to drop some things off at the studio this morning, so I decided to stay and spend an hour working on this project, a heart-shaped box that I am covering with decoupage and collage designs. I was very motivated to work on the inside of the box top, an area that I just started working on last time, so that's where I began. The work is going fast on that part because the pieces are larger, but also because at the beginning, it is much easier to fit pieces together. Then I continued filling in some gaps in the gold area around the perimeter of the box, and also fit a few pieces into the red interior of the box.  Even though (especially because) the rest of the day was hectic, I am glad I managed to fit in a little time to make art.

More Pink Roses (Digital Woodcut)

More Pink Roses (Digital Woodcut)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Tonight I used my Painter program to create this digital woodcut from the posterized photo that I published here yesterday.  I really struggled with this one, trying to get the right amount of black edge.  I am still not completely happy with this, and am thinking about adding some color overlay.  Meanwhile, I am posting it because this is the image that I made today. 

More Pink Roses (Posterized)

More Pink Roses (Posterized)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Here are more pink roses from Long Hill Gardens in Beverly.  This image began with a photograph that I took on July 6th, around 5 PM.  When I transferred the photo into the computer, I could see that the insects had been chewing on the leaves, but I really liked these roses, so I decided to see what I could do.  I opened the image in Painter and used digital pastel to patch the holes in the leaves.  While I was at it, I turned back the clock for two brown, withered rose petals. Then I posterized the image and cropped it to get this composition.

Heart Shaped Box as of July 9, 2009

Heart Shaped Box as of July 9, 2009
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This morning I spent a little time working on this project, a heart-shaped box that I am covering with collage and decoupage designs made with printed metallic ribbons.  I have been trying to finish the outside area (predominantly gold), and am down to just filling in small gaps. Although it is great to be so close to finishing the gold area, filling in the little gaps is painstaking work. So to make this more fun, I decided that I would start a new area, the inside of the box top.  I came across a piece of ribbon in the pattern I want, and pasted down some pieces around the perimeter.  Just a few pieces of ribbon, but it did the trick in terms of adding fun and energy to the whole project, even the more tedious parts.

Late Afternoon Roses (Digital Woodcut)

Late Afternoon Roses (Digital Woodcut)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a digital woodcut created from the image that I posted yesterday, a photo (digitally edited and posterized) of roses in the late afternoon light.  Tonight I opened the image in Painter and began to fiddle with the "digital woodcut" controls.  It was a bit of a challenge and took several attempts to get what I wanted.  I was trying to get the right level of edge and heaviness (to control the amount of definition and black outline), but it seemed that when I got that right, I wasn't getting enough color, resulting in gray or beige flowers.  After a number of tries, I decided to go with the amount of black outline that I wanted, and just add some color overlay to the roses.  Here is the result, less naturalistic and less sunny than yesterday's image. This version is a bit more mysterious, suggesting roses at twilight rather than late afternoon.  Same subject matter, different mood.

Late Afternoon Roses (Posterized)

Late Afternoon Roses (Posterized)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This image began with a photograph that I took yesterday during a walk at Long Hill Gardens, here in Beverly, MA. It was shortly after 5 PM and I loved the look of these roses, back-lit with the late afternoon sun, so I took a picture or two.  Tonight I cropped the best photo to get this composition, and that's when I noticed that some of the leaves had been eaten by enthusiastic insects.  So I opened the image in Painter and used digital pastel to fill in the holes, which in some cases meant actually drawing in part of the leaf.  As I worked, I also noticed some places where stems just stopped short because a blossom had been cut.  So I used more digital pastel to make the cut stems disappear.  Then I posterized the image, and here it is.  

Day Lilies Against Rock Wall

Day Lilies Against Rock Wall
Originally uploaded by randubnick

I noticed the day lilies blooming in front of this rocky backdrop, so I took a picture. I liked the romantic disarray of the flowers and leaves, lichen and moss.  Tonight I cropped the original photograph to get this composition.

Stage Fort Park at Gloucester, MA

Stage Fort Park at Gloucester, MA
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Today we drove up to Gloucester, MA, and took a walk in Stage Fort Park.  I took some photos as we walked along the water.  This was one of the best photos.  Tonight I edited this photo, just the usual straightening and cropping.  I also lightened the darkest shadows a bit.  But apart from those minor adjustments, this is how the photo looked right out of the camera. I am pointing that out because parts of the image look posterized, especially the water in the foreground.

View of Swampscott from Lynn (Posterized Photo)

View of Swampscott from Lynn (Posterized Photo)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Today's destination for an early celebration of July 4th (and of the fact that the sun was finally shining) was a walk along the ocean at Lynn, MA.  I took this photo from the walkway along the beach.  The town in the photo is Swampscott, which borders Lynn.  We walked up there today to a great little sandwich and ice-cream place (called Lime Rickey's). It has outdoor tables, great if one of your lunch companions is a dog.  We had sandwiches and drank egg creams. Tonight, I edited my photos from the adventures of the day, and chose this one as the best.  I opened the image in Painter and used digital pastel to clean up some distracting marks on the railing, and then I posterized the picture.  

Heart Shaped Box as of July 3, 2009

Heart Shaped Box as of July 3, 2009
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This morning I went to the studio to work on this project, a heart-shaped box that I am covering with decoupage and collage patterns.  I am using printed metallic ribbons to create the designs.  At this point, I am simply filling in gaps in the gold area around the sides of the box, and also working a little bit on the red interior.  Sometimes I am impatient to finish the gold area.  Although the work is painstaking, it isn't tedious.  It is only my desire to go on to the next pattern, the next area, that makes me impatient.  But impatience leads to mistakes, so I stop when I begin to hurry. The solution is to slow down, stay in the moment while I work, and enjoy the process. By the time I took this photo, my impatience had passed, and I think it shows.

Quiet Pond on Misty Evening

Quiet Pond on Misty Evening
Originally uploaded by randubnick

It rained hard most of the day.  After dinner, it was misty but no longer raining. There was just enough time for a walk at the Cummings Center Pond before dark.  I liked the way the pond looked in the misty weather, so I took some pictures.  When I got back home, I edited them.  This was the best composition, but there were three neon orange buoys in the water, and they were creating a bit of a distraction.  So I opened the image in Painter and used digital pastel to cover them up.  While I was at it, I decided to use a little digital pastel to mask some glimpses of cars going by on the road behind the trees.  

Yellow Flowers by the Fence

Yellow Flowers by the Fence
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a photograph that I took yesterday during a walk near Independence Park here in Beverly, MA.  I saw these yellow flowers and I liked the way they looked against the white fence, so I got out my digital camera. The sun was out (briefly) which is reason enough to take a picture these days! Tonight I cropped the photograph to get this composition.  I think the yellow flowers might be buttercups.