Photography Fun

Hi again ... it's me!

This post is mostly about photography. Did you know that even if you might not be able to afford Photoshop, you can use Microsoft Paint to "photoshop" your photos, create art, and do other cool things?

I recently took a photo of myself for a friend. She needed it for a school project since I'm the historical subject of the project. I used one of my computer programs to soften the look of the photo (Windows 8 comes with a good photo program for such things), but it looked like something was in my nose! Ugh.

So ... I opened the photo in Windows Paint and did a "photoshop" on the inside of the nostril. I know I need a lot more practice, but here's how it turned out:

You'll see in the left nostril that there's some grayish shading. That was from using Paint. Believe me ... it looks a lot better than it did originally. By the way, I'm not very photogenic, but this was the best photo I could take after about 30 tries! Also, I have trouble smiling for the camera!

 

 

On another note ... here's a nice photo that I took of a sunflower at a local garden show. There's really nothing that I would want to change, though.

 

 

On a final note ... I have a neighbor/friend who is a professional photographer. He took this photo of my ring for the project I mentioned above (a gift from my grandmother a very long time ago):

 

 

Ray can take any type of photo, and he does events like weddings. Here's his information if you want a great photographer:

 

8one8studios

Raymond Clarke, Photographer

Creative Personal Art

Custom Portraiture

Ultra Premium Finishes

Consultation/Shoots/Sales

Strictly by Appointment

Email: rcsnaps@yahoo.com

Phone: 215-514-8498

 

It's been very nice chatting with you. I'll be back before too long!

 

Deb





MORE MELTED WAX ART

Hi, my blogging friends ...

I'm back again. I try to post at least once a month or more often. I hope I haven't been away longer than that!

My girlfriend from California told me about an art demonstration she saw where the artist rubbed a candle over his art. It planted a seed in me, so much so that I had to try it.

You just rub a white candle over your art on your substrate (as much as you choose) and then blow the surface with a hairdryer or a heat gun. The wax melts, covering the surface, and it looks cool. You can even shine the wax surface with a soft cloth. It really looks good.

Then ... I decided to buy a used Ranger melting pot through http://www.ebay.com so I could do my own wax melting. It has a nonstick surface that makes it easy to clean up. Here's what it looks like:

I show three crayons inside of the pot because I used mostly melted crayons to create the following piece, which I refer to as an experiment:

I used aluminum foil to create the sections and then I poured different color melted crayon wax into the sections. For the white part surrounding the circle in the middle, I melted plain white candles. I also added glitter to the melted wax. You just have to be careful how you pour your melted wax so it ends up where you want it to go. If not, you can clean up the mess without too much trouble!

This is all I have for today, except for the fact that I'm attending my first Meetup for artists tonight. It's called the Creative Collective for Artists and Artisans and it's located in Central New Jersey.

All the best to you!

Deb

Garden ... Canvas ... Maybe More

HI MY BLOGSTERS,

I'M BACK AGAIN. SORRY I WAS GONE SO LONG. LIFE JUST GETS IN THE WAY.

HERE'S THE LATEST CANVAS I JUST FINISHED. I CALL IT REFLECTION.

I DID THE CANVAS WITH ACRYLIC PAINTS AND ACRYLIC MARKERS. IT TOOK ME A FEW WEEKS TO DECIDE HOW TO FINISH IT!

 THE ABOVE TWO PICS ARE MY MARIGOLD GARDEN.

THIS IS MY LOVELY LAVENDER PLANT. IT'S ON ITS THIRD YEAR OF BLOOMING. I'VE BEEN MAKING LAVENDER LEMONADE WITH IT. DELICIOUS!

 

GUESS THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR NOW. I WISH I WOULD GET SOME COMMENTS FROM YOU WONDERFUL PEOPLE, BUT I GUESS YOU'RE TOO BUSY!

 

SO ... UNTIL NEXT TIME ... TATA AND KEEP CREATING!

 

DEB



Origami Lotus Flower

Hi again.

My good friend showed me how to create an origami lotus flower, so here it is:
 
 

You can learn how to create one yourself by going to

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfBD8djzDlo.

 

Below is a photo I took of a lotus (or water lily) at a local park called Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ. You can easily find out about Grounds for Sculpture by doing a search on the Web. Thought it would be good to include this photo with the origami lotus.

See you later!

Deb

Abstract Canvas and Can Man

Hi everybody,

Just a quickie to show you my latest canvas.

I previously created something on this canvas, but I never liked it, so I took it apart, covered it with gesso, and created something new. I just call it Abstract on Canvas.

 

 

I learned a neat trick from a dear friend. You rub your canvas with a white candle to give it an interesting look. But I took it a step further: I blew the wax with a hair dryer and melted it so it covered the entire surface. Then, as I learned from a YouTube video, I polished it with a soft cloth so it has a nice shine.

 

 

 

Also, below is the Tin Can Man. My friend has it in her cabin in Nova Scotia and she sent me a photo of it. It was made entirely from cans and bottle caps. Good idea, no?

 

 

 

 

That's all I have for now ... see you again soon!

 

 

Deb

Fun and Silly Art Assemblage

Hey out here ... Just want to show you a fun assemblage piece that I created recently.

Her name is Mrs. Potato Masher Head (or should it be Ms.?).

 

 

I save all kinds of "junk" to make something cute or whacky (like this) when the mood strikes.

 

I had to buy a new potato masher, so I used the old one here. The head is made from one of my husband's white socks. The hair is yarn glued on. I made the rose in her hair from a piece of paper towel. And she's wearing a pair of earrings that I don't wear anymore. I added glitter to the handle and base to make it look fancy. I think you get the picture.

 

 

I hope you've enjoyed it!

 

 

Back soon ... Deb

18 x 24 Canvas as Emotional Dumping Ground

Hi all ...

This is my latest canvas. I needed to express some heavy emotions in my art. What better way to do it than with creating an abstract piece.

Here it is. I call it Emotional Inferno.

Materials used: gesso, acrylic paints, acrylic paint markers (love them!), gold leaf bits pressed all around the sides (the inferno), and Plaid acrylic sealer spray (only use outside since breathing it in is toxic!)

I'd like to know what you think, but people seem to have problems leaving me comments. If you want to comment on any of my blogs, my email address is deborahapierro@comcast.net.

NOW I DIGRESS ...

I write for a wonderful magazine called i.d.e.a.l. Magazine. It is a quarterly magazine about and for promoting disabled people to be seen as successful, productive members of society. Until you read the magazine, you won't believe all of the wonderful people who have exceeded all expectations despite having suffered serious disabilities, amputations, and serious diseases that challenge them every day ... but they press on to do whatever it takes and become all that they can be, all the while encouraging other people with their words of wisdom that come from their experiences.

Please check out the website, www.itsanidealworld.com/ to see what the magazine is about and to subscribe. You can keep it for yourself, share it, or give it as a gift to someone who might need encouragement! You won't be sorry. Owner/Publisher Zarifa Roberson travels the country to create awareness and she deserves an expanding readership! Thanks in advance.

I'll see you next time when I'll be showing you a crazy piece of assemblage art that I'm almost finished with!

Peace and love ... Deb