Morning Mountains (Colorado Springs) Painting as of Nov. 23, 2022

I worked some more on this painting this afternoon.  (This is going to be a mixed media painting with acrylic paint, but I am using pasted paper to establish the basic shapes first.)  Today I added the contours of a green hill in the foreground, working from my painting reference, posted here Nov.  18th.  These are not necessarily the final colors.  I have a collection of colored tissue paper, and I am using papers in the colors closest to what I want. Later I will modify some of the colors with acrylic paint.  To be continued.

Morning Mountains (Colorado Springs) Painting as of Nov. 22, 2022

Yesterday I continued to work on this project, a mixed media painting, acrylic paint and pasted paper. At this point, I am still using pasted paper to define areas of the landscape.  As I worked, I  adjusted the top line of the mountain with purple paper.  To get the color of morning sunlight on the mountains, I layered pale pink paper over orange.    To be continued. . .

Morning Mountains (Colorado Springs) Painting as of Nov. 22, 2022

Today I worked on this painting for a little while.  First I used colored conte crayon to make some adjustments to my sketch, and also applied some areas of color, just to make it easier to see the different areas.  Then I started working on the sky, applying pale pink pasted paper.  This is how it looks so far.

Morning Mountains (Colorado Springs) Rough Sketch on Board

It's been a busy day but I managed to get my next painting started.  I began by trying to print out my painting reference on the computer.  It was taking forever, so I just grabbed some conte crayon and roughed in the basic composition right on the masonite board,  just using the image on my phone. Meanwhile, my printer spit out the image of my painting reference.  Although there are some mistakes in this sketch, this is pretty close to what I want.  I will need to adjust that top line, for sure.  Anyway, it's a beginning.  This is going to be acrylic and pasted paper, 16 x 20 inches.  To be continued. . . .

Morning Mountains (Colorado Springs), Reference for Painting

Yesterday I posted a photo that I took back in 2011 during a trip to Colorado.  After spending the previous night with friends in Colorado Springs, I left in the morning to drive back to Denver. But on my way out of Springs, I saw this view of the mountains in the morning light, and I stopped (in a shopping center parking lot) to take a picture.  Recently I decided I wanted to paint that scene, but the bottom half of the photo was full of cars. So I opened the image in Painter and used some cut-and-paste to get rid of wires, poles, cars, and trucks.  Then I used digital pastel to replace the foreground.  Then I kicked up the saturation just a bit and added posterizing effect.  Now I can use this as a painting reference.

Morning Mountains (Colorado Springs); Inspiration for Painting

It is time for another mountain painting.  I found this image on my computer,  a photo that I took back in 2011 during a trip to Colorado.  I had been visiting friends in Colorado Springs the day before.  I stayed over and left early the next morning to drive back up to Denver.  On the way to the highway, I stopped at a shopping center near Woodmen Road so I could get a picture of the morning light on those mountains. In Colorado, you don't have to go hiking to be inspired by a view of the mountains. You can be in a parking lot, and the view takes your breath away. However, I don't want those cars in my painting, so to get this image ready to be a painting reference, I knew I would have to make some changes. 

 

Bright November Leaves at Long Hill (with Prisma filter)

I added the Prisma app's "Flora" filter to the photo that I posted here yesterday.  I have already used the resulting image to send birthday greetings to a favorite friend who was born in November. 

Bright November Leaves at Long Hill

This is another photo from last week's visit to Long Hill Gardens here in Beverly, MA.  The colors were amazing!

Even More Beautiful November (Long Hill Gardens)

This is a closer crop of the photo that I posted yesterday.  What I liked best about the image is the red leaves, so I decide to crop the photo in a way that puts those red leaves in a more central position.  

Beautiful November (Long Hill Gardens)

Here's another photo from last week's visit to Long Hill Gardens, here in Beverly, MA.  The colors were spectacular.  Today I edited this photo to get this composition.

Dad in Uniform (Digitally modified snapshot)

On Veteran's Day, I usually post a war-time photo of my dad. The image I am posting today began with a snapshot that I found yesterday among his photos, sent to me a few years ago.  Sometimes these old pictures present a mystery about where he was during the war or what he was doing.* In this case, nothing was written on the back, no clues, no date, and only a bit of mystery. From other of army photos, I already know his unit spent camped out near a forest. But I liked the simple picture of my father in uniform, and decided to go with that.  The only mystery was why I hadn't seen this picture before.  Today I scanned the snapshot into my computer, and used iPhoto to do some basic retouching.  That's when I noticed that it looked like one of his front teeth was missing. Aha! So that's why I hadn't seen the photo before! (I had heard that he had lost a front tooth during the war.  The family story is he was drunk and when he was spoken to by the MPs, he refused to reveal his name, rank, and serial number, and got punched in the mouth.)  Well, okay. But I could fix the tooth. I decided to open the image in Painter and I replaced the missing tooth with a little digital dentistry.  I also noticed that you could see the shoulder of another person standing next to him, so I decided to crop that out, and the result was a better composition.  The photo was pretty grainy, so I added both woodcut and posterizing effects to get this image.  I will continue my efforts to solve mysteries, big and small, about my dad's time in the army.  But really, the details don't matter. He was an ordinary guy, and as he told me years later, he was scared, though you can't tell from looking at him here. No big dramatic tales to tell. Like a lot of other people, he did his bit against the Nazis. But knowing that he did his part to fight tyranny, even though he had a lot to loose, even though he had to leave his brand new wife to do it, even though he was afraid: that's the main story.  That's what I have been thinking about more and more. I try to remember his example of ordinary courage when the news of the day makes me worry about two-bit tyrants and creeping antisemitism. 

 *(For example, yesterday I was intrigued by 

a different photo of my dad with army buddies in front of a building, and on the back he had written "École Professionale," somewhere near Cherbourg, I assume. No time to track that down today, so I will leave that for another time.) 

Path at Long Hill Gardens

Last weekend, on the way home from Russell's Garden, we stopped for a walk at Long Hill Gardens.  The November colors were spectacular.

Bouquet in November (with Prisma filter)

On Monday, my daughter brought me this beautiful bouquet. Of course I took pictures. Yesterday I added Prisma’s “Oleander” filter and cropped the original to get this composition.

FIeld and Trees in November (Russell Orchards)

Here's another photo that I took this weekend at Russell Orchards, up in Ipswich, MA.  I was walking back to the car when I saw this view. I loved the colors and stopped to take some pictures. I cropped the original to get this composition.

November at Russell Orchards

Yesterday we went to Russell Orchards up in Ipswich, MA.  I hadn't been there in a few years, and there were lots of new things to see: new crafts for sale, T-shirts, a wine-tasting area with outdoor seating.  But the old standards are still there, including huge bins of apples, and warm cider donuts for sale.  The day was a great combination of spring weather and fall colors.  On the way back to the car, I took a picture of some fruit trees with bright yellow leaves.  Later, I cropped the image to get this composition.

Hawk in Spruce Tree (with Prisma filter)

Friday morning, I was out in the yard and a hawk circled overhead and settled in our spruce tree.  I got my iPhone out and took pictures. The sun was in my eyes and the bird was high in the tree, but I zoomed in and got a few pictures. In the photos I took, it was still pretty hard to see this lovely bird against the background.  So I explored the Prism app to see if there was a filter that would help and I chose "Monoke".  Then I imported the resulting image into iPhoto, adjusted the contrast and saturation again, and cropped the image to get this composition.  It took a bit of work to get a good image of this beautiful bird, but it was well worth it. You don't see a hawk in your yard every day!

Reposting: Mom at Crews Beggs (Digitally modified)

I have posted this at least twice before, in 2013 and in 2005. The original sepia-toned version of this photo is one of my favorites, showing my mom striding by Crews Beggs Department Store in my hometown. I am not sure, but I think it was taken by my Uncle Ike, a great photographer.* Back in 2005, I used Painter to add color. I am reposting today in memory of my mother, born November 2nd.

*He did business in Pueblo as Jay Phillips Studio.

Late October Trickery

This image began with a color photo that I took a couple of years ago in Boston's Back Bay on a bright sunny day. Today I decided to use some digital trickery on this image to make a post for October 31st.  First, I used the Prisma app to add the "Daryl Feril" filter.  I saved the image, reloaded it into Prisma and edited it with a second filter, "Monoke".  Then I opened the image in iPhoto and adjusted the exposure and contrast to make the image darker.  Now this Boston Brownstone looks like it might be a haunted house. . .

White Pumpkins at Marini Farm (with Prisma filter)

To continue the pumpkin theme, here's another photo that I took at Marini farms in early October.  White and orange pumpkins were arranged on the grass and honestly, it was more of an artistic installation than a typical display.  So I took some pictures.   I recently added Prisma's "Flora" filter and then cropped the image to get this composition.

Rows of Pumpkins (with Prisma filter)

Took this photo a few weeks ago and recently added Prisma app’s Watercolor filter. Posting today because this makes me think of the traffic on 128 as everyone tries to get to Salem in late October.

Pumpkins at Marini Farm (with Prisma app)

This image began with a photo that I took a few weeks ago, during a little outing to Marini Farm (a local farm stand).  There were pumpkins everywhere, so I took some pictures.  I have been saving my pumpkin photos to post this week.  Salem is the next town over,  and October is a major tourist season around here. As October 31 approaches, there are almost as many tourists as there are pumpkins!  Today I used the Prisma app on my phone to apply a filter.  After some trial and error, I chose the "Dolphin" filter.  Edited in Prisma app with Dolphin

Pergola at Long Hill (Oil Bar Painting)

Here's my oil bar painting as it looked on October 12, 2022, the day I finished it.  I made too many small adjustments to list here.  I added to the foliage around the Pergola.  I adjusted the shape of the pink tree. I toned down the yellow light where the sunshine hits the pergola.  And I changed the light of the sky from pale blue to pale yellow.  I pronounced this painting finished, with just enough time to spare to let it dry, sign it and attach a wire for hanging. This is how it looked when I delivered to the Beverly Historical Society just two days later, narrowly making the deadline for their show, "Icons, Myths, and Legends of Beverly," running from October 21st to December 17th.

Pergola at Long Hill (Oil Bar Painting as of October 11, 2022)

Here is my latest oil bar painting as it looked on October 11th.  The day before, this painting had been sideways in the ease while I painted the sides of the canvas. Once the paint dried enough,  I turned the painting right-side-up, and I knew it was time to modify the composition.  I was planning to add more foliage to the area around the pergola.  (Although it wasn't obvious in my reference photo, the path to the pergola is lined with azalea bushes.) Since I was going to add more detail in that area, I wanted to simplify the rest.  I extended the shape of the pink tree behind the pergola. (This is a departure from the reference photo.)  Then I eliminated a row of dark green overhanging leaves at the top of the canvas. This immediately simplified the background on the upper left side and made the trees in the background look taller.  I wanted some light to show through the trees, but limited that to two small areas that would suggest  a nice diagonal line between them. This is also different from the reference photo.  But when I paint from a photo reference, there almost always comes a point when what is on the canvas becomes more important than what is in the photo.  I knew there was more to do, but I felt like I was on the right track. 

Pergola at Long Hill (Oil Bar Painting as of October 10, 2022)

Here is my oil bar painting as it looked on October 10, 2022., last Monday.  I had been working on this painting for an art show, and it was due to be turned in on the 14th or 15th.  The painting wasn't finished but I needed to "seal" the sides with paint, but it would take several days to dry, so it was time to start. So this painting was turned sideways on the easel.  At first, I thought that meant I wouldn't be able to work on it, but I realized that I often turn paintings upside-down to work on them.  So I turned my photo reference sideways too, and kept going, although I didn't attempt major changes.  I worked on light and dark on the Pergola and developed some detail in the foreground.  When I took this photo, the painting was still on its side.

Pergola at Long Hill (Oil Bar Painting as of October 9, 2022)

Here is my oil bar painting as of October 9th.  I began to work on the background, using my photo reference, as well as other photos I have taken there.  I also began to focus on the sunlight coming through the trees and shining on the pergola.

Pergola at Long Hill (Oil Bar Painting as of October 8, 2022)

Here is my latest painting as it looked on October 8, 2022. I began to add foliage around the pergola. It was fun to add the yellow. I also extended the branches of the pink tree behind the structure.

Pergola at Long Hill (Oil Bar Painting as of October 7

Here is my painting as it looked on October 7, 2022.  I worked almost exclusively on the little pergola, measuring and straightening the lines and fine-tuning the color.  These are not flashy changes; but they are necessary because that little pergola is central to the painting.  

Pergola at Long Hill (Oil Bar Painting as of October 6, 2022)

Here is my current painting as it looked on October 6th. That day, I was concentrating on establishing the background.  This is oil bar on a canvas 20 x 20 inches.  I am working from a photo* that I took at Long Hill Gardens, here in Beverly, Massachusetts *Digitally edited to modify the composition.

Pergola at Long Hill (Oil Bar Painting as of October 5, 2022)

Here is my current painting as it looked on October 5th.  I added a bit more detail to the pergola (including painting the roof), and began to establish the background.  At this point, I was using only a few colors to keep things simple.  (But it is never simple, is it?)

Pergola at Long Hill (Oil Bar Painting as of Oct. 4, 2022)

Here is my current painting as it looked on October 4th.  I started by painting the pergola, relying on my sketch and the photo reference.  Then I also began roughing in the rest of the composition.  To be continued. . . 

Pergola at Long Hill (Sketch on Canvas)

This is how my current project looked back on October 3rd, I started my painting by making this sketch on the canvas, using conte crayon.  As you can see, I spent most of my time trying to draw the pergola.  I was relieved because the drawing seemed to come together without too much trouble.   To be continued. . .

Pergola at Long Hill (Reference for Painting)

My photo of the pergola at Long Hill Gardens (posted here on October 3) is the inspiration for my current painting project.  But before I could use the photo as a painting reference, I used my Painter program on the computer to make some changes.  First, I cropped the image into a square format.  Then, for the sake of the composition, I shifted over the big trees in the background, and modified the position of some of the foliage that was hiding too much of the pergola.  I did all of this with Painter's cut-and-paste and some digital chalk.  The result, posted here, is a very rough image, but it is a helpful tool.  I have taken some other photos of the same subject, and plan to use them as references as well.

A Smooth Path Ahead (with Prisma filter)

This is my photo of the path at Kelleher Pond, with the Prisma app's "Watercolor" filter applied. I recently posted this image as part of my greeting for Yom Kippur, (See post for October 4th, 

 with text and background added with Canva.) As the new year begins in earnest, here is the image by itself. 

Wishing You a Smooth Path Ahead

The image is my photo of the path at Kelleher Pond, posted here recently, with a Prisma filter added.  I used the Canva app to put this all together. Sending this out, as Yom Kippur approaches, to wish everyone a smooth path ahead.  

Reposting: Pergola at Long Hill (Inspiration for painting)

I took this photo back in 2011, but came across it recently. This is the pergola at Long Hill Gardens. It is the inspiration for my next painting. 

Apples on the Tree (In New Home)

Back in 2015, I used oil bars to paint these apples.  Last year, I sent the painting off to Colorado Springs, to its new owners.  Yesterday I received a photo of it, now framed by the new owners and hanging in its new home.  I liked the way it looks, so I took this picture.  

Rosh Hashana Still Life (Digital Drawing)

Sending this out to wish everyone sweet days ahead. I drew this with my iPad using the Procreate app, which captures a video replay as you draw.  So this is the final frame of the video that I posted recently.  I also did a little digital clean-up of the image on the computer with Painter.  If you missed the video, here is the link:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/52383363590

Rosh Hashanah Still Life (video)

I made this on my iPad with the Procreate app, which captures a "replay" as you draw. This little video is a great demonstration that art is about making mistakes, revising, trying again, making changes to make things better.  Just like life.  Sending this out to say "L'Shana Tova" to those celebrating the Jewish New Year, and to everyone, wishing you sweet days ahead.

 

Path near Kelleher Pond

I took this photo during a walk around Kelleher Pond back on August 23rd. There is something about a tree-lined path that makes me want to take a picture.  And I often do.  It is still amazing to think that this little bit of nature is tucked away in a residential neighborhood.  

Mandevilla Rocktrumpet (Brazilian Jasmine)

This photo is from last Thursday, taken during a walk in my daughter's neighborhood. I saw these lovely flowers so got right up close and took this picture with my iPhone.  (This was taken a shortly BEFORE I got the new iPhone that does fancy closeups, and that should be helpful in the future.)  I found the name of this flower by searching Google images, and in spite of the exotic names, this plant really does grow in Massachusetts.

 

Multicolor Necklace and Earrings (Custom Design)

This project began this summer in a bead store in Nashville, where my daughter-in-law found the multicolor assorted glass chevron beads and where I found the recycled green glass beads and the black coconut beads to add to the necklace.  But there was no time to put this all together because it was time to head home. Back in Massachusetts, I experimented with the design, and finally decided to add red seed beads.  After a couple of attempts at stringing the beads, I arrived at a final design for the necklace that was light enough and moved well.  Then I made the earrings to match. I finally finished this project this week and  will soon be mailing this set to Nashville. . .

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.