Autumn Leaves on a Windy Day Painting

A painting today.

I tend to look down when I walk along the sidewalk, always have. I see such interesting things. It used to embarrass my young sons because one never knew when I'd spy something incredible and have to stop and take a photograph of it ... pieces of gum, shoe imprints, rain ghosts of dusty leaves, odd tickets, candy wrappers. One just never knew. They could never prepare for the moment when their mother would abruptly stop, stoop, and shoot a photograph.

I'm glad they can laugh about it now, and that it has become the family point of pride in their artist mother. Wait! How did I get off on this tangent? Oh yes, I remember now.

Last week I was walking west on Garland and I noticed pretty little yellow and green leaves on branches that had fallen to the sidewalk in the brisk wind. My sister Melba commented they might be from some kind of locust tree. There were other leaves, too. I also went this week to a Japanese garden in Spokane and there were pine needles strewn all over the place along with more windblown leaves. I liked the wild randomness of it.

Working from photographs I--yes--stooped to take, I came up with this painting. The background is red (Alizarin Crimson and Burnt Umber) because the leaves looked so bright and pretty against the red bricks along the sidewalk. I have used windy brush strokes that I hope convey motion and not mish mash.

Windy Day Leaves
8" x 10" Acrylic on Canvas Board

No, of course it's not March!

"I'm late! I'm late, for a very important date!" I love the March Hare in Alice in Wonderland.  Since it's not March, there is no reason whatsoever for going a bit mad  at the end of October into November, but there you have it! The Mad Hatter murdered time, and now I'm trying, in spite of a raging head cold, to catch up! Bear with me, if you please.

I have managed to get out and about a time or two, so I'm just going to throw a plethora of images into play and let things settle a bit.

We had Halloween in there, and I did get some shots at a local costume store, so I'll start with those.

Now that we're past Halloween, screaming through Autumn with Thanksgiving on the horizon, I'll toss in a couple of golden amber foliage shots.

Let's see where that leaves us. I really enjoyed the images of the Greek Orthodox Church, so am throwing them into today's blog, as well.

I'm not sure if that catches up to the current day of Project 365. I'll figure it out and upload some more on the morrow!

I have to mention that I've been photographing seemingly a gadzillion images of cabochons, stones, beads, jewelry, African Trade, et cetera for all three of my Etsy stores: www.birchbaykay.etsy.com www.westasthecrowflies.etsy.com and www.kweststudio8.etsy.com. Wait! Perhaps there IS good reason for going a bit mad!!!!!



I enjoyed the vampire woman and creepy eyes just
below the cheerful orange jack o'lanterns




The butler did it!





One street over on Calispel Street
last week




Same place as photograph above,
with the setting sun




Greek Orthodox Church on Washington
in Spokane
Love the stripes!!!




So many interesting architectural features!





A beautiful mosaic above the entrance,
but this photograph doesn't do it justice.
I'll go back another day to see if
I can capture a better image.



Printmaking ... Photography ... CREATIVITY

Earlier in my creative life, I really got into linoleum and wood block printmaking, especially the linocut, where the edges were so sharply defined. I particularly enjoyed reduction printmaking.

If you're not familiar with this technique, the printmaker cuts a preliminary image on a lino block, print it; cut more away from the lino block, ink, register the block with the original printing, and print the second image in a different color directly on top of the original print; cut more away from the lino block, ink and print the third image on, and so forth until the artist has the finished effect he or she wants in multiple colors. This is a very simplified description, but I hope you get the gist of the printmaking technique.

I moved on from printmaking to photography, and love it for all of its different, but in some cases parallel features and benefits.

But, when I came across the Cutout effect filter, I found it to be a technological marriage of two creative techniques I enjoy.  Here are some of the photographs I've taken, to which I've applied the Cutout effect. It doesn't always work out well, but these seem to translate well with the effect.

September 19, 2011



This was a white feather on a charred background,
which I applied a Negative effect, and then
applied the Cutout effect




This was a Cutout effect
applied to the original digital photograph




This, too is the Cutout effect
applied to the original digital photograph



And me without a camera ...

The low cloud cover muted our footsteps as my dog and I walked in the woods this morning.  The air held moisture, I could feel it on my face, not drizzle, finer than mist.

I looked up at the trees I had photographed a few days ago at the peak of their color. Today the branches were all but bare.

A slight breeze must have moved through the tops of the trees. I didn't feel it, but there was a sudden shower of leaves. Each leaf twirled and danced its way to the carpet of spent leaves at the foot of the tall tree.  It tickled me that the leaves didn't just fall to the ground, but twirled--some faster than others--like silent amber whirligigs.

And there I was without my camera. Nothing to do other than bear grateful witness to Nature going about its business.