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The above is the digital painting I did of my friend’s dog, Molly, as a present.

Here’s one I did of our dog, Bud-Z.

This is a digital painting I did based on my Refracted Lily quilt.  I then did a watercolor painting with Intense pencils based on this digital painting which was based on my quilt and the quilt based on a photograph.  I messed up the pencils, which I tossed in the garbage, only to later take it out of the garbage and realize it wasn’t that bad.  It seems I do that with most things – toss it in the garbage and take it out again.  Round and round it goes.

Another.

This is based on one of my photographs.  I enjoy painting with pixels, but I also like painting with paint, but it’s so much easier to to play with pixels.

I’m in one of those funks lately so I decided to start playing around with a single butterfly picture in Photoshop to give it some different looks.  While nothing is particularly grand, there are some ideas that are getting my interest.  I also may print a few of these in different sizes to add to the painted journal I recently did.  However, I do think I want to do some kind of butterfly image on fabric.  I also want to do use watercolors to paint some butterflies.  As an aside, my friend recently gave me a jar of Daniel Smith Watercolor Ground.  I’m thinking of adding some to one of the painted pages in the journal to see how it works.  At worse, I can always paint over it!

I like the simplicity of this one, and I may use this as a starting point for some watercolor images.

Please respect copyright.

The Journey - ©Gloria Hanse 2010

This is the last “large” (for me) piece that I completed for 2010.  It measures around 56″ in height.  It’s a digital collage and painting that’s printed on silk fabric using archival HDR Ultrachrome inkjet ink.  In some areas, I also added some additional color with pencil and paint.  It’s something I highly doubt I’ll enter into any type of traditional quilt show as I doubt it would be accepted.

This piece is very personal, and I’ve been working with the imagery on and off for a couple years.  In this small image, it’s hard to see some of what is happening.  I have another version of it that I may make this coming year.  We’ll see.

I had endoscopic surgery last week to remove my gallbladder.  It was a bit more difficult than I thought, although far better than traditional surgery.  Today I was finally able to get back to some me time (well, aside from all of the me time sleeping and working limited hours each day).  While I am still taking it slow, I am trying to get my collages finished for the One Cause fundraiser.  While the fundraiser doesn’t happen until February, work is due January 1st.  The pressure is on!

I returned to the digital images I printed early December, which you can see a couple posts down.

The original print.

This is a version of the design that I digitally printed onto thin Lutrador.  My goal for this collage was to work with it and possibly some of the digital prints I did on metal.

I placed the print onto a piece of fabric that I first dyed and then airbrushed with fabric paint.  I made this fabric some years back, and it’s been sitting in my stash.  Using a heat tool, I burned away sections of the print that is stitched onto the fabric.

While I like the look, knowing that I’d have other elements on top, I decided to add a bit of bright neon yellow/green paint for added punch.  I dry brushed it onto the Lutrador and let dry.

Next up I started experimenting with some printed metal pieces (it’s the same design) along with a copper mesh.

Then I placed a piece of watercolor paper that I painted a bright color (also from my stash) underneath a piece of yellow/green spun poly.  On top of that are some Tyvec cloth pieces that I painted and heated to get a rounded blob shape.

I then tried a longer piece of printed metal, the spun poly, and tyvec.  Still not there.

I added another piece of printed metal and further rearranged things until I got the above.  While it’s not the final collage, it’s close.  I did a slight rearrange and added some copper mesh to hold the top piece of metal in place.  I didn’t post its image because I want to first finish it.  Then, once I get permission from the fundraiser organizer that I can post, I will. The final collage will be in the 6×8″ range and mounted onto 8×10″ watercolor paper.  If it appears it needs more breathing room on the paper, I’ll cut it down a bit more.

It does feel good to be making something, even if it’s little and not finished.

Yesterday I went out for a little while in search of some butterflies.  I did find a couple monarchs and took only about 20-30 pictures before they flew away.  On the way home, Rich stopped for gas.  I noticed a flower with the sun hitting it in a pretty way (lighting is everything).  I hopped out of the car and took a couple quick shots.  Last night I stayed up late playing around to see what I could do with it.  Here are some of the results.  The original photo is on the above left.

These are both similar, but I brightened the one of the right, adding more color to the bottom right.  I also changed the central area a bit.

In this I was using the find edges filter and some coloring.

And here are a few more.  Hopefully I’ll post some more in the coming days.  The biggest problem when I play like this is I often don’t remember how I got from one version to the next.  I use to label the layers or write a few notes, but that always seems to take away from the flow.  So, if you’re wondering how I made these, play with filters and blending modes.

This little digital painting is based on the photo below.

I like the photo, but I thought it might make a good base for some digital play.

I did this all in Photoshop, not going into Painter.  I first painted brighter colors over the flowers and played with various filters.

I then blended the painting into the background.  While I like the look, it’s a bit flat for what I was looking for.

I then punched up the color.

I added more color to the central area.

And added a bit more color to the flower area.

At times I’m asked how I get from idea to a finished work.  This is it.  That is, I start with one idea, in this case a photograph, and I start experimenting.  In the above case, I have other variations.  I then print out some of the versions, dating them and noting the file name.  The prints go into a sketchbook with additional notes. The digital format is put within a folder on my computer, within another folder for designs for that particular month/year.

When I’m looking for ideas for a new project, I tend to flip through my sketchbooks with fresh eyes.  I sometimes add tracing paper and play around with more ideas.  Or, I’ll print out a version larger, add more color, and photograph it to push it farther.  At times some of the file sizes become huge.  I’m working on a design now that was over 4 gigs in size.  When it gets that large, Photoshop or whatever program chokes and gives a message saying it cannot save the file.  Ugh.  Then I need to figure out how I’m going to break it up int a couple files.  Eventually when it comes together, I work out the final size and create a new document with flattened artwork in the size I want to print.  And, that’s how I do it.

I’m thinking about doing some online classes on digital-related stuff.  I’m wondering about if there would be any interest.  It’s one of those things peculating.

I knew my new printer would be arriving any day, so I expected a call from the freight company to confirm I’d be here to sign for the delivery. I didn’t expect, however, her to ask me whether I had a loading dock. Uh oh.  After I told her it was going to my home, I learned I’d need to pay an addition fee for a drop lift and an additional fee to bring it in. But, once here, it didn’t fit through my front door.  It instead went into the garage (I’m still working out that second fee).  It’s not that the printer is huge, it prints the same width as my 7600, but it’s well packed and its physical size is some 13 inches wider.

Next up was Rich dealing with the directions.

The side of the box  had a large”Open here” sticker.

Peeling back the label revealed a cut out in the cardboard designed to pull open.

Inside was a ziplock bag with the users manual and media book filled with printed samples of Epson’s range of papers.

The box on top is the stand, which needs some assembly.  And Rich is pondering how he will get into the house.

And there it is!  Wow, I cannot believe I got this thing.  The manual suggests two people, but recommends four, to move the printer.  Rich, however, saw the stand had wheels on it.  Those wheels made his day.  “Piece of cake,” he says.  We’ll see!

And speaking of the manual …

it came in a leather book! And on the page showing a line drawing of four people carrying the printer, I’m adding a line drawing under it showing one person with a long pony tail moving it.

This is the box of “starter” inks — 11 of them – including vivid magenta and light magenta, orange, green; light, light-light, and black, yellow, light cyan and cyan; plus a matte black. Whew!  They are 110 ml, which is the same size used in the 7600 (the size of an 8-track tape – for those of you who remember them).  However,  there are three different sizes cartridge available for this machine.  150 ml, 350 ml, and, the holy crap size, 700 ml. This printer uses Epson’s newest generation of  Ultrachrome pigmented inks called HDR, or high definition. The printer and new ink has been getting incredible reviews.  Even so, I find myself second-guessing if I really need this printer (buyer’s guilt?).

Here’s my old 7600.  It’s going to a talented artist who I am sure is going to use it as a tool to further her fantastic artwork.  Once she gets the printer, the new one takes it place here.  Then I start it up and hope for the best.

This is Bridalveil Fall in Yosemite Valley.  I took a lot of photos of it  on various days in various lighting conditions.  These are some of my favorites.

This is Yosemite Falls which we were told is the highest waterfall in North America.  I took this photo during a “photo walk” hosted by the Ansel Adams Gallery at Yosemite. The Gallery also offers a variety of photography classes for a fee.  However, the walks are free and head by a pro photographer, although the walks are limited to 15 people and require advanced registration.  Being at Yosemite, it seemed we *had* to at least go on the photo walk.

This is the group of people on the photo walk.  I dragged along my husband to the walk, giving him one of my cameras to use.  I *knew* he’d enjoy it and he was off following various birds and taking pictures of the group, taking pictures.  I’m on the ground, next to the guy with the hat on.

It seems this deer was interested in playing peak-a-boo with our group.

One of the meadow flowers.

Looking up at the trees.  Doesn’t this look like it would make an interesting starting point for a repeat fabric design?

Another view of Yosemite Valley.

Yet another of the meadow looking at Yosemite Falls.  Last night when I couldn’t sleep, I started playing around with this image within Photoshop.  These are some of the results:

Kind of looks like a decent repeat for a fabric design.

This has the Paula influence.

I have a lot more images that I want to share.  In particular, sunset images at Half Dome.

I find myself drawn to the color schemes in the various photos I’ve taken at Yosemite, and I’m toying with the idea of using those colors to create fabrics to use with the images.  I’m not sure what direction I’ll take, but I couldn’t sleep last night and found  myself doing some digital doodling based on the first rainbow image that is in the post below.  I’ve come up with some 10 designs, including the following.  I’m not posting the onse I like the best for fear that I’ll jinx then and never do a thing with any.  We’ll see how it may develop.  I’m hungry to do some new work, maybe something will be percolate.

My partner Derry told me about this site, and we laughed and laughed looking through it.  Of course I hope I don’t find my work at this site!  It’s Photoshop Disasters, a blog that features “truly awful pieces of Photoshop work … clumsy manipulation, senseless comping, lazy cloning, and thoughtless retouching …”  Amazingly, many of these images are done by the pros for major clients.  Check it out and have a good laugh.  And, let it be a major note to self:  check and double-check digital edits.

I’ve no idea if the stats in this video are accurate, but it’s provocative nonetheless. Thanks Del!