Looking Up

I pick up rocks when I travel (really), and I am a lover of close-up, even macro, photography. That means I have missed a lot of beautiful sights because I have spent a lot of time looking down at the ground, scanning, or taking close-up photographs, too often missing the 'big picture', and also missing what might be 'up'. So, a few years back I decided to leave the Nikon at home more often and really be more aware and present where ever I was. Boy! What a difference! Now I see so much more. AND I look UP!

The Garden Shed Door

At 83, my friend's mother, Betty, is a wild-woman in the garden. She can make anything grow and from early spring right through to late fall her yard is full of colour and flowers. There is a lot of inspiration at her place! This represents the door to her garden shed. Apparently the door is now painted green...sigh... it's hard to keep up.

Flamecrest (Birdie-num-num!)

My friend, Rita, is a long-time avid birder and sometimes sends me photos of rare, or unusual, or simply pretty birds. This one, a 'Flamecrest', caught my eye and almost immediately demanded to be painted. That's quite the 'hood ornament' for a small bird!

The Dragonfly Vase

Last summer I attended my second workshop with Carol Marine in Benalto, Alberta (yes, I had never heard of it before, either), and my table-sharing-mate had brought her daughter's vase to paint. I took a few photos and here, finally, is an 8 x 8 version of it.

Horizon 2, Red Sky at Night...

It was a real challenge to photograph this one. I had pre-textured the board with an underpainting, giving me the surface I was after, but when trying to photograph it I kept getting reflected glare. This is not visible when viewing the painting 'live'. Digital can be unforgiving unless you do some manipulation afterward. Sometimes I simply miss film. Sigh...