Vintage Findings

A Lemon

Personal challenge ~ take a photo that is a lemon and try to make something wonderful with it ~ my attempt ~ it may not be wonderful but I am learning a lot about light layers of paint.

The photo is of a leather chair tucked into a corner of the shed at the Inn at Park Winters ~ a lovely chest is next to it with buckets of flowers, shells, and natural findings from the grounds.  What really attracted me was the window behind the buckets and the wonderful light coming into the dark shed.

Many layers later, this was the result.  Needs more practice, but I will start fresh with a different image when I try this again.  

You can click on the image to see it larger. . . 

So much for Experimental Tuesday :-)

Aren't these cooler temps great?  The slight overcast and the few sprinkles are just what we needed.

~Karen

I Need To Make a Mess!

I had the real need for a "messy" day today ~ but it turned out to be all digital. . .

Even making a "digital mess" was good for me. . . 

Happy Weekend 

~K

Wash Day

Wash day, which I suppose was everyday since I saw and loved all the laundry hanging from windows throughout the towns we traveled.  Of all the laundry lines I photographed I finally got one with someone actually pegging the laundry.

And the original:

The little town of Riomaggiore.  Still working on the possibilities of Corel.

Happy weekend to you ~ hope your laundry is all caught up.

~K

Pure Fantasy

Welcome to my imaginary place ~ although I'm not sure if it is a hotel, an island, or a treehouse.  All buildings were disassebled and reassembled from photographs taken in Italy, so perhaps it is an Italian Imaginary Place.

Layer after layer, handpainted background, painted trees and shrubs, stars in the sky, gradients, lighting effects, dodge|burn layers, curves adjustments, bevels, drop shadows, and more paintwork.

You can see it a bit larger by clicking on the image.

Created simply because I had the idea.  I would like to try another one of these imaginary places but next time I want to give it more substance, more depth, more dimension.  This one seems a bit flat to me, but it is a beginning. . . 

Enjoy your weekend ~ you are always welcome to come stay in this imaginary place.

~K

The Famous Ponte di Rialto Bridge

The famous Ponte di Rialto Bridge in Venice, via water taxi ride.  We took several shots at night from on top the bridge, but this one was from the water taxi.  Still many images to process and sort.  I give you the after and the before image.  

As you can see, it was a beautiful day ~ much to remember.

Happy sunny weekend!

~K

Mud on the Tires

A few weeks ago I had a delightful day with my friend Shirina. We went to the Apple Hill area to see the orchards and stumbled upon this lovely rusty, crusty vintage flatbed truck. It was sitting outside the Boeger Winery ~ how could we resist?

Of course, I couldn't leave it looking so sad sitting at the bottom of the grassy hill ~ I felt it needed a little PhotoShop help.

The original image:

Oh, I do love pushing those pixels around!

~K

Fading Fast

The dogwoods are almost finished for the Spring. How I hate to see them go. 

Hand painted background for this dancer. Background doubles nicely as a texture on other work. 

Till next year. . . 

~Karen

Project 45

Do you ever have a crazy idea that sticks in your mind until you see it through? I have these ideas all the time. This one has been on the back burner in my brain for a long time and it finally worked its way out this past weekend.

The records have tiny holes drilled, threads tied, and then suspended from the ceiling. Although this is not how I thought it would turn out, this is what it is today. A hand painted backdrop with music to showcase the circles of colorful labels of the 45 records from my past.

They are still hanging and I've got a few more shots to take before they come down. Crazy? Yes. Fun? Yes. They move with the slightest breath of a breeze so I found myself waiting until a colorful one turned toward me before I pulled the trigger.

You can click on the image to see it a bit larger. More ideas already perculating. . . 

~K

In the Marina ~

~ the boats wait patiently.  I think they were as colorful as the hillside homes in Riomagiore.  Paintwork, textured, a little Art History Brushwork for touch up.  Again, I offer you the finished image along with the original photo.

I have the idea of a final image in my mind, but am still unable to grasp it fully with the digital brush ~ I will get there, though, with time and practice.

~Karen

 

 

The Colors I Fell In Love With

Everywhere I looked I saw beautiful saturated colors ~ I loved it all!

Comparison images.  Vernazza, Liguria, Italy.

Corel Paint work and texture work.

More later. . . 

~K