What thought is complete or person fully grown? Aren’t words left unspoken, memories faded and dreams transformed? Aren’t there just enough resources inside to accomplish another day? What is enough and what’s left at the end of the day?

http://www.barebrush.com/art.php?artwork_id=2254
Media: digital

Size: 35 inches x 36 inches

Genre: nude
Price $750

To sharpen what? my brain, my creativity or loosen them… don’t know which, but I have recently taken several workshops at the Georgia O’Keeffe museum annex in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico abotu 15 miles from my home.  The first set of 3 classes was with Leland Chapin a bright, talented and imaginative young man who is also an illustrator and Visual Arts instructor.

Leland teaches story book illustration , but I wanted to tell a story in one illustration and was interested in symbolism. He offered ‘the worm’ because it was simple and can represent people.  That got me rolling: working with colored pencils I drew hills and sky- what I see each day at 7,000 feet above sea level, crosses-do they represent religion or shields?, worms-people all seen from above and straight forward at the same time.

Group Think - Illustration created in Leland Chapin's workshop - Santa Fe NM 2009

That’s everything even the notes I was taking in class are there behind the crosses. This was a three part process. I drew, I scanned then I enhanced some with PhotoShop.

Since I took a snapshot of the illustration with my scanner–it was now a digital image and crossed the invisible line into photography, creatively speaking.

This is art – we get to make up the rules.

The next session with Leland resulted in…

Life and Death or Leave No Baggage Behind - illustration created in Leland Chapin workshop - Santa Fe, NM 2009

Over to the upper left is where I began working out my idea, but didn’ t know I would incorporate it later. If I wanted to tell the whole story then what was the point of erasing the beginning?

I loved being able to concentrate then let my mind loose on drawing. I think this drawing spanned 3 pieces of paper and it took about six scans spliced together in photoshop.

Later on I might fill in about the symbolism – maybe not.

Fast forward….to last week. Bob Hogge asked me so, what are doing – got anything new to show me? Bob is big on getting outside the comfort zone to grow as an artist which makes me think of the fractured fairy tales (now there’s a name for an illustration) which were aired along side Rocky and Bullwinkle. My favorite tale was What it takes to be an Artist–the fairy warned, you had to travel, then you had to do something ridiculous then you had to SUFFER! It always cracked  me up. It’s probably on Youtube  I’ll look it up. But I digress. Bob, like the fractured fairy, pushes people to their limits so they’ll expand and break through their limitations for which I am totally grateful.

“Do something that makes you feel uncomfortable, Ruth” which reminds me of what my parents used to say to me – if someone tells you to jump off a cliff you would do it?

Hmm, it depends – if it would show me more of the world and myself in relation to it I would definitely look into it and ask for a mattress at the bottom. And the conversation in my head keeps going.

But lunch is quickly approaching and posting this last image was tricky.

All Terrain Female - What you see and who you be.

Have a great memorial day.

I’m remembering my Dad and how he sold Buddy Poppies to raise money for veterans.

On a good day I think my dad with eyes wide open would take my hand and jump with me.

~Ruth

Lunch at Harry's Roadhouse

Under the bug-zapper we think–discussing methods
to create larger works and where to find a bigger studio in Santa Fe

I am in the process of adding pieces to this blog that weren’t able to be moved in the transfer.

Arggh – there is so much I don’t know about Word Press but I am going to chip away. First I will see if Sebastien’s link works!

I received this e-mail about my b & w photo contest entry, “Congratulations! You’re “Sunrise December” image won first place in our Black and White Photo Contest! It’s a great shot—mysterious, engaging, and technically excellent. Thank you for submitting it. It would be my pleasure to send you a prize copy of Creative Digital Monochrome Effects by Joe Farace; just respond to this email with your shipping address. Additionally, we’d be thrilled to feature your winning image in our next newsletter.
Frank Gallaugher
Photography Books Lark Books”
Although my friends say with a smile, “Don’t you ever enter contests with BIG CASH prizes?” I see this as a great marketing opportunity. My image is posted on Lark Books website and I have a chance to be featured in their next newsletter which is e-mailed to thousands of subscribers. In a way it’s like cash because it replaces hiring a temporary publicist and gives me a greater online presence.

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Santa Fe just had its last snowfall of the season which reminded me of a photo I took early December morning 2008….

I loved the winding driveway with the sun and tree at the very end so I cropped the image and thought it might look better without the color. Here is what I came up with:

I did more than desaturate the color… I bought a set of plug-in filters from Topaz Labs. What I love about the filters is I can create new settings, name them and easily apply them again onto new images.

After I found a setting a liked I tweaked it more. Then I desaturated the image.
It was not as simple as 1,2,3. There was a bold grid in the best image. I blended it out using the rubber stamp tool, lightened the image and entered it into a contest with my fingers crossed.

The people at Topaz Labs are friendly and helpful.
Their plugins are resaonably priced with a 30 day free trial period.

If you have a problem or question Topaz-help will work with you.
I was very impressed.
Have fun!

so I can climb up to the roof and get a clear view of sunsets and storms. I plan on using it now in the late fall and winter months because the sun has shifted and becomes blocked by trees and homes. That is, when it’s setting.

What can you do to get a better view?

My luck in part was due to the numerous storms we had in New Mexico from August to late September. I not going to keep relying on luck though. I am expanding my storms series by learning as much as I can about night photography, about adjusting dark images and printing dark images. Storms and sunsets have a particular adjustment problem.. the foreground usually being too dark or solid black. When I have gone into Photoshop to adjust the foreground it often became washed out. I found some amazing videos on You Tube that teach Photoshop adjustments just for this problem and they worked on most of my images. I’m very pleased. If you want to know more about it write a request on this blog or to me directly at ruth@mydigitalphotographytips.com I’m fishing to see how much interest is out there and get a little interaction going from my readers.

Okay, here is the image which made it into the Eldorado Community Association 2009 Calendar.

here it is in black and white:

Can you see how the black and white image has more detail in the foreground?
I worked in layers using masks and filters and then adjusted the filter layer. That’s the technique.

My passion is the thrill of running outside in the storm and the mud. On this photo-shoot day I got soaked three times. When this storm disappeared I ran east just a block and a half away and caught more sheets of rain heading towards me. I’ll post that image in my next entry. There is something about a rain soaked muddy road with dramatic clouds above that fires me up. The scene isn’t somewhere in the distance. It right here enveloping me. I think I just have to capture this moment forever.. the pelting rains, the filtered light of low slung clouds. You might of missed it, but I was there and I can show you it was breathtaking.
What fires you up?

Blu: So what are you working on now?
RB: Last night I stayed up all night working on a new piece. It’s more contemporary….read more