Hydrangeas Becoming Pink (with Prisma filter)

Just for fun, I used the Prisma app to add the "Watercolor" filter to the photo that I posted here yesterday.

Hydrangeas Becoming Pink

Here is a photo that I took back on August 23rd, during a walk around the block.  Next door the hydrangeas were starting to turn pink, so I took some pictures.

Twin Towers from the Brooklyn Bridge (with Prisma's "Sketch" filter)

Even though we made frequent trips to New York City during the time we lived in New Jersey, I have very few photos of the Twin Towers.  In July of 2001, we were in New York and decided to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge.  It was a lot of fun, but my attention was the bridge itself.  But I took a photo of the New York skyline from the bridge, including the twin towers.  I didn't know that would be the last time I would see it.  Since then, I have made many versions of that photo.  And here's another one, this time with the Prisma app's "Sketch" filter.   This version captures the happiness of that moment on the bridge, not the tragedy of what came just a few months later.  

Shadows on the Path (with Prisma filter)

I added the "Flora" Prisma filter to my recent photo, taken at Cummings Center Pond. Suddenly the dappled light was more dramatic.

Shadows on the Path

From a recent walk at the Cummings Center Pond.  I liked the play of sunlight and shadow on the path, so I took this picture.  I used the Prisma app to make another version which I plan to post here tomorrow.

Glenwood Canyon Memory (in new home in Brazil)

After a long and complicated journey* that began in July, my painting "Glenwood Canyon Memory" has finally reached its new home in Goiania, Brazil.  Yesterday, Sandra, the new owner, sent me pictures. She tells me that this may not be the final location of painting in her house, but meanwhile I like the way the painting looks on that yellow wall.  They say  "The road to the house of a friend is never long."  I guess that is true of paintings, too. 

*The complicated journey:  In early July I left the painting with the local UPS store to be wrapped for shipping, intending to then pick up the wrapped painting and mail it from the US Post Office. But when I went back to the UPS store to pick up the wrapped painting, it had disappeared!  Phone calls and in store video revealed  that a UPS driver inadvertently picked up the painting, wrapped but unlabeled apart from a post-it note with my name and number. The UPS label scanning system was down that day,  the driver wasn't scanning packages, and so didn't see that the package had no label, but just put it in the truck. After many phone calls over the next two days, the painting was located at a UPS processing center, so we drove over to retrieve it.  A few days later I mailed the painting to Brazil from a local post office. Then I was able to track its progress until it arrived in Brazil.   But after that, radio silence for several weeks until I became convinced that it was lost (again). But Sandra, my friend and the new owner of this painting, found out that the painting was in Brazilian customs, awaiting payment! (Oh no!!!) It took awhile for her to retrieve it, but now it is finally in Sandra's house, and we are both relieved.

PS: For any potential art buyers: I have sent a number of paintings via UPS and also via the US  Postal service without incident. Typically in the US shipping takes 3 to 5 days and costs around  $50.00.  I have mailed other international packages without problems.  And this experience has taught me some things about insurance and customs forms that should help avoid such delays in the future. 

Composition with Woodpecker

Yesterday, as I worked in my upstairs office, it was easy to tell that the woodpecker had returned. From the noise and vibration, you would think that someone was hammering into the house, just below my office window. I was able to work right through the noise because the woodpecker has been here many times. But I had never seen the bird in action until yesterday.  After I finished my work, I went downstairs and the noise got louder as I approached the deck.  My husband was already out there on and motioned me to be silent as he pointed up at the woodpecker, hard at work destroying our siding.  So I took a quick picture just before the bird flew away.  Today I cropped the photo to get this composition  and adjusted the contrast to make it easier to see the bird. Hard to believe this little bird could make so much noise or do so much damage.  From the sound, I was expecting a bigger bird, probably with red and blue feathers. . .oh, right, that would be Woody Woodpecker.  But this was just a small bird with quiet black and white markings. It looks like we are gonna have to replace one corner post. And that's all, folks!

Hy Zagon, Fishing in 1941 (Prisma filter added)

Last week, I started working on this snapshot of my father.  First, I rescued the snapshot, which was badly tilted.  In order to do that, I had to use Painter to create additional background on the right side of the photo so that I could then rotate and crop the image.  Then I used Painter to create a second version with some subtle color.  I liked it but it didn't quite capture the joy of the moment.  So yesterday I decided to see what a Prisma filter would do, applied over the work I had already done.  I tried out several filters, but decided to go with "Watercolor," which is one of my favorites.  I liked the result, though I did a second round of editing in Painter to correct a few things, toned down some blue on the teeth, and decided to cover up some sort of badge on the shirt.  I am glad I did the additional work on this; it makes me happy to see my dad smiling in the sunshine.

Pink Flowers at Cummings Center Pond (with Prisma filter)

Here is the photo of pink flowers that I took at the Cummings Center Pond a few days ago, but this time I used the Prisma app to add the "Watercolor" filter.

Pink Flowers at Cummings Center Pond

Today we went for a walk at the Cummings Center Pond.  We have had too little rain here. The grass is dry, the water level is lower than usual, and some of the trees are loosing leaves early. But I spotted these spiky purple flowers at water's edge and took a picture.  Later I cropped and retouched the image, and here it is.  I also used the Prisma app to apply a filter, and I plan to post the result here tomorrow.

Hy Zagon, Fishing in 1941 (Digitally Modified Snapshot)

Yesterday I posted a rescued snapshot of my dad as a young man of 23. (He was born August 28, 1918).  The original snapshot, taken by an unknown photographer, was tilted so much that I had to add to the background with Painter so that I could straighten and crop the image, and I posted that here yesterday. But while I was at it,  I also decided to use Painter to add some color with a combination of color overlay and digital pastel. Then I added a bit of posterizing effect in selected areas. Here is the result, which I like but I also like the original version.    For me, the process is just as important as the result.  As I work on the photo, I notice more details (my dad's shirt, his belt, his watchband, the rocks along the shore, little boy in the background). As I invent the colors, I spend a little more time with the photo as I think about the scene, and about my dad, and his life.  

Hy Zagon, Fishing in 1941 (Rescued Snapshot)

I love this picture of my dad at 23, fishing, and smiling with the wind in his hair.  I found this among the collection of family photos that my cousin Bob Fitterman put together a few years ago, and it is dated August 5, 1941.  I have often thought doing more with the photo but the original version was very badly tilted.  (Mind you, my father seems to be standing in a rowboat, and so was the unknown photographer, but still. . .)  My father was born on August 28 in 1918, so I decided his birthday was a good day to try to rescue this snapshot.  When I rotated the photo to straighten the background, too much of the figure would be cut off if I cropped it.  I used  Painter to add pixels to make the digital canvas bigger on the left side, and then used enough cut-and-paste to create more background on the left and also slightly increased the line of the shoulder by drawing into the photo.  Then I was able to straighten and crop the photo without cutting off the figure.  The result as not perfect, but much better. Then I used iPhoto to do some  basic cleanup, and here it is.  (I also used Painter to create a digitally modified version with color, and I plan to post that tomorrow).  Anyway, I am glad to have this image.  It's the only picture I have seen of my dad fishing (although that years later he sometimes went fishing with my Uncle Bob in San Isabel and sometimes my cousin and I would tag along). I would love to know more about the 1941 photo. A companion photo shows him in a rowboat with a friend, and a third person took the photo  Who were these friends, and where were they fishing? This is just a year before my dad enlisted, so I would guess maybe somewhere in Brooklyn or Long Island? Maybe Central Park?  There is a lot I don't know.  But what I can clearly recognize in that photo are his smile, his easy temperament, and his sense of fun.  He was ready to laugh and always willing to have fun.  Once, at Pueblo City Park (I was maybe 8 or 10)  he showed me how he could do a flip on acrobatic rings, and wearing a sport coat and tie, turned completely upside-down, not worried about his car keys falling on the ground. He kept his sense of enjoyment throughout his life, whether he was fishing, rollerskating, or later, just taking a walk. His memory is a blessing, as was his life.

Ten Mountain Landscapes in Beverly Farms (View 2)

Here is the second photo I received from the new owners of my mountain landscapes.  This view shows the same ten paintings, but photographed from the other direction.  I am very happy to see my paintings in their new home in Beverly Farms.

Ten Mountain Landscapes in Beverly Farms (View 1)

I recently received photos from the new owners of my mountain landscapes. My paintings are now hung in their new home in Beverly Farms.  I think the light fixture creates an interesting effect,  like sun and passing clouds on the mountains.

Light-Catching Necklace and Earrings: with Glass and Wooden Beads

I used glass and wooden beads for this custom-made necklace and earrings set.  I like the way the green and brown glass beads catch the light. The necklace can be worn long or short, "doubled" with an S hook.

 

Guest Artist Mindy Fitterman: "Stitched Kintsugi"

Guest Artist Mindy Fitterman (my cousin) has several works on display at the Ayer Loft Gallery, 172 Middle Street, Lowell, MA.  This piece is canvas and thread. Mindy is part of a group of six artists, "Seacoast Area Fine Artists" displaying fabric arts in a show entitled, "Not Written in Stone." The show is up through August 28th, and the gallery is open Saturdays, Sundays 12-4 pm and by appointment.  I hope area friends will check it out.  

Red Lilies at the Cummings Center (with Prisma filter)

Yesterday I posted a photo that I took a few weeks ago, red lilies at the Cummings Center, here is Beverly, MA.  I also created this version by using the Prisma app to add a filter, called "Leaf Fall". 

Red Lilies at the Cumming Center

Here's a photo that I took a couple of weeks ago,  some red lilies near the Cummings Center Pond. I loved the colors and textures so I took a picture, and tonight I edited the original to get this composition. I also used the Prisma app to create a version with a filter, and I plan to post that here tomorrow.

Day-lilies in the Park (with Prisma filter)

Here is the photo I posted recently, this time with the "Flora" filter from the Prisma app.  There is a lot of trial and error involved in finding the right filter.  I liked this one because it heightens the colors and brings out the red tones of the branches.

Day-lilies in the Park

From a recent walk in a neighborhood park.  I liked play of colors and textures, so I took this photo.  I also tried a Prisma filter on this image, and I plan to post it here tomorrow.

Water's Edge (Cumming Center Pond) with Prisma filter

Here is my recent photo, this time with the Prisma app's "Leaf Fall" filter.

Reposting: Glenwood Canyon Memory (Acrylic Watermedia)

I am reposting this Colorado landscape because this morning I shipped this painting off to its new home in Brazil.

Water's Edge (Cumming Center Pond)

Here's another photo that I took on July 7th, during a walk at the Cumming Center Pond. I liked the contrast of brilliant water, deep shadows, and dappled light, so I took this picture.  Later, I cropped the original photo to get this composition.  I also used the Prisma app on my phone to add a filter; I plan to post that version tomorrow.  

Reposting: Porter Mill Vitrine Show

This is a short video of mountain landscapes shown at Porter Mill  in April-May.  I am reposting it because yesterday, all ten paintings went to their new home in Beverly Farms, where the new owners plan to display them as a group.

Light on the Path (Cumming Center Pond) with Prisma filter

I used the Prisma app to add a filter ("Leaf Fall") to the photo that I took recently during a walk at the Cumming Center here in Beverly, MA. 

Light on the Path (Cumming Center Pond)

Lovely weather today, in the high 70s, and breezy.  It was a great day for a walk at the Cumming Center Pond.  I liked the dappled light on the path, so I took this picture.

Persistence of Flowers (with Woodcut Effect in Black)

This is the last version of my recent digital drawing.  I produced the original drawing using Procreate on my iPad. Then I used Painter to edit the image, first to fix mistakes, and then to experiment with color and texture.  This version has Painter's woodcut effect applied, with black outline. To get this to look the way I wanted it to, I used a lot of trial and error, and finally I had to selectively apply the woodcut effect in some areas using the "Magic Wand" tool. 

Persistence of Flowers (Woodcut with Color Shift)

After I edited my digital drawing in Painter, I started experimenting. In this version, I changed the colors ("Hue Shift"), and added a woodcut effect (with no black).  My mistakes had led me to have some fun. . .

Persistence of Flowers (Edited)

My last post was the digital drawing that I made on my iPad with the Procreate app.  I was trying out some texture brushes, and also didn't use my stylus till pretty late in the process, so there were even more mistakes than usual.  I decided to do some editing with Painter on my desktop computer.  Here is the edited version. Stay tuned: Once I got this far, I used Painter to create additional versions by changing colors and adding a woodcut effect.  I plan to post those additional versions as well.  Mistakes can be a good thing in art, because mistakes can lead to something new.  More to come. . . 

Persistence of Flowers (Digital Drawing)

This is the last frame of the video I posted recently.  I was drawing on my iPad using the Procreate app, and it captures a "stroke-by-stroke" video.  I like this little drawing, but I wanted to correct some mistakes, so I decided to edit it on the computer in Painter.  To be continued. . .

Persistence of Flowers (Video Replay)

I used the Procreate app on my iPad to draw a bouquet for my daughter, who decorates my life with flowers.  While you draw, Procreate captures a stroke-by-stroke video 

Wild Roses in the Back Yard (with Prisma filter)

I recently posted a photo of wild roses growing in my back yard. 

I went back to that photo and used the Prisma app to add a filter  "Watercolor", one of my favorite filters. 

Unpredictable Bouquet (Video Replay)

Yesterday I posted a digital drawing that I made on the Procreate app on my iPad.  As you draw, Procreate captures a "stroke-by-stroke" video.  As I said yesterday, I decided to call this "Unpredictable Bouquet" because I was trying out a new brush (based on triangles).  It didn't act as expected (as you will see in the video) and in addition, there seemed to be a disconnect between the colors I chose in the app and the colors that the brush put down. Also, I hadn't charged my stylus so was working with my bare hands (essentially digital finger-painting). I am posting this video so you can see the process. As I said yesterday, I felt like I was in a rodeo, just trying to stay on that horse.  But I kept going, and things got better.  Often true in art, and also in life.

Unpredictable Bouquet (Digital Drawing)

This is a little digital drawing that I did today on my iPad when I had a few minutes to spare.  I call this "Unpredictable Bouquet" because I tried a new brush in Procreate, and it was not at all what I expected.  The strokes are in the shape of triangles, but what really made this unpredictable was that the color choices I made on the color wheel seemed to be different from the colors that the brush was producing.  This seemed like a disaster, but I kept going.  The struggle isn't that apparent in the drawing, but tomorrow I will post the video so you can see the process.  I felt like I was in a rodeo, just trying to get my horse under control. 

Reposting: Russell Orchards (Pink Fantasy)

This painting, “Russell Orchards (Pink Fantasy) is now on display at the Arts Fest Beverly 2022 Community Art Exhibition. The show opened yesterday and runs through August 1 in the Manninen Center for the Arts at Endicott College here in Beverly. There is a reception on Thursday, June 16 from 5-7pm. I hope local friends will check out the show. Lots of great local artists will be represented there.

Wild Roses in the Back Yard

Here is a photo that I took of the wild roses growing on along our chain link fence.  The little blossoms look so beautiful, and the whole yard smells like roses.  

Ocean Sunrise (Procreate Video Playback)

My previous post was a digital drawing of an ocean sunrise, created on my iPad with the Procreate app.  Procreate creates a video playback as you draw, and I am posting that tonight.

Ocean Sunrise (Digital Drawing)

Here's another digital drawing that I recently created on my iPad, using the Procreate app and working from memory and imagination.  I used two textured brushes to create this image.  Procreate captures a video replay as you draw, and I plan to post that here tomorrow.

Russell Orchards (Pink Fantasy), Oil Bar Painting

On May 11, I declared this painting finished, took a picture, and submitted the digital image to a juried art show.  Since then, I made a few small changes.  I wired it, labeled it, and yesterday, I drove over to Endicott College here in Beverly, and dropped it off for the Arts Fest Beverly Community Art Exhibit 2022, coming up in mid-June.

Seaside Fantasy (Video Replay)

I recently posted a digital drawing that I made on my iPad with the Procreate app. I decided to see if I could make the drawing  using Procreate's texture pens.  As you draw, the program captures a stroke-by-stroke video, and I here it is.

Dad in Uniform (Rescued Photo)

Memorial Day is to honor those who died in the war, so let me say at once that my father DID return from World War II. But I am posting this today to honor those who weren't as fortunate.  This among my father's photos, sent to me a few years ago by my cousin Rori. The photo was well worn, so I did a little retouching and digital editing in Painter.  The photographer was  J. Raoul Turner, who apparently took all the important photos until my uncle Ike Fitterman (dba Jay Phillips Studio) moved to Pueblo.  I love the 1940's embellishment on the cardboard frame. My parents met in Pueblo, Colorado, where my father was stationed.  They married shortly before he left to go overseas to do his bit against the Nazis.  The signature on this photo says, "To Ruth, With love, Hy".    When I saw this, I thought about all the signed pictures my parents exchanged before my Dad left. This brought to mind a quotation that I mentioned a few years ago on Memorial Day.  Here is the quotation by Ronald Reagan, cited by Al Franken : "They gave up two lives. The one they were living and the one they would have lived. When they died, they gave up their chance to be husbands and fathers and grandfathers. . .".  Looking at this signed photo makes me think that my father was very aware of everything he was risking as left for Europe.  Unlike many others, he did return, and as I said a few years ago, "My own life, my own family, resulted from that fact."   I am also grateful for the efforts of those who fought in World War II, many of whom did not make it back.  

Seaside Fantasy (Digital Drawing on Procreate)

Life has been very busy lately!  I have a big art project that I will be starting soon, but meanwhile, I have been doing some quick drawings on my iPad, working from my imagination.  I have been using Procreate for several years, but seeing  Procreate videos on Instagram has convinced me to try to learn more.  Here I decided to do the entire drawing using different texture brushes to make the clouds, ocean, and foliage.  Procreate captures a video replay as you draw, and I plan to post that soon.

Russell Orchards (Pink Fantasy), Oil Bar Painting as of May 11, 2022

Here is my oil bar painting as it looked on May 11, 2022.  I added detail and contrast, and rechecked  all the horizontal lines to make sure they were behaving.  I made a lot of small changes, but finally it was time to take a photo so I could submit this painting to a local art show here in Beverly.  (May 11th was the submission deadline.)  To be continued. . . .

Russell Orchards (Pink Fantasy), Oil Bar Painting as of May 10, 2022

Here is my latest painting as it looked on May 10.  My focus that day was getting all the horizontal lines to behave. I also worked on the stone walls and the water.  To be continued. . .

Russell Orchards (Pink Fantasy), Oil Bar Painting as of May 9, 2022

Here is my oil bar painting as it looked on May 9, 2022.  Most of my work that day was on the pink flowers around the pond.  I turned the canvas and my photo reference upside-down, and worked on the shapes of the flowers. That helped (almost always does).  I also worked on the stone wall and the pond.  Still struggling with a stubborn horizontal line that won't behave, though.  To be continued. . .

Russell Orchards (Pink Fantasy), Oil Bar Painting as of May 7, 2022

Here is the painting I have been working on. What is new here: I added definition to the trees and shrubs, especially on the left part of the canvas.  Using my photo reference, I started working on the pink and green shapes in the foreground.  That one pesky horizontal line is still a problem.  To be continued. . . 

Russell Orchards (Pink Fantasy), Oil Bar Painting as of May 6, 2022

Here is the oil bar painting I have been working on, as it looked on May 6, 2022.  I added color to the sky and the pond. I also worked on refining some of the shapes and lines.

Russell Orchards (Pink Fantasy), Oil Bar Painting as of May 5, 2022

Here is the painting I have been working on, as it looked on May 5th at the end of the day.  This is based on a photo that I took back in 2005 of the pond at Russell Orchards in Ipswich.  (My photo reference was posted here recently.) This is oil bar on canvas, 20 x 20 inches. You may notice I was having trouble getting that stone wall next to the pond to hold still and behave itself. The struggle continued for a some time. . . .

"Rio Rita, Brazilian Bacalhau", now in Marblehead

This morning, I drove to Marblehead, MA, to deliver my codfish project, "Rio Rita, Brazilian Bacalhau", for the Codfish Auction to benefit Marblehead Festival of Art.  Rita will have her picture taken and will be posted on the auction website in a week or two. (You can bid from anywhere.)  I will let you know when the auction goes online.  I hope Rio Rita will find a good home.

Mothers' Day Bouquet 2022 (with Prisma filter)

Mothers Day Bouquet 2022 (Edited photo)

On Friday, I received an early Mothers Day bouquet.  I took pictures right away to share with family.  Later, I had time to edit the photo, mainly to crop and simplify the background, and here it is.

Pink Fantasy at Russell Orchard (Edited Painting Reference)

Here is my photo, now digitally altered to be used as a painting reference.  I cropped the original to get it into a square format, and as I did so, the position of the pond changed so that it went across the image.  I also used Painter's cut-and-paste tools to rearrange some trees, and to make sure those pink flowers went all the way across the canvas.  Then I printed out a copy and started painting. . . .

Pink Fantasy at Russell Orchard Pond (Inspiration for Painting)

This week I decided to paint a local scene -- possibly to enter in an upcoming art show, if I can get it finished by the deadline (which is fast approaching).  I looked at a lot of photos, but when I found this one, it made me want to paint right away! I took this photo in 2005 at Russell's Orchard in Ipswich.  This is a scene around the pond there, and those hot pink wetland plants bloom in August here in Massachusetts. I have an ongoing series of New England landscapes painted in oil bar.  The paintings in that  series are all 20 x 20, so before I could use this as a painting reference, I needed to crop it into a square format.  I thought I that while I was at it, I would edit the image in Painter and change a few details to improve the composition.  To be continued. . .

Rio Rita, Brazilian Bacalhau

Over the past few days, I have been working on this project, a decorated wooden codfish that will be part of the annual Codfish Auction, to benefit Marblehead Festival of Art.  I have made a few minor changes to the pattern, fixed tiny air bubbles and cracks, painted the back and sides with silver acrylic paint, and today, attached the hanging hardware.  I put Rita up on my wall just to make sure she would hang correctly.  And then I took this picture, which shows how she looks as a 3-D object.  The folks in Marblehead will probably take her "official photo" for the website, but this is a pretty good representation of how she looks.  I will be taking Rita to Marblehead soon, and I will miss her. 

Rio Rita, Brazilian Bacalhau (As of May 1, 2022)

I am decorating a wooden codfish cutout as part of the annual Codfish Auction, held annually to benefit Marblehead Festival of Art.  This year, my codfish has a Brazilian theme.  I decided to replace the characteristic scales and striped markings of a fish with the iconic pattern of black and white stones seen on the promenades of Rio beaches.  This is how my project looked yesterday.  The pattern is now complete, although I may make minor corrections.  Next steps: to paint the sides and back with silver paint.