March at Bradley Palmer (Posterized Photo)

March at Bradley Palmer (Posterized Photo), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This morning, on the way home from the vet, we stopped at Bradley Palmer State Park for a quick walk. I liked the way the trees looked against the snow so I took some pictures. Tonight I cropped this image out of one of the photos, and then used Painter 12 to create a posterized version of it.

Snow and Tree (Digital Impasto) Day 3 FInal

Snow and Tree (Digital Impasto) Day 3 Final, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This afternoon I did some more work on this image, a digital "painting" done with Painter 12's "digital oil impasto". Today I continued to modify the brush strokes, making them smaller. Most of the time I worked on the ground, and then I went over the branches, added some purple accents. Finally I transferred the image into iPhoto where I straightened it out and cropped it.

Snow and Tree (Digital Impasto) Day 2

Snow and Tree (Digital Impasto) Day 2, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Yesterday I started this little digital painting using Painter 12's "digital oil impasto", which I am trying to learn to use. So I kept going with this image today. I had been having trouble with the digital "paint" starting to smear, so I decided to try small and shorter brush strokes. That seemed to help, but it is taking forever. I plan to work on this again tomorrow. At this point, I think it would have been faster to paint this with actual oil paint on an actual canvas! But I am trying to learn something new.

Snow and Tree (Digital Impasto)

Snow and Tree (Digital Impasto), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Tonight I used Painter to make this little digital painting, using the digital impasto oil brush, something I am trying to learn. The imagery is fairly easy, inspired by our recent snowstorm. But even with the easy subject matter, I was really struggling to control the brushes and the "digital paint". This is only the second time I have tried the impasto oil brush. (In Painter, each type of "digital paint" acts differently, emulating what would happen with the real life paint. So in digital impasto, the "paint" goes on thick at the beginning of the stroke, but then the color fades and blends with surrounding color, just like real oil paint.) Well, I was getting pretty frustrated until I realized that i needed to let go of the idea of control. This is a work in progress, not a finished piece. I plan to work on it some more tomorrow.

Necklace with Wooden Beads on Red Suede Cord

Necklace with Wooden Beads on Red Suede Cord, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

I designed this necklace yesterday, and put it together this afternoon: wooden beads (dark, light, and painted) on a knotted red suede cord. Nice project for a snowy day.

Spring Green

Spring Green, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Snow expected tonight, here north of Boston, but I am hoping for spring. Here is a little image that I created tonight on my iPhone, with the Brushes app.

Driving Through Connemara (Posterized Photo)

Driving Through Connemara (Posterized Photo), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This image started with a picture that I took during a trip to Ireland in 2004. We were near Galway and got lost driving through the rocky Connemara hillsides. I was taking pictures from the passenger seat of a moving car (as usual). These are not the lush, emerald green fields that most people associate with Ireland. The landscape is beautiful, but stark, and even seemed desolate to me at the time -- not just because we were lost, but because of awareness of the hardship faced by people trying to make their living on this rocky land. Today I cropped this image out of the original (to remove windshield, road sign, etc. The result was small so I used Painter to resize the image, and then used a combination of posterizing and woodcut effect (and a little digital pastel) to create an image that I could use. I then did a little more adjustment in iPhoto and here it is. I remember the scenery of this beautiful drive, and the lessons learned about Irish history along the way.

Necklace with Four Colors (Finished Day 2)

Necklace with Four Colors (Finished Day 2), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Today I worked on the necklace I started yesterday. I think it is finished, but I reserve the right to revise. Beads in four colors (black, cream, olive green, and purple) and four shapes on a black cotton cord.

Necklace with Four Colors (Day 1)

Necklace with Four Colors (Day 1), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

I started making another necklace today. It was a busy day and time was short, but I had enough time to work out the design and get it started. There design looks simple, but I tried out a number fo combinations till I arrived at design I want to use. I am using black wooden disks, turned wooden beads in cream, pale green wooden spheres, and tiny purple disks. (I am not sure if they are wood or some other material). I am stringing them on a cotton cord. I only had time to string about five inches. To be continued.

March Day at Obear Park (Digital Woodcut)

March Day at Obear Park (Digital Woodcut), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Tonight I used Painter to apply a woodcut effect to the photo that I posted here yesterday, a view of winter grasses at Obear Park (here in Beverly, MA.)

March Day at Obear Park

March Day at Obear Park, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

The weather has warmed up and much of the recent snow is melting away. This afternoon, it was warm enough for a short excursion to Obear Park, here in Beverly, MA. You can still see some snow on the ground over in Salem, just across the water. I liked the winter grasses against the water, so I took this picture. Tonight I used iPhoto to edit the image, and cropped it to get this composition.

Tropical Plant (Pen and Ink)

Tropical Plant (Pen and Ink), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is a pen and ink drawing from one of my old sketchbooks. I know I was drawing a tropical houseplant, possible at my mom's house back in Colorado. If so, that would be back in the 1980s. But I am not sure. In any case, it was a good drawing exercise in pen and ink. I like the patterns, so today I took a picture and got the image into my computer. (Note: just replaced this photo; the first attempt was not light enough.)

Purple Leather Necklace with Wood and Gold Metallic Beads and Bells

Purple Leather Necklace with Wood and Gold Metallic Beads and Bells, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

I have been working on this necklace for a couple of days, and finished it late this afternoon. I combined pale wooden beads with textured gold metallic beads and bells on a knotted leather cord. This can be worn as one long necklace, or doubled and worn as a shorter necklace, as shown here.

Colorado Morning (Digital Impasto)

Colorado Morning (Digital Impasto), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is a digital painting that I created tonight using Painter's digital impasto (a digital emulation of thick oil paint). I worked from imagination and memories of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, my home state. It's not surprising that I painted mountains, because I love the mountains. And it is also true that I often paint mountain landscapes when I am using new media, so this was a practical choice to use with digital impasto, which is something I rarely use. But I also paint the mountains when Colorado is on my mind.

Snow and Street (Digital Woodcut)

Snow and Street (Digital Woodcut), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Tonight I used Painter to add a digital woodcut effect to the photo that I posted here day before yesterday, a view from my window on a snowy day.

Snow on Magnolia Branch (Digitally Modified and Posterized Photo)

Snow on Magnolia Branch (Digitally Modified and Posterized Photo), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here in Beverly, MA, we were expecting about three inches of snowfall overnight, but by morning it looked like at least six to eight inches to me, and it kept going most of the day. From my home studio window, I had a view of the snow on the magnolia tree, so I took some pictures. I used iPhoto to crop the image, then I opened the image in Painter where I used digital airbrush to soften some of the wires in the background, to simplify the background and focus more attention on the magnolia branches. Then I posterized the image in Painter. Posterizing simplifies shapes and colors. When I got the shapes simplified as much as I wanted, I was getting more color than I wanted. So I went back to iPhoto and transformed the image into black and white. Then I did a final crop in iPhoto to get this composition. This is a lot of trouble to go to, I suppose. But there's something about a snow-covered magnolia tree, with buds already visible under the snow. The beauty of fresh snow on branches is fleeting, even more fleeting than the beautiful big pink and white magnolia blossoms that will appear in mid-April.

Snow and Street

Snow and Street, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This morning it was snowing. I took this photo from an upstairs window. The snow was coating the branches, creating a nice tracery, but it wasn't so cold that the snow would stick to the road. Tonight I used iPhoto to crop the original photo to get this composition.

Blue and Green Marble Pattern

Blue and Green Marble Pattern, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here is yet another image that I created on the computer, using Painter 12's marbling effect. I have been experimenting with different colors and different proportions, and then fiddling with the various controls to learn more about what they do.

Sunny Samba Marble Pattern

Sunny Samba Marble Pattern, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here's another pattern that I made tonight with Painter's marbling effect. I also posterized it. The hot colors and the shapes make me think of the samba dance moves, tropicalismo music, and the wavy designs on the sidewalks near Copacabana beach. Hence the title.

Purple and Orange Marble Pattern

Purple and Orange Marble Pattern, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Today I used Painter to create this image. I created bands of bright red orange and purple, and then applied the marbling effect. I adjusted the controls until I got what I wanted. Then I cropped the image to get this composition.

Fabric Flowers and Vase (Hemmed)

Fabric Flowers and Vase (Hemmed), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Several weeks ago, I finished the image in this fabric appliqué, a still life of vase of flowers done with iron-on fabric. For the past few days, I have been working on finishing the edges and hemming it by hand. The next step is to cold-block the fabric to get it closer to square. I did put safety pins at the top (imbedded in the hem) so it will be possible to hang it that way. But I have decided to frame it because I want it to be behind UV glass (to keep the fabric from fading). The other benefit is that if I use a black matt board as backing, any deviation from square will be less obvious.

Flower Girl (Pen and Ink Drawing)

Flower Girl (Pen and Ink Drawing), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is another pen-and-ink drawing that I came across recently in one of my old sketchbooks. I was drawing from my imagination (though the chest of drawers is based on a piece of furniture in my house). Of course I can see some little mistakes, but what I like about outweighs the flaws. So here it is.

Many Daisies Many Roses

Many Daisies Many Roses, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Yesterday's post was a digital drawing of daisies and roses, created on my iPhone with the Brushes app. Tonight I cropped the image a bit, opened it in Painter, and "captured" it as a pattern. Then I used the Paintbrush tool to fill a new canvas with it. Here it is as a vertical tile with no offset, which is the way I think it looks best. I think I might find a use for this pattern on Zazzle.

Daises and Roses (Final Version)

Daises and Roses (Final Version), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Today I worked on this little digital drawing again. I started it two days ago, using the Brushes app on my iPhone. Today I continued correcting errors and fixing lines, and then I added detail to the leaves and added polka dots to the flower petals. Of course I can see some little flaws, but these little flowers make me smile.

Daisies and Roses (Day 2)

Daisies and Roses (Day 2), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Yesterday I started this little digital drawing, using the Brushes app on my iPhone. Today I spent another hour on it, cleaning things up. It's slow going because the screen is small. I fixed a lot of little problems and cleaned it up. But I can already see that there are still some things I want to fix. And if I have time, I hope to add some details.

Daisies and Roses (Day 1)

Daisies and Roses (Day 1), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is a little digital drawing that i started tonight with the Brushes app on my iPhone. It's a simple design but I must have worked on it for over an hour. My iPhone was running out of batteries, and so was I. So this is a work in progress. I hope to finish it up tomorrow.

Morning Light Snowy Branches

Morning Light Snowy Branches, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This morning the branches were covered with snow, and I love the way they look in the morning sun. I knew temperatures were going up and the snow would soon be gone, so I took this picture. Tonight I used iPhoto to crop the original to get this composition.

Snow Fall at Harvard (Digitally Modified and Posterized Photo)

Snow Fall at Harvard (Digitally Modified and Posterized Photo), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Today's adventure was a run into Cambridge to meet a friend for brunch. By the time the meal was over, the cold rain and sleet had turned into snow, but we went to the Harvard Coop, Starbucks, and then walked through campus. The snow was coming down in great big flakes and I took a few pictures of the snow falling in Harvard Yard. Tonight I did a little digital editing (cleaned up the snow and covered a fire hydrant) and then I posterized the image in Painter. Finally, I used iPhoto to crop the image to get this composition.

Many Many Hamentashen

Many Many Hamentashen, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Yesterday's post was just one hamentashen (a jam-filled triangular cookie eaten on the Jewish holiday of Purim). I drew the hamentashen using Painter's kaleidoscope mode, so it was perfectly symmetrical. I also used the image to create the pattern that you see here.

A Perfect Hamentashen

A Perfect Hamentashen, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Tonight I was trying to make a design in Painter using kaleidoscope mode (which divides the canvas into six sections and whatever is drawn in one section is replicated in all the others). As I was creating an abstract design, I realized that I had accidentally drawn a hamentashen (filled triangular cookie eaten on Jewish holiday of Purim). So I opened a new image and started over, this time drawing a hamentashen on purpose, and here it is, perfectly symmetrical thanks to Painter's kaleidoscope mode. I also used this image to create a pattern, which I plan to post here tomorrow.

Fiesta

Fiesta, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Today's schedule left me with a little bit of waiting time, so I pulled out my iPhone and used the Brushes app to make this happy little design.

Many Kaleidoscope Roses

Many Kaleidoscope Roses, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

A few days ago, I finished my digital drawing of roses, done with Painter 12's kaleidoscope mode (apart from the one rose in the center). I have been wondering how the image would work as a pattern, so tonight I decided to find out.

Fabric Flowers and Vase (Edges Pinned)

Fabric Flowers and Vase (Edges Pinned), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

At the end of January, I finished the image in this fabric appliqué still life. But there is more to do if I want to hang it (and I do). Because I started this project in a fabric arts class, hadn't the slightest idea what I was doing (and had low expectations for this project), I didn't center the image on the fabric or square off the material before I began. As I worked, I kept things square by measuring and using a straight edge, and It was easy enough to crop the image in photographs, but today I tackled the problem of "cropping" it for real. I had to square the image off, pin it, and then cut off extra fabric. I grabbed an old bulletin board that was just the right size for the project. The bulletin board supplied guidelines to measure against and made it easier to see if things were square. I even pinned the project to the bulletin board, which was helpful. It took me an hour to get the image centered so I could cut off excess fabric and do a rough pin for hemming. I still have to straighten this out a bit more and then sew the hems. I didn't have enough fabric to create pockets for dowels, so I plan to make a hanging system with safety pins inserted in back, hidden in the top hem. The holes in the safety pins will slide right over small nails. (I remembered this method because I have a small piece of fabric art in my house that is hung this way and it works fine.)

Snow Storm Starting

Snow Storm Starting, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Yesterday, with fierce winds and snow blowing outside my window, I started drawing this scene using the Brushes app on my iPad. As you draw, the Brushes app captures a stroke-by-stroke video, so I was able to create a little animation of the snow starting to fall. I posted the video here yesterday, and tonight I am posting the finished drawing.

Snow Storm Starting

Snow Storm Starting a video by randubnick on Flickr.

Inspired by the snow blowing outside my window, I decided to create a snowstorm on my iPad this afternoon. I wanted to capture the snow falling, so I used the Brushes app, which creates a stroke-by-stroke video as you draw. I spent an hour on the project, and then sent the drawing and the "actions" file to my desktop. The drawing came in just fine, I was disappointed to find that I could no longer open the "actions" file and couldn't find the Brushes Viewer app on the computer. By poking around on the web, I learned that the problem seems to be because newer versions of Brushes don't support the viewer (and some people weren't happy with the newer versions). In any case, a lot of people are having the same problem. But I was able to find a work-around and solve the problem, thanks to posts and advice from fellow artists. (I am not sure if the solution is temporary, so I may be in the market for another iPad drawing app. I love Brushes so that is a disappointment.) But meanwhile, here is the video I worked on today, and I am very glad to be able to post it because I began this with the idea of making the animation. Tomorrow I will post the drawing.

Kaleidoscope Roses (Revised Version)

Kaleidoscope Roses (Revised Version), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Tonight I revised the digital drawing of roses that I posted here two days ago. I used Painter to create the image, using digital pastel and kaleidoscope mode (which instantly creates six symmetrical versions of whatever you draw). It was a good drawing exercise and I liked the roses, but I wasn't happy with the composition. I realized that I didn't like the empty space in the middle, so I opened the image in Painter and drew in one more rose (this time with kaleidoscope mode turned off). I like it better now.

Another Heart Shaped Box (As of February 15, 2013)

Another Heart Shaped Box (As of February 15, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

I recently decided to start another collaged heart-shaped box. I was reluctant because I know the process takes a long time, but I really like the result. So today I went up to the studio and got started. This time I am using a Turtles candy box from a previous Valentine's Day, and I am going to cover it with collage created from printed metallic ribbon. I have been thinking about the design and so when I set out for the studio, I already had a plan, at least for the top of the box, which is going to be done in stripes (purple and orange) with a gold border. I am going to use the existing stripes on the candy box as guidelines, but I had to draw in some new lines to make the stripes even all the way across. Then I started pasting down pieces of orange and purple, just trying to establish the new lines that I drew and also to establish the pattern of orange and purple stripes. (It is easy to make a mistake with stripes, something I learned the hard way with a painting that i was working on.) So far this heart- shaped box doesn't look like much; if you found it, you might throw it out! But what gives me courage is knowing how my last heart-shaped box turned out. If you want to see, I have a set of pictures of it posted at www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/sets/72157632769935420/

Kaleidoscope Roses

Kaleidoscope Roses, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

I think this image was inspired by a trip to the grocery store today, with dozens and dozens of roses on display. So I decided to draw roses tonight, but decided to try using Painter's kaleidoscope mode. In kaleidoscope mode, the canvas is divided into six sections and whatever you draw in one section is replicated in the others. So that is how I was able to draw three dozen roses instead of six! I used digital pastel on a blue background. The composition is unusual and I am not sure what I think of it, but this was a great drawing exercise. Maybe this would work as a pattern. . . .

Winter Sun at the Beach

Winter Sun at the Beach, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Despite all the snow still on the ground, it was nearly forty degrees, warm enough for a walk at the beach. So late this afternoon, we stopped off at Lynch Park to take the dog for a walk. From the parking lot, you couldn't even tell where you were because of great heaps of snow piled up by the snow plows. But we found a path around the snow and walked all the way down to the beach. It was worth the track. I liked the way the late afternoon sun was playing on the houses in the distance, so I took this picture. Tonight i used iPhoto to crop the original image to get this composition.

Olhas da Sogra (Eyes of Mother-In-Law)

Olhas da Sogra (Eyes of Mother-In-Law), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is an illustration to accompany a recipe for Brazilian candy. The candy, called Olhas da Sogra, which means "Eyes of Mother-in-Law", is made of prunes stuffed with a coconut custard filling. I decided to use Painter's kaleidoscope mode to create the image of candies on a plate. Over the weekend, I posted this illustration on our food blog (Seasonings for Every Palate) and you can see it at seasoningforeverypalate.wordpress.com/2013/02/09/olhas-da...

Evening Snow and Fog

Evening Snow and Fog, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Today, in addition to the snow from the recent blizzard, we had more snowfall, then sleet, then rain, then drizzle, and then fog. Late this afternoon I took this picture of trees seen through fog and backlit by a street lamp, just as it got dark enough for the street lights to come on.

Pink Sky on Winter Afternoon

Pink Sky on Winter Afternoon, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here's another post-blizzard picture that I took today. It was late afternoon when I took this photograph from an upstairs window. I liked the contrast of snow-covered roof and pink sky. Tonight I used iPhoto to crop and do some basic editing.

Snow Scene Through Window Screen (Posterized Photo)

Snow Scene Through Window Screen (Posterized Photo), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Well, as everyone knows by now, a big snowstorm blew through Boston last night, and kept going most of the day. I took a few "look how much snow we have" photos, and a few scenic views out the windows. But what I liked best was the view out my kitchen window just before the sun set. The sky was the palest pink. I took a picture through the window (and window screen). Tonight I did some basic editing in iPhoto and then used Painter to clean up the image a bit with digital pastel and then I posterized it.

Simple Flowers (Digital Print)

Simple Flowers (Digital Print), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is an image that I made tonight with Painter's pattern pen. I used the pattern that I created recently (see yesterday's post). This time, I chose a strong background color, and used a "pattern pen marker" in purple, loaded up with my new pattern. I used a great big brush, and made a few strokes. (Sounds easy, but it takes a lot of trial and error to get the strokes where I want them.) Then I did some posterizing and cropping to get this image. I call images that I make this way "digital prints" just because the process and the results remind me of printmaking.

Many Little Purple Flowers

Many Little Purple Flowers, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Day before yesterday, I posted a simple purple flower that I drew on the computer using Painter 12's kaleidoscope mode. Today I opened the image in Painter again and cleaned it up a little bit. Then I "captured" the image as a pattern. Then I made this new image with the pattern in a rectangular tile. (I am thinking of using this pattern to make things on Zazzle.com, and sometimes it is easier to work with a rectangular tile.)

February Afternoon at Lynch Park

February Afternoon at Lynch Park, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

After a late lunch with my daughter, we ran some errands together. The weather was warmer than it has been lately, temperatures in the high thirties. (We saw high school students were walking around without coats. It wasn't that warm, but still.) The sun came out so we decided to stop off at Lynch Park to walk the dog. It was very windy at the cove, so we didn't stay long, but I liked the long diagonal of this cloud formation, so I took some quick pictures. Tonight I edited the best one in iPhoto, adjusting the values to compensate for directing the camera toward the sun, and then cropping it to get this composition.

Simple Purple Flower (Kaleidoscope)

Simple Purple Flower (Kaleidoscope), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Tonight I made this little digital drawing with Painter 12, using kaleidoscope mode. (The canvas is divided into six sections and whatever you draw in one section is replicated in the others.) This is very simple, but I think it might make a nice pattern.

Necklace with Brass and Blue Irish Glass Beads (Revised)

Necklace with Brass and Blue Irish Glass Beads (Revised), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This necklace is made with blue glass beads that I bought in Galway, Ireland, back in 2004. I was browsing in a bead store and they caught my eye because of the shape, but what I really loved was the raised Celtic spirals on them. Anyway, I put this design together yesterday and posted a photo of the necklace. But today I revised the necklace. I shortened the cotton cord to change the way the necklace hangs and then I redid the clasp and finished it with metal spacer beads. It was a pain in the neck to do this (untying knots is not fun), but I love these beads and it was worth the trouble.

Necklace with Brass and Blue Irish Glass Beads

Necklace with Brass and Blue Irish Glass Beads, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is a necklace that I put together this afternoon. I bought the beads back in 2004 in a beading shop in Galway because I liked the Celtic spiral design. Today I decided to use them, and I combined them with little brass beads on a cotton cord. I am not sure this is finished because I think I would like to shorten the necklace a bit and possibly change the clasp, but I am happy with the design as it is.

Girl with Curly Hair (Pen and Ink Drawing)

Girl with Curly Hair (Pen and Ink Drawing), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

I recently came across this pen-and-ink drawing in one of my old sketchbooks and decided to photograph and post it. This was a while ago; I have no idea of the date, but probably sometime in the 1980's. I drew this from my imagination, probably to practice creating patterns with pen-and-ink techniques.

Another Heart-Shaped Box (Day Zero - Feb. 1, 2013)

Another Heart-Shaped Box (Day Zero - Feb. 1, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

I was at the studio today, thinking about starting a new collage project, and decided to just check to see what collage materials I had in the bin. I saw the printed metallic ribbon (leftover from previous projects, including a heart-shaped box that took forever to finish). Lots of people tell me to make more boxes like that, but I say no, no, no; it takes too long, etc. But today I saw that there were two heart-shaped boxes already in the bin --Valentine's Day candy boxes saved and given to me so I can use them for collages. So I played around with the idea for a few minutes, and took this picture, and then put everything away. Then I reconsidered and took everything out again. I decided to try pasting a few pieces of ribbon down, and if I could get the pieces to stick to the surface, I would commit to another heart-shaped box. They did. To be continued. . . .