Many Flowering Branches

Many Flowering Branches
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Today I decided I wanted to make some more "digital prints," like the one I made yesterday. The first step is to make a pattern. So with my Painter program, I created a digital pattern from my photograph called "Flowering Branches" (taken at Trader Joe's grocery, posterized in Painter, and posted here March 13). Then I opened a new image and used the paint bucket tool to fill it with the pattern, adjusting and cropping till I had what I wanted, and here it is. Then I continued on to the next step, and used the pattern to create a digital print. I plan to post the result here tomorrow.

Little Bouquet (Digital Print)

Little Bouquet (Digital Print)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Recently, scheduled deadlines have been colliding with unexpected events, making for crunch time this weekend. But art is a priority for me, so I decided to take a little time out to create an image, even if I could only spare twenty minutes. I opted for digital art (no set-up, no clean up). I opened a new file in Painter and chose the pattern pen tool. The pattern I used (posted here on April 2) was made from a digital sketch called "Little Digital Bouquet," made on my son's iPod (and posted here March 26). Tonight I used a great big pattern pen loaded with digital pastel in pink, and made three or four strokes. Then I added a color overlay in blue, and posterized the entire image. After that, I cropped the result several times until I had this composition. The entire process took about fifteen minutes. (This isn't a print, but I call these posterized patterns "digital prints" because the look like prints to me. Anyway, I am happy with the image, and even happier that I managed to capture some time to make art, even on a very busy day.

Heart Shaped Box as of April 16, 2010

Heart Shaped Box as of April 16, 2010
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Yesterday I took a little break to work on this project. I am using printed metallic ribbon to cover this heart-shaped box with collage and decoupage. Yesterday I kept going on the red interior of the box, shown here along with the inside of the lid. I am not sure whether I will carry the red all the way to the edge, or add a gold rim to the inside edge. (I am making this design up as I go along.)

Closer Look at Quince and Lattice

Closer Look at Quince and Lattice
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Tonight I cropped this image from the posterized photo published here yesterday, of flowering quince near a white lattice fence. I thought a closer look would emphasize the contrast of patterns. Besides, sometimes less is more.

Quince and Lattice Fence (Posterized)

Quince and Lattice Fence (Posterized)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This image began with a photograph that I took during an early neighborhood walk. I love flowering quince, so when I saw some, I got my camera out. I liked the early evening light and the way the flowers looked against the white lattice fence. Tonight I cropped this image out of the original photograph, and then posterized it in Painter.

Heart Shaped Box as of April 14, 2010

Heart Shaped Box as of April 14, 2010
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Life has been busy, but I took some time today to work on this project, a heart-shaped box that I am covering with collage and decoupage made from bits of printed metallic ribbon. Today I worked on the interior of the box, which is predominantly red. I am filling in gaps in the middle, but also working out toward the edge. Feels like I am getting there. . . .

Budding Pear Tree

Budding Pear Tree
Originally uploaded by randubnick

I took this photo a few days ago. This pear tree was already budding and getting ready to blossom. (There are lots of pear trees here in Beverly, Massachusetts, and in the past few days, they have begun blossoming all over town.) I was interested in the shape of the buds against the tree trunk and sky, so I got in as close as I could and held the camera up high. Then later, I did a close crop on the computer to get this composition.

Little Flowering Tree (Posterized)

Little Flowering Tree (Posterized)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This afternoon I took some photographs of a little flowering tree that I saw at the Cummings Center, here in Beverly, MA. I liked the combination of pink and maroon. I don't know what kind of tree this is, but I imagine it will have maroon leaves later on. Tonight I cropped the photograph to get this composition and then used Painter to posterize the image.

Another Sunset at the Pond

Another Sunset at the Pond
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Here's another photograph of sunset at the pond, taking during another recent evening walk at the Cummings Center Pond. Now that there is more daylight, it is nice to take an evening walk, for exercise, a sense of peace, and for the sunset! I liked the colors of the sky reflected in the water, and the shapes made by trees, grasses, and shadows, so I took yet another photograph of the pond. I am not sorry that I did.

Weeping Cherry Branches

Weeping Cherry Branches
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This image shows another view of the weeping cherry tree that I saw during a recent walk at Long Hill Gardens. When I took this photo, I was trying to capture the beautiful color of the pink flowers against the backdrop of green leaves. Tonight I cropped the original photograph to emphasize the graceful shape of the branches.

Magnolia Tree at Long Hill

Magnolia Tree at Long Hill
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is another photograph that I took during a recent walk at Long Hill Gardens. It is early for magnolias, but some of the magnolia trees were already in bloom. In fact, because of the recent spell of summer-like weather, some of the magnolia trees had already gone on to the next phase, and had dropped their petals. But these blossoms were still on the branches so I took a picture. Tonight I cropped a little bit to improve the composition.

Under the Weeping Cherry

Under the Weeping Cherry
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Yesterday we had summer weather (in the high eighties!), but today we are back to early spring temperatures. But the weather was dry, and not too cool for a walk at Long Hill Gardens, here in Beverly, MA. One benefit of this roller-coaster weather is that some of the flowering trees blossom early when it is warm, and then stay on the branches just a little bit longer when it gets cool again. Lots of things are blooming at Long Hill, so I took lots of pictures, and tonight edited and cropped this one to get this composition. This is a picture of a weeping cherry tree, which is a cherry tree that is shaped like a weeping willow (hence the name, no doubt). But there's poetry in that name, too: amazing beauty, fleeting enough to make you cry.

Forsythia at the Pond

Forsythia at the Pond
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is another photograph taken on an evening walk at the Cummings Center Pond. The forsythia were starting to bloom, and I liked the way the yellow blossoms looked against the blue water, so I took a picture. Tonight I cropped the original photo to get this composition.

Evening Walk (Cummings Center Pond)

Evening Walk (Cummings Center Pond)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

With longer hours of daylight, it is easier to fit in an evening walk. This is a photograph that I took yesterday during an after dinner walk at the pond at the Cummings Center here in Beverly. Tonight I used iPhoto to do straighten and crop the image. Other than that, this is the photo just as it came out of the camera.

Beachscape with Blue Mussel Shells

Beachscape with Blue Mussel Shells
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This image is from a photograph that I took yesterday during a walk on the beach at Independence Park here in Beverly, MA. The warm weather was one surprise. Another surprise was that there were so many blue mussel shells on the beach. I took a few pictures. Tonight I cropped this composition out of the best of the photos.

Wedding Day (Colorized and Posterized Photo)

Wedding Day (Colorized and Posterized Photo)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This image began with an old family photo, a picture taken of my parents on their wedding day, April 4, 1943. My father was stationed in Pueblo, and met my mother at a USO dance on the base. They were married a few months later, before he left to go overseas. Last night I used iPhoto to do some basic editing (cleaning up stray marks, straightening, and cropping). Then I opened the image in Painter. I colorized the image with a combination of color overlay and digital pastel, and then posterized it. I invented the colors (have no idea if my mother wore pink that day). What I was after was the feeling I get when I look at these old photos: familiar images, modified by the softness of memory, the patina of time.

Blue Flowers at Long Hill

Blue Flowers at Long Hill
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a photograph that I took during a recent walk at Long Hill Gardens here in Beverly, MA. At this time of year, these beautiful blue flowers begin to appear. (Tonight I found the name on Google: Scilla sibericus. ) At first, just a few of these little flowers appear, as in this picture, but in no time, they begin to create areas of blue beneath the trees.

Many Little Bouquets

Many Little Bouquets
Originally uploaded by randubnick

I recently had a chance to try out paint programs on my son's iPod touch. Today I used my Painter program to create this pattern from one of those sketches. (The original sketch is called "Little Digital Bouquet", and was posted here on March 26). The image in the pattern looks a little different from the original sketch because I cropped it before I "captured" it as a pattern, and I also added a color overlay.

Tulips (From Above)

Tulips (From Above)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

On a recent trip to Trader Joe's grocery, I saw bunches of tulips displayed in square plastic cartons that were on the floor. I liked the view of the tulips from above, so I took some pictures. Tonight I cropped this image out of one of the photos.

Many Little FLowers

Many Little FLowers
Originally uploaded by randubnick

A few days ago (March 27 to be exact), I posted a digital sketch of a flower that I drew on my son's iPod touch. I have been wondering how it would look as a pattern. So tonight I opened the sketch in Painter and "captured" it as a pattern. Then I used the paint bucket tool to fill a new image, then cropped it and here it is.

Six Apples

Six Apples
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Yesterday I was getting ready to make Charoset for Passover. (Recipe follows). I washed six apples and put them on the cutting board. I was about to cut them up for the food processor, but realized I was admiring the way they looked, so I stopped to take a picture. In the photo you can tell that the apples are still wet. Tonight I cropped the image and here it is. About Charoset: it is a food used for Passover Seder, but it is delicious so I make a lot. There are lots of ways to make it, but I make it Ashkenazi style (Eastern European): six apples, about a cup of slivered almonds, in food processor to chop. Add a tablespoon of cinnamon, and about 1/4 cup of grape juice to sweeten. You can add a little sugar (or other sweetener) or a little Manischewitz if you like. Sometimes I add a tablespoon of wine to the grape juice to give it a richer taste.

Floral with Matza Pattern

Floral with Matza Pattern
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Last year, I made a digital image for Passover using a matza pattern with Painter's pattern pen. (It is called "Matza Flowers," posted April 11, 2009). I thought about doing something similar this year, but my matza pattern had disappeared, along with all my other patterns, when I upgraded to Painter 11. All my images are intact, however. Perhaps sometime I might figure out how to recover the patterns, but it is so easy to capture a pattern that I decided to just start over. So yesterday I found my matza photo, the one that I had used for the pattern. It is called "Matza (Posterized)", and appears on this site on April 25, 2008. Then I opened the image in Painter and in just a second or two, I had my matza pattern back again. So I used the pattern pen to create this little floral image, a variation on the same theme I used last year. Well, I am glad to have my matza pattern back and I am sending this little image out to wish friends and family a Happy Passover.

Heart Shaped Box as of March 25, 2010

Heart Shaped Box as of March 25, 2010
Originally uploaded by randubnick

It has been a busy week, but I did take some time to work on this project. This is a heart-shaped box that I am covering with decoupage and collage made from printed metallic ribbons. This is how it looked on March 25, which was the last time I worked on it. This is the interior of the box. It might be hard to see progress, but in fact I am bringing the red ribbon closer and closer to the outside edge of the heart.

Little Digital Flower

Little Digital Flower
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Here is another digital sketch that I drew last night on my son's iPod Touch. He had downloaded two paint programs (trial versions) and so I had a chance to try out both of them. The sketch that I posted last night (Little Digital Bouquet) was done with "Doodlebuddy" and this one was done with "MyPaint Free". I also used iPhoto to crop this image, but otherwise this is the sketch just as I drew it on the iPod Touch.

Little Digital Bouquet

Little Digital Bouquet
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Last night, my son let me try out a painting program on his iPod touch. I drew this little digital bouquet and I had a great time! I liked drawing on the tiny screen with my fingertips. The program even has a blend or smudge program (which I overused). Even so, I liked the image enough to want to keep it, so my son sent it to me. Today I used iPhoto to crop the image and to clean it up just a little.

First Flowers

First Flowers
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is another photograph that I took during yesterday's walk at Long Hill Gardens here in Beverly, MA. I was surprised to see these flowers in bloom. They are among the first flowers to bloom, like the crocus. I believe they are a kind of forget-me-not. Anyway, I call them "little flowers that look like purple stars." Tonight I edited the photo to get this composition.

White Blossoms and Brick (Digital Woodcut)

White Blossoms and Brick (Digital Woodcut)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Tonight I used my Painter program to create this digital woodcut from a photo that I took this afternoon at Long Hill Gardens here in Beverly, MA. The day was sunny and dry (finally) but it was cold again, cold enough for a winter coat. But even though it was cold today, things are already blooming due to last week's warmer temperatures. I saw these little white blossoms growing against the main house at Long Hill. I liked the contrast of blossom and brick, so I took a picture. I thought it would look good as a digital woodcut, so I fiddled with Painter's controls and after way too many tries, got the amount of black outline that I wanted.

Heart Shaped Box as of March 23, 2010

Heart Shaped Box as of March 23, 2010
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is my collage and decoupage project as it looked after I finished working on it today. I am using printed metallic ribbon and acrylic medium to create the designs on this heart-shaped box. I have been working on the red area on the floor of the box. This photo shows how the box will look while it is being opened.

Heart Shaped Box as of March 22, 2010

Heart Shaped Box as of March 22, 2010
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This week, I continued to work on this project, a heart-shaped box that I am covering with collage and decoupage designs created from printed metallic ribbons. This is how the project looked today when I was finished working on it. This photo shows the inside of the box (the part I am working on now) as well as the inside of the box top (already complete). The process is slow, but I can see progress, and I am happy about the way the bright red color looks.

Pots of Primroses (Posterized)

Pots of Primroses (Posterized)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is another image that began at the grocery store! As of this weekend, flowers are now on display outside. In addition to pansies (see yesterday's post), there were rows of primroses, all different colors, in little flowerpots. I loved to see them all lined up, so I took some pictures. Today I edited the best photo to get this image. In addition to basic straightening and cropping, I needed to do some repair and cleanup, so I used Painter's digital pastel for that. Then I posterized the image, and here it is.

Sign of Spring

Sign of Spring
Originally uploaded by randubnick

On a recent trip to the grocery store, I noticed that flowers were on display outside. This is a sure sign of spring! There were lots of pansies because they do well in cooler temperatures, and even though it was warm today, around here that isn't likely to last. I was admiring a pot of purple and yellow pansies, and decided to take a picture. Tonight I used iPhoto to clean up some stray marks on the leaves and crop just a bit to get this composition.

Purple Crocus Pattern

Purple Crocus Pattern
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Yesterday I posted a digital sketch of purple crocus that I drew on the computer using Painter's digital pastel. Today I used Painter again to create a pattern from the same little sketch. This what the pattern looks like.

Quick Purple Crocus (Five Minute Sketch)

Quick Purple Crocus (Five Minute Sketch)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Recent rainstorms caused a flood in the basement, so life has been hectic. Today the basement needed to be cleared out for drying. The day seemed so busy and stressful that I didn't think I would have a chance to make art today. But art every day means art every day, so I decided to do a five-minute drawing on the computer. Tonight I sat down and drew this little sketch using Painter's digital pastel. Then I posterized the image and cropped it to get this composition. All done, less than five minutes, but it was five minutes that made a big difference to me. When I find myself thinking that life is too busy and too stressful to make art, that means that I really need to make art!

Irish Landscape with Connemara Pony

Irish Landscape with Connemara Pony
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Today I cropped this image from a photograph that I took back in 2004 during a trip to Ireland. This was taken at a bed and breakfast in Oughterard, near Galway. The setting was beautiful, a little farm right next to Lough Corrib. The ponies were a surprise. They came right over to me as I was taking pictures from the road. They seemed magical to me, like the rest of Ireland.

Heart Shaped Box as of March 16, 2010 (Closeup of Interior)

Heart Shaped Box as of March 16, 2010 (Closeup of Interior)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Tonight I did a little bit of work on this project, the heart shaped box, and then took this photo of it, which is a detail of the interior. This view is close enough to show the texture of the printed metallic ribbon that I am using to create the collage and decoupage.

Heart Shaped Box as of March 14, 2010

Heart Shaped Box as of March 14, 2010
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Yesterday I kept going on this heart-shaped box, a collage and decoupage project in progress. I am creating the designs with pieces of printed metallic ribbon. I continued to work on the red interior, shown here with the top of the box. It might be hard to see progress, but I am getting there.

Heart Shaped Box as of March 13, 2010

Heart Shaped Box as of March 13, 2010
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Whenever I get a chance, I continue to work on this heart-shaped box that I am covering with collage and decoupage. The materials that I am using are printed metallic ribbon and acrylic medium, and of course the box itself, which once held a Mother's Day gift from my daughter. Yesterday kept going with work on the red interior, and this is how it looked when I was finished for the day.

Closeup of Flowering Branches (Posterized)

Closeup of Flowering Branches (Posterized)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Yesterday, during a trip to Trader Joe's grocery store, I noticed a display of flowering branches with pink blossoms, bundles of them arranged around a barrel. If you live north of Boston, you have to take spring where you find it. So I stopped what I was doing long enough to take a couple of quick pictures. Tonight I cropped this image out of one of the photographs, and then used my Painter program to posterize it.

A Glimpse of Boston (Posterized)

A Glimpse of Boston (Posterized)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

I used Painter to create this posterized version of the image I posted here yesterday, a photo that I took of Boston during a very quick trip to South Station.

A Glimpse of Boston

A Glimpse of Boston
Originally uploaded by randubnick

I drove into Boston today. It was a very quick trip, just a South Station run (my daughter was taking the train to New York for the weekend). I couldn't stay and enjoy the city, but before I headed home, I took advantage of two long red traffic lights and took a couple of quick photos. I liked this image because it provides a little glimpse of Boston, much like the drive itself. Tonight I cropped the original photo just a bit to get this composition. I also created a posterized version, which I plan to post here tomorrow.

Heart Shaped Box as of March 10, 2010

Heart Shaped Box as of March 10, 2010
Originally uploaded by randubnick

I took a break this afternoon and worked on this project for a while. I am covering this heart-shaped box with collage and decoupage patterns created from printed metallic ribbon. This photo shows the top of the box (leaning against the wall), and the red interior, which is what I worked on today. I am filling in gaps with pieces of red and hot pink ribbon. I am working from the middle outward. This gives me a better idea of what this is going to look like. Also, that way if I run out of red ribbon, I may use more gold pieces around the outside edge.

Waiting for Spring (Obear Park, Beverly MA)

Waiting for Spring (Obear Park, Beverly MA)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Today wasn't quite as warm as yesterday, but fifty degrees was still warm enough for a walk at Obear Park, in the Ryalside neighborhood of Beverly, MA. You can see a bit of Salem across the water. It's a lovely little park, with lots of park benches lined up with a view of the water. Waiting for what, I wondered: boats going by, the drawbridge going up, perhaps summer boating events. But today, it just looked like the park benches were waiting for spring.

Seagulls, Rocks, Ocean at Lynch Park

Seagulls, Rocks, Ocean at Lynch Park
Originally uploaded by randubnick

The weather has been warm for the past few days. Yesterday it was in the fifties, warm enough for a walk near the beach at Lynch Park, here in Beverly, MA. The park was crowded with people who were taking their kids to the playground, walking their dogs, enjoying the sunshine. Everyone had the same idea, even the birds! I took a few pictures of these seagulls enjoying the warm weather. Tonight I cropped the original photograph to get this composition.

Heart Shaped Box as of March 6, 2010 (Closeup of Inside)

Heart Shaped Box as of March 6, 2010 (Closeup of Inside)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a closeup that I took yesterday of my collage and decoupage project, a heart-shaped box that I am covering with pieces of printed metallic ribbon. For this area, the inside of the box, I am going for intense color, predominantly red, with hot pink and pink, with some bits of gold. The pieces are irregular because I am finding bits of color in several patterns. This is slow going, but as I fill in the gaps, I begin to get an idea of how this will look when it is finished.

Heart Shaped Box as of March 6, 2010

Heart Shaped Box as of March 6, 2010
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Yesterday and today, I continued to work on this collage and decoupage project. Two days ago, I finally finished the inside of the lid of this heart-shaped box. Now I am working on the inside of the box itself, which is going to predominantly red. I took this photo today after I was finished working on it. It looks like I have a long way to go, but I will get there.

Heart Shape Box as of March 4, 2010 (Inside of Lid)

Heart Shape Box as of March 4, 2010 (Inside of Lid)
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is a collage and decoupage project that I have been working on. I am covering this heart-shaped box with pieces of printed metallic ribbon. This week I have been concentrating on the inside of the lid to the box, shown here as it looked yesterday when I finally pasted down the last piece of that part of the project. Because the ribbon reflects light, it is hard to see that the surface is completely covered, but trust me, it is. Next, I need to finish the interior.

Heart Shaped Box as of March 2, 2010

Heart Shaped Box as of March 2, 2010
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This is my collage and decoupage project as it looked on Tuesday, which was March 2. This heart-shaped box once held a Mother's Day present from my daughter. I am using printed metallic ribbons to cover the box with collage and decoupage designs. This week I have been concentrating on the inside of the lid, shown here, which is nearly complete. In the photo, you can also see a little bit of the bottom of the box, which has a brown center and a floral border.

Heart Shaped Box as of March 1, 2010

Heart Shaped Box as of March 1, 2010
Originally uploaded by randubnick

This week I have continued to work on this project, a heart-shaped box that I am covering with collage and decoupage made from printed metallic ribbons. This is how it looked as of Monday (March 1). I have been concentrating on the inside of the top of the box, shown here. Although I am getting closer and closer to finishing this part of the project, there always seems to be more gaps to fill in with pieces of ribbon. It is fun to work on this project, and encouraging to see how it catches the light.

More Witch Hazel at Long Hill

More Witch Hazel at Long Hill
Originally uploaded by randubnick

Here is another image of Witch Hazel from yesterday's walk at Long Hill Gardens. In this view, the yellow blossoms show up against the dark trees and the pale sky. It was great to see some signs of spring on such a dreary day. But that is what the beginning of spring often looks like. It isn't flashy. It is quite subtle and easy to miss: just a slight shift in the light, an almost imperceptible brightening, and just a hint of color. . . .

Witch Hazel at Long Hill Gardens

Witch Hazel at Long Hill Gardens
Originally uploaded by randubnick

I took this photograph today, during an afternoon walk at Long Hill Gardens here in Beverly, MA. It was drizzling and the sky was dreary, but it was exciting to see these yellow buds, so I took some photos. I had thought this was forsythia, but the tree is labeled "Witch Hazel". (When I got home, I looked it up, and apparently the two are often confused.) Tonight I used iPhoto to adjust the contrast and crop the photo to get this image.