i need art

atc's in a jar

Cary came home unexpectedly this weeked to attend a funeral. Sad circumstances but I was so glad to see him. We now have less than a month until he's home for good. He left this morning. I always feel so down the first day he leaves. I'm trying to improve my mood. I have not been doing any artwork except for knitting...and even that I'm not doing much. I need to do some. I had been in the habit of doing a lot of ATC's because they were quick and fun and challenged me. This website has a forum where people list themed swaps. I love these. They give me a focus and a deadline. I might enter a few today. I also need to see what I can photograph for this week's Shoot & Edit challenge. This week it is "pink." I skipped last week's because of all the chaos around his visit.

Well...off to try and improve my mood!

Happy Monday!

Shoot & Edit: Hearts (edit)

Love. Friendship. Loyalty.

So here is my edit for this week's Shoot & Edit Challenge: Hearts. I'm really liking this edit. A lot! As soon as I saw the SOOC I knew I wanted to crop the photo in tight around my Claddagh ring.

Here is the SOOC version:



Sony DSC-HX1: 1/80 f4 ISO400

  Other than that I just did a few basic edits in Picnik. Adjusted the shadows and highlights. But my favorite edits involved changing the photo to sepia. I love that in Picnik you can choose what shade of sepia to use. And then I also played with the fade as well. I really like the outcome. I'm sorry I am not very specific about each step I took...I really should write it down! But I tend to play around...adjust things and then change them back...until I finally get a result I like.

I'm looking forward to seeing all the other edits for this week!

Happy Thursday!

Shoot & Edit: Heart (SOOC)

Sony DSC-HX1: 1/80 f4 ISO400

I had no idea what to do for this week's Point & Shoot challenge. At first I wanted to go "outside the box" and take a photo of my uncle's Purple Heart medal. I think I will still do that. But it is at my parent's house and I didn't have a chance to stop there today. I didn't think of it when I was there yesterday. I have a few pieces of jewelry with hearts. But didn't think they would work well in a photo. Then it ocurred to me. My Irish Claddagh ring. I wear it every day. It never comes off my finger. My mom gave it to me years ago and I love it. It is a link to my heritage. So I decided to photograph it. I have some versions of the above photo that are better macro shots but I kind of like that I can see a hint of a painting I did in the background. I already know I want to do some significant cropping to make the shot more interesting when I edit.

 

Off to enter the photo and see what other's have contributed to this week's challenge.

Happy Monday!

Shoot & Edit: Red (edited)

Sony DSC-HX1: Red window on the Garage (edited)

So here is my edited version of my red photo for the Point & Shoot challenge. I am kind of just winging it a little. Not spending too much time on the editing. Using really basic things on Picnik like adjusting the white balance, highlights, shadows and exposure. It definately brightened up the red a lot. It looks a lot less washed out that the SOOC version. Unfortunately I missed the saturday deadline to link up my edited version on the challenge website...oh well.

Sony DSC-HX1: Red window on the Garage (SOOC)

This was the SOOC version for comparison. I really like the changes made in the edited version! Now to figure out what to photograph for the hearts challenge?

Happy Sunday!

wordless wednesday

parent's snowy backyard - taken with Sony DSC HX-1 - edited in picnik

some gratitude...a day late.

cross section of an old tree trunk my dad polished up

Today I am grateful. I am home sick from work and there is a two day snowstorm coming in. Let it snow. I am letting go of my stress about all the snow we have been having. It is what it is. Why stress? I have been letting stress make me sick for too long. It isn't worth it. Life is way too short.

Today I am grateful for:

• a phone conversation with my dad today
• new england
• coffee in my favorite aqua blue mug
• trees
• chemotherapy
• doctors
• music choice channels on tv
• my blue willow china
• my cellphone
• art supplies
• the promise of spring after a long winter
• one and a half months until my guy comes home to me
• candles. especially red berry & cedar from Yankee Candle
• faith
• family
• the future

Happy Tuesday!