Branch with Golden Berries (On the Easel, Dec. 13 2013)

Branch with Golden Berries (On the Easel, Dec. 13 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is the oil bar painting I have been working on. On December 13, I had already finished painting (and had already taken a photo of what I had done), but I caught a glimpse of my painting in with sunlight and shadows from window blinds hitting it. I liked seeing my painting this way so I took this picture because it captures just a tiny bit of the happiness of painting.

Another Heart Shaped Box as of December 20, 2013

Another Heart Shaped Box as of December 20, 2013, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Late this afternoon, I spent some time in the studio at Porter Mill, working on this project. I am using tiny pieces of printed metallic ribbon to cover this heart-shaped box with collage patterns. The box top is going to have stripes of purple and orange, which are just beginning to be visible. By the time I finished working, I didn't have enough natural light to get a good picture, so I had to turn on the lights to get this picture. Even though it made to harder to get a clear photo, it was nice to see the how the metallic ribbon reflects the light. I call this project "Another Heart Shaped Box" because I did one previously, a few years ago. You can see it if you follow this link: www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/sets/72157632769935420/

Blue Sky Golden Field (Mini-Painting as of December 13, 2013)

Blue Sky Golden Field (Mini-Painting as of December 13, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here is another miniature painting as it looked on December 13. That day, I was trying to finish some of these tiny paintings because I wanted to show them at Porter Mill's Open Studios the following day. Like the others, this little landscape is done with oil bar paint on a canvas that is 3 inches square.

Red Mountains, Brown Field (Mini-Painting as of Dec. 13, 2013)

Red Mountains, Brown Field (Mini-Painting as of Dec. 13, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is one of my miniature paintings as it looked on December 13. This is oil bar on a canvas that is 3 inches square. I was trying to finish up some of my mini-paintings for Open Studios. For this one, I added color to the sky and a red sun.

Golden Branches (Oil Bar Painting as of Dec. 13, 2013)

Golden Branches (Oil Bar Painting as of Dec. 13, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is my oil bar painting of a branch with golden berries as it looked on December 13. I worked on adding more contrast to make the flow of the leaves show up, and the painting began to look the way I hoped it would. I am using one of my photos as a reference and for anyone who wants to see, it is posted here on December 1.

Spring Field (Mini-Painting as of Dec. 10, 2013)

Spring Field (Mini-Painting as of Dec. 10, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here is another miniature painting as it looked on December 10th. Like the others, this little painting is oil bar on a canvas that is 3 inches square. This is from imagination, but the scene makes me think of spring.

Red Mountains Brown Field (Mini-Painting as of Dec. 10, 2013)

Red Mountains Brown Field (Mini-Painting as of Dec. 10, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is another miniature painting that I started on December 10, also oil bar on a canvas that is 3 inches square. I am painting from imagination here, but the imagery comes from memories of Colorado, my home state.

Boulder Daydream (Mini-Painting as of Dec. 10, 2013)

Boulder Daydream (Mini-Painting as of Dec. 10, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

On December 10, I also worked on this little painting. This is oil bar paint on a canvas that is 3 inches square. These tiny paintings are based on memory and imagination. This one is inspired by memories of the mountains near Boulder, Colorado. On the 10th, I added more color to the mountains and sky (and a suggestion of a red sun.)

Branch with Golden Berries (Oil Bar Painting as of Dec. 10, 2013)

Branch with Golden Berries (Oil Bar Painting as of Dec. 10, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is my oil bar painting in progress as it looked on December 10. This painting is loosely based on one of my posterized photos (published here December 1). It had been several days since I had worked on this painting. (The previous session was December 6.) Of course, I was busy with other things. But I think I was also frustrated because I seemed to be losing the composition as I added colors to the background. So on December 10th, I began with the main focus, those golden leaves and berries, and revised my placement decisions until I began to get those long lines of yellow and gold. So even though I continue to use the reference photo quite a bit, my emphasis shifted to the composition on the canvas. By the time I was finished painting for the day, I felt things were back on track.

New Paintings for Porter Mill Open Studios Dec. 2013

New Paintings for Porter Mill Open Studios Dec. 2013, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This morning I went up to the studio at Porter Mill to get ready for Open Studios, which is this weekend. I hung some paintings, and four of my recent oil bar landscapes are on the wall. I liked the way my paintings looked together so I took this picture. (The smaller works toward the bottom are five of my Colorado drawings, based on an old sketchbook I took along on a trip back home in the eighties.)

Boulder Daydream (Mini-Painting as of December 6, 2013)

Boulder Daydream (Mini-Painting as of December 6, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here's another miniature painting that I worked on last Friday (December 6th). This is oil bar on a canvas that is approximately 3 inches square. On Friday I added some blues and purples to the sky, and added some brown and purple to the mountain. I am working from imagination, but this reminds me of the Flatirons near Boulder, where I spent several years as a student.

Blue Sky Golden Field (Mini-Painting as of December 6, 2013)

Blue Sky Golden Field (Mini-Painting as of December 6, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is one of my miniature (3 inches square) oil bar paintings as of December 6, 2013. I brought the yellows and oranges of the field to the bottom of the canvas. I also added some light blue to the sky, trying to retain the shapes of the original strokes of dark blue. (I wanted to soften that electric blue a bit, but may bring just a little more of it back in.) I create these tiny paintings at the end of my painting sessions, working from memory and imagination. Some have suggested that this little painting looks like Kansas. No doubt I am drawing from visual memory of big sky, flat horizon line, and low clouds, that I saw often during road trips from Kansas (Emporia and Lawrence) to Colorado.

Branch with Golden Berries (Oil Bar Painting as of Dec. 6, 2013)

Branch with Golden Berries (Oil Bar Painting as of Dec. 6, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is my oil bar painting as of December 6. I have been trying to lay in the background, finding darks and lights. (I am using one of my posterized photos as a reference, posted here Dec. 1.) It is fun getting lost in all those leaves, but I think the next step will be to simplify the background and re-emphasize the main lines of the branches. There are also some adjustments that I want to make to the composition.

Boulder Daydream (Mini-Painting as of December 4, 2013)

Boulder Daydream (Mini-Painting as of December 4, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is another tiny (3 x 3 inch) oil bar painting that I started on December 4th. I have been ending my painting sessions by working on these tiny paintings, often using whatever color is left on my brushes that day. I call this one "Boulder Daydream" because the silhouette of the mountains reminds me of the Flatirons. This is a work-in-progress. . . .

Blue Sky Golden Field (Mini-Painting as of December 4, 2013)

Blue Sky Golden Field (Mini-Painting as of December 4, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here is my miniature painting as it looked on December 4th. This little landscape is oil bar on a canvas that is 3 inches square, and it is still a work in progress. On the 4th, I added a bit more color to the field and sky, but I am planning to tone the sky down before I am done.

Branch with Golden Berries (Oil Bar Painting as of Dec. 4, 2013)

Branch with Golden Berries (Oil Bar Painting as of Dec. 4, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here is my oil bar painting in progress as it looked on Wednesday (Dec. 4). That day I was still working out placement and composition. I used some purple to indicate where the shadows should be. I am using one of my posterized photos as a reference (posted here Dec. 1) and you can see plenty of purple in the shadows.

Another Heart Shaped Box as of December 4, 2013

Another Heart Shaped Box as of December 4, 2013, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Yesterday I went to Porter Mill Studios and worked for a while on this project, a heart-shaped box that I am covering with collage designs made from pieces of printed metallic ribbon. I am creating orange and purple stripes on the top of the box, and they are beginning to appear. I named this work "Another Heart-Shaped Box" because it isn't my first. If you want to see the first collaged heart-shaped box I made, just follow this link: www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/sets/72157632769935420/

Blue Sky Golden Field (Mini-Painting as of December 3, 2013)

Blue Sky Golden Field (Mini-Painting as of December 3, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is a work in progress, a new miniature oil bar painting that I started yesterday. The canvas is only 3 inches square.

Branch with Golden Berries (Oil Bar Painting as of Dec. 3, 2013)

Branch with Golden Berries (Oil Bar Painting as of Dec. 3, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This morning I worked on this oil bar painting for about an hour. This is loosely based on one of my photos, originally taken in October of 2009. (I cropped that version to get the reference photo, posted here Dec. 1, 2013.) Today I continued to work on composition, starting with placement of the main branches, and then the berries and yellow leaves.

Branch with Golden Berries (Oil Bar Painting as of Dec 2, 2013)

Branch with Golden Berries (Oil Bar Painting as of Dec 2, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

I was determined to get my new painting started today, even if I was short on time. So I took a few minutes to start roughing in the composition. This painting will be loosely based on my photo of a branch with golden berries (published here yesterday). I only put down a few lines, but of course, I already want to make changes. But it is good to get started, anyway.

Golden Berries (Posterized) for Painting

Golden Berries (Posterized) for Painting, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

I am planning to start another oil bar painting this week. I want to do another smaller painting (8 x 10) of branches, this time with berries. Tonight I found the photo I will use as a reference. Back in October of 2009, I took a photo of golden berries and posterized it. I really like it, but the resolution is very low and it will only print a very small copy. So I played around with it in Painter, trying to increase the resolution with posterizing, and when I had done all that I could, I cropped it to get a composition that would work in an 8 x 10 inch format. And here it is.

Another Heart Shaped Box as of November 30, 2013

Another Heart Shaped Box as of November 30, 2013, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

I went to Porter Mill Studios this morning and spent some time working on this project, a heart-shaped box that I am covering with collaged designs created from printed metallic ribbon. This was a candy box, but the Turtles logo is beginning to disappear, covered by stripes of purple and orange. If you want to see where this is going, you can see my first heart-shaped box project by following this link:http://www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/sets/72157632769935420/

Quick Little Menurkey

Quick Little Menurkey, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This digital drawing is of the menurkey, a rare bird, a fanciful combination of a turkey and a menorah, whose purpose is to celebrate the strange and rare overlap of Thanksgiving and Chanukah this year. I made this drawing a day before yesterday, using the Brushes app on my iPad, which captures a stroke-by-stroke video as you draw. This drawing is the final frame. (If you haven't already had too much turkey and you want to see the video, follow this link: www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/11104128344/in/photostream

Menurkey

Menurkey a video by randubnick on Flickr.

I made this little video animation last night on my iPad using the Brushes app. (The iPad version of the Brushes app captures a stroke-by-stroke video as you draw.) I will use it to send out on-lin greetings for Thanksgiving and Hanukkah, which overlap this year.

Quick Little Menorah

Quick Little Menorah, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is the first night of Hanukkah, and Thanksgiving is tomorrow. So today I spent a lot of time rushing around doing errands, but late this afternoon I took a little time to work on a little project on my iPad, a Hanukkah and Thanksgiving animation. (The Brushes app on the iPad captures a stroke-by-stroke video as you draw.) The first part of the project was to draw a menorah. (Maybe you can guess where this is going.) So I did this quick sketch with the Brushes app. To be continued. . . .

Composition with Peppers (Posterized)

Composition with Peppers (Posterized), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Last night I posted a photo of peppers (cubanelles and green peppers). (I took the original photo in early October, during pick-up day at the Food Project, our local CSA.) Tonight I opened the jpeg in Painter I2. I was thinking of cropping the image because the shape of one of the peppers was distracting. I tried a few closeup crops, but then decided to go a different way. I used digital pastel to modify the shape of that one distracting cubanelle. Then I posterized the image and really liked the result, so here it is. I might use this one for the food blog. . . .

Composition with Peppers

Composition with Peppers, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

I plan to start another painting later in the week, but meanwhile I am catching up with editing photos. Here's one that I took back on October 3, on pickup day for The Food Project, which is our CSA, over at Long Hill Gardens. These peppers were in a great big bin. I liked the way they looked, so I took a picture. Today I did a little retouching in iPhoto and then cropped the original to get this composition.

Oak Leaves (Pen and Ink Exercise)

Oak Leaves (Pen and Ink Exercise), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here is another little drawing that I did this afternoon with pen and ink, and the last of the 3.5 inch Zentangle tiles that came with my new set of pens. I was thinking about oak leaves, creating a random pattern on the ground.

The Translucence of Leeks (Pen and Ink Exercise)

The Translucence of Leeks (Pen and Ink Exercise), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here's another little pen-and-ink exercise, done on a 3.5 inch square "Zentangle tile" that came with my new set of pens. I did this drawing late this afternoon, just before I started cooking dinner, which might be why I came up with design elements inspired by leeks (which I actually used to cook dinner last night). The title refers not only to the fact that leeks become translucent when sautéed, but also to the fact that the lines began to cross as I drew so I decided to make the leeks translucent.

Slices and Seeds (Pen and Ink Exercise)

Slices and Seeds (Pen and Ink Exercise), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here is another pen-and-ink exercise that I did today, using my new pens. This is a small drawing, 3.5 inches square, drawn on one of the Zentangle tiles that came with the pens. I knew I wanted to draw a pattern, and started drawing circles. I drew this late this afternoon and I guess I was thinking about making dinner, because the shapes started to look like sliced tomatoes, so I went with that and added seeds. But the shapes could also be jalapeño slices, or maybe even pomegranates. Anyway, it was fun to draw, and good practice.

Lines, Vines, and Dots (Pen and Ink Exercise)

Lines, Vines, and Dots (Pen and Ink Exercise), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here is another pen-and-ink that I did late this afternoon with my new pens. This drawing is 3.5 inches x 3.5 inches. (I used a "Zentangle" tile that came with the pens.) I am not sure it is a "Zentangle"; I just started drawing vines and leaves and let the drawing take me where it wanted to go.

Lemon Lime (Pen and Ink Exercise)

Lemon Lime (Pen and Ink Exercise), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is a little pen-and-ink exercise that I did tonight. I was curious about Zentangles so I read a little bit about it, and even bought a little kit with some new ink pens (micron pens with archival ink) and some little pieces of paper 3.5 inches square. Life has been pretty hectic, so my new "toy" has been gathering dust. But tonight I decided to try it out. I didn't really follow the steps for a Zentangle (subdividing the area with strings, etc.). Instead I just invented this little pattern and started drawing on one of the little paper squares. (I was thinking about the fish I was going to cook in lime and orange juice, which is why the pattern I invented looks a little bit like citrus fruit wedges.) Anyway, whether or not this really a Zentangle, it was a good exercise and I am really happy with my new pens.

More Apples from Russell's (Posterized)

More Apples from Russell's (Posterized), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here's another image, also begun with a photo taken at Russell's Orchard in Ipswich, MA. There are huge bins full of apples, and I was photographing different kinds. Tonight I cropped this image from one of the photos, cropped it in iPhoto to get this composition, and then used Painter to posterize it.

Apples at Russell's Orchard (Posterized Photo)

Apples at Russell's Orchard (Posterized Photo), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

For the past few days, I have been posting some photos taken at Crane's Beach on October 22. That day also included a stop at nearby Russell's Orchard (also in Ipswich, MA). Of course there were big bins of apples and I took some pictures. Tonight I cropped this image out of one of the original photos, and used Painter to posterize it.

Crane's Beach Sand Dunes (Posterized)

Crane's Beach Sand Dunes (Posterized), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is a posterized version of the image I published here yesterday: a digitally modified photo of the sand dunes at Crane's Beach (in Ipswich, MA). I used Painter to apply a posterizing effect. The posterizing is subtle, but it created some nice touches of pink and purple in the sky and in the sand.

Crane's Beach Sand Dunes (Digitally Modified)

Crane's Beach Sand Dunes (Digitally Modified), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here's another photo that I took during a walk on Crane's Beach (Ipswich, MA), late afternoon October 22. I liked this shot of the sand dunes, but the original photo was not ready for prime time. I used iPhoto to clean up some small bits of litter on the sand. Then I did some cut and paste in Painter to get rid of some bigger problems, something that looked like pieces of abandoned tire left in the sand. While I was at it, I decided to use cut and paste to move some clouds around, to adjust a distracting cloud formation that was exactly in the wrong place for the composition. I also created a posterized version of this image, which I plan to post here tomorrow.

View of Castle Hill from Crane's Beach

View of Castle Hill from Crane's Beach, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here's another photo that I took during a walk on Crane's Beach in Ipswich, MA back on October 22. As you walk along the beach, the views of the ocean are wonderful. But if you look in the opposite direction, you can see Castle Hill, a huge estate now owned by the Trustees of the Reservation and open to the public for tours and special events. (You can see the mansion at Castle Hill in the distance in this photo.) I thought the colors and textures were interesting so I took this photo. Tonight I cropped it in iPhoto to get this composition.

October Afternoon at Crane's Beach

October Afternoon at Crane's Beach, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Today I finally had a chance to look through some photos that I took back on October 22, during a late afternoon walk at Crane's Beach in Ipswich, MA. I think this is one of the best of the lot. The sky was overcast, which was disappointing for a beach outing, but great for photography. This was taken around 4 PM. I liked the light show in the sky, so I took this picture. Sometimes I try to avoid taking pictures of people when I photograph landscapes, but in this case, I think the human figures help provide a sense of the scale of the place.

Menurkey (Turkey-Menorah)

Menurkey (Turkey-Menorah), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is a little illustration that I have been working on, and I finished it today. Thanksgiving falls during Hanukkah this year, which only happens ever 125 years. So I thought about making an image for a greeting card. The menurkey is a mythical bird is part turkey and part menorah. I used Painter's digital pastel to create this image, and already used it to make a greeting card on Zazzle. If you want to see the card I made, just follow this link: www.zazzle.com/menurkey_thanksgiving_and_hanukkah_card-13...

Pumpkin Dreidel

Pumpkin Dreidel, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This year, Thanksgiving falls during Hanukkah. (The last time this happened was 125 years ago!) I was thinking about ideas for greeting cards this year, and my daughter suggested the idea of a pumpkin dreidel. I already had a digital painting of a dreidel that I created some time ago, so I opened it in Painter and used it to create this image. It makes me laugh! I did use it for a combination Thanksgiving and Hanukkah greeting card (on Zazzle) and people seem to like it.

Dad in Foxhole (Posterized)

Dad in Foxhole (Posterized), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This image began with a small snapshot (2 x 3 inches) that I came across this morning in my mom's photo album. She met my dad in 1943 in Pueblo, Colorado at a USO dance, and they got married a few months later, in April, shortly before he went overseas. While he was away, she kept a photo album with pictures of what was happening in Pueblo as well as the photos that he sent her, a number of them such as this one. This morning I used Painter to colorize and posterize the image. I don't know who took the original photo, but of course it was one of his army buddies. I don't know as much as I should about what he did during the war. Mostly I was told that he played the piano in the band (he did), which is what my folks said when I asked. And I don't know much about this photo. But on the back of the photo, in my father's handwriting, it says "March 4, 44" and "Me in my foxhole. Thinking of you." Maybe that's all I need to know.

Two Mini-Paintings in the Gallery

Two Mini-Paintings in the Gallery, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here are my two miniature oil bar paintings, on display in Porter Mill Gallery. Each painting is only 3 inches square. The titles are "Golden Sunrise" and "Colorado", and both were painting from imagination. The photo was taken last Thursday at the opening reception for the "Small Works Show". I liked the way my paintings looked on the wall, so I took this picture.

Colorado (Oil Bar Mini-Painting)

Colorado (Oil Bar Mini-Painting), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here is the finished version of my little miniature oil bar painting. (It is only 3 inches by 3 inches.) I painted this from imagination, drawing from memories of the Rocky Mountains in my home state. To finish this, I straightened out the horizon line before turning it in for the "Small Works Show" at Porter Mill, and it is hanging on the wall in the gallery right now. (It will stay there until December 15, at which point, the person who bought it will take it home.)

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting)

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here is the final version of my oil bar painting. I finally finished on October 23. In the end, I decided not to go with the one translucent leaf, so just put it back the way it was.

Detail of Red Leaves (with Sealed Canvas)

Detail of Red Leaves (with Sealed Canvas), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here is a detail from my oil bar painting of red leaves. This was taken on October 21, when I started sealing the canvas (painting the edges). I decided on a gray-green edge. Almost done. . . .

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting as of October 22, 2013)

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting as of October 22, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is my oil bar painting of red leaves as it looked on October 22. I was almost done, but continuing to repaint and clean up lines. I was also in the process of sealing the edges of the canvas. At the last minute, I decided to try to make one of the leaves translucent, as if overlapping one of the branches, as in the reference photo (posted here September 25). I liked the idea, but wasn't sure if I should keep it that way. . . .

Colorado (Mini-Painting as of October 21, 2013)

Colorado (Mini-Painting as of October 21, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here is my miniature painting of Colorado as it looked on October 21st, when I added color to the foreground and sky. This is oil bar on a tiny canvas, only 3 inches by 3 inches. This is from imagination and memories of the Rocky Mountains in my home state. I have a stack of these small canvases in my studio, and it is fun to use the last few minutes of my painting sessions to work on them.

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting as of October 21, 2013)

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting as of October 21, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is my oil bar painting as it looked on October 21. At that point, it was almost finished. I was adding more light and trying to clean up any problems and mistakes. In fact I began sealing the edges of the canvas. Just a little bit more to go. . . .

Another Heart Shaped Box as of November 1, 2013

Another Heart Shaped Box as of November 1, 2013, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

On Friday afternoon, I spent some time at Porter Mill Studios and worked for a while on this project. This is a heart-shaped candy box that I am covering with collage patterns created from printed metallic ribbon. I have been working on the box top, and the orange and purple stripes I am creating are finally beginning to appear. (And the Turtles logo is beginning to vanish.) I call this "Another Heart-Shaped Box" because this is not the first. If you want to see my first heart-shaped box, follow this link: www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/sets/72157632769935420/

Mom Walking to Crews Beggs (Acrylic Water-Media)

Mom Walking to Crews Beggs (Acrylic Water-Media), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

I did this painting of my mom back in 1992, using acrylics as water-media on paper. She died in 1984 and I found comfort in old photos of her. This got me started on a series of water media paintings based on old 1940s family photos. The particular photo that inspired this painting was taken by my very amazing uncle, Ike Fitterman (AKA Jay Phillips of Jay Phillips Photography Studio in Pueblo). My uncle's photo is a 1940s black and white, taken on Main Street in Pueblo, Colorado, in front of the Crews Beggs Department Store. That photo is still one of my favorite pictures of my mother. (I also created a colorized version of that photo which I posted on this site on April 25, 2005.) Just a few weeks ago, in early October, I was ransacking portfolios in my studio, looking for something else, and came across this painting. I thought I had posted this water media painting here previously, but no, I hadn't. So I decided to wait to post it until today, because my mom was born on November 2nd.

Stone and Iron Gates (Color Version)

Stone and Iron Gates (Color Version), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Yesterday I posted a black and white version of this photo, trying to make it slightly scary for Halloween. This is what the scene really looked like when I took the photo back on October 5th. This beautiful gate is at one of the entrances to Bradley Palmer State Park, here in Topsfield, MA. This has been digitally edited in iPhoto to clean up some litter and then lightly posterized in Painter.