New Pics for a Gloomy Labor Day Weekend

Cool and damp here in Southern New England -- family get-together has been delayed until tomorrow and spending time catching up on the changes I've been making for Coral Sky Studio.  Soon, I'll be putting up a Facebook Page, a landing page and more.  But for now, I'm loading up my paintings and photographs to Fine Art America.  I hope you'll stop by and take a peek!

Some vibrant summer blossoms to cheer us up -- enjoy!

 

It's tough to re-learn

 

It's been years since I've had the time (or interest) to return to digital photography and embellish / alter, etc.  I used to play for hours, layering images and text and textures in order to achieve "the right look".  But lately I've found I like the somewhat blurred, vintage look -- soft, ethereal.

I've always admired the work of Kim Klaussen and Jill Ferry of Flypaper Textures, but recently found the work of Denise Love in a copy of Bella Grace.  So today with the temperatures once again soaring into the 90s and high humidity, I retreated to my artsy "Bat Cave" to play a few hours before going to work.

Small blossoms are often lovely -- their simplicity compelling.  This is a shot I took several springs ago during one of my morning walks (no, not a power walk; more like a wandering meander!).  I layered several textures on the original image, including some text, then worked a Gaussian Blur and lowered the saturation a few times.

And then my software crapped out and the image was compromised -- just a weird wiry image like a dying TV screen!  WTF?!?   Deep breath, Kelly.  Start again.  And amazingly, I like this image better than the one before.  Goes to show that patience is a virture, uh?  

This image is now available on my Red Bubble account, if you're interested in notecards and such.  I still have so much to do to organize my little corner of RB -- create "collections" for easier searching, etc.  But I'll get there eventually.

 

And on another entirely different subject -- but still creative! -- I dug out my old tabletop loom this morning, dusted it off and polished it up.  Another project I intend to re-visit this autumn.  I'm loving the wall hangings I keep seeing in the Scandi magazines and sites.  

How about you?  What are you up to as the summer winds down and we're still somewhat constricted with the pandemic?  

 

Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing.

Camille Pissarro

Ode to summer

Summer 2015 has slipped away, almost overnight it seems. Two weeks ago we had 90 degree temperatures, but today it's about 48 degrees with winds and rain.

The good thing about this weather is that it forces one inside, something I haven't done in awhile. Every free moment when not working I was out in the garden or walking or on the deck. Working in an office 40+ hours a week does that to one. 

So on this rainy day I've been sorting through the photos I snapped throughout the summer weeks and revisited Photoshop while waiting for the laundry to finish. How exciting is that? Later today I'll throw a log or two on the fire and pull out my yarns and begin to sort out projects for the winter. 

Here are a few of my favorite shots from the garden -- I hope you enjoy!

hosta leaf

quiet

petals at dusk

vintage blossom

Star Magnolia

"Magnolia Light" by Kelly M.

long time coming --

pale stars of magnolia

erase all memory

of winter --

Nothing going right? Go left!

Taking a break from painting. Taking a break from writing. Well, let's face -- I'm just taking a break from lots of things! The family gathering is over for the holidays; a great time was had by all. Today is quiet and the weather is changeable -- cloudy and cool, then the sun comes out and the humidity rockets. But I'm not complaining after the long winter and cold spring we've had here in New England.

I returned to my interest in digital photography and, more specifically, digital scrapbooking. I've been reading back issues of Digital Studio, as well as the current copy, and am intrigued by many of the digital artists and their works. I've tried this before but was always in a bit of a rush, so my attempts usually went bust. Also, although I have Photoshop Elements, I'm used to my old Jasc Paintshop. Not as powerful but it's a question of comfort. Someday I'll transition over.

With this image I was trying to work with my photos of flowers and was hoping to achieve a kind of mosaic effect that Donna Goar creates, which are awesome, but ran out of time. Still, I'm quite happy that I got this far -- at least for today.  The plumes and scrolls are from Anna Aspnes, a custom brush I created (compass), and a paraphrase from Georgia O'Keeffe.

When we try new things, there's always a learning curve; sometimes the curve is steeper than another.  And then my concern is, especially with digital images, that they are truly ephemeral, likely to disappear into cyberspace if we're not careful.  I think images like the one above would make a wonderful note card to send to someone you know who loves flowers and gardens -- and who does take the time to see a flower. 

*   *   *

When in the fresh mornings I go into my garden before anyone is awake,
I go for the time being into perfect happiness.

Celia Thaxter (1835 - 1894)

On the cusp of two seasons

Today is the first day of autumn. A welcome change but a bittersweet moment as I gaze at my garden and see the blooms fading, drooping, dropping. 

But at the same time the skies are that clear, bright cobalt blue and the air is crisp. Above the leaves are shifting to gold and amber, ruby red and wine. So odd, standing on the cusp of two seasons.

Images from earlier in the spring and summer, sweet momentoes -- 

Anna Magnolia

Azaleas

 

-- and my favorite of all flowers, the rose -- 

Last Roses

Two Roses

Recalling cooler times

Sweet Magnolia Morning
photograph by artist

 early spring

the air lifts and swells

with the scent of newly-opened

blossoms . . . 

earlier springs

lace one's thoughts

with slender threads of memory

Last evening I sat in the garden watching the sun crouch down among the pines and the shadows stretch long, dark fingers across the lawns.

There is something incredibly beautiful about a summer garden heading into its final hours. Perhaps melancholy, yet still holding forth that fragile-edged beauty that whispers to one's soul --

 

“Spring passes and one remembers one's innocence.

Summer passes and one remembers one's exuberance.

Autumn passes and one remembers one's reverence."

Yoko Ono

Simple Gifts

Although the weather here is not too bad, warm actually in comparison to last year at this time, one misses color. If you're a gardener, this is about the time when we pour over seed catalogs, planning for the spring. Today while food shopping I grabbed a lovely little pot of yellow kalanchoe, which now sits in the kitchen overlooking the dirty dishes -- ah, well, at least it's in the sun! 

Trying to organize all my photos before the computer overloads and goes into a tailspin, I browsed through my flower pics -- Oh joy!!! So I thought I would share a few with you all, perhaps brighten your January afternoon --

There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart.

Celia Thaxter

The Palest of Pale

"The light of memory, or rather the light that memory
lends to things, is the palest light of all. . . . 
I am not quite sure whether I am dreaming
or remembering, whether I have lived my life
or dreamed it. 

Eugène Ionesco

"There is such a thing as the impression of luminosity."

Ludwig Wittgenstein

momentary lucidity

lucid

photo by K. E. Marszycki

dappled shadows on the lawns,

prisms sparkling on the river,

then sliding into the purpled edges of the shoreline,

ocean sunlight so bright it makes one slip back

onto the sand and drift asleep . . . 

momentary lucidity

Digital Pre-Raphaelite

Rossetti's Orchids

In 2008 I visited my brother in San Francisco. The first place we headed for was the Botanical Gardens, both being gardeners -- where else? These dainty blossoms were so white that the original photograph did not come out very well, so I decided to play with it in Photoshop.

After working from the negative, altering hues, adding textures and custom brushes, I felt that the image seemed to hail from a William Morris print or by one of the Pre-Raphaelite artists, such as Rossetti or Waterhouse. And the way the light acts in the negative format warms the entire piece. Sometimes moving into the realm of the fantastic works wonders for one's spirit -- hope you enjoy!

"Nature is not only all that is visible to the eye . . . 

it also includes the inner pictures of the soul."    

~  Edvard Munch

Available as a matted print; click here
Available as greeting cards; click here

Nocturne

dreamscape1

in the evening shadows
the garden shimmers
each blossom pulses
tossing its hues
to the fading light . . .

last night i sat in the gloaming
shadows stretching thin
across the lawns

birds swooped
as if scooping up the last rays to carry home
back to the nest . . .

fuschia and gold stained
the shadows that knelt
along the edges of the garden
cicadas rasped their vespers
seeking love in the darkness . . .

will i remember this come January?
yes
and yes again . . .

A Walk in the Garden . . .

It's warm out this evening, a slight breeze ruffles the air . . .

Let's take a stroll, walk arm-in-arm like in olden days when the rustle of silk matched the song of many blossoms ~

when leisure was something that did not include cellphones and texting . . .

when the art of conversation or dozing under the shade of a tree was enough to satisfy a world-weary soul.

Gardens are still a bit of paradise on earth, for humans, flora and fauna . . . let's cherish them.

Note:  many of my digital alterations owe a debt of gratitude to digital masters Skeletal Mess, Ghostbones, Telzey and Playingwithbrushes on Flickr, who share their textures freely!  



Recommended readings:


A Gentle Plea for Chaos: Reflections from an English Garden


Childe Hassam: An Island Garden Revisited

First Peek

"First Peek"
original photograph by artist

A small but lovely treat from this past Easter holiday weekend! I had bought a Martha Washington geranium for the deck and just before sunset took this shot with my new macro lens. I love the way the tip of the bud just peeks over the edge, a small curl of new blossom ready to unfurl.

This morning I was out in my bathrobe and at 7:30am because clouds were beginning to roll in, and I wanted to catch the morning light on the star magnolia and the anna magnolia, both totally different in form and color. Thunderstorms were predicted so I wasn't sure if the blossoms would still be there when I came home from work. I hope to upload those later in the week.

As we move further into spring, I know I'll be running around with the camera like a crazy woman -- but what a way to go!

May dawn find you awake and alert, approaching your new day with dreams,
possibilities and promises. May evening find you gracious and fulfilled. May you go into
the night blessed, sheltered and protected. May your soul calm, console and renew you.
(Celtic Blessing)

Serendipitous Emphasis

Sometimes, when least expected, odd things happen. You're tripping along, doing this, doing that -- and then wham! Now this could be a good wham or it can be a bad wham. Today, it was a good one.

I was working on a new digital image and, after two hours' work, I decided to take a break. I needed to just play for awhile, poking at some old flower images I had stored on the computer. Here is the original photo, nothing special except for the beauty of the blossom itself --


I then shifted it into its negative state and played with the hues until I reached this point --


Now I was intrigued. I opened an image of water in a glass vase I had taken this summer, overlaid the blossom and began to fiddle some more. After a few minutes of experimentation, this is the final result --

"Abstract Rhodie"

I feel like the photographic nature is almost gone except for the shape of the blossom, while the painterly aspects of the manipulation have evoked another image altogether, filled with energetic brushstrokes, highlights and a palette of colors I would not have thought of on my own.

Like I said -- wham!

"It is only by selection, by elimination,
by emphasis that we get at the real meaning of things."

Georgia O'Keefe

A quick trip to Cape Cod in the autumn does wonders for one's spirit! Glorious weather, walks on the beaches, good food, good wine, good reading and to spend time with a true friend -- what more can one ask? Just thought I'd share some of the photographs from our time away -- enjoy!

Late Blossoms

On this Earth
by artist

Closely, Closely
by artist

As I walk through my gardens I can feel the veil of humidity and heat lifting. Nights are chilled and mornings are still, with only the flutter of wings to break the quiet. Roses and clematis, trumpet vine and fushia, petunias and impatiens, daylilies and rose of sharon -- all seem to lean forward, urging one to touch and smell.

Do they know the season is closing down? Do they sense time is running out?

Which flower would you take if you had to choose . . . impossible to say. Each speaks its own language, answers to one's needs at the moment differently.

I would take the daylily or the trumpet vine to signal ecstasy and joy . . . the fushia or the rose of sharon to mark deep passion . . . the rose for remembrance and the clematis for gentleness . . .

In the end I would take them all -- and none, as they are lovely right where they are -- in the garden . . .

Altering Digital Photography

Eden's Roses

digitally altered photograph
by the artist

Back to playing with my photography. Perhaps one could call this "avoidance" of the canvas but I've always been a sucker for a beautiful card along with a quote -- my literary training, I suppose.

It takes quite awhile to work through the many techniques of Paint Shop Pro and oftentimes I'm just too tired to go through the convoluted steps to convert a photograph. But in the morning, when I'm "fresh" and invigorated, it's do-able.

Here's another of my efforts today:

Beauty is Fleeting
digitally altered photograph
by the artist

Not totally satisfied with the end results, but I'll keep at it. As you can see from the links, I've loaded these up to my online gallery at Fine Art America, where my giclee prints and cards are available.

Art Blahs . . .

Reaching towards the Sun
11" x 9"
Mixed Media on Fabriano Watercolor Paper

We are now into our second week of (almost) non-stop rain. Has the East Coast switched with the Northwest Coast? I had to post this painting as I had painted it a few weeks ago when we were in the midst of an early summer heat wave -- hard to believe!

These were some early irises in my garden, tall and sweeping yet delicate. They only last about 10 days before fading away. I so wanted to "capture" them and now with all this rain and cold I am so glad I did!

Although this painting may be a bit too PINK, I am happy with the fluidity and looseness of it all, which was what I was striving for, combining the watercolors with wax and oil pastels. I had been viewing an excellent DVD by the British artist Shirley Trevena and was impressed with her experimental attitude towards watercolor and other media. It certainly made me think differently about florals, still life, etc.

And now I've added myself to an art challenge by Vivian Blackburn -- this one is about trees. I love trees and have been fascinated by their myriad shapes and textures, their colors and ability to sustain other life forms. Hopefully I'll be able to add some interesting work to the challenge!