What AEDM day is this?

I've been away for a couple of days.  But, I think I've been a tiny bit creative every day even though I don't really have anything to show for it.  I'm working through a book called "You Can Draw in 30 Days" and I'm drawing and shading balls and boxes.  Hope to share something with you in the coming days.

I did take some pictures.  I pulled a few of them up in Photoshop Elements and played around with the  color hue and saturation, and with the balance of tint and temperature.   I see photographs where these values have been changed, and I'm just not quite sure if I like it.  Sometimes the color combinations are so vivid that I'm immediately drawn to them.  And then sometimes, I think it's just too bizarre.  Take a look at these, and please let me know what you think.  

A Different Shade of Sanibel

AEDM 16 -- I've missed more days!

Yes, my blogging hasn't been as timely as it was for a bit.  Work seems to get in the way of all the things I want to do.  Art has been on my mind -- hope that counts.  Tried out those "inktense" pencils, and did a sketch of a bird and cage.  Lots of colors in the background -- I think I tried all the colors in the box.  Then... I thought of the words I wanted to add.  My writing looked out of place.  Got out the scissors, and this is all that is left of my bird and cage.  The green is going too, and then I have an idea.  You'll see this little bird later this month in new surrounding.  And with "printed" words.

I've also been working more in Photoshop Elements.  For my other blog, I made a little card and took a photo of it.

In Elements, I cropped and added writing (learned my lesson on doing my own writing!).

Also, in Elements I used my recently enhanced photographs to make some note cards.  This was the first time that I had added more than one picture to a layout.  The cards are 4.25 x 5.5, so two print on 8.5 x 11 paper.  To put the title and my name on the back of the folded card for those that were horizontal, it had to be upside down.  I did it.  The more I use Elements the easier it's getting.

And a Winter ATC.

AEDM - Day 13 (missed some days)

I've been under the weather, well more like knocked flat out.  My first experience with food poisoning.  From guilt I'm thinking it might have been that cupcake with a cup of cream cheese frosting.  More realistically, it was the raw, unsalted Brazil nuts from a bin.  So, the past couple days have been more about enjoying art than making it myself.  I received my three ATCs (art trading cards -- I wasn't familiar with them myself until a few weeks ago) from a swap among our "Fly" group and hosted by Sally Rose .  And I received a painting that I purchased from a fellow flyer, Lori Leissner.  It's called "Brave" and I've hung it in my home office to remind myself each day to be brave.

As I've been recovering, I have started on the little trading cards for our next swap.  No art to show as yet, so I thought I would share my studio with you.

Yep, that's it.  A yard sale child's table and chairs in the middle of our living area.  And I have to say that I do feel more comfortable (and I'm far, far from being petite!) working at that little table, a bit freer.  My daughter says it brings out the child in me.  Maybe so.  This is also where my five year old granddaughter, Lucy and I work when she's here.  Here's a painting she did a couple weeks ago.

She's a natural and I'm so proud of her.  Hope to be back to my normal dabbling tomorrow.

AEDM day 9 - Experimenting

I'm on a dabbling roll.  The amount of stuff at an art/craft store is amazing!  What does one do with all of it?  Well, of course, most people don't do something with "all" of it.  This is my month for experimenting with different mediums and techniques.  Some may work; some may not.  Those colored pencils didn't work for me, but from comments I learned about other options with more vibrant colors.  Thanks for the feedback!

Yesterday I took a picture of all the bare trees in our backyard with the beautiful blue sky in the background.  Changed the hue of the photograph in Photoshop Elements and printed the picture on card stock paper with my inkjet printer.  Mixed Adirondark alcohol ink (Cranberry) about half and half with alcohol blending solution.  Wet the paper and then misted (with a mini mister) the trees with the ink mixture.  When it dried, I added a flying crow to the sky.  I'm sort of happy with how it turned out.

I truly appreciate all of the wonderful feedback from the AEDM group and from my Fly Tribe!

The Night Sky - AEDM 8

As I was walking my dog last night, I looked up at the evening sky.  Just last Friday the space station was visible for six minutes as it traveled across the sky -- so I always look up.  And there was that big beautiful, almost full, moon in a clear sky.  My attempts to capture the evening sky have been quite unsuccessful, and last night was no different.  Determined, I put my camera (the camera I need to know much more about) on manual and set it for a long exposure.  I wasn't steady enough, so I found a metal fence post in the garage and used it as a tri-pod, although technically it was a mono-pod.  Here is the result:

In Photoshop Elements, I added texture and made minor adjustments to hue and saturation.  And here you have my AEDM day 8:.

AEDM day 6 -- Watercolor Pencils again

Since the watercolor pencils were new to me, I thought I would just doodle with them and see what happened.  Watercolor pencils are NOT for me.  First the colors didn't turn out the color I thought they would be.  And nothing was defined.  So, I thought "words" -- I'll add words.  And since it was a song, I added a little music to the flowers.  I wrote and wrote and wrote.  Still not defined enough.  So I outlined all the flowers and the music.  Better, but it's not me.  I guess that's a good thing about this "Art Every Day Month" -- I should be able to rule out a lot of stuff.  And who knows?  Someday I might become focused and find my style.