Pumpkins on the Patio

 Seriously, you just can't beat a photo from a good dslr camera. Now mine is nearly 7 years old and I truly wish it would wifi to my computer. (Am I lazy, or what?)

I finally had a creative burst and played all day with my pumpkins on the patio. The BIG motivator was the very old step ladder that found it's way to my car before anyone could take it to the dumpster. It had belonged to my in-laws. So did the tiny metal stool that showed up on their porch a few years back. I have been drooling over that little baby ever since. I thought one of the legs was broken off but turned out it was just bent under. Besides, it was pink! (Oh, the little things that thrill my heart!)

Of course I started out taking photos with the phone but you know how the focal length can distort the edges unless you back up and crop. Then your file size is smaller. So I figured if I was going to this much work I needed to pull out the big gun.

iPhone, Mextures

I started out simple, then kept adding things.

Next, it was time for no orange!

Then back to simplicity.

(Presets used on these photos were Kim Klassen's Autumnal Collection with variations.)

I didn't realize how many more I took with my phone than the Canon. I'll have to do another post with those.

And lastly, a photo of the big picture...

Are you getting into the mood for fall yet?

Mobile Art Monday No. 57

If you've never picked up a copy of Somerset Digital Studio Magazine, the current issue would be a great one to grab. It is the first of several issues that I hope to have my art featured in. I wrote a feature article titled Digital Mobile Watercolor explaining the steps I use to create some of my work. (I did add some textures from Stackables on the pumpkins at the end.)

I've also uploaded a video I recorded in iColorama showing this poppy edit in progress.

One thing you'll notice is that I constantly use the undo button as I try out different brushes.

Hope this gets your creative juices flowing!
Have a great Monday!

Mobile Art Monday No. 50

This may be the last Mobile Art Monday for this year...

I have a big art show coming up in November and a 2 week RV vacation in October. (again? you say!) Yes, we're going east as far as Asheville NC. Perhaps I'l be able to post a few road trip photos from my iPad. I'm going to check into getting a new 7+ before we leave and if so, you'll find out if I'm impressed or not.

It's been a long time since I had an image featured on Instagram. I was getting a bit discouraged and I realized how unstimulating some of my work had become. Or I should say uncreative. But then with the artsy stuff I do, I don't know what hashtags to use to get it noticed. Well, this finally got a feature today by @Illustrious_Art.

Since it is pumpkin season I have been going nuts with edits. I love the fall colors and I've been doing some still life set ups. I can reach a much bigger crowd with that style anyway. Kind of like killing two birds with one stone. Although a lot of the still life people don't go for the texture anymore. 

I did several versions of this edit in Stackables. The reason I chose this one besides the fact that I like it was because of the teal coloring. Anything turquoise gets more likes (unless it's pink.) Here is the formula in case you would care to use it. ( pumpkins2016 ) Check out the instructions at the end of this post for adding formulas to your Stackables app.

Be forewarned... the background on this photo was black/dark gray.

Here are a few other versions with some of my formulas.

I'm one person away from reaching 1000 followers on Instagram and I may just have to celebrate with a little give away after vacation.

Hope you'll be having some great Mobile Art Mondays the rest of this year.

Two Weeks

Yes, it's two weeks until Christmas and I was just pondering how frazzled I was last year. This past Monday we returned from a 12 day 3000 mile road trip to the cold north visiting relatives, attending a conference (not me) and general relaxing taking extra days to get to our destinations. 

As a result, I have no Christmas decorations up because I've been swamped at work. Do I care? Not particularly, but I hope no one at work cares because there are none up there either!

The first thing I did when returning was check my multitude of pumpkins scattered around the house for rotting bottoms.

I'm not ready for fall to be over. We left at it's peak and I was sure it would be gone when I got back but NO! It was still here just barely past it's glory. I drove around Monday and listened to the leaves blow across the sidewalks and watch some fall from the bradford pears. Glorious! I was in heaven for a day and I sure need that.

This was just confirmation that I need my quiet photo shooting trips for meditation. It amazes me how God can speak when you get away from everything, or should I say how much better we can 'hear'?

There were a lot of things that went wrong on this trip. 

• We encountered a rock chip in the windshield on the way out of town that actually cracked about a foot right through 'my' line of vision in the drivers seat. 
• We both ended up with physical ailments. (I nearly went to the hospital and I never do that.) 
• My credit card was compromised. 
• We got snowed in at Dad's two extra days preventing us from seeing my brother and sis-in-law. 
• We saw two really bad car wrecks, one of which we witnessed.

I counted up eight, but I'll spare you the rest.

• There were definitely some good too.
• Getting a lot of Christmas shopping done at the Mall of America and some shopping for myself. 
• Seeing that glorious snow and getting some shots of it. 
• Drive by shooting of tons of barns. I swear there was a barn every mile as we drove through Minnesota.
• Seeing a niece I hadn't seen in 6 years. 
• Watching my nephew's daughter play basketball.
• Finding the folks still in good health.

Well Christmas will just have to wait until I'm ready for it this year. Hallie did pile the ornaments on the tree before Thanksgiving because I promised her she could. (As in several on one branch.) Will I rearrange them? Probably not and that's a big step for the decorator in me.


At Dad's house.
I think they should have used this for their Christmas card by they always do a photo of themselves. Speaking of cards, mine are not done. I started looking through my Lightroom Library last night for photos to use and ended up quite side tracked as you can imagine.

This may just Merry Christmas from me. Have a very blessed holiday season!

Mobile Art Monday No.34

I have just a few days left to post my 30 Days of Pumpkins for the month of September so I'm trying to plan a few biggies for the finale.

Today I played with some of my saved formulas in Mextures. I came across this colorful one and it was my favorite.

Another one I liked from the guest formulas category.

I couldn't resist a play in Stackables while I was at it.

And right now I'm tempted to try them in Waterlogue or Brushstroke for some painterly edits, but that will have to wait until tomorrow.

Texture Tuesday Sept 24

I surprised my self this year and got excited for the pumpkins before they even got to the store. Sometimes I feel like a kid again! (Now Christmas may not be the same way, we'll have to see.)

I love it when random set ups come together. And I love it even more when my Hipstagram shots are worthy of printing. Yoona Lens and Dixie Film, my latest favorite. (Sometimes you end up with a red light flair at the side. I haven't figured out why it's on about 50% of the shots.????)

I textured this with 3 layers of Kim's textures and one of 2lilOwls. 

I used the app Leonardo on my iPad, merging layers as I went. 

This is my last screen shot. 

The top layer (Kim's at multiply), 

The photo layer at screen (two layers of texture already merged with the photo),

And the bottom layer adjusted with the contrast, brightness and exposure to make the 'screened photo look just right.

Last of all a real Photoshop edit but over a Hipstagram photo. I used kk_postale and kk_magic0916.

Linking up at Kim's blog today Texture Tuesday.
Linking up with Barb for App Happy Wednesday.

First Snow

Linking up with Kim for Texture Tuesday.
A surprise snow this week. I'm just not ready for winter and neither are the trees.
Used two textures from the Waterfront Collection, kk_waterfront 23 and 9.

More from the Waterfront...

 Waterfront#2 and Two Little Owl's Vintique 23.

Hope you're ready for turkey day. My groceries are bought and that's about it.

Gratitude Day 10

I am grateful for my garden full of pumpkins this year. I planted 5 types from seeds I had saved from purchased pumpkins last year. Oddly enough 7 different ones showed up. One is very strange and I'll be saving seed from them for sure. Everyone should have a couple aqua pumpkins don't you think?

iPhone

Canon

iPhone

iPhone

Fall is really getting going around here. I took a lot of shots today because freezing temps are on their way. Here are a few teasers from last week.

Friday Finds 11-15

Linking up with Kim for Friday Finds.
I love to find a package in the mail. It's even more exciting when I can't remember what I had ordered. Makes it like Christmas! After a few moments pondering this package, I remembered I had won Kim's Kinfolk book giveaway!
Looking at the photos is like a trip to Europe!
I can't wait to make the Spiced Raw Chocolate Mouse.
Thank you Kim!

Not a gorgeous still life shot like hers, but grabbed this with my iPhone and ran it through Mextures app.

Gratitude Day 5

Colors: I am grateful for color!
iPhone shot processed with PicFX. I did two images and masked the texture from the pumpkins and bottle in Image Blender.

Stillness Within

For Kim and John. Wishing you peace and hope.
Linking up for Texture Tuesday.

kk_appreciate Multiply 88%

kk_savor Linear Light 45%

Autumn Decorating

Here are a few shots around the house this week. 

It all started when I discovered the sun had crept across the sky enough to come in the dining room window shortly after sunrise. My white chair always sits ready and waiting. 

Hallie has now taken it over as her own. She just LOVES to stare out the window and climb on it. Anyway here's my first shot and right away wasn't totally happy with the white.

 Out comes the rickety brown one for the rest. Much better.

This was everyone first stop when they came in from the garden, the fireplace hearth. 

Oh yes, we grew pumpkins this year and they pretty much took over. This was just the first major picking.

I love the tiny ones the best. The kitchen got blessed with a couple behind the sink. Small pie pumpkins.

I know I just decorated the mantle for summer not long ago. But it made for a pretty easy switch up.

( I confess, I bought the white ones.)

I really love these yellow ones with the dark stems, They may have come from a hybrid I planted. Not many of those showed up and I got a few others like the green and white striped that I didn't have seeds for.

Are you decorating yet? This blogging thing really makes me stay on my toes more. I'd really gotten lazy in the past few years. I guess this is my Geritol.

All edit done in Lightroom with the new presets from Pretty Presets called Clean and Creative Advanced Workflow.

Linking up with Kim Cunningham for Little Things Thursdays.