Sunday, June 28, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Picture Story: lightshine — sarahkdesigns
"lightshine" available at sarahkdesigns
I finished this picture a short while ago (literally, this last Wednesday). I think it will inevitably end up being the “June” graphic for the calendar that I make next year. Unlike all previous years, this time I really am striving to not be manufacturing 10 pictures (because somehow, I always do get 2 of them done on schedule) in the 10 days before Christmas. The calendar, incidentally, is what I give out to my relatives as a Christmas gift.
Anyway, I think this picture nicely encapsulates the month of June. It is a landscape featuring irises, sunshine, American goldfinches, and a colorful summer sunrise. This picture started with those irises. I have them in my garden. They’re called “lightshine” and are from Schreiners (which is a famous grower of irises). The original rhizome actually came as a free gift because I had made such a substantial order. It has since reproduced, so now I get a couple stalks every year. They always have a good amount of blooms, and they’re always full and gorgeous. So, I cropped the blossoms out of my photos, and combined them with stems that I literally cut out of the garden after the bloom season ended. I scanned the stems & some leaves, and combined them through the magic of photoshop.
Obviously, they needed a background, and I wanted something that would coordinate with the colors of the blooms. Conveniently, I have scans of my abstract acrylic paintings on file, and I found the perfect fit. And for a while, the picture sat there on my computer as just irises & a background. I experimented to frustration with the idea of superimposing a photo of a cloudy sky over the background, but nothing was making me happy… and then it occurred to me that I used to make pictures of landscapes all the time with the sun, and it had been like forever since I had done that. So, a plucked a shade of yellow out of the irises and made myself a sun, with rays of light radiating out to compliment my lightshine irises.
And, of course, I need some animal life. I had originally considered doing butterflies, but just couldn’t bring myself to draw them. I apparently just wasn’t in the mood. So, I decided on the goldfinches instead. Many of them flit through our yard on a regular basis. I always see them in flight. So, having them fly over my irises was apt. That, and they’re yellow, so they coordinate with the color scheme of the picture.
All in all, I think it’s a cheerful encapsulation of summer.
I finished this picture a short while ago (literally, this last Wednesday). I think it will inevitably end up being the “June” graphic for the calendar that I make next year. Unlike all previous years, this time I really am striving to not be manufacturing 10 pictures (because somehow, I always do get 2 of them done on schedule) in the 10 days before Christmas. The calendar, incidentally, is what I give out to my relatives as a Christmas gift.
Anyway, I think this picture nicely encapsulates the month of June. It is a landscape featuring irises, sunshine, American goldfinches, and a colorful summer sunrise. This picture started with those irises. I have them in my garden. They’re called “lightshine” and are from Schreiners (which is a famous grower of irises). The original rhizome actually came as a free gift because I had made such a substantial order. It has since reproduced, so now I get a couple stalks every year. They always have a good amount of blooms, and they’re always full and gorgeous. So, I cropped the blossoms out of my photos, and combined them with stems that I literally cut out of the garden after the bloom season ended. I scanned the stems & some leaves, and combined them through the magic of photoshop.
Obviously, they needed a background, and I wanted something that would coordinate with the colors of the blooms. Conveniently, I have scans of my abstract acrylic paintings on file, and I found the perfect fit. And for a while, the picture sat there on my computer as just irises & a background. I experimented to frustration with the idea of superimposing a photo of a cloudy sky over the background, but nothing was making me happy… and then it occurred to me that I used to make pictures of landscapes all the time with the sun, and it had been like forever since I had done that. So, a plucked a shade of yellow out of the irises and made myself a sun, with rays of light radiating out to compliment my lightshine irises.
And, of course, I need some animal life. I had originally considered doing butterflies, but just couldn’t bring myself to draw them. I apparently just wasn’t in the mood. So, I decided on the goldfinches instead. Many of them flit through our yard on a regular basis. I always see them in flight. So, having them fly over my irises was apt. That, and they’re yellow, so they coordinate with the color scheme of the picture.
All in all, I think it’s a cheerful encapsulation of summer.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Giveaway - sarahkdesigns print
lush ripe roses
(5 X 5 inch image on 6 X 6 inch 2-ply smooth surface bristol)
sarahkdesigns print giveaway
to enter, please send an email to sarkni@live.com
something like "lush ripe roses print giveaway" in the title would be helpful ; )
the winner will be chosen next Sunday, 28 June 2009, at NOON EST (eastern standard time).
the winner will be chosen at random (from some classical analog device like a name drawn out of a container).
the winner will be announced on the blog after I have contacted that person.
: )
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Outside: eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis)
sarahkdesigns
♥ Most-Hearted 8 X 10 Print Sale ♥ (June 14 thru June 20, 2009) ♥ Any open edition 8X10 print with 7 hearts or more will be just $10.00! See something you like? See something you want? Heart it into the sale!♥
♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ •
this is in the sale : )
and these are some photos of the male of the pair of Eastern Bluebirds who are currently nesting in the box in my yard.
♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ • ♥ * ♥ •
this is in the sale : )
and these are some photos of the male of the pair of Eastern Bluebirds who are currently nesting in the box in my yard.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
upcoming sale at sarahkdesigns!
From June 14 to June 20, 2009
sarahkdesigns will be having a "most hearted print sale!"
All open edition 8 X10 prints with 7 "hearts" or more will be just $10.00!
These prints are so close to being included in the sale...
evening iris ________ june blooms
bluebirds and tulips ______________ spa
summer sunset _____ chickadee love song
violet night _______ dragonfly love
sublime spring skies ___ spring sing
if you heart them, then they will be discounted : )
sarahkdesigns will be having a "most hearted print sale!"
All open edition 8 X10 prints with 7 "hearts" or more will be just $10.00!
These prints are so close to being included in the sale...
evening iris ________ june blooms
bluebirds and tulips ______________ spa
summer sunset _____ chickadee love song
violet night _______ dragonfly love
sublime spring skies ___ spring sing
if you heart them, then they will be discounted : )
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Upcoming sale at sarahkdesigns!
Next week sarahkdesigns is having a sale!
My most-hearted 8X10 prints will be just $10.00!
So, I invite you to check out my shop: sarahkdesigns
and "heart" to your heart's content!
All 8X10 prints with 7 hearts or more will be on sale : )
here are some examples of what will be on sale:
calla lilies and tree swallows
bunnies and puzzles
greener pasture
3 sheets in the wind
eastern bluebirds on a wire
purple martins & purple irises
My most-hearted 8X10 prints will be just $10.00!
So, I invite you to check out my shop: sarahkdesigns
and "heart" to your heart's content!
All 8X10 prints with 7 hearts or more will be on sale : )
here are some examples of what will be on sale:
calla lilies and tree swallows
bunnies and puzzles
greener pasture
3 sheets in the wind
eastern bluebirds on a wire
purple martins & purple irises
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Outside: pink blossoms
These are photographs I shot this spring around Washtenaw county. The blooms on the trees are always so fabulous and ephemeral in the spring. Every time bloom season begins, the wind comes...
Friday, June 5, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
award
Apparenlty I have received an award:
from Elizabeth Pujalka
http://elizabethpujalka.blogspot.com/
So, evidently the rules of the “blog award” are to:
Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, & their blog link.
Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you have just discovered! Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen.
The Bleeding Tree
http://bleeding-tree.blogspot.com/
lost coast post
http://lostcoastpost.blogspot.com/
End of March
http://end-of-march.blogspot.com/
Starlight, Starbright
http://starlightjourney.blogspot.com/
Rose Coloured Rain
http://rose-coloured-rain.blogspot.com/
Lisa Cole – Seeing Stars
http://lisacole690.blogspot.com/
heart for art
http://heart4art.blogspot.com/
Kathryn Siveyer
http://kathrynsiveyer.blogspot.com/
Dead Poets and Dark Caves
http://deadpoetsandcaves.blogspot.com/
paperlilly
http://paperlilley.blogspot.com/
The Unauthorized Biography of Rosco P. Coltrane
http://olelafe.blogspot.com/
The Masked Philosopher
http://themaskedphilosopher.blogspot.com/
draven
http://draven99.blogspot.com/
photopolemic
http://www.photopolemic.com/
Naked Tile
http://nakedtile.blogspot.com/
---------
And I want to post script this post. It's not that I'm not grateful; but I am a cynic. I think this "award" should actually simply be called "tag, you're it!" I get that it's aim is discovery and a sort of pay-it-forward mentality... that, and I just spent an hour sifting through google blogger profiles trying to find 15 other bloggers with common interest who were legally adults...
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