Skip to content

Month: April 2011

Musing on Slides to Digital Files

Posted in Musing About Art

Musing on Slides to Digital Files

I was looking through the vast amount of Word Press plug ins this evening and got thinking about how much has changed in such a short time.  With a click or two, you can do what was impossible a few years ago.

When I started entering my art work into juried art shows, slides were the only acceptable form of entering your  work. I spent many hours dragging canvases outside  to get the proper lighting, hoping I was getting at least one good slide out of the film roll. It took several days before the slide film came back before I could see if I had any slide that would be good enough for getting into a show. More than one time, I had to quickly drag everything back outside and retake the slides and beg the photo shop to rush the order to make it  in time for the deadline.  Slides had to be label according to the show's requirements, and that varied from show to show. And to top it off, some shows didn't return your slides. Today, in under an hour, I can grab my digital camera, shoot a few shots and see immediately whether I have good photos, head to the computer and load up the photos to be on their way to be juried.  Heaven for an always late artist! I love being able to see instantly whether or not I have a decent photo.

One day I will figure out where to go to get photos from my slides so I have simple access to all of my work. Like other artists who straddle the changed technology, I have sold art work that the only record of it is in a slide.  

I will be enjoying the simplicity and ease of my digital camera this weekend and sharing photos here later on this week.  Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Eagle Nest Cam from Norfolk Botanical Garden,Virgina

Posted in Reference Photos

Eagle Nest Cam from Norfolk Botanical Gardens,Virgina

Hi Everyone!

If you haven't seen this Eagle cam from Norfolk Botanical Gardens in Virginia, then you are missing out on something special. The camera is set near the nest and is so clear and simply fantastic. The camera is in color and they zoom in and out of the nest so you feel like you are right there in the tree with the eagles. I've been watching on and off  since the 1st egg hatched. There are now three hatched eaglets. To see the mother and father eagles flying in and out with fish for the babies, and settling on the nest is just fantastic. This morning I am watching the three babies as nestled together in the nest while the parents are out catching food.  Here is the website:

Eagle Cam from Norfolk Botanical Gardens in Virginia

There is a live moderated discussion tab on the right where you can ask questions and they provide up to date information on the activity in the nest. Lots of videos of the eggs and eaglets on tabs beneath the camera shots.

Eagle and three eaglets

This photo is from wvec.com

As an artist, it's been a treat to see eagles extremely up close and in movement. Sometimes the camera is in so close that you can see the feather markings  and how the white head feathers overlap the brown body feathers.   Watching the babies move and seeing their fluff has been fun. I've spent several mornings sketching  and am looking forward to using my sketches in future paintings.

Drawing of Rose

Posted in Art Work

 Drawing of Rose

Hi Everyone!

Finished a new drawing of a rose blossom this week.  I used a rose color paper to change up from just white and provide the color of the rose.  I chose Canson Mi Tienes rose colored paper to draw on.  It has more texture than the bristol paper I usually use for drawings. It gives the final drawing a different look than plain black and white. I matted it with black matting to help pop the color.

The rose was drawn from photos of a perfect pink rose from my garden.   It can be found at my Etsy shop.

New Painting

Posted in Art Work

New Painting

Hi Everyone!

I finished a new painting this past week. It's another one in a series of ribbons paintings I've been painting. I love the way light hits twisted ribbon, creating contrasting shadows and bright reflections. I wanted to play with the color teal that can be blue or green. There are as many shades of teal green and teal blue that I could work into the painting. This painting was really fun to paint. 

 "Ribbons of Teal"  can be found at my Etsy shop.