Cattails at Bradley Palmer (Digitally Modified)

This image began with a photo that I took on July 25th, during a visit to Bradley Palmer State Park (Topsfield, MA). This was taken from the little wooden boardwalk near the river, very close to the Willowdale Estate. I liked the cattails and their reflections, which is why I took the photo. But there was a big old dead tree branch hanging down right in front of the cattails. So tonight I opened the image in Painter and used some cut-and-paste as well as digital pastel to hide the tree branch. I might try to paint this scene sometime. Anyway, I also created a posterized version and a woodcut version, which I plan to post here in the next few days.

Another Heart Shaped Box as of August 7, 2014

While I was at Porter Mill Studios this evening, I worked for a while on this collage project. I am covering this former candy box with designs made from bits of printed metallic ribbon. I am still and forever working on the top of the box, creating purple and orange stripes which are easier to see every time, even though progress is slow. I call this "Another Heart Shaped Box" because it isn't my first. You can see how the first heart-shaped box turned out if you follow this link: www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/sets/72157632769935420/

More Daisies at Willowdale (Digital Woodcut)

Yesterday I posted an image cropped from a photo of daisies that I took at the Willowdale Estate in Topsfield, MA. Tonight I went back to the original photo and created a more generous crop. Then I opened the image in Painter and used digital pastel to hide some wilted daisies. Then I posterized the image and added a digital woodcut effect, adjusting the amount of black line and "heaviness" till I got the look that I wanted.

Daisies at Willowdale Estate

This morning I took a picture of some daisies at the Willowdale Estate (in Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield, MA). I wanted to show the garden to a friend who was visiting. Tonight I cropped this image out of one of the photos.

Necklace with Pink Beads and Silver (Closeup)

Yesterday I finished this necklace and posted a picture of it here. In this closeup view, it is easier to see the colors and the textures of the silver beads. The plum colored beads are vintage glass and the cherry-colored beads are dyed jade.

Necklace with Pink Beads and Silver

I have been working on this necklace for several days and finally finished it this morning.  I must have strung and restrung this one three times, due to modifying the design, but also due to miscounting the beads!  Oh, well.  I am happy with the result.  I started with vintage glass beads in a plum color and combined them with small beads of dyed jade in a cherry pink.  The metallic accent beads are silver plate as well as sterling silver.  I used stretchy cord so there is no need for a clasp.  

Remembering Montreal (Watercolor)

I took along my little travel watercolor kit for the recent trip to Montreal. I didn't really have much opportunity to use it, apart from this little painting (5 x 8 inches), which I worked on one afternoon in the hotel room. I was working from impressions and memories of what I had seen so far. I was pretty far into this painting when I began to doubt my memory. Weren't most of the buildings on Rue St. Paul four-story buildings? So where had I seen little houses like this? I have a pretty good visual memory, but I thought maybe was confusing the scenes in Old Montreal with the cute little farmhouses I had seen as we drove through Quebec. I was annoyed with myself but decided to keep going anyway, and work on the painting as it was. That evening as I returned to the streets of Old Montreal, I saw that I had not been entirely mistaken after all. Some of the older restaurants (like those I had seen in the main square (Place Jacques Cartier) are in little three-story houses like the ones in my painting.

On Rue St. Paul (Digital Woodcut)

I took this photo during a recent trip to Montreal.  This is Rue St. Paul, the main street for tourists, souvenir shops, and restaurants. It was late afternoon, the last day of our trip, and I liked the way the light played on the buildings. Tonight I did some basic editing in iPhoto, and then used Painter to do some digital editing, including simplifying the scene a bit and changing the appearance of the people in the scene. (This was to eliminate distractions but also to avoid producing a recognizable image of anyone.)  Then I posterized the image and applied a digital woodcut effect.  

Square in Old Montreal

Tonight I created this "digital woodcut" from one of the photos that I took during a recent trip to Montreal. This is a view of Place Jacques Cartier, one of the main squares in Old Montreal. It's a very busy place, but I took this picture during a quiet weekday morning. The original photo had a lot of problems, so I did some basic editing in iPhoto to correct the exposure and light and dark balance. Then I cropped the image to get this composition. After that, I opened the image in Painter. I used some color overlay and digital pastel to make some of the tourists' clothing more neutral and less distracting. Then I posterized the image and applied a woodcut effect. I worked with the "select" tool to apply different amounts of "black ink" and "heaviness" to different parts of the image.

Walking in Old Montreal (Digital Woodcut)

Today I used Painter to create this digital woodcut from a photo that I took during a recent trip to Montreal. This was on Rue St. Paul in Vieux Montreal. I took the photo early in the day, so the street was fairly empty. I used some color overlays to mute the colors and patterns of tourists' clothing, just to eliminate some distractions. Then I posterized the image, and added the woodcut effect.

Another Heart Shaped Box as of July 29, 2014

I was at the studio today and I worked for a while on my collage project. I am covering this heart-shaped box with bits of printed metallic ribbon. I am still working on the top of the box, creating purple and orange stripes. The stripes are starting to look the way I had hoped they wood, so I am encouraged. I call this project "Another Heart-Shaped Box" because it isn't the first one I have done. If you would like to see how my first heart-shaped box turned out, follow this link: www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/sets/72157632769935420/

Natural Floral Arrangement (Long Hill Gardens)

I took a picture of these flowers last week at Long Hill Gardens, when we went there to pick up our weekly farm share at our CSA (The Food Project).  I liked the combination of pink flowers and the variety of leaves and grasses. This is not part of the formal gardens; these plants were growing at the edge of a field. This was a natural floral arrangement.  Tonight I cropped the original photo to get this image.

Necklace with Chinese Turquoise, Blue Glass, and Wood

I have been working on this necklace for a few days, and I finally finished it yesterday. This is Chinese turquoise, blue glass, and wooden beads, with gold metallic accents. I used stretchy cord, so there is no clasp.

La Sauvagine (Digital Woodcut)

I used Painter to create this "digital woodcut" from the photo that I posted here yesterday. I took the original photo during a recent trip to Montreal. This is a restaurant called "La Savagine" (The Waterfowl), during a quiet moment on Rue St. Paul, one of the busiest streets in Vieux-Montreal.

La Sauvagine

This is a photo that I took during a recent trip to Montreal. We stayed in Vieux-Montreal (the old quarter), right off Rue St. Paul. At times this street is filled with people, which is fun and lively, but hard to capture in photographs. But I took this picture during a morning walk when the street was fairly empty. This is a little restaurant called La Sauvagine (which means The Waterfowl). I liked its white walls, red awnings, and red umbrellas, so I took a picture. I edited this image in iPhoto and Painter tonight. I also used Painter to create a digital woodcut, which I plan to post here tomorrow.

Another Heart Shaped Box as of July 24, 2014

I went up to the studio at Porter Mill today and worked for a while on this collage project. This was once a candy box (Turtles, to be precise), but I am covering it with designs created from printed metallic ribbon. I have been working on the lid, creating purple and orange stripes. My design is showing up more clearly as I add more pieces of ribbon. I call this project "Another Heart-Shaped Box" because it isn't the first. Follow this link to see my first heart-shaped box project: www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/sets/72157632769935420/

Heading North

Last weekend, we drove up to Montreal for a conference. I was in the passenger seat on the way, so I had a chance to take pictures of the scenery. We were running late, so there was no chance to stop. So as usual, I took pictures from the passenger seat of a moving car. Tonight I started editing some of my photos. This was one of my favorites, probably because those blue mountains in the distance remind me of home. I had to crop out the interior of the car, including the dashboard. Then I did some retouching and adjusted the exposure. I didn't realize I had the location function turned off, so I am not certain where this was taken, but I think it was in Vermont, about an hour south of Burlington.

Accountability Quartet (Illustration)

This is the third of three pen-and-ink drawings that I drew on July 19. I was working with a small sketchbook and a Sharpie in a hotel in Montreal. All three were used the following day as illustrations of a PowerPoint presentation (about accountability). I think these drawings are going to be used at another presentation at a conference in the fall; I hope to be able to clean them up a little first. But it seems that they were successful.

Accountability Tools (Illustration)

This is the second of three quick pen-and-ink drawings I did last night. All three were used as part of a PowerPoint presentation on accountability.

Designing Accountability (Illustration)

This is one of three quick pen and ink drawings that I drew in the hotel room. They are going to be used as part of a PowerPoint presentation on accountability.

Oak Leaves at Long Hill (Digital Woodcut)

I used Painter to add a woodcut effect to the image that I posted here yesterday. I fiddled with the controls to get just enough black to emphasize the patterns of the leaves and the tree trunk. I took the original photo on July 10, at Long Hill Gardens, here in Beverly, MA.

Oak Leaves at Long Hill (Posterized Photo)

Last Thursday (July 10), I posted a photo of oak leaves, taken at Long Hill Garden. (We were there to pick up our weekly share from The Food Project, our CSA.) I used Painter to create this posterized version of the same photo. While I was at it, I created a digital woodcut version, which I plan to post here tomorrow.

Taking a Picture for You

Here is the last photo of the set taken at last week's opening of the group show at Galatea Fine Arts. (The photo was taken by Mel Dubnick.) I used this photo to create a "virtual opening" for faraway friends and family. To see my "virtual opening," click here: www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/sets/72157645215832428 The show is up through July 27 and if you are in the Boston area, stop in at the gallery and see the whole show which includes work by some pretty amazing artists. (I am grateful to be in their company.) If you want to learn more about Galatea, follow this link: galateafineart.com

Two Small Paintings at Galatea Group Show

Here are two of my smaller paintings, hanging at Galatea Fine Arts, near the front door of the gallery. This photo was taken at the reception last week (photo by Mel Dubnick) and I am using it as part of the "virtual opening" slide show that I created for family and friends who couldn't make the show in person. If you would like to attend my "virtual opening," click here: www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/sets/72157645215832428/

Another View at Galatea July 2014

This is another view of the paintings that I have in the group show at Galatea Fine Arts in Boston. This photo was taken (by Mel Dubnick) at the opening last week. I uploaded it here to use create a "virtual opening" for friends and family who live far away. If you would like to attend my "virtual opening," click here: www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/sets/72157645215832428/

Galatea's Window July 2014

This is a photo of the window at Galatea Fine Arts in Boston, where I am participating in a group show. This was the first thing I saw when we arrived at the opening on Friday. I had forgotten to charge my phone and had no battery left, but my husband Mel took some photos for me. I decided to create a slideshow, a little "virtual opening" for friends and family who won't be able to see the show in person. This is one of the photos in the album. If you want to see my "virtual opening," follow this link: www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/sets/72157645215832428/

Four Paintings at Galatea July 2014

Here are four of my acrylic water media paintings, on the wall at Galatea Fine Arts (Boston) for the group show (through July 27). Photo by Mel Dubnick, taken at the opening reception last night. I was pleased with the framing and very happy with how the paintings were displayed. If you want to know more about Galatea, visit galateafineart.com

Galatea Group Show

My painting, "Red Canyon," appears on this postcard (front and back) advertising the group show at Galatea Fine Arts. I uploaded this today to use as part of a slide show for friends and family who couldn't won't be able to see the show in person. The opening was tonight, so it seems right for this to be today's post. The show is up through July 27th.

Oak Leaves at Long Hill (Digitally Modified)

Today we went to Long Hill Gardens and picked up our weekly CSA share at the Food Project.  I saw these oak leaves growing on low branches, near a tree stump.  I loved the pattern and the way the leaves looked in the late afternoon light, so I took some quick pictures.  Tonight I used Painter's digital pastel to repair a few ripped leaves.  I also created a posterized version as well as a digital woodcut, which I plan to post here soon.

Boats in Gloucester (Digital Woodcut)

Tonight I used Painter software to create this digital woodcut from the photo I posted here yesterday, a photo of boats at the Gloucester waterfront. I used the woodcut effect and fiddled with the controls to get the colors I wanted as well as the right amount of black outline.

Boats in Gloucester

We took a ride up to Gloucester on Sunday. I took this picture at the waterfront. I especially liked the red boat and the ice house. Tonight I did a little digital editing to deal with a problem in the lower left corner. Although problems remain, I think it might make a nice digital woodcut.

Necklace with Blue and White Beads

I worked on this necklace for several days, and finally finished it on July 6th. The beads are unusual and when I bought them (a while ago) and while I was creating this piece, I had my daughter in mind because she likes blue and white patterns on porcelain. I combined the blue and white patterned beads with small dark blue beads and silver metallic accents. I used a stretchy cord, so no clasp is needed.

Wood Necklace with Blue Spheres and Incised Reed

This is a necklace I worked on for a couple of days, and finished it on a very rainy July 4th. I used blue painted wooden beads, incised to make a striped pattern, and added incised reeds, also with stripes. I added some pale wooden beads in assorted shapes, and used copper-colored metallic spheres for accents. This is strung on stretchy cord, so there is no clasp.

July Bouquet (Digital Woodcut)

This is a digital woodcut created from the same photo  I used for yesterday's post.  This is a beautiful bouquet that we received earlier in the week.  For this version,  I used Painter to add a woodcut effect.

July Bouquet (Posterized Photo)

It rained hard last night and the weather today is uncertain.  But I went outside this morning and took a picture of a beautiful bouquet that we received earlier this week.  I used Painter to do a little bit of editing, and then posterized it to get this image. I also created another version with a woodcut effect that I plan to post here tomorrow.

Another Heart Shaped Box as of July 3, 2014

Today I went up to the studio at Porter Mill and worked for a while on this project. I am covering this heart-shaped box with patterns created from collage, using printed metallic ribbon. I am still and forever working on the top of the box, creating purple and orange stripes. The work is slow, but the stripes are getting easier to see as I fill in the gaps. It helps me to know that I did this before (which is why I call this "Another Heart Shaped Box." To see how my first heart-shaped box turned out, follow this link: www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/sets/72157632769935420/

Trellis with Roses (Digital Woodcut)

This image began with a photo of pink roses on a trellis. I took the original photo on a recent visit to the Willowdale Estate at Bradley Palmer State Park (in Topsfield, MA). Yesterday I cleaned up the original photo with Painter's digital pastel and then posterized it. Here is another version, a "digital woodcut" created with Painter's woodcut effect.

Trellis with Roses (Modified and Posterized Photo)

This image began with photo that I took recently at the Willowdale Estate at Bradley Palmer State Park.  I saw these roses in the garden at the front of the main building.  Tonight I cropped this composition out of my original photo and used Painter to do some digital cleanup of torn leaves, wilted flowers, etc.  Then I posterized the image and here it is.  I also created another version using the woodcut effect, and I plan to post it here tomorrow.

Doorway with Roses (Digital Woodcut)

Tonight I used Painter to add a digital woodcut effect to the photo that I posted here a couple of days ago. I fiddled with the controls until I got the colors and the amount of black "ink" that I wanted to see. The photo was taken at Willowdale Estates at Bradley Palmer State Park (Topsfield, MA). This is around back at the big stone house, where the garden is located.

Red Mountain, Pink Sky (In Galatea Artist's Alcove)

Today I went to Galatea Fine Arts to drop off some paintings for the July group show.  While I was there, I took a picture of this painting, which has been hanging in the "Artists' Alcove" for the month of June.  To learn more about Galatea Fine Arts, visit http://galateafineart.com

Doorway with Roses (Willowdale Estate)

Yesterday, on the way back from the vet, we stopped at Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield, MA. This time, we decided to look at the flowers at the Willowdale Estate. We walked around to the back of the big stone house to see the garden. Lots of things were blooming, but it was hard to beat these roses, cascading over the doorway.

Pink and Yellow Roses (Digital Woodcut)

I used Painter to create this digital woodcut from the photo of pink and yellow roses that I posted recently.  I fiddled with the controls to try to get just a little bit of black outline. (This was a quick picture that I took in the floral section of the grocery store.) 

Pink and Yellow Roses (Posterized Photo)

Tonight I used Painter to create this posterized version of the photo I published here yesterday, a bouquet of pink and yellow roses that I saw at the grocery store. I also used the photo to create a digital woodcut which I plan to post here tomorrow.

Pink and Yellow Roses (Digitally Edited)

Here are more roses, another bouquet that I saw at the store yesterday.  Although I love yellow and pink roses, I didn't buy these because they already looked like they were fading. But I did take a picture.  Tonight I used the retouch tool in iPhoto on them, and now they look a little better. 

Roses and Reflections

I stopped to buy some roses today. All the roses looked beautiful and it was hard to decide which color to buy. I liked the way the roses looked on display, so I took a few pictures. I am partial to this photo because of the reflections at the bottom of the image, and the pale pink roses at the top. I am also partial to bright pink, so these are the roses that I bought.

Summer Cherries

I bought some cherries today.  I liked the way they looked right after I rinsed them off, so I took some pictures.  I think this is the best one.

Illustrations in the Studio

Yesterday was Open Studios at Porter Mill, and we decided to pin these drawings up on our bulletin board. These are all illustrations that I made for our recipe blog: seasoningforeverypalate.wordpress.com. It was fun to see these drawings up on the wall together, so I took this picture.

Porter Mill Open Studios June 21, 2014

I spent most of the day in my studio at Porter Mill, where it was Open Studios. I took a few pictures, so here is a little look inside. The paintings on the wall are done with oil bars.  There are mountain sketchbook drawings, mini-drawings, and mini-paintings on the counter.

Spirea in Bloom

Last week I was at the Cove Community Center here in Beverly, MA, where we go to pick up our weekly share for the fish CSA. The spirea shrubs were in bloom, so I took some pictures. Seeing spirea in bloom always makes me think of home because I remember shrubs just like this framing the front porch  when I was growing up.  

Diagram for Making Stuffed Cabbage (Illustration)

Here is my illustration, a diagram for making stuffed cabbage. I added the color with fine-tip markers and colored conte crayon. I tried to used color to show movement or process, using darker green to indicate the "current position" of the cabbage lear, and pale green to indicate the prior position. I used arrows borrowed from drafting and technical drawing to make this feel like a diagram. If you want to read the recipe, go to seasoningforeverypalate.wordpress.com