More Palms!

When in Rome . . . blah, blah, blah!

It's taken me awhile to warm up to the tall spindly palm trees, after all I lived in Pine Tree country for 31 years! Last Wednesday I took dozens of photos of palm trees just outside of the community I live in and started playing with them in PSE. My love of black and white photos goes back to days spent in darkrooms but now all I need is some PSE tweaking and I'm happy! I need to work on creating better postage stamps, but for now this one will do. The design behind "Greetings from the Desert" is a happy accident!

Quotes: Nothing is new except arrangement.

William J. Durant

Arson?

In January the tops of these palm trees were hacked off leaving behind a clump of comrades attempting to stand proud. But then some time yesterday all but one went up in smoke.

The air smelled of smoke while I wandered around photographing the fallen comrades. The remaining Palm rustled in the wind as if to say, "I'm glad that you took notice of their demise." Directly behind me is the gated community I live in; most cars sped past me barely glancing my way.

Quote: When all think alike, then no one is thinking.

Walter Lippman

Far from done

Paint scraping technique. Often when I create a background I use colors that are in the same family. This one started out with gold, Titan Buff and gesso scraped over images. The blue gray was painted on with a basting brush before Red Iron Oxide was sponged on. The same image was printed onto text paper and adhered; I'm not inspired right now to do more on the piece. I did learn a few things though. 1. I like a background with gold in it. 2. A basting brush is a good paint brush.



Quote: Creativity, as has been said, consists largely of rearranging what we know in order to find out what we do not know. Hence, to think creatively, we must be able to look afresh at what we normally take for granted.
George Kneller

Happy Valentine's Day

"Discovering the artistic muse is inspirational; inspiration generates energy and hope; creativity is fueled by inspiration; fuel nourishes action; action results in art."

Brenda Malkinson

Background is fluid acrylic over glue design. Paint scraped heart stickers edged with gold 3-D paint. Gold pen heart and dots. Black acrylic paint circles and 2 rubber stamps.

Lost at Sea!

Sometimes the best thing to do is to "not make plans." Either I'm making the wrong plans or they're lost at sea because nothing worked this weekend!! It's now 8pm and then only thing I was able to do was to play with this image of a boulder. Good thing that the boulder resides in my backyard; I needed something to photograph today without leaving home. If I can find the receipt for it I'll post the name of. It's from Utah, that much I know.

Quote: Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

Thomas Edison

Paint scraping

Another experiment on Trish's group:
http://trishbee.co.uk/?p=373


I've done this quite a few times; a few of first posts on this blog were scans of paint scrapings. The background for the Christmas postcard I sent out this year is a version of paint scraping. Rust flakes diluted with water makes an interesting paint and sraped on with gesso turned out to be exactly what I was wanted; a muted streaked background.

I watched a newly purchased DVD from Creative Catalyst last night. I've been a fan of Virginia Cobb's work since I purchased her book, "Discovering the Inner Eye," back in the 80's. The book has been out of print for a long time, sadly! I understand that copies of it have gone for 100's of $$'s! In the DVD, "Acrylic Abstract Painting: The evolving image," Virginia develops three abstract paintings. Her materials are basic and what she achieves using a brayer and a squeegee to scrape off paint is inspiring with endless possibilities! Into the studio I will go!!


Quote: Man is what he believes
Chekhov, 1860-1904

Costco, Shopping Carts

During times of stress I return to my first love, photography. As I was passing this line of carts at

the entrance to the monster store that is Costco,

I saw this image in my mind's eye.

Happily, the metal carts were still waiting for me when I finished shopping and the digital camera was in my purse.

Quote: A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds. Francis Bacon 1521-1626