And Juliet Is The Sun

And Juliet Is The Sun - playing around with a vintage image, some textured backgrounds, blending modes and painting. I really like these vintage images - they are fun to work with.  I originally wanted a castle in the BG but went with this version - maybe next time.

Breath

Just playing around a bit with the new computer and my new Photoshop Elements. I think this is a Julia Cameron image that I acquired just trying out some textures and blending modes - nothing very interesting. I'm not feeling too inspired today.

O Holy Night

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season.

Dreaming of Christmas

Dreaming of Christmas - B&W Vintage image extracted and paired with a fur tree and other tree and lots of blending modes and coloring. Very simple  - I could have added more but thought this was just right.  I can't believe this year is almost over - time goes by way to fast.

A Winters Walk

Everything in this image is from other images. All extracted and added to make this whole. Textures and blending modes added last. This won am may need that umbrella to ward off the swans they can be nasty!!

The Wheel of the Year - Winter Solstice

The Wheel of the Year - Winter SolsticeModel kuoma-stock.deviantart.com/art/Blackbird-10-333758235The December solstice has influenced the lives of many people over the centuries, particularly through art, literature, mythology and religion. The December solstice is also known as the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere and the summer solstice in the southern hemisphere.In the northern hemisphere, the December solstice occurs during the coldest season of the year. Although winter was regarded as the season of dormancy, darkness and cold, the coming of lighter days after the winter solstice brought on a more festive mood. To many people, this return of the light was a reason to celebrate that nature’s cycle was continuing.

Yule

This is my Yule image for this year - Blessed Yule! 

Many cultures have winter festivals that are in fact celebrations of light. The Pagan holiday called Yule takes place on the day of the winter solstice, around December 21. On that day (or close to it), an amazing thing happens in the sky. The earth's axis tilts away from the sun in the Northern Hemisphere, and the sun reaches at its greatest distance from the equatorial plane. As a festival of the Sun, the most important part of any Yule celebration is light -- candles, bonfires, and more.

Origins of Yule:

In the Northern hemisphere, the winter solstice has been celebrated for millenia. The Norse peoples viewed it as a time for much feasting, merrymaking, and, if the Icelandic sagas are to be believed, a time of sacrifice as well. Traditional customs such as the Yule log, the decorated tree, and wassailing can all be traced back to Norse origins.

Inness Landscape

I have always love the George Inness paintings. I decided to do a Inness-like image in Photoshop.  Nothing about this image is real - all parts are taken from different images - I guess it is a Frankenstein landscape!   The sky, moon, clouds background, tree line, some individual trees and the foreground all from different images combined to make this whole.  Added to this some textures, blending modes and finally a canvas texture.  I plan on doing more of these Inness landscapes - he has such an amazing way of painting light, sunset and night.

George Inness (May 1, 1825 – August 3, 1894) was an influential American landscape painter. His work was influenced, in turn, by that of the old masters, the Hudson River school, the Barbizon school, and, finally, by the theology of Emanuel Swedenborg, whose spiritualism found vivid expression in the work of Inness' maturity. Often called "the father of American landscape painting," Inness is best known for these mature works that not only exemplified the Tonalist movement but also displayed an original and uniquely American style.

Look here for more information on George Inness and to see some of his paintings.

Totem Animal

Model faestock deviantArt faestock.deviantart.com/art/Ash5-269161542

Many layers, blending modes, textures and brushes. Girl, wolves, pentagram, smoke and trees extracted and added to background.

Eve

This image is from my new computer and my new version of Elements 12. I had been using Elements 7 on my old laptop - so I am having all kinds of learning curves ; ) She is way more warmer colored on this computer but I am getting used to the new monitor.  I have so much to learn!

Poinsettia

I saw the flowers and immediately thought of making this image. Very Christmas!!!!

Carousel

I created this image for dA Users Gallery Challenge #70 - People 068

Model with thanks to ISOStock 

The starting image is below.  I didn't want to use the complete image so I used the top 2/3 and placed her in front of carousel horses and an actual carousel.  I tried to tie the color of the pink in the original image to the background carousel images.

The Snow Queen

It is snowing here in NJ this AM but we are not suppose to get much of an accumulation. 

Model Faestock 

Snowflake brushes and edge treatment - Marie Otero 

Little Flower Girl

Image I completed a few days ago.  Not much to say about it - years ago I bought a couple of CD's with old time images.  I believe this is from one of the CD's.  It originally is B&W but I colored it with overlays and the flowers.  Then I added some texture.  I do love her face.

Week 12 Challenge - It Must Be Magic

So the week 12 challenge was to design our artist card.  Here is mine and I must say while it is dark it is so me.  If it really was my card there would be more info on it but this is good for the challenge - I may do more work on it and actually print some up.

Under The Mistletoe

I wanted the feel of an old Victorian Christmas card. This is so strange for me as I am a witch and skull kind of girl not a Hallmark moment type ; )

This is a compilation of many images - I extracted the couple, added parts of the background, added the tree, added some presents, added the bear, added the wreath, the bow on the top of the tree and finally the mistletoe (which was the whole point of the image).

The couple image is below.

Blackbirds

Blackbirds - The background on this image is a part of one of my abstract paintings.

The Wanderer

Model with thanks to Faestock

I added the trains, kitty, graffiti, texture, grass and grunge.

Two Roses

Not anything to say about this - just plating around with some background texture.

A Place To Pray

Created for dA Users Gallery Challenge #69 – The Black Cloak

Model with thanks to JoyfulStock

So I joined another Flickr group and they are having a challenge to so here is my entry. A Place To Pray.  below is the original image we have to use.

Gears and Wheels

I used a section of one of my abstract paintings for the background in this image.  I then added a ton of stuff on top.  The background is below.

Week 11 Challenge

1 The Character – Sir Thomas Bradley - financier, inventor and world explorer.

The invitation to attend the party at Ravenwood Manor came hand written by the Lady of the Manor herself, Catherine Ravenwood. A fancy costume party to welcome back Lady Catherine to the Manor.

2 The Setting – Ravenwood Manor

It once was a grand family home but it has fallen more and more into disrepair as the elder Ravenwood’s have passed on. There have been whispers in the village about strange and seceret doings at the manor house since our Lady Catherine has returned.

3 The Situation – The Party

Our main character Sir Thomas has arrived at the party mostly out of curiosity to see the beautiful Catherine and the interior of the manor. It is indeed a strange mix – so will it be a fun evening of dinner, dancing and polite conversation or something more sinister??

Girl Image - faestock deviant art faestock.deviantart.com/

Sunflowers

Yep there really are sunflowers hiding in this image ; )

Urban Alice

Created for Faestock Challenge #74

Model with thanks to Faestock

So I joined a new Flickr group Faestock - this group uses images made from Faestock on Deivantart. They also have challenges so I joined one.  The image we had to use was Alice (see below) and above is my entry.  This was fun.

Free Bird

Well it's Thanksgiving and I am bummed I didn't make some kind of turkey image but here is a bird.  I was suppose to go to PA and have the holiday with family but bad weather caused me to stay home here in NJ - so I am cooking and having a nice quiet day with husband and cats.

Free Bird Image - Lots of extracts, textures and stuff

Girl Image - faestock deviant art faestock.deviantart.com/

Actual image -faestock.deviantart.com/art/Black-Widow4-329291702

The Painted Crow

I had a totally different vision for this image but this is what developed.  I like it and will work on my other idea at another time.

Here is the bird image I used.  I filled the BG layer with orange and only covered it with the bird for 3/4 of the area.  I added textures on top and some textures just to the 1/4 orange area.  He is such a handsome crow - love him!!!!

The White Dress

I am trying to get a more painterly, artistic look to my images. I really love this one it is very close to what I am aiming for. Three different images here - girl extracted as were the trees.

The Tarot

Week 10 Challenge - This week is about sharing something personal, one of your passions. Well one of my passions is the Tarot - I have about 60 decks and many, many books. I love Tarot art and the power of the cards. I even made my own personal Tarot Deck. This image plays homage to the tarot specifically the Death card. 

Swan Song

Just a silly play on words.

The Crow

I love crows - lots around this AM and they were loud!!!!

Sharp Dressed Man

You do know every girl is crazy about a sharped dressed man. Extracted the people from another image and placed them on the house. Lots of texture and blending modes. I love these old photographs. I wonder who their relatives are??

Hunters Moon

I love a full moon ; )

Skid Row Madonna

Skid Row Madonna -  I loved making this image.  It was from an original B&W and it has so many layers and crazy blending modes – that is how I got the coloring and lighting.  I removed a lot and added some other things. And yes I did want that red band of paint going over the woman’s head. I always compare my newest work to what I have already done and I think this is my best piece yet. I try to zero in on what I want to be the main focus and work around that.  I also like to tell a story while keeping the focus on the image. I used to be in such a hurry to finish an image but not anymore - I like to work, add different elements and try different things until I get it just right or I think I have it just right! Below is the original image I worked from and a link to it on Flickr.

Original Image from Flickr  - Jeffrey
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jb912/7011218065/sizes/l/

Chess Board Floor

Chess Board Floor - my latest digital image.  This is made up of many extracted images but they all come together to make a whole.

Wild Bunch

Front row left to right: Harry A. Longabaugh, alias the Sundance Kid, Ben Kilpatrick, alias the Tall Texan, Robert Leroy Parker, alias Butch Cassidy; Standing: Will Carver & Harvey Logan, alias Kid Curry; Fort Worth, Texas, 1900.

Just playing around with this old photo.  Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch was one of the loosely organized outlaw gangs operating out of the Hole-in-the-Wall in Wyoming during the Old West era in the United States. It was popularized by the 1969 movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and took its name from the original Wild Bunch. They would become the most successful train-robbing gang in history.

Black Velvet

Black velvet has four different images - lots of texture and blending modes - Model by marriannainsomina Deivantart.

Shy Pelican

Last month my husband and I went to Cape May on a mini vacation.  While we were in town I saw a shop named Shy Pelican and thought I would like to make a digital image with that title.  I guess it is silly but here it is.  I remember when we went to North Carolina and I saw my first pelican - I pulled the car over and jumped out for a better look.  They are rather comical looking birds but unlike anything we have at the Jersey Shore.

Steampunk Girl

I had fun doing this image, had to think about how it would come together and I learned a lot. Can't ask for more than that.  I love the look of Steampunk and I want to do a lot more of these type of images.  I especially like the background, it is a composite of six different images cut and blended. I got the photo of the girl from solceress at Deviantart. I also love the edge treatment - that is one from Marie Otero from an online class I took with her a couple of years ago. Well I am off to see how Friday unfolds ; )

Sunflowers

Sunflowers on a very chilly day.  I wanted this image to look hand painted.  I love sunflowers they are sturdy and bright - they make me smile. I guess I am just not a rose kind of girl!

Crows and Iron Fence

Just felt like doing something more decorative.  I think I could have used brighter coloring here but I do kind of like this anyway.

Watercolor Girl

I am enjoying creating an image in Photoshop and then working color back into the image.  Lots of different images, blending modes, textures and painting in this one.