April? Already

 My family survived March without any major event to add to the calendar of losses or surgeries. Yay! The sewing machine desk is looking very abandoned.

 This two fabric fragments are sitting on the sewing machine desk; I don't remember pulling them out of a drawer nor placing them on the desk.

View from the bed; I've spent a lot of time looking at that view lately. And yes that is a tall cactus nudging the pergola. Roger bought it three years ago when it was under a foot tall. It's had a baby that is already two feet tall. Grape vine on the upper right corner.

 Nearly didn't get the camera turned on fast enough to capture one image of this beautiful visitor to the hummingbird feeder.

Another iPhone image using mostly the Grungestastic app.

Thank you to the people who commented last month either on this blog or by email. I don't think I responded to everyone.

Nostalgia

 I'm feeling a bit nostalgic today; one year ago today "my guy" passed. A few months before he had the strokes that in the end were impossible to come back from we went to Italy. Our first night was spent at Hotel Stanley in Florence. The black and white photos, above, were the view out of the window. All of the photos  have been fused onto a piece of black fabric discharged with Thiox. I have no idea what black fabric I used, but it discharged to tan/white.

 Near the swimming pool there was a greenhouse that was used for storage. The design was on a panel leaning against the window. And near the greenhouse was a lily pond. I don't have a clue where this fabric is headed. For now I've put it aside.

 I couldn't resist playing with some iPhone apps of the first image.

Sketchbook app, on the Kindle Fire, has a few fun brushes that I tried out. The blue image is completely sketchbook created. The other two are Camera apps on the iPhone using the
 imported blue drawing.

R.F's Rose. The first bloom of the year happened on this day last year; this year the first
flower bloomed two days ago which marked the 12th anniversary of my father's death. (Camera+ app shot > scenes > clarity > borders > vignette.)

Vintage Fabric Challenge

Last month (Feb 15) I posted some images of this quilt, in its infancy. Well, it's grown up now and made it to the finish line albeit 22 days late. Chalk it up to a little of this, a little of that, and more of that getting in the way of creative time.

 I was hoping for a curvy bottom closer to how the left edge turned out, but the bottom ended up slanting.

 Rather than attaching a hanging sleeve the finished piece is currently a dust cover for the Janome.

Thank you Karen and Rayna for the challenge. Check out Karen's blog to see more challenge pieces.

App Recipe Book at Dave's

It's time for Dave's App Recipe Book over on  http://www.clearerreflections.com/   Photo taken with a digital camera.Coliseum Pompeii, Italy. Imported to iPhone. Pic Grunger App > aged > border. This is more like Pompeii felt to me. I can't even imagine what the last days of Pompeii must have been like. For a collection of videos go here.

Another digital camera image of Pompeii. Two photos layered in ArtStudio; a fresco over a photo of columns Contrast adjusted > camera+> Scene > portrait.

This is the photo layered with the fresco, above. This version started in Grungetastic >; Style >; distressed #6.> Camera+ > scene >; clarity

Pompeii meets Orvieto, Italy. Another digital camera image. Layered in ArtStudio > adjusted for brightness. More photos on my other blog.

Decay

Sometimes when life isn't going in a doable direction a bit of decay seems to invade my brain; then It's time to breathe deeply and push the decay out before it settles in permanently. Apps turned what might have been a mundane image of two pink puffs on a vine into a depiction of how my body presently feels. And if I'm to believe Miller's quote, below, possibly the present condition will evolve into something wonderful.

quote:

I have always looked upon decay as being just as wonderful and rich an expression of life as growth.”

Henry Miller  The white elegant blooms of the bougainvillea are difficult to photograph; the leaves are windblown and the brick wall often peeks through the foliage. This is the mood I was looking for when I photographed the spray of blooms at sunset. One layer of texture added in PSE was all it took.

Blues

Blues, as in color, not mood. This piece started life as a doodle in Sketchbook followed by a few layers in PSE. The Sketchbook App is addictive, that is if you enjoy doodling; I love both the "undo" and "erase" features.

Leap Year - Extra Day

 Can't say that it feels like an extra day.

Camera+ App. Straight shot. After The Storm.

Camera+ close-up of the top of a Saguaro layered in ArtStudio with an image of rust.

In the Pulse

It'll be interesting to read how I answered the question:  'If you could take a class from one artist from anytime in history, including the present, who would it be and why?" My response will be in the last group of posts for this series of The Pulse. Thank you Seth! (I really don't remember what I said.)

The photo is Paper Camera + PhotoForge.

Constructed Image

 Sand dunes in Palm Desert. Camera+. The sharpness could have been better, but I was in the car when I shot this image.

I will most likely do some more work on this piece once I figure out how to add some black. In the meantime  . . .  this constructed image started out as a photo of creases in the blanket on the bed. Yep, I was bored, so I photographed everything around me. The latest additions were created using the PhotoForge App that had immediately frozen after downloading it. Going into settings by clicking on the name PhotoForge on the screen I restored all apps purchases and I don't have a clue  why but suddenly the App worked. If all else fails, start over, unplug devices and give them a break . . .
     I particularly like the history list that can be found on the clock icon; it's rare when I remember what I've done from point A to Z.

A couple of new photos on the photo blog.

Verification Madness Update or Anti-Verification

I've had a few spammers "try" to leave comments, but they haven't gotten past  "Comments Moderation - Always" that has been in place on my blog since the beginning. It might not be convenient for those who have a lot of traffic on their blogs, but I prefer it  over deleting spammers who have posted. (Settings > Comments > Comments Moderation > Always.) Plus, when I hit "publish" on an email I can immediately reply to the person who has taken the time to leave a comment. Works for me. Oh, and one more thing, on your dashboard you can, and should, check the "spam tab" on your comments and delete those ******* spammers.

Every year I'm in awe when leaves start sprouting on what appears to be deadwood. Grape vines are deceiving. On the left we have a close-up of some citrus buds. Both images were captured with Camera+ on the iphone. Just plain ole photos.

Sunday/sundae

 Sometimes manipulating photos is as good as a sundae. Three layers blended together in ArtStudio. And below cropped before using a ScratchCam effect.

Over on my other blog I've posted some links for tutorials for a few of the Apps I've been using.

Quote: Believing that you must do something perfectly is a recipe for stress, and you'll associate that stress with the task and thus condition yourself to avoid it. Steve Pavlina

Word Verification Madness

Hard to believe that some things become more difficult as time goes in but Blogger seems to be bored, enough so that there are now two words to try and get right to prove you're a person. Insane. Anyway, I hope I've gotten rid of the verification madness on my blogs. Please let me know.

This is how I did it. On the dashboard I clicked on Settings > Comments > scroll down to Show Word Verification for comments and check "NO." Remember to click on save and that should do it, that is if you're using the same Blogger Interface that I'm using. Sorry if it doesn't work . . .

this link might help!

PS. I found this link today which sort of gives the reason for the verification madness.

Art Under the Umbrellas

 It's been too many years since I last attended Art Under the Umbrellas in La Quinta. The weather is absolutely perfect today; in the mid 70's. It was definitely time to go again. It's held in Old Town, which isn't all that old; I think they were still building it when I moved here over five years ago.

This is what the architecture looks like, or resembles being that this is a Paper Camera effect.

The entryway to the Hog's Breath Inn. The original Hog's Breath is in Carmel, my former Home Town. It never fails to amuse me how many people will ask where Clint Eastwood's place is. Check out the info here. A few artists said that a huge sign pointing the way might be helpful . . . The restaurant is upstairs and a view from the balcony is a must.

More photos are on my other other blog: http://g-photosi.blogspot.com/

and for outstanding inspiration to Marilyn's blog. Her work continues to blow me away.

Ho Hum

 I added strips to all sides including an entire unit on the right side. Ho-hum. Way too ordinary; if I were feeling brave I might just take the rotary cutter and slice it up, but I'm not feeling courageous at the moment.

We drive by this stand of green trees quite often and this time I was ready with the iPhone. When the traffic slowed down I dawdled enough to get 2 photos. Hm mm, will try and take it next time in Camera+ as I imagine at some point I won't be as enamored with the Paper Camera app. (More photos are here.)

Quote:  I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past. Patrick Henry

Dave's App Recipe Book - Monthly

It's Dave's App Recipe Book time again. Go here. A photo of a leaf, that keeps appearing in photos, was layered with shadows photographed on the house wall. ArtStudio App has become my favorite app for layering photos. The image was saved to camera roll, opened in Camera+ w here the sunset scene was chosen. Toy cameras are always fun; Diana ended up being the winner of the effects.

TreeDuo. Layered in ArtStudio, saved in camera roll, reopened in Camera+ where the night scene was chosen. Lo-fi in retro effects, adjusted intensity. Light Grit border.

I couldn't decide which photo to showcase . . .
More can be viewed on my photo blog here. 








And then I discovered Paper Camera App which reminds me, at least Comic Boom effect does, of altering Polaroid images when SX-70 film was available. I barely remember lunch today; I was busy snapping photos before customers joined us on the patio where the temp was below the usual 70's for this time of year.

Do check out Dave's blog.

Fabric Challenge

Last month I joined Karen Musgrave's challenge. Simple Guidelines: the challenge fabric, a vintage print, must appear in the finished piece. And we must use Rayna Gillman's book, Create Your Own Free-Form Quilts: A Stress-free journey to original design. Using the book had been a goal of mine so I was up for the challenge. The piece of fabric arrived and sat on the sewing table gathering dust.  The white background just didn't speak to me. The vintage print reminds me of curtains. If my mother hadn't disappeared into Alzheimer's fog perhaps she could tell my why the print seems so familiar.
    When I knocked back the white by coffee staining some of the fabric I was finally able to start.

Fabric gathering.

Assembling some strips using the print as a motif plus using the reverse side created a decent enough start to keep going.

Day 1 ended with a workable beginning using the challenge piece 6 times.

Due date is March 1, will I make it?

Riverdance

Stacy and I saw River Dance on Thanksgiving weekend. Before the performance I took an iPhone photo of the stage and this morning played with the image by adding layers.  ArtStudio altered.

ArtStudio app.

Just when I thought there couldn't be another incredible iPhone app to try another one arrives in my life. And to think that decades ago when I wanted to layer images I either had to run a roll of film through the camera more than one time in the hopes at least one image would blend with another one to make an interesting photo. Or, in the darkroom  occasionally 2 images placed in the negative holder could be printed together. Or, if one was lucky to have access to a darkroom with multiple enlargers where photo paper could be printed on multiple times before being immersed in chemicals. . .  Phew! Not only was it a lot of work but more often than not the result was one of frustration rather than success. Now one can layer multiple images with software programs such as PhotoShop. I'm still blown away that the iPhone has the same capability as PS does and in some ways is easier and more satisfying to use.

"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep". Scott Adams

A month?

How can a month have gone by without posting here? I'm clueless as to where the days go. The holidays were lovely and I hope they were for anyone reading this. The New Year has brought temps in the 80's which had me in a panic! I haven't done all of the things I wanted to get done in the garden before the intense summer heat strikes again. Then sanity came; it's only January and a fluky one temp wise so get a grip! There is plenty of time to get things done in the garden. I've certainly been enjoying the warmish temps by spending some time in the garage studio getting it ready for what I hope is marathon of fabric dyeing and painting.

 I've always believed that if you can't find something to photograph wherever you're sitting or standing then you're not "seeing." Taking that to heart I tried the T.4x on what has turned out to be my favorite camera to date, and I've had a lot of cameras. I aimed the camera at a desk fan and marveled at how blurry the bougainvillea outside blurred to make an interesting background.

 The grape vine outside of my bedroom window was shot through the mini-blinds.

And then the grape-vine through the desk fan and mini-blinds and how come the window screen is very evident in this photo and not visible in the previous one? The camera has a way of capturing something that isn't always obvious to us. Life viewed through a lens can be very exciting. Love that!
      I aimed the camera and allowed it to show me familiar things, in and just outside of the bedroom, in a not-so-familiar way. It's good to see things in a new light.

My word for 2012 is "allowing."

Quote: Through allowing, you become what you are; vast, spacious. You become whole. You become not a fragment anymore, which is how the ego perceives itself. Your true nature emerges, which is one with the nature of God. Eckhart Tolle

Discharged

While searching through the stash of dyed fabric I ran across this piece that took my breath away! I created that? I don't think I've posted a photo of it before, but who knows! I seem to be having more senior moments than I care to remember. Anyway, the fabric I was searching for is MIA but it's something I hope to use to make strips so that I can play with the techniques in Rayna Gillman's newest book. Go to Amazon. It's a jewel of a book as is Rayna herself. She's going to teach in Italy next August so I'm hoping to win the lottery so that I can join her. If you don't know Rayna visit her here.

"Life finds its purpose and fulfillment in the expansion of happiness." Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Lemons

When life gives you lemons make lemonade, or in my case, Limoncello. The last of the lemons have been picked from the trees; this years crop surpassed last year by about 40. Here's the basic recipe I use with Stevia rather than sugar. Giada has one as well. I still have a small bottle from Sorrento, Italy that is stronger than the one I make. It's yummy on ice cream.

Gratitude, can we have enough of it? This is a beautifully done video.

Texture

 Burlap adhered on a 16x20 inch canvas. Ready for Gesso and paint.

QUOTE 

"You can become blind by seeing each day as a similar one. Each day is a different one, each day brings a miracle of its own. It's just a matter of paying attention to this miracle."

--Paulo Coelho

Rain

View from the morning desk. Rain splattered window. The desk used to be the sewing machine desk but after a year of not using the machines I moved them aside in order to be able to sit there and journal and meditate with my back to the computer desk. I know, poor me! My sanctuary bedroom is large enough for 2 large desks, a queen size bed, 2 dressers, a wide screen TV, 2 filing cabinets, a bookshelf, night-stand and a desk that was my mother's childhood desk. Oh, and 2 computer chairs.

Sometimes the bougainvillea presents me with a bouquet of blooms. At the moment this is the only color in the garden.  What a difference a little color makes. I love the raindrops on the window.

11/11/11

Happy Birthday to my youngest daughter, Corey, on this day full of 11's.

      Is there anything more magical than a sunset? Or a silhouette of a tree? And the combination is sublime as was the weather today; a nice crisp 70. There is a dusting of snow on the mountains which is always a spectacular surprise here in the desert.

Sunsets are so beautiful that they almost seem as if we were looking through the gates of Heaven.
John Lubbock