Baby Picture of My Mom (Keepsake as of Nov. 30, 2016)

This morning I kept going on this project,  a keepsake that I am making from the only baby picture that I have of my mom. I love this picture of her in a baby carriage. The actual photo is scratched, torn, and has a corner missing (upper left).  This summer, I did some digital repair. drawing in missing parts of the window, etc. (The before and after versions are posted here, July 31.)  Then in early November (in honor of my mom's birthday), I added the color, using Painter's digital pastel. Early this week, I finally got the keepsake project started. Today I added another coat of paint to the background border, a translucent coat of red-violet (over brown).  What you see is not the final color.  I am hoping to deeper color, so I will need at least one more coat.  Then I will add a border around the photo.  Although I was thinking of jute ribbon, today I decided to use gift wrap ribbon instead (the kind that curls). It does make a nice border and is easy to use, but the real reason for my choice: memories of  spending time with my mom when I was a little girl, watching her wrap holiday presents, and trying to help.  And I was amazed when she turned the pair of scissors sideways, ran the ribbon down the blade, and made the ribbon suddenly curl, like magic.

Baby Picture of My Mom (Keepsake as of Nov. 28, 2016)

This summer,  I repaired and edited my mom's baby picture. (You can see the before and after pictures posted here on July 31, 2016). And in early November,  I created a color version, using Painter's digital pastel.  I thought all along that I wanted to make the image into a keepsake, and yesterday I got started.  I printed out a copy of the colorized photo, collaged it onto a canvas board, and put down the first coat of color for the background.  Right now it looks rough, but that's the idea: I want it look worn.  I will smooth things out with the next coat of color.  I also plan to add a border of jute ribbon, in pink.  

Still Life with Scissors

At the beginning of November, I edited this photo of my mother in a baby carriage and then applied digital color to it.  I decided that I also wanted to mount it on canvas board but have been very busy. But today I printed out a 5" x 7" copy of the photo. I got out the board, found my scissors, and some jute ribbon for the border, and was just about to get started when I looked down. The morning light was coming through the blinds and I and realized that the arrangement on my painting table looked like a little still life, so I took this picture.  And then I got started on my project.

Two Pink Mountains (Framed)

This is the third of the three paintings that I framed on Friday.  This one is called "Two Pink Mountains," and like the other two, it is part of my "Mountain Daydreams" series, all painted from imagination and memories of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. I painted this with acrylic paint and water, on watercolor paper, 9 x 12 inches.  Today I delivered all three paintings to Boston, to Galatea Gallery (galateafineart.com) for  the annual member's December show of small works.  This year the title of the show is "Easy Acquisitions".

Blue Ridge (Framed)

Here's another painting that I framed yesterday.  This is called "Blue Ridge," and it is also part of my "Mountain Daydreams" series.  (These are all painted from my imagination and from memories of the Colorado mountains.) This is acrylic paint used with water on watercolor paper. This is a small painting (9 x 12 inches) because it is for a holiday show of smaller works. Right now this painting is packed in bubble wrap, along with two others, all ready for the ride to Boston tomorrow for delivery to Galatea Gallery (galateafineart.com).

Blue-Green Mountains (Framed)

Over the past week or two, I have been painting some mountain landscapes. These paintings are part of a series that I call "Mountain Daydreams" because I am working from my imagination and my memories of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. These landscapes are all done with acrylic paint used with watercolor, on watercolor paper. The three paintings I framed today are all 9" x 12" because they are going to be in a "small works" holiday show at Galatea Gallery (galateafineart.com).  This one is called "Blue-Green Mountains".

Flag and Flowers (Posterized Photo)

Yesterday I posted a photo that I took on October 19, an image of a little flag stuck in a planter amid some flowers.  We were taking a walk at Lynch Park when I saw the flag and I loved the way it looked amid the crazy mix of flowers, so I took a picture.  Tonight I used my Painter software to create a posterized version of the image. Posterizing simplifies shapes and intensifies the colors.  Due to the complexity of the image, I had to work with a posterize a bit at a time.  I think it was worth it. I think the brighter colors convey the optimism I felt when I saw this little scene: the unlikely mix of roses still blooming amid fading blossoms, and a hopeful little flag, ready to withstand whatever the changing weather might bring.

Flag and Flowers (Digitally Edited)

This image began with a photo that I took back on October 19th, during a walk at Lynch Park, here in Beverly, MA.  I liked this little flag casually stuck in a planter, surrounded by flowers, so I took a picture.  I thought this would be a nice image for Thanksgiving. But once I had the image in the computer, I saw a patch of faded flowers and they were just a bit too distracting.  So tonight I opened the image in Painter and used some cut-and-paste and digital pastel to put more leaves and flowers there instead.  (See what you can do with a little hope and optimism, at least in art?) But that was all I changed, really, because what I liked most about the image is the contrast of fall flowers with no petals left, some deep maroon sedum, and those bright pink roses. (An unlikely mix, but they look better together, don't you think?)  And that spunky little flag against the October leaves, looking like it can take whatever the changing weather brings.  

Two Pink Mountains (Acrylic Water Media)

This is the painting I started two days ago. This morning I finished it. I added more pink and white to the sky, and a few pale pink highlights on the mountain tops.* This mountain landscape is done with acrylic paint and water, on watercolor paper.  It is one of my "Mountain Daydreams," painted from my imagination and my memories of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, my home state.  This is another small painting, 9 x 12 inches, because I am painting for a December show of smaller works at Galatea Fine Arts in Boston (galateafineart.com).

 *Those are the only changes I made. The colors in this photo look different from yesterday's picture, which was photographed at 4 PM, in low light. 

Two Pink Mountains (As of Nov. 21, 2016)

This afternoon I worked some more on the painting I started yesterday.  This is another mountain landscape painting from my imagination and memories of the Colorado Rockies.  Today I applied some magenta washes to the mountains and some pale periwinkle to the sky.  There are a few things I want to fix, but I hope to finish this tomorrow.  This is acrylic paint used with water on watercolor paper, 9 x 12 inches.

Two Pink Mountains (As of Nov. 20, 2016)

I started a new painting this morning, and this is how it looks so far. This is another mountain landscape, part of a series I call "Mountain Daydreams," painted from my imagination but inspired by my memories of the Colorado Rocky Mountains.  I am using acrylic paint with water on watercolor paper. This is another small painting, 9 x 12 inches, because I am painting for a "small works" show in December. 

Pam with Painting of Grape Arbor at Open Studios

I have been close friends with Pam since high school back in Colorado. Today she and her husband Jim drove down from Maine to come to Open Studios at Porter Mill.  It was great to see her! She is a very talented artist herself and I think she enjoyed exploring the studios at Porter Mill. Here she is holding my painting of a grape arbor, which she now owns, along with one of my daughter's prints.  In this photo, Pam is wearing four necklaces, two that I gave her today, and two that she made herself. I told Pam that she does me a great favor by wearing the jewelry I make because she makes everything look good.

Purple Clouds at Independence Park

Late yesterday afternoon, we walked the dog at Independence Park, here in Beverly, MA.  The clouds were purple and there were purple reflections on the water  I took some photos, and I think this is the best one.  I would like to paint this scene sometime. 

Blue Ridge (Acrylic Water Media)

This morning I went back to the painting I started a few days ago. This is one of my "Mountain Daydreams," mountain landscapes painted from my imagination and memories of Colorado, where I grew up.  This is a small painting, 9 x 11, and I am using acrylic paint with water, on watercolor paper.  This morning I added a blue-violet wash to the lower part of the painting, and added a translucent white wash to the sky.  There might be small things to fix, but I think it is basically where I want it to be. Anyway, I am painting for an upcoming show so it's time to start another painting.  

Blue RIdge (As of Nov. 16, 2016)

This is the painting that I started recently, another of my mountain landscapes. I grew up in Colorado and these paintings come from my imagination and my memories of the Rocky Mountains. This is still a work in progrss. This morning I added some dark blue washes to the lower part of the painting and some pink and light blue to the sky, and pink highlights on the mountain tops.  This is still a work in progress, but I hope to finish it soon. This is acrylic paint used with water, on watercolor paper.  This painting is small, 9 x 12 inches. I am painting for an upcoming show of smaller works. 

Blue Ridge (As of Nov. 14, 2016)

Yesterday I got a second painting started, and this is how it looks so far.  This is acrylic paint used with water, on watercolor paper.  Like the painting I posted yesterday, this one is also small, 9 x 12 inches, because I am currently painting for a December "small works" type of show (at Galatea Gallery in Boston).  If you want to know more about Galatea, follow this link: galateafineart.com. This painting is also part of my "Mountain Daydreams" series, painted from my imagination but inspired by memories of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, where I grew up.

Blue-Green Mountains (Acrylic Water Media)

This morning I finished the painting that I started yesterday.  I added more blue to the mountain in the distance to create contrast. I also added blue to the bottom of the painting, and to the sky.  I finished with some pale pink along the mountain tops. This is part of my "Mountain Daydreams" series, painted from my imagination but inspired by memories of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, where I grew up. This is acrylic paint used with water, on watercolor paper.  This is small, 9 x 12 inches, because I am currently painting for a December "small works" type of show (at Galatea Gallery in Boston).  If you want to know more about Galatea, follow this link: http://galateafineart.com.

Blue-Green Mountains (As of Nov. 13, 2016)

This is a work in progress, a painting I started today.  I am using acrylic paint as watermedia, on a small piece of watercolor paper (9 x 12 inches).  This is part of a series that I call "Mountain Daydreams" because I paint mountains from my imagination and my memories of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, where I grew up.  Today I decided to begin with green, because it is the color of hope, something that is in short supply at the moment.

Dad in World War II with Army Tent (Snapshot)

Yesterday I posted my project for Veterans Day, a digitally colorized photo of my father during World War II. Here is the original snapshot from my mother's album. It is about 2" x 3" and black and white. He left home, joined the army, and did his bit to defeat the Nazis. So I post this to honor his memory, and in his honor will do my bit to stand up against bigotry. Because he didn't go off to war so that I could stand idly by. . . .

Dad in World War II with Army Tent (Digitally Modified)

On Veteran's Day, I usually post an image of my dad, taken from the snapshots in my mother's old photo album. My parents met because of World War II; my father was born in Brooklyn but was stationed in Pueblo, Colorado, where he met my mother at a USO dance.  They were married a few months later, shortly before he was sent overseas.  While he was away, my mother kept a photo album of pictures taken back home in Pueblo as well as photos my dad sent back from overseas. Sometimes there are notes on the pages or on the backs of the photos. But in this case, nothing is written on the back,  but from some of the other photos, I can tell that this was taken in an army camp somewhere in England, possibly close to a village because other photos show a pub and a telephone booth. Probably one of his army buddies took this picture.  I am interested in this photo because it shows him at work in the army, something I would like to know more about. This year I got a copy of his army records and I know he worked in munitions. I was curious about the bicycles in some of these pictures and found out the army used bikes for messengers and communications. I would love to know much more, but what I do know is that he left his parents, sisters and brothers, and new wife and traveled far from home to do his bit to defeat the Nazis and stand up to tyranny.  Today I scanned the original snapshot into my computer, then used Painter to add color with digital pastel and color overlays.