PHOTO ART - Repair Pictures, Paint, Blog

Poppy

Mardi — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 15:21:26 +0000

Poppy

The poppies have volunteered in my wild yard and their red-orange color is always stunning. The leaves have pushed through the soil and are lengthening toward the sun. Soon the blooms will follow, shining their magic. This photo shows the individual beauty of a single bloom with clear detail of the petals.

Kiki the Schnauzer

Mardi — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:39:36 +0000

My latest digital painting is of Kiki the Schnauzer from a photo by Juanita Miller.

Digital painting of Kiki the Schnauzer

Luna Moth

Mardi — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:17:59 +0000

Luna Moth

The Luna Moth is a beautiful creature to see. One of the largest moths in North America, it sports a 4.5 inch wingspan. The wings are a solid lime green with striking eyespot markings on long, tapering hindwings. These eyespots apparently confuse potential predators. In this photo the eyespots are unfortunately covered by the folded forewings. They have no mouths and emerge as adults only to mate, then die after one week. My grandson found a caterpillar one day and kept it in his room until the day when a lovely, Luna Moth emerged, surprising us all. After it’s wings hardened and it was able to fly he turned it loose into the sunshine to finish its life cycle.

Kia the Pug

Mardi — Fri, 03 May 2013 23:15:24 +0000

Kia is my lastest digital painting from a photo by Juanita Miller of her little pug .

Butterflies and Thistles

Mardi — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 21:40:28 +0000

Viceroy Butterfly

This photo shows a Viceroy butterfly supping on the nectar of a thistle on a warm, summer day. There are clearly other diners at this feast, but I don’t know who they are. This photo was taken in KY in a thick patch of thistles and there were butterflies and moths all over them.

Spring and Butterflies

Mardi — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:38:17 +0000

The snow is melting fast although there are still four foot piles of snowplow snow. They will take awhile, but the meadow is showing signs of green and soon the pincushion cactus will be blooming. Butterflies will soon be flitting about showing off their amazing colors and variety. This one is a Hoary Comma. The orange really stands out against the incredibly green background.

Hoary Comma butterfly

End of April – Where’s Spring?

Mardi — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:17:11 +0000

The Rockies are getting a major snow dump. Last night was the second significant snowstorm in a week, and it is already April! It is gorgeous, it is cold, and it is icy, but I love it. It is a hard on the deer who are filling their bellies with Ponderosa needles from fallen branches. They are eagerly awaiting some fresh, spring grass. Meanwhile, the dwindling snow pack in the mountains is back up to where it should be. We had such dry weather during the winter that there were serious concerns as to the potential lack of water for summer. We hope for a gentle melt and no floods.

When hiking along the creeks it is fascinating to see how ice forms in unexpected places as in this photo.

Ice Forms on log over creek

Sharing the Highway

Mardi — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:01:26 +0000

Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep

Driving in the canyon seeing the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep is not uncommon. They are getting hungry at this time of year, and even a little moisture can bring up green grass along the highway. It is amazing to me, but I have not seen any accidents as cars come around a curve and have to stop suddenly. Maybe the cars parked along the sides give a clue to hurried drivers. It is wonderful to watch these generally reclusive animals. They are hard to see up in the rocks, but along the road they are up close and personal, no more than ten feet away. They are used to the gawkers and just go about their business of grazing, leisurely meandering along the road at will.

Playing with Photos

Mardi — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:26:45 +0000

Grass Lantern Composite

I love playing with photos and creating something new and different that is unlikely to have resulted from a single camera shot. Sometimes the end result is pure fantasy. I never know until I play around with Photoshop and find a combination I like. This combo began with a photo of plain grass provided by NAPP (National Association of Professional Photographers) for a fun contest. I added three of my own photos (below) and combined them using several tools that are part of Photoshop software. Like magic, I have something new and far more interesting than any of the single photos.

Painting of Zoey

Mardi — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 23:41:53 +0000

I just finished this digital painting of Zoey, a Border Collie mix who wants to GO with her humans anytime, any place.

Zoey 2