The beauty above is a Hermit Thrush – new to my yard and it took me a little while to identify her. I used my Bird Songs: 250 North American Birds in Song book
(and confirmed with Taba), and was just giddy to have a new visitor to my yard!
My Art, my Life, and a little Geek Speak.
Bird Photography
June
5
2009
Completed Blog Design : Reading Red Letters
June
4
2009
Over the past few months, I’ve been putting together a site for Lindsey over at Reading Red Letters. I had already designed her site once before, so I was excited to hear about the new vision she had for her site.
Lindsey uses RRL to challenge herself and her readers to learn and understand the Gospel. She found a plugin that would rotate themes with each change of season in the Liturgical year. Scott Lenger’s Liturgical Year Themes plugin does just that!
My task, then, was to create a theme with a strong structure that would carry the five themes she had in mind. Ordinary time, Advent, Epiphany, Lenten and Easter – she gave me the general color scheme and I started browsing for imagery that would convey those messages accurately, and give those graphics an old world feel to bring you back in time.
The first mockup – eh, it was okay. Lindsey was ever so patient and gave me creative license to dig in and create something that, though it was different from what she envisioned, still gave it the look and feel she was going for. The end result is something we’re both proud of, and something visually interesting and appealing for her readers.
(click here to view this image just a smidge bigger, for detail.)
The themes will switch automatically from season to season, and each season is identified beneath the blog title and will convey a message that will apply to that season. It’s really a very neat plugin, it was a very cool project, for a very awesome client!
Custom Portrait Winner & Call for Entries : Week #23 (6/1-6/5)
June
1
2009
Last week’s winner was Kathi’s White German Shepherd, Nakita.
Nielsen Bainbridge Archival Gallery Frames
available through Dick Blick.
Weekly Contest Announcement!
Theme
- : Open (pets, animals, people)
Deadline
- : Friday, June 5, 2009 (around 5pm CST)
To Enter
- : Leave a comment, include a link to your photo. For e-mail submissions,
leave a comment with your story
- as your entry, attach your photo to an e-mail separately, and send to gallery *at* intricateart dot-com.
Note: *G* Rating only
Each Monday, I post the weekly Call for Entries along with the previous weeks completed portrait (above). I may change the subject theme each week, or leave the theme open, so please pay close attention to the details in each announcement.
Entries will be accepted through Friday afternoon around 5PM CST, at which time I will close comments and select one winner from the entries received. I’ll announce the winner on Saturday and post the completed portrait with the following week’s Giveaway announcement.
Qualified entries will include a valid e-mail address, and the comment should include one link to a photograph owned/taken by the entrant. If you do not have a place to upload photos to link one, you can e-mail it to gallery *at* intricateart dot-com. Your entry, however, should be included in the comment section below, with your story – should you choose to include one.
The Selection Process: In case you’re curious, I’ll share my little artsy process in selecting the winner. First – I do not read any entries at all during the week. I do not read them because I don’t want anyone’s entries to have any more time than any others to settle in my creative brain. At the end of the week, I close comments. When I sit down to go through all of the entries, I read the story first, and open the photo link in a new window. When I finish reading, I flip over to the photo and my initial reaction is what I go by.
If your entry is not chosen, you may enter again. I encourage you to include a short story with your entry.
Your challenge? To inspire me! Choose your photo wisely – I will select a winner based on how the photo and/or story moves me.
Good luck!!
Put this button on your blog to remind yourself to enter each week!
Link it to:
http://intricateart.com/browse/blog/getting-creative/graphite-portrait-giveaway/
Don’t want to wait? Commission your own 5×7 graphite custom portrait
for just $70.00 right here in my shop!
(Checkout using PayPal)
High Def Flowers
May
31
2009
I’ve shared these photos with friends and fans on Facebook, but wanted to share them here as well. I’ve been playing with an HDR photo editor to enhance my photos and the results are just – stunning!
Trying to explain what the effects of HDR do to my eyeballs is like trying to explain that squishy face you get after gulping a big glass of ice cold lemonade on a hot day.
The rose above is a Double Delight, one that if I were capable, I would replicate the scent and be a millionaire off of profits from its perfume. How I wish monitors were scratch & sniff!!
This is a German Bearded Iris. After a heavy rainstorm, all of my irises fell to the ground so I quickly grabbed my shears and cut them, brought them inside and have been very much enjoying their concord grape scent. I loved the water droplets and took the photo op while I had it. This one, if things ever go my way, (haha!) will become a painting. If you’d like a print, however, let me know and I’ll hook you up!
Peony Bouquet
May
30
2009
I am a firm believer that peonies are meant to be cut. The stems grow thicker, the foliage thrives all summer, and these beautiful flowers do NOT deserve to be droopy and falling onto the ground from the weight of their petals. So if you have them? Go now, cut them and bring them in!! Enjoy the aroma around your home, and don’t let them rot on the ground outside.
I’ve got two bouquets now, and have several vases on the table, just waiting to be filled.
Update, the same bouquet, 2 days later:
Bubba : Drawing on Video
May
25
2009
I caught a bit of Bubba’s portrait drawing session on camera and put together a video for you if you’d like to watch me (in high speed) applying fur with my sock-covered hand!
This video captures me working through the forehead, left eye, and his nose & muzzle area.
Enjoy!!
Don’t forget to enter to win a custom portrait in my weekly giveaway!
Custom Portrait Winner & Call for Entries : Week #22 (5/25-5/29)
May
25
2009
Today begins Week #22 of my 2009 weekly graphite portrait giveaway! Each week, one winner will be selected to receive one 5×7 graphite (pencil) drawing from their photograph.
Last week’s winner was Kellie Mintern, of Mintern’s German Shepherds. She sent in a photo of Bubba, along with a link to his story and updates on him, which I found myself lost in as I went through last weeks entries.
Kellie kept her friends updated on Bubba through back surgery, acupuncture and sadly, kidney failure. I ached with her as I read her updates and found myself thinking of my dear, sweet Chloe (a shepherd rottie mix) who we lost in 2006.
Nielsen Bainbridge Archival Gallery Frames
available through Dick Blick.
Weekly Contest Announcement!
Theme
- : Open (pets, animals, people)
Deadline
- : Friday, May 29, 2009 (around 5pm CST)
To Enter
- : Leave a comment, include a link to your photo. For e-mail submissions,
leave a comment with your story
- as your entry, attach your photo to an e-mail separately, and send to gallery *at* intricateart dot-com.
Note: *G* Rating only
Each Monday, I post the weekly Call for Entries along with the previous weeks completed portrait (above). I may change the subject theme each week, or leave the theme open, so please pay close attention to the details in each announcement.
Entries will be accepted through Friday afternoon around 5PM CST, at which time I will close comments and select one winner from the entries received. I’ll announce the winner on Saturday and post the completed portrait with the following week’s Giveaway announcement.
Qualified entries will include a valid e-mail address, and the comment should include one link to a photograph owned/taken by the entrant. If you do not have a place to upload photos to link one, you can e-mail it to gallery *at* intricateart dot-com. Your entry, however, should be included in the comment section below, with your story – should you choose to include one.
The Selection Process: In case you’re curious, I’ll share my little artsy process in selecting the winner. First – I do not read any entries at all during the week. I do not read them because I don’t want anyone’s entries to have any more time than any others to settle in my creative brain. At the end of the week, I close comments. When I sit down to go through all of the entries, I read the story first, and open the photo link in a new window. When I finish reading, I flip over to the photo and my initial reaction is what I go by.
If your entry is not chosen, you may enter again. I encourage you to include a short story with your entry.
Your challenge? To inspire me! Choose your photo wisely – I will select a winner based on how the photo and/or story moves me.
Good luck!!
Put this button on your blog to remind yourself to enter each week!
Link it to:
http://intricateart.com/browse/blog/getting-creative/graphite-portrait-giveaway/
Don’t want to wait? Commission your own 5×7 graphite custom portrait
for just $70.00 right here in my shop!
(Checkout using PayPal)
Memorial Day – Timely Blooms
May
23
2009
“We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.”
~Moina Michael, 1915
