tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16861074659361813302024-03-05T04:22:42.121-05:00Pro ArtzMeet CJ an artist, writer, and educator. This blog contains examples of CJ's art work and writing.
Scroll down to see additional photographs, poetry, short fiction and non-fiction. More examples of CJ's art work can be found at the very bottom of the page.CJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105598015852813723noreply@blogger.comBlogger301125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1686107465936181330.post-46603266038513555272015-10-06T04:49:00.000-04:002017-06-05T21:58:39.041-04:00Gun Control vs. Planned Parenthood<div class="tr_bq">
<b>What do you think would happen if we treated those who wanted to purchase guns the way we treat women who want abortions? </b>(See image at the bottom of the page.)</div>
<br />
<span style="color: #9fc5e8;">First, I want to preface this with ---I would be very happy if there were never another abortion. I don't like the idea of abortions. I wish that everyone would use birth control or common sense so that unwanted pregnancies would not happen. However, they do happen and I also believe a woman has the right to choose a safe and legal abortion and that belief was confirmed by a Supreme Court ruling decades ago.</span><br />
<span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #9fc5e8;">The problem is that the same people who are against abortion are also against birth control, condom distribution, and sex education. Back in the 1970's Elie Smeal, who was the president of N.O.W., tried to set up a dialog with anti-abortionists to come up with a plan to reduce the number of abortions. They would not even respond to her appeal to meet to discuss common ground.</span><br />
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A few days ago, <b><a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/10/01/1426894/-The-Righteous-Wrath-of-President-Obama?detail=email" target="_blank">President Obama gave a speech about another school shooting in Oregon</a></b>. The President was visibly upset and frustrated by routine coverage of such incidents by the media and the lack of sensible gun control legislation which has been blocked time and again by a mostly-Republican Congress.<br />
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When <b><a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/10/02/1427204/-Jeb-Bush-on-Oregon-mass-murder-Stuff-nbsp-happens?detail=email" target="_blank">Jeb Bush was asked to comment on the killings in Oregon</a></b>, he responded with "Stuff happens." How callus can one be to such a tragedy?<br />
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I know there are Democrats who oppose gun control, so it is not only a Republican issue. I also know that the majority of NRA members are law-abiding citizens who use guns for harmless target practice or to provide food for their families. I also know that most of the perpetrators of gun violence are mentally ill and we need to address mental-health issues in conjunction with gun control.<br />
<br />
Yet, poll after poll shows that most Americans, even NRA members, are in favor of sensible gun control laws.<br />
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I see the real problem as the leadership of the NRA that makes senseless arguments against gun control. Why would they do that after seeing students killed in Columbine High School? They even scheduled their next convention in Colorado, almost throwing those deaths in the face of the Colorado population. Why would they continue such senseless arguments after all the other senseless shootings, including the one where elementary school children were gunned down in Connecticut? <br />
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It might be because the NRA receives the majority of its funding from gun manufacturers and I wouldn't doubt that the NRA leaders get a big chunk of that cash.<br />
<br />
We can't ignore that gun-manufacture lobbies and the NRA donate billions to campaign funds to those legislators who continue to oppose sensible control laws.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;">The NRA leadership says that we should have more guns in schools. They claim that if more people carried guns, there would be fewer deaths from mass shootings. <u><i><b>It's crazy talk</b>.</i></u></span><br />
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;">First, there is the possibility that an innocent third party could be caught in the crossfire. </span><br />
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;">T</span><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">here are instances where people have been jailed, not for starting a shooting, but because they happened to have a gun and fired back. </span><br />
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;">Norman Williamson is still serving time in Sing Sing 25 years after a shooting, for
reckless endangerment for firing his gun only after others had fired
first. Police couldn't prove that his shot killed a young boy, Tremain
Hall, so he's not in prison for murder. He's in prison for firing the
gun after others had fired a gun. </span><br />
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;">If someone steps up with a gun to kill the perpetrator, s/he could become a victim. What's to prevent the police from assuming that any person holding a gun is one of the perpetrators? (Read more </span><b><a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/10/03/1427420/-Armed-Vet-proves-NRA-wrong-and-explains-why-he-didn-t-confront-Oregon-Killer-with-G" target="_blank">HERE</a></b>.)<br />
<br />
Compare the number of annual gun deaths in various countries. I was surprised there were over 100 in Japan. I thought 300+ in Germany was a high number. But compare those numbers to over 11,000 in the U.S., as reported in Michael Moore's <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0310793/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">"Bowling for Columbine"</a></b> in 2002.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #9fc5e8;">According to the CDC, in 2013, there were a total of 33,636 firearm deaths in the U.S. Homicides made up 11,208 or 33% of those deaths. There were 505 unintentional discharges, 467 legal interventions, and 281 undetermined. In addition, 21,175 or 63% were suicides. (More CDC information can be found <b><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/Firearm.htm" target="_blank">HERE</a> </b>based on the number of deaths per 100,000 population.)</span><br />
<br />
Notice that there are nearly twice the number of suicides as homicides in this country. Most people contemplating suicide want a quick and painless way to kill themselves. Thus, I wonder how many could be prevented if potential victims didn't have access to guns. I'm sure many would find another means, but still, I think the numbers would go down.<br />
<br />
The Israeli army was able to drastically drop the number of suicide deaths among its soldiers by requiring them to leave weapons at the army base when off-duty, a fact that seems to fly in the face of the claim that more guns in people's hands will prevent gun deaths and suggests that lack of a firearm might prevent some suicides.<br />
<br />
I understand that the gun control issue is not clear cut. A good article at FactCheck.org points out the variables. The article can be found <a href="http://www.factcheck.org/2015/10/gun-laws-deaths-and-crimes/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. It compares Barack Obama's claim that states with the most guns laws have fewer gun deaths with Carly Fiorina's claim that areas with stringent gun control laws have higher gun-crime rates. (Note that the wording is different in Obama's claim and Fiorina's.)<br />
<br />
FactCheck.org examines the claims. The causation of gun crime and gun deaths cannot be proved because there are many factors that might contribute to gun violence/deaths including poverty, lower educational attainment, more rural areas that might make getting to a hospital in time to save one's life difficult.<br />
<br />
However, overall, the report seems to confirm Obama's claim rather than Fiorina's.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: magenta;">Compare the lack of response to the gun-control issue in Congress to the relentless outcry against Planned Parenthood</span></b>, based on an edited video created by an anti-abortion group, that contained false information and implications.<br />
<br />
The outcry comes mostly from Republican men. They ignore most of the services provided by Planned Parenthood ---breast, ovarian and other cancer screenings, birth control, menstruation problems, infertility, yeast infections, urinary tract infections, STDs, menopause (to list only some of the serves provided.) Those who oppose Planned Parenthood even ignore sexual health services for men, including vasectomies.<br />
<br />
In addition, they act as if the money the federal government pays to Planned Parenthood is a giveaway, whereas it is actually reimbursement for health services provided. No federal funds are used for abortions.<br />
<br />
At a Congressional hearing, one hapless Congressman put up a <b><a href="https://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/09/29/1426029/-I-ve-corrected-the-chart-Rep-Chaffetz-presented-at-today-s-Planned-Parenthood-hearing?detail=emailclassic" target="_blank">totally misleading chart</a></b> that he claimed came from Planned Parenthood. In reality it was created by an anti-abortion group. At the bottom of the chart it clearly states "Source: Americans United for Life." Among other things, its figures were incorrect and the chart made 327,000 look like it was a higher number than 935,573. (See the chart and a correction to make it accurate at the link above beginning with "totally misleading.")<br />
<br />
So I direct you to "<b><a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/10/03/1427451/-How-about-we-treat-every-young-man-who-wants-to-buy-a-gun-like-every-woman-who-wants-to-get-an-abort?detail=email" target="_blank">How about we treat every man who wants to buy a gun like every woman who wants an abortion</a><a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/10/03/1427451/-How-about-we-treat-every-young-man-who-wants-to-buy-a-gun-like-every-woman-who-wants-to-get-an-abort?detail=email"></a></b>."
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDAILULdDOKWX3lIosaGyfgtk4PX4KtQTuwhs64FFoad45YPMxU0-QcZPUJeY3NTh1Y-QZ5Qy3gWeHb8SUXEUGs53q2WCX-vO9Kr4Mw0dBl2pS2k8gpej_IqHOKbrG51AUt7EcISFt9w/s1600/GunsAbortionPoster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDAILULdDOKWX3lIosaGyfgtk4PX4KtQTuwhs64FFoad45YPMxU0-QcZPUJeY3NTh1Y-QZ5Qy3gWeHb8SUXEUGs53q2WCX-vO9Kr4Mw0dBl2pS2k8gpej_IqHOKbrG51AUt7EcISFt9w/s640/GunsAbortionPoster.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: cyan;">Addendum 3/14/16:
CBS's Sunday Morning on 3/13/16 the entire program was about guns. I didn't see the entire program, but It can be watched online. </span><br />
<span style="color: cyan;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: cyan;"> They interviewed people in Colorado (<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/guns-a-family-affair/">http://www.cbsnews.com/news/guns-a-family-affair/</a>) who use guns for hunting and need them for protection on large ranches where they might run into bears or wolves. I have no problem with that. However, I did question the wisdom of teaching children to shoot, some beginning as young as 5. I don't believe a 5-year-old is mature enough to determine if and when the use of a gun is warranted. </span><br />
<span style="color: cyan;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: cyan;"> I do have problems with gun owners who think they need assault rifles and those who don't lock their guns to keep them from children. About 100 children die each year in the U.S. at the hands of other children when playing with guns. I read a news report a few days ago about a woman in Florida who was shot in the back through her driver's seat by her 4 year old who found her gun in the car. The woman was not seriously injured, but she was a big gun advocate who wasn't responsible enough to keep her loaded gun away from a 4-year-old. (Poetic justice, perhaps?) </span><br />
<span style="color: cyan;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: cyan;"> A study was done, putting 2 or 3 12-year-old boys in a room and leaving them alone for a while. If they were curious enough to open a drawer, they would find a gun. Video showed the boys aiming it at themselves or each other. Sensors on the gun showed that 1/3 of the boys who found the gun (unloaded, of course) pulled the trigger enough to discharge it. Half later said they couldn't tell the difference between a real gun and a toy. Those who have shot and killed another child are also victims, some dropping out of school and becoming involved in drug use. (See more here: <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-other-victim-of-an-accidental-shooting/">http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-other-victim-of-an-accidental-shooting/</a>) </span><br />
<span style="color: cyan;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: cyan;"> The most interesting report (<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-australia-dealt-with-mass-shootings/">http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-australia-dealt-with-mass-shootings/</a>) was about a mass shooting in Australia that killed 35 people in 1996. Within 12 days, the new Prime Minister John Howard convinced the legislature to pass strict gun laws. Excerpts from the CBS report:
</span><br />
<span style="color: cyan;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote>
<span style="color: cyan;">The tough new laws banned the sale and importation of all automatic and semi-automatic rifles and shotguns; forced people to present a legitimate reason, and wait 28 days to buy a firearm; and perhaps most significantly, called for a massive, mandatory gun-buyback.
Australia's government confiscated and destroyed nearly 700,000 firearms, reducing the number of gun-owning households by half.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="color: cyan;">"People used to say to me, 'You violated my human rights by taking away my gun,'" Howard said. "And I'd [respond], 'I understand that. Will you please understand the argument, the greatest human right of all is to live a safe life without fear of random murder.'" </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: cyan;"> In the 15 years before the laws were passed, there were 13 mass shootings in Australia. In the two decades since, there has not been one. Plus, gun homicides decreased by nearly 60 percent. </span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="color: cyan;"> Locking up your guns and ammunition in separate safes is another regulation, as are surprise inspections by police. </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: cyan;">American lawyer and wine-maker Greg Melick had to part with some of his prized guns in the buy-back. He still owns about two dozen weapons, which he uses for sport, hunting, and shooting pests on his vineyard. </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: cyan;">Melick sees gun ownership not as a right, but a privilege. "I'd be very uncomfortable going back to the way it was before, when anybody could go in and buy a firearm," he said. "It's just bizarre, the number of people getting killed in the United States. And you have these ridiculous arguments: 'Well, people carry guns so they can defend themselves.'</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: cyan;">From Tasmania, to Sydney... we kept asking if there were lessons for the U.S. in all of this. </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: cyan;"> "I am loath to comment," said Loughton [whose 15-year-old daughter was killed in the 1996 mass shooting]. "But my question is, 'How is it going for you over there?' But I can't answer that for you. My heart goes out to all of you over there in America."</span></blockquote>
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(©2009, C.J. Peiffer)</div>CJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105598015852813723noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1686107465936181330.post-72644182925199176662015-07-13T11:41:00.000-04:002015-07-16T04:20:56.383-04:00Summer of Color 2015 - Week 6: Orange, Orange, Blue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5MOuSDwjwor1UB1frTtHlE7cVhnsTyBVHrrXPYjFNZeIN3QboNuoZrPc5EBSlIc2sxxjVMFRt04PlQCtHKGXh7ZvFV1k1ZR-syv0yWevi20TnQaUXyYqrg-6v_-URXHrgRcWpYX4eDo/s1600/SummerofColorWeek1Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5MOuSDwjwor1UB1frTtHlE7cVhnsTyBVHrrXPYjFNZeIN3QboNuoZrPc5EBSlIc2sxxjVMFRt04PlQCtHKGXh7ZvFV1k1ZR-syv0yWevi20TnQaUXyYqrg-6v_-URXHrgRcWpYX4eDo/s200/SummerofColorWeek1Logo.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><a href="http://twinkletwinklelikeastar.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: cyan;">Summer of Color</span></a></b> is back. Click on the "Summer of Color" text link to the left to view entries or to participate yourself.<br />
<br />
See my image and others on the <b><a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/thesummerofcolor/pool/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #a2c4c9;">Summer of Color 5 Flicker page</span></a></b>:<br />
https://www.flickr.com/groups/thesummerofcolor/pool/<br />
<br />
This year, instead of giving us three specific colors, Kristin is giving us two basic colors and we are supposed to choose our own shades of those. <br />
<br />
For Week 6, we are supposed to choose two shades of orange and one blue. This is the final week of this event for this year.<br />
<br />
If you post your images to a blog or to Flickr I can see them. <i>(If you post to Facebook, sorry, but I don't have a Facebook account. Sometimes I can see your images, but I can't comment.) </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<b><span style="color: #f9cb9c;">This design was started with one of my old abstract drawings done in pencil, which I scanned mainly for the textures, but it is so different from what I started with it might as well have been done completely in digital. Although I often begin with a photo, there were no photos involved in this image.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #f9cb9c;"><br /></span></b>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSllkDsh6H5W3snvE0WqdwJ_lKWTDS9zud29hiQqm2LA1NKAeFisUc5JIGH6qHdTnEja8cbitkWAR9JwJnpAdxTuZofdFBdYIwQTCKHzM_57OiTYd4dIz7wzvKQOn9IO4IsErk7dnl9rk/s1600/PlayingWithWarmCoolTextures.SOC2015-S.web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSllkDsh6H5W3snvE0WqdwJ_lKWTDS9zud29hiQqm2LA1NKAeFisUc5JIGH6qHdTnEja8cbitkWAR9JwJnpAdxTuZofdFBdYIwQTCKHzM_57OiTYd4dIz7wzvKQOn9IO4IsErk7dnl9rk/s640/PlayingWithWarmCoolTextures.SOC2015-S.web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: small;"><b>"Playing with Cool and Warm Textures"</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: small;">digital art</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrAO6MGIp3lm2sMnQEpzy79wxhUBxfVYQGH_LGl-lz0aSEW3LOM0gQ07w-X3ZrGYM-o8QdMRcnNjBAIEF0hQ4iWSGxIRUYu7v9L9qdwnMmw8Ynf3XoGslL7NyB1KQqSnnVig5JAAmnD0/s1600/Week6Colors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrAO6MGIp3lm2sMnQEpzy79wxhUBxfVYQGH_LGl-lz0aSEW3LOM0gQ07w-X3ZrGYM-o8QdMRcnNjBAIEF0hQ4iWSGxIRUYu7v9L9qdwnMmw8Ynf3XoGslL7NyB1KQqSnnVig5JAAmnD0/s320/Week6Colors.jpg" width="320" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/cjp/a3e6a3abc8c9a63044bbbae79b2aa479.png" border="0" /></a>
(©2009, C.J. Peiffer)</div>CJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105598015852813723noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1686107465936181330.post-29207430918303694212015-07-06T06:33:00.000-04:002015-07-13T11:30:44.985-04:00Summer of Color 2015, Week 5: Green, Green, Pink<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5MOuSDwjwor1UB1frTtHlE7cVhnsTyBVHrrXPYjFNZeIN3QboNuoZrPc5EBSlIc2sxxjVMFRt04PlQCtHKGXh7ZvFV1k1ZR-syv0yWevi20TnQaUXyYqrg-6v_-URXHrgRcWpYX4eDo/s1600/SummerofColorWeek1Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5MOuSDwjwor1UB1frTtHlE7cVhnsTyBVHrrXPYjFNZeIN3QboNuoZrPc5EBSlIc2sxxjVMFRt04PlQCtHKGXh7ZvFV1k1ZR-syv0yWevi20TnQaUXyYqrg-6v_-URXHrgRcWpYX4eDo/s200/SummerofColorWeek1Logo.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><a href="http://twinkletwinklelikeastar.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: cyan;">Summer of Color</span></a></b> is back. Click on the "Summer of Color" text link to the left to view entries or to participate yourself.<br />
<br />
See my image and others on the <b><a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/thesummerofcolor/pool/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #a2c4c9;">Summer of Color 5 Flicker page</span></a></b>:<br />
https://www.flickr.com/groups/thesummerofcolor/pool/<br />
<br />
This year, instead of giving us three specific colors, Kristin is giving us two basic colors and we are supposed to choose our own shades of those. <br />
<br />
For Week 5, we are supposed to choose two shades of green and one pink. <br />
If you post your images to a blog or to Flickr I can see them. <i>(If you posted to Facebook, sorry, but I don't have a Facebook account.)
</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><b><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">I was playing around with a design a few days ago and knew I wanted to use it this week., but I didn't know what colors would be chosen. So I just used two random colors and figured I could easily change them digitally once the colors were announced. Amazingly, I chose two greens and one pink! I must be clairvoyant.</span></b></i><br />
<i><b><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><br /></span></b></i>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0W66UWJHuZkTXXR15xZ4dTHldj3-VddKSXLyfPF6TtbmnyOaC1ilnPITUGQKD4vKobj5CrzsFdJyRigjBeVaVjwcysCKW0MUVSmG8r-Yt8mKglLE7YtbjnU-NhV8a0VGDPLXiTQi7yIc/s1600/TheSquaresWithin.SOC.5-S.web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0W66UWJHuZkTXXR15xZ4dTHldj3-VddKSXLyfPF6TtbmnyOaC1ilnPITUGQKD4vKobj5CrzsFdJyRigjBeVaVjwcysCKW0MUVSmG8r-Yt8mKglLE7YtbjnU-NhV8a0VGDPLXiTQi7yIc/s640/TheSquaresWithin.SOC.5-S.web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: lime;">"The Squares Within"</span></b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">This design was created from several photos I took at the Portland, Maine art museum. There were </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">large openings in the second floor walls that looked down onto the lobby area of the first floor. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Designs made from varied colored squares were painted on the lobby walls so I positioned myself</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
so that the painted squares would be framed by the openings upstairs. I knew when </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I took the photos that I would eventually use them to create an abstract design. I overlapped and </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
rotated parts of my images until I had a composition I liked. Although the colors were originally</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
quite different, I changed them to greens and pinks even before I knew this week's colors.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vSam364VLpsO5TpDgscNW-uI2kNrDr1qNNETZIn0KmyTRzZDJF5lmStiEt475nfi5giDgAK-Tbp2BykwwAX4AUV1NVIZajjHGuK_79v7FUGzdHchLqs6YF3hh2rNCqSx_N4KraXnTPM/s1600/Week5Colors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vSam364VLpsO5TpDgscNW-uI2kNrDr1qNNETZIn0KmyTRzZDJF5lmStiEt475nfi5giDgAK-Tbp2BykwwAX4AUV1NVIZajjHGuK_79v7FUGzdHchLqs6YF3hh2rNCqSx_N4KraXnTPM/s400/Week5Colors.jpg" /></a><i><br /></i>
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(©2009, C.J. Peiffer)</div>CJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105598015852813723noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1686107465936181330.post-303757826303938652015-07-02T03:49:00.001-04:002015-07-06T06:17:08.079-04:00Summer of Color 2015 - Week 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5MOuSDwjwor1UB1frTtHlE7cVhnsTyBVHrrXPYjFNZeIN3QboNuoZrPc5EBSlIc2sxxjVMFRt04PlQCtHKGXh7ZvFV1k1ZR-syv0yWevi20TnQaUXyYqrg-6v_-URXHrgRcWpYX4eDo/s1600/SummerofColorWeek1Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5MOuSDwjwor1UB1frTtHlE7cVhnsTyBVHrrXPYjFNZeIN3QboNuoZrPc5EBSlIc2sxxjVMFRt04PlQCtHKGXh7ZvFV1k1ZR-syv0yWevi20TnQaUXyYqrg-6v_-URXHrgRcWpYX4eDo/s200/SummerofColorWeek1Logo.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><a href="http://twinkletwinklelikeastar.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: cyan;">Summer of Color</span></a></b> is back. Click on the "Summer of Color" text link to the left to view entries or to participate yourself.<br />
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See my image and others on the <b><a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/thesummerofcolor/pool/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #a2c4c9;">Summer of Color 5 Flicker page</span></a></b>:<br />
https://www.flickr.com/groups/thesummerofcolor/pool/<br />
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This year, instead of giving us three specific colors, Kristin is giving us two basic colors and we are supposed to choose our own shades of those. <br />
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For Week 4, we are supposed to choose two shades of red and one metallic. <br />
If you post your images to a blog or to Flickr I can see them. <i>(If you posted to Facebook, sorry, but I don't have a Facebook account.)
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AysKVpeElnAaCjqX3Ceu_XPqmQVwkcKzVz6b_dcM8XC9pHF99kX7dtMRC4E99zxXLBTlNI0wjeLqOEgvROSMUH4xl7O6s275J2qDO1KE25LUGSlg5KAM8n5oJ27uDHtwhCew3lRQq9U/s1600/Angles6SOC2015-4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AysKVpeElnAaCjqX3Ceu_XPqmQVwkcKzVz6b_dcM8XC9pHF99kX7dtMRC4E99zxXLBTlNI0wjeLqOEgvROSMUH4xl7O6s275J2qDO1KE25LUGSlg5KAM8n5oJ27uDHtwhCew3lRQq9U/s640/Angles6SOC2015-4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: small;">"Angles 6"<br />(Artist Trading Card, 3.5" X 2.5" without the border)</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
I created this with a collage of various papers, red & silver paint, and metallic silver markers.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One paper is a glittery craft paper made by Crayola ---which can be put through a printer to add color, but is a silverly sparkly paper without added color. It is no longer available, but I still have several full sheets and a lot of small scraps which are perfect for ATCs. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> When I scanned my image, that paper turned blue on my scans, so I added a color layer over it in Photoshop using my first red shade . It now looks white with pink and red outlines of the glitter. The actual piece would appear to be different from this scan ---with the silver paper, paint, and markers more apparent.
</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5-dVAowSRqP297QvPngBvMGaVZ3JlKeOv8kXSmoRiuSJR1wkmdcbxJXouUfYlYbEtNbAGOvEPhChqe5GDRVxk8JLQfgyG891uzyLRL3OdfO3_DBPw7OTSRm5xOQOW7b7qmxuXQiREQo/s1600/Week4Colors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5-dVAowSRqP297QvPngBvMGaVZ3JlKeOv8kXSmoRiuSJR1wkmdcbxJXouUfYlYbEtNbAGOvEPhChqe5GDRVxk8JLQfgyG891uzyLRL3OdfO3_DBPw7OTSRm5xOQOW7b7qmxuXQiREQo/s320/Week4Colors.jpg" width="296" /></a>
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(©2009, C.J. Peiffer)</div>CJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105598015852813723noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1686107465936181330.post-14462241280106522012015-06-27T05:02:00.003-04:002015-09-14T01:33:43.248-04:00Love vs. Hate - Love Won!My thoughts about gay rights have not changed in nearly 50 years. Too bad those who oppose gay marriage haven't changed their minds either.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSzDEY4JmB6sSu2RJfvzrRcXoa7GZOnFzaO94YLOSjrhe4_PVskDdFj-jZ7bPvYwPSGm6tDbifE1-MqQz6NFmQIv7-WdgMnI15dS-suvGQTZq334QgWMV74S1v60AHo8W0Bp9bdk1jXPg/s1600/MarriageEquality.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSzDEY4JmB6sSu2RJfvzrRcXoa7GZOnFzaO94YLOSjrhe4_PVskDdFj-jZ7bPvYwPSGm6tDbifE1-MqQz6NFmQIv7-WdgMnI15dS-suvGQTZq334QgWMV74S1v60AHo8W0Bp9bdk1jXPg/s400/MarriageEquality.jpg" /></a></div>
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In 1968, I had just completed one of two years in the Peace Corps in Brazil. I was using my vacation time to take a bus trip from the northeast of Brazil, south as far as Buenos Aires. Along the way south and back, I stopped to visit a Peace Corps friend in São Paulo. He was a lawyer and had set up a free legal-aide service for the poor in that ever-growing city.<br />
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I don't know how we got onto the subject of gay lifestyles, but I remember saying, "I wish people would worry more about who hates each other than who loves each other. Lovers are not a problem. Haters are."<br />
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To me, gay rights should have been a non-issue, but of course, it wasn't in Brazil and certainly not in the U.S. despite our claiming to be the one country in the world that awards freedom to all.<br />
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At that time, I never thought it would take 47 years for marriage equality to become a reality. Yet, over the years, there were times when I thought it would never happen.<br />
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The Civil Rights Bill had recently passed. I never would have thought we'd still be dealing with deadly racial issues in 2015 either. When 9 black members of a Charleston church were killed by a young man full of hate, who turned out to be the better people? Every family member I saw on TV said they forgave the killer. It must have been extremely difficult to say that, but they knew it was the right thing to do. So much for the racial war the killer expected.<br />
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So, let's worry about the people who hate, not the ones who love ---and that includes a lot of people who say they are Christians, yet are intolerant, hateful, and have no empathy for anyone who is not like them.<br />
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My hat is off to those religious people who have remembered to "judge not."<br />
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<b><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">From the last page of the Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;">No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest i</span><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">deals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilizations’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;">The judgment of the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is reversed.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;">It is so ordered.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;">written by Justice Kennedy</span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8;">This comment was found on The Daily Kos in response to an article: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1;">"</span><a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/06/26/1396791/-Revolution-and-the-right-to-discriminate-Republicans-respond-to-marriage-equality" id="titleHref" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Revolution and the right to discriminate: Republicans respond to marriage equality</a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><b>" </b>by Laura Clawson</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span class="cu" style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Can someone explain to me </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;">just exactly what right or rights we Christians lost today? We didn't. We still don't have to marry a gay person. We can still choose to marry another heterosexual. We can still go to the church of our choice. We can still live by the ideals of Christ. We just can't FORCE it on others. Because we choose to follow Jesus doesn't permit us to require everyone to. The Constitution is our governing document, not the Bible. If you really believe that "God's law" comes before Constitutional law, then you really never learned the basics of American History.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8;">by <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/user/uid:975345" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">jeffs66111</a> on <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/comments/1396791/56741058#c232" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Fri Jun 26, 2015 at 05:45:08 PM EDT</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.5;">I might add that </span><b style="line-height: 1.5;">Jesus never said a word about homosexuality</b><span style="line-height: 1.5;">. </span><b style="line-height: 1.5;">The law everyone refers to is from the Old Testament.</b><span style="line-height: 1.5;"> That, of course, gives reason enough for many people to agree with the Bible that it is an abomination. </span><b><span style="line-height: 1.5;">But that same Bible gives hundreds of other laws (I believe more than 600) and most people break many of them all the time. If you eat pork, lobster or crab, if you wear clothing made of two or more different fibers, or have ever cheated or lied, you have committed abominations. If you are proud, scheming, have a hard </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">heart</span><span style="line-height: 1.5;"> or have ever stolen something ---those are abominations. It's an abomination to wear clothes of the opposite sex. I stopped wearing dresses long ago simply because I hate wearing stockings and dress shoes, so I guess I'm in deep trouble. </span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>If you do not stone a disobedient child, you are breaking an Old Testament law. </b><b style="line-height: 1.5;">If your daughter is raped, according to O.T. laws she has to marry her rapist and never divorce. If you use the same knife to cut both cheese and meat, you are breaking a Biblical law. </b><b style="line-height: 1.5;">Other O.T. rules and laws give you permission to own slaves and even to sell your daughter into slavery. </b><b><span style="line-height: 1.5;">I</span><span style="line-height: 1.5;">f your brother dies without heirs, it is your duty to have sex with his widow to give your brother an heir.</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.5;">It is interesting </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">that there are no Biblical laws against lesbian activity. And because lesbians have the lowest rate of HIV, many have claimed they are God's chosen people.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="line-height: 1.5;">Why have we rejected many of the O.T. laws, but cling onto the one about homosexuality? </b><span style="line-height: 1.5;"> According to the O.T. the main reason homosexuality was frowned upon was that gay couple do not reproduce. At that time, teens were encouraged to marry and have as many children as possible. Why? First, the infant mortality rate was high, so even if one had 10 children, a couple was lucky if 5 survived. And since the life expectancy was around 40 for men and lower for women (due to childbirth complications) one had to reproduce at a young age and often. But today, with world population exploding, there is no need for everyone to </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">reproduce. And even many heterosexual couples choose not to. My husband and I consciously chose not to have children.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>If you want to site an O.T. law that you feel everyone should obey, then you better follow every one of the laws in the O.T. yourself.</i></b> Unfortunately, you would probably be going against civil laws and be in jail if you sold your daughter into slavery or killed your adulterous neighbor by stoning him or her. If the death penalty as described in the O.T. was applied to every abomination in the Bible, few would be spared.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>We have evolved beyond many of the rules and laws of Biblical times, because we no longer think they are humane and/or they don't make sense in our time</b>. To keep people who love each other apart is also inhumane.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The reason everyone needs marriage rights is because there are benefits. Spouses can be on each other's healthcare plans, when one spouse dies the other won't have to pay inheritance taxes, they can save money by filing joint tax returns, they can visit each other in hospitals and receive medical information for a spouse who is unable to speak for him/herself. They can also make a public commitment to each other. In other words, they can have the benefits open to heterosexual married couples that are not open to live-in partners.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I lived in Brazil for several years. There, church marriages are not legal marriages. Couples must be married by the equivalent of a justice of the peace for their marriage to be legal. Then, if they wish, they can also have a religious wedding. Therefore, all legal marriages are civil unions. They provide legal benefits to married couples. Many European countries' laws are similar. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I think that would be a good solution here, too. All marriages would be civil unions --then if the church of one's choice chooses to marry a couple, be they heterosexual or homosexual or transexual, then the couple can marry in that venue, too. If the church does not respect the right to marry, then a couple will still be married in a civil union, which has to be recognized by local, state, and federal governments. They can, of course, choose a church that is more tolerant to marry them in a religious ceremony.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you are still not convinced, I suggest you read this (written by a minister):</span><br />
<a href="http://gayprejudice.com/GayPrejudice.pdf"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">http://gayprejudice.com/GayPrejudice.pdf</span></a></div>
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(©2009, C.J. Peiffer)</div>CJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105598015852813723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1686107465936181330.post-41595403896541657342015-06-23T11:37:00.000-04:002015-07-08T05:29:34.720-04:00Does Anyone Else Hate Steam-in Bags?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eZgiL9j74f5Vg_PGIHr27-HmRicMGZJ7xsqE5ofottlUEomaSyeC0PdMEH_p_4kW1FoN1lq0083TkmJ9JUY2Qalqt3vJMwcoCwsyO7ZpHCXn4MsH1OF5NOlioNqqFcnPJcviS8sP8gA/s1600/Peas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eZgiL9j74f5Vg_PGIHr27-HmRicMGZJ7xsqE5ofottlUEomaSyeC0PdMEH_p_4kW1FoN1lq0083TkmJ9JUY2Qalqt3vJMwcoCwsyO7ZpHCXn4MsH1OF5NOlioNqqFcnPJcviS8sP8gA/s640/Peas.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">I hate paying more than is necessary for anything.</span></b><br />
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<b>Vegetables in steam-in bags have less content and cost more than regular frozen vegetables.</b><br />
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I checked prices a few days ago. A one-pound bag of frozen peas was $1.79 (11.19 cents per ounce.)<br />
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A 12-ounce steam-in bag was $2.79 (23.25 cents per ounce) ---more than double the price.<br />
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Other vegetables had similar price differences.<br />
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<b>Oh, but the steam-in bags are so convenient, you say. Really?????</b><br />
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With regular frozen vegetables, I have to put them in a container, then microwave them.<br />
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With steam-in bags, I have to microwave them, then put them in a container.<br />
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Same work, different order.<br />
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But now, it is almost impossible to find some vegetables in regular bags.<br />
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<b>Please complain to your grocery stores</b> about steam-in bags. Demand the regular bags of frozen veggies that have been around for years.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/cjp/a3e6a3abc8c9a63044bbbae79b2aa479.png" border="0" /></a>
(©2009, C.J. Peiffer)</div>CJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105598015852813723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1686107465936181330.post-80159364036325016302015-06-22T12:44:00.000-04:002015-06-23T09:03:36.752-04:00Summer of Color 5, Week 3: Purple, Purple, Yellow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5MOuSDwjwor1UB1frTtHlE7cVhnsTyBVHrrXPYjFNZeIN3QboNuoZrPc5EBSlIc2sxxjVMFRt04PlQCtHKGXh7ZvFV1k1ZR-syv0yWevi20TnQaUXyYqrg-6v_-URXHrgRcWpYX4eDo/s1600/SummerofColorWeek1Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5MOuSDwjwor1UB1frTtHlE7cVhnsTyBVHrrXPYjFNZeIN3QboNuoZrPc5EBSlIc2sxxjVMFRt04PlQCtHKGXh7ZvFV1k1ZR-syv0yWevi20TnQaUXyYqrg-6v_-URXHrgRcWpYX4eDo/s200/SummerofColorWeek1Logo.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><a href="http://twinkletwinklelikeastar.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: cyan;">Summer of Color</span></a></b> is back. Click on the link to the left to view entries or to participate yourself.<br />
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See my image and others on the <b><a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/thesummerofcolor/pool/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #a2c4c9;">Summer of Color 5 Flicker page</span></a></b>:<br />
https://www.flickr.com/groups/thesummerofcolor/pool/<br />
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This year, instead of giving us three specific colors, Kristin is giving us two basic colors and we are supposed to choose our own shades of those. <br />
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For Week 3, we are supposed to choose two shades of purple and one shade of yellow. I always end up with many more shades because when I overlap colors they create more tints and shades.<br />
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If you post your images to a blog or to Flickr I can see them. <i>(If you posted to Facebook, sorry, but I don't have a Facebook account.)</i>
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<i><b><span style="color: #a2c4c9;">Click on images for larger views. Textures and details are much more visible in a larger format.</span></b></i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzW_zvDy-WYjbFkxEBZhZre7Nf9xeOAnJu_ww0n0-84bkc3jegmW7OefOGMwkb_ToMxLIzw7SBmH2OMXZsPLEVhHU9cYch-Wd9m3UwxLgsxqims4GAp3aI5OmAT2p2Ht3rgvmLe0W8bI/s1600/DissonantDoorsSUmmerofColor-S.web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzW_zvDy-WYjbFkxEBZhZre7Nf9xeOAnJu_ww0n0-84bkc3jegmW7OefOGMwkb_ToMxLIzw7SBmH2OMXZsPLEVhHU9cYch-Wd9m3UwxLgsxqims4GAp3aI5OmAT2p2Ht3rgvmLe0W8bI/s640/DissonantDoorsSUmmerofColor-S.web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #b4a7d6; font-size: small;">"Dissonant Doors"</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #b4a7d6; font-size: small;">This composition began as three separate photos. Two were of doors in homes. The other was</span><br />
<span style="color: #b4a7d6; font-size: small;">a door and a window in the stone foundation of a barn. I cropped the three individual</span><br />
<span style="color: #b4a7d6; font-size: small;">images and rearranged them to create my composition. I then changed my image to black &</span><br />
<span style="color: #b4a7d6; font-size: small;">white and increased the contrast. I added separate color layers for my three colors. Finally, I</span><br />
<span style="color: #b4a7d6; font-size: small;">created a bas relief layer to give it a little depth and detail, then added a grunge texture layer.</span><br />
<span style="color: #b4a7d6; font-size: small;">(My grunge texture was from Graphic Stock with some of my own modifications.) </span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZf2PH48MzB3Yzt6wQfmp6DtJazEsvzRKrpJfqRrOKhrHbEhC5YJHCeIn0wkLEVpPWKucwX71IQ4eWBr6i9zqLmTBl9BDCkqDq08lvjSUXHHte594oebH95RzAx1xKj_Ae2bIqywAnuc/s1600/Week3Colors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZf2PH48MzB3Yzt6wQfmp6DtJazEsvzRKrpJfqRrOKhrHbEhC5YJHCeIn0wkLEVpPWKucwX71IQ4eWBr6i9zqLmTBl9BDCkqDq08lvjSUXHHte594oebH95RzAx1xKj_Ae2bIqywAnuc/s320/Week3Colors.jpg" width="280" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/cjp/a3e6a3abc8c9a63044bbbae79b2aa479.png" border="0" /></a>
(©2009, C.J. Peiffer)</div>CJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105598015852813723noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1686107465936181330.post-11891418157587949622015-06-17T05:24:00.002-04:002015-10-06T06:00:29.894-04:00Up, Up and Away - The Joys & Anxieties of Airline TravelCompared to some of my friends, I haven't traveled a whole lot by air. I have several friends who take two or three trips a year and have been doing that since their twenties.<br />
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I will be 70 this year, and I figure I have taken a total of about 13 trips by air. I say "about" because I'm not sure how to count those. For example, I flew to Brazil in 1967 and didn't return until 1969. Do I count that as one or two trips? I decided that if there was more than a month between going and returning, I'll count it as two. Otherwise, as one.<br />
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If you count each take-off and landing as one leg, I've taken 52 individual flights.<br />
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Although I've heard horror stories from people who have lost their luggage or been forced to spend hours or days in airports, most of my travel has been relatively easy and enjoyable. The problem I've encountered most often are delays. Luckily they have never caused me to miss a connecting flight ---yet.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRDkmIxfwQp0zB_WVJGoyw0CrhfF0DimCQDSU_JFtAjHlgvyoWOtzKWZ9sKDc2w4QoWUonjCQSrl3rDxUW2pZZA5GwT-RFbJ5bdgWFrS2UvpNGKpHildXIz1ORihmW0pPMDcaUzkrSqA/s1600/TraveAirlineImage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRDkmIxfwQp0zB_WVJGoyw0CrhfF0DimCQDSU_JFtAjHlgvyoWOtzKWZ9sKDc2w4QoWUonjCQSrl3rDxUW2pZZA5GwT-RFbJ5bdgWFrS2UvpNGKpHildXIz1ORihmW0pPMDcaUzkrSqA/s640/TraveAirlineImage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Below is my record of travel ---probably not of much interest to anyone else, but it serves as my own record of the trips and flights I've taken.<br />
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9;">The more interesting parts ---the interesting travel stories ---are in this color of text below.</span><br />
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If I put a location in parenthesis, it was only a layover at an airport.<br />
Locations without parenthesis are places I stopped for a least a few days.<br />
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1. 1966 Pittsburgh (to Chicago to San Francisco) to Sacramento 3 flights<br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> Stayed 8 weeks in Sacramento.</span><br />
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2. 1966 Sacramento (to San Francisco) to L.A. (to Chicago) to Pittsburgh 4 flights<br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> My only complaint about my first two trips is that the legs to and from Sacramento were on a very small commuter plane. Although these were my very first flights and I could barely imagine how a huge airliner could get off the ground, they seemed so much more stable than those small planes.</span><br />
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3. 1967 Philadelphia (to Miami to Caracus) to Rio to Salvador 4 flights<br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> We were on the plane in Miami ready to take off when we were asked to leave the plane because of a mechanical problem. I'm not sure how many passengers were aboard, but there were about 60 in my group. We waited in a lounge for several hours before taking off. </span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> It was probably one of the most uncomfortable flights I ever took. My period had started and I was smashed in the middle of three seats. I don't think I caught more than an hour or two of sleep on the overnight flight.</span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> I spent about a week in Rio, then 6 weeks in Salvador, then took a bus from Salvador to Aracajú. </span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> I lived in Brazil for 2 years. All of the travel I did while living in Brazil was by bus. </span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> Besides Rio, Salvador, and Aracajú, I traveled to Recife, Maceio, Paulo Afonso, Belo Horizonte, Ouro Preto, Brasília, São Paulo, Porto Alegre and on to Montevideo (Uruguay) and Buenos Aires (Argentina.) </span><br />
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4. 1969 Aracajú to Rio (to São Paulo) to Lima to Cusco to Lima to Mexico City to Houston to Pittsburgh 8 flights<br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> I only paid for a few of the flights in the 4 trips above. I was sent to CA for Peace Corps Training and then to Brazil to serve in the Peace Corps, so most were covered by the U.S. government. </span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> I had to pay the difference to take a side trip to L.A. (to visit relatives) on my way home from training, </span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> I received an airline voucher to fly home from Rio to Pittsburgh, which I exchanged for flights from Rio to Lima to Mexico City and Houston (to visit a friend.) In Lima, I decided to take a side trip to Cusco so I had to pay for the flight there and back. (My favorite place on earth is still Machu Picchu ---Cusco to Machu Picchu by train ---- so I'm glad I took the side trip.) </span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> I had planned on taking a bus from Houston to Pittsburgh, but when I compared time on the bus (and purchasing food for several days) to a flight, the price difference was minimal, so I paid for a flight home.</span><br />
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I didn't fly again for more than 10 years, and for a while thereafter, my flights were few and far between.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999;"><b>NOTE ON INFLATION</b>: When I left Brazil the <b>one-way</b> airfare voucher I received to fly me from Rio to Pittsburgh was worth $750. According to an inflation website, $750 in 1969 would have the buying power of about $4960 today. In 2011 my round trip ticket from Pittsburgh to Rio and back cost me $1020. I've checked recently and found round trip tickets for under $700 ---but they are creeping up again due to rising fuel costs. But still, isn't it amazing that airfare is relatively much cheaper than it was 46 years ago?????</span><br />
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5. 1982(?) Pittsburgh to NY City to Pittsburgh 2 flights<br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> Does anyone remember People's Airline? I think the round trip flight cost about $49.00. Four friends and I took a weekend trip in December. Our flight was delayed due to snow --which was good because the roads to the airport were bad and we may have missed our scheduled flight to NY. In NY it rained a lot and we got soaked waiting in line for same-day half-priced tickets to shows.</span><br />
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6. 1989 Pittsburgh to Cincinnati to Pittsburgh 2 flights<br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> This trip was job-related and paid for by my employer.</span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> Find an amusing story about this trip here: </span><a href="http://proartz.blogspot.com/2009/02/sexual-identity-crisis.html">http://proartz.blogspot.com/2009/02/sexual-identity-crisis.html</a><br />
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7. 1994(?) Pittsburgh to Minneapolis to Pittsburgh 2 flights<br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> I can't remember if we had layovers in Chicago or maybe Detroit, so I didn't count them.</span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> This trip was connected with a small business I owned so I was able to write it off as a business expense. On the morning I was going to return, I was several hours from the airport. I left in plenty of time, but a sudden torrential storm came up. Driving on flat landscapes, the water had nowhere to go, so I had to drive slowly through deep puddles. I had to refill the tank of the rental car and couldn't find a gas station. Finally, I saw a police car & waved it down. The kindly officer escorted me to a gas station and then to the airport rental car entrance. </span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> I expected in early June that Minnesota might still have a few patches of snow in shady places, but it was extremely hot. I was dripping wet after running through the airport to catch my flight ---which was delayed. I was so glad to be able to call home to tell my husband the flight would be late, sit down, calm down, and cool down for an hour before take off.</span><br />
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8. 1997(?) Pittsburgh to Raleigh/Durham to Pittsburgh 2 flights<br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> At that time US Air's headquarters was in Pittsburgh. Each week on Wednesday morning, US Air published bargain flights for the weekend. A friend had moved to NC, so on my summer break from teaching, I checked every Wednesday morning and when I found a flight, I called to see if she would be available for that weekend. </span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> My flight was delayed by about 2 hours. My friend is an early-to-bed, early-to rise person, so the flight that was supposed to arrive at 10 pm plus the drive to my friend's home in Wilmington was already going to put my arrival time near midnight. I had to call to tell her from the Pittsburgh airport I probably wouldn't arrive until 2 am. She said she'd leave the door unlocked but she woke up when I pulled into the driveway.</span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> My round-trip flight was $79. My rental car was $99. And I was shocked at the price of gasoline. My husband usually filled the tank at home and I hadn't even noticed that the price had gone up everywhere.</span><br />
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9. 1999 Pittsburgh to Chicago to Pittsburgh 2 flights<br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> My friend who I visited in NC had moved to the Chicago area. She sent me an email saying a small airline (name?) was offering round-trip flights for $45. It was January and who in their right mind would want to fly to Chicago? But I wanted to visit my friend more than see the city. However, we did go to the city one day. The wind chills were way below zero so we bundled up. We were still cold outside, so would duck into stores or coffee shops to get warm and then had to peal off layers and layers to keep from overheating.</span><br />
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10. 2001 Pittsburgh to St Louis (to Chicago) to Pittsburgh 3 flights<br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> My husband had to take me to the airport very early because he had a meeting he had to attend on that Thursday afternoon. (This was May so before 9/11, so I didn't have to be at airports as early as I was.)</span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> When I checked in, I was told my flight had been cancelled. So the attendant went to a different airline's counter to see if I could be put on another flight. A flight was leaving several hours before the flight I was supposed to take and it was a direct flight. (The one I was supposed to take would have had a layover in Chicago.) So I actually landed in St. Louis before I was supposed to take off from Pittsburgh. How's that for a bad situation turning into a good one?</span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> This was a memorable trip for several reasons. I was going to Missouri to attend the graduation of a girl who had been my neighbor. Her mother was divorced and worked, so during the summer Beth would have been alone most of the time. So she spent a lot of time with me because I was a teacher and was home during my summer breaks. Beth did all kinds of chores for me. </span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> Beth liked art and I was an art teacher. We grew close and she often referred to me as her surrogate mother, so I wanted to attend her college graduation from the U of Missouri.</span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> I'm an amateur Mark Twain scholar but had never visited Hannibal, so I rented a car in St Louis and drove north to Hannibal. I spent all day Friday and early Saturday at Mark Twain sights. Then I drove to Twain's birthplace in Florida, MO and on to Columbia where the U of MO is. </span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> I was supposed to share a motel room with Beth's mother Pam who had moved back to IL to be near her ailing mother. She expected to arrive around 4 pm, so I had lots of time to spare. I planned to visit several small art galleries in the town. But most of them were closed. On my list was the Shelter Insurance Company garden, outside of town, so I headed there.</span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> The gardens were spectacular on that perfect spring day. So, I took dozens of photos ---which resulted in my first (but not last) photography-related injury. I was so intent on taking photos that I got too near to the edge of a sidewalk and turned my left ankle and came down on my right knee. A nice young couple helped me hobble to a bench and I assured them that I was fine, just needed to sit for a while. But I was not fine. My ankle hurt like hell. I finally made my way to the car and drove to the motel even though I didn't expect Pam to be there yet. But she was. She helped me get my luggage to our room, then asked the desk for plastic bags and filled them with ice. I sat in my bed with my foot on ice for several hours that Saturday evening. When Beth arrived, we drove to a store where we purchased an Ace bandage and some cold pack pouches for my drive to the airport the next day. </span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> I was able to hobble my way to a restaurant that night and to the graduation ceremony on Sunday morning. The graduation took much longer than expected. The minute I snapped a few pictures of Beth receiving her diploma, I headed to the car and my drive to the St Louis airport. The next day I discovered I had a small fracture in my ankle.</span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> During my layover in Chicago, I had to get off to catch my next flight. During my walk through the airport, I almost ran into David Carradine of TV's "Kung Fu" fame. I thought he looked familiar and only realized it was him a few minutes later. If it wasn't him, it was his doppelgänger.</span><br />
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11. 2005 Pittsburgh (to Minneapolis) to Phoenix (to Detroit) to Pittsburgh 4 flights<br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> This trip was taken with a friend to visit our mutual friend who had moved to Sedona. It was my first trip to AZ. Both of my friends had already been to the Grand Canyon, so I took the rental car there one day by myself while my friends did something I wasn't interested in doing anyway. </span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> I don't mind traveling alone, especially when taking photos. I can spend as much or as little time as I want. However, I only got as far as one can drive at the Grand Canyon. I didn't take the bus on the part only available by tour bus. But my husband and I did that 8 years later.</span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> The flights home were almost empty, so my friend and I each spread across several seats. Our flight was delayed so we almost missed the Detroit to Pittsburgh flight. Then, the plane taxied and taxied and taxied through the airport for about 40 minutes. I thought it was going to drive to Pittsburgh. </span><br />
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12. 2011 Pittsburgh (to Atlanta to Rio) to Aracajú, (bus to Salvador, flight to Brasília) to Manuas (to Brasília to Curitiba) to Foz do Iguaçu (to Curitiba) to Rio (to Atlanta) to Pittsburgh 12 flights<br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> This was a 25-day trip to visit my old friends and former students from when I lived in Brazil more that 40 years earlier. After spending a week in the state of Sergipe (Aracajú and the small town in the interior where I served in the Peace Corps) I used a Brazil air pass to travel to other places. I had always regretted not visiting the rain forest area and Iguaçu Falls so I was able to cross those from my bucket list, but I also stopped in Salvador and Rio (where a blogger friend and her husband hosted me for a few days.)</span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> My husband has never been to Brazil so we are planning a trip there for 2016. We will avoid August when the Olympics are taking place in Rio and elsewhere.</span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> Of the twelve flights, most within Brazil were delayed to some extent. </span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> Rio often has early morning fog, so my flight from the U.S. had to circle the city until the fog lifted and we were given permission to land. (My friend in Rio told me that often flights are redirected to Belo Horizonte and it takes hours and hours before they can return to Rio.) I was concerned about my connecting flight. I had to go through customs, buy a phone card, call my husband from a pay phone so he knew I had arrived safely, check in for my flight to Aracajú, and meet the other woman who had served in the Peace Corps in the same town as I did. But, as with other delays, it ended up being no problem. Every flight landing in Rio that morning was late due to fog, so they were also late in taking off. We were supposed to arrive in Aracajú around 2 pm. We didn't arrive until about 4:00. We were expecting three people to meet us. There were about 30. Only a few people didn't wait for the two extra hours for our plane to arrive because they had to return to work.</span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> I often say that serving in the Peace Corps was the best thing I ever did. Returning to Brazil was number 2 ---and was one more thing to cross off my bucket list.</span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> Learn more about my return trip to Brazil here: </span><a href="http://alittlepeaceofbrazil.blogspot.com/2011/11/return-to-gloria.html">http://alittlepeaceofbrazil.blogspot.com/2011/11/return-to-gloria.html</a><br />
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13. 2013 Pittsburgh (to Atlanta) to Phoenix (to Atlanta) to Pittsburgh 4 flights<br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> My husband doesn't like to fly so this was the only trip we have taken together by plane in our 30 years of marriage. We stayed in Flagstaff. From there we visited my friend who had moved to Sedona and the woman I had visited in both NC and Chicago who had moved into the house next door to my other friend. We also visited Walnut Canyon, the Sunset Volcano Fields, the Meteor Crater near Winslow, AZ, the Grand Canyon, the town of Williams, and visited many places in Flagstaff including the Museum of Northern AZ, the Pioneer Museum, and the Lowell Obervatory and hiked on Mt. Humphrey. We had a list of things we wanted to do in 10 days and were able to complete all of them with a day to spare. The weather in September was perfect. Pleasantly warm during the day and cool at night. Our first day there brought a brief afternoon shower. All other days were sunny and beautiful. The morning when we were leaving to return home, we found frost on the rental car. We were leaving at exactly the right time.</span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Travel tip:</span><span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> If you are traveling to Phoenix and renting a car to go to Flagstaff, make sure you get a good-sized car with a powerful engine. Our rental was a small car that struggled on hills. It is almost all uphill from Phoenix to Flagstaff which lies at about 7000 ft. of elevation. Mt. Humphrey rises to 12,000.</span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"> I knew that Oak Creek Canyon between Flagstaff and Sedona was quite steep, so I suggested we drive down to Sedona on that road and then take the major highway, which has a more gradual climb, back to Flagstaff. </span><br />
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I enjoyed all of these trips for one reason or another despite some minor problems.<br />
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Here is a link to some travel tips from an airline pilot, that might make your airline travel more pleasant:<br />
<a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/11/18/1345496/-Travel-Tips-from-a-Pilot?detail=email">http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/11/18/1345496/-Travel-Tips-from-a-Pilot?detail=email</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/cjp/a3e6a3abc8c9a63044bbbae79b2aa479.png" border="0" /></a>
(©2009, C.J. Peiffer)</div>CJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105598015852813723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1686107465936181330.post-50437039131374330362015-06-16T14:27:00.000-04:002015-06-22T12:38:10.578-04:00Pink, Pink, Orange; Summer of Color 2015, Week 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><a href="http://twinkletwinklelikeastar.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: cyan;">Summer of Color</span></a></b> is back. Click on the link to the left to view entries or to participate yourself.<br />
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See my image and others on the <b><a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/thesummerofcolor/pool/" target="_blank"><span style="color: cyan;">Summer of Color 5 Flicker page</span></a></b>:<br />
https://www.flickr.com/groups/thesummerofcolor/pool/<br />
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This year, instead of giving us three specific colors, Kristin is giving us two basic colors and we are supposed to choose our own shades of those. <br />
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For Week 2, we are supposed to choose two shades of pink and one shade of orange. I always end up with many more shades because when I overlap colors they create more tints and shades.<br />
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If you post your images to a blog or to Flickr I can see them. <i>(If you posted to Facebook, sorry, but I don't have a Facebook account.)</i>
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<b>Click on any image for larger views.</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMX-BsKvNaZkRM0ihVy5xtIdOAafUS66nLOxwjhVBkY70uDHYYarcXsk0kmY5puYnLn-049vBsdx46AkkViFQ4byde8hWsohgfi5cNvLjl-jtv-TxoQKE50kF_-Y8a1yuRJAbsW3Mh3x4/s1600/SpringDawn7696.SOC2015.2-S.web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMX-BsKvNaZkRM0ihVy5xtIdOAafUS66nLOxwjhVBkY70uDHYYarcXsk0kmY5puYnLn-049vBsdx46AkkViFQ4byde8hWsohgfi5cNvLjl-jtv-TxoQKE50kF_-Y8a1yuRJAbsW3Mh3x4/s640/SpringDawn7696.SOC2015.2-S.web.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: magenta; text-align: start;"><span style="color: magenta; font-size: small;">"Spring Dawn"</span></b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigk7HLPwJBBaIuKivtxtjvrYtowfzRGQUZzvJ50sfMM_iZRf6QD5pSsY_ujsDIHBlTbRww8rv1Egi5fZodYp7D8Fau0_AsL05I23FXxGJhnESu3ZqkWeB9edF5H0PWlPVgdc2pCGPzPVw/s1600/Week2Colors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigk7HLPwJBBaIuKivtxtjvrYtowfzRGQUZzvJ50sfMM_iZRf6QD5pSsY_ujsDIHBlTbRww8rv1Egi5fZodYp7D8Fau0_AsL05I23FXxGJhnESu3ZqkWeB9edF5H0PWlPVgdc2pCGPzPVw/s320/Week2Colors.jpg" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDFhn31Dz_EaLyYi9CoNJbyvE5fHQKa98Qe24urR2uOiIwsO3gq91lMCAgLRfnxFsPgdSpfUyepHE4bN85T-c-FPHWSAgn9nJdAMmQy3V1eJ1tWRw6BufcPthYWb9OAOPABNYzaj4A84M/s1600/ScrapsofPaperSOC2105.2-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDFhn31Dz_EaLyYi9CoNJbyvE5fHQKa98Qe24urR2uOiIwsO3gq91lMCAgLRfnxFsPgdSpfUyepHE4bN85T-c-FPHWSAgn9nJdAMmQy3V1eJ1tWRw6BufcPthYWb9OAOPABNYzaj4A84M/s400/ScrapsofPaperSOC2105.2-S.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: magenta; font-size: small;"><b>Bonus Image</b><br /><b>"A Scrap of Paper"</b><br />using the same pinks & orange</span></td></tr>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/cjp/a3e6a3abc8c9a63044bbbae79b2aa479.png" border="0" /></a>
(©2009, C.J. Peiffer)</div>CJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105598015852813723noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1686107465936181330.post-91277779532863082772015-06-09T10:44:00.000-04:002015-06-23T10:41:03.230-04:00"The Time Machine" for Try It On Tuesday - 6/9/15<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKVUNB7CTGUJvJDwrEGVWw2I2YGDrtgA8MFzQAhfIi_3GPQyXVRRgIPrYsFWfmlE4kOsgBCXuehT7R9pXg3lHPULHXr0FRyCDL0p97pGqIZkgn6TLcGkA3quIE7IXhs93NALPPc_Ae9k/s1600/TryItOnTuesdayLogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKVUNB7CTGUJvJDwrEGVWw2I2YGDrtgA8MFzQAhfIi_3GPQyXVRRgIPrYsFWfmlE4kOsgBCXuehT7R9pXg3lHPULHXr0FRyCDL0p97pGqIZkgn6TLcGkA3quIE7IXhs93NALPPc_Ae9k/s200/TryItOnTuesdayLogo.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><a href="http://tuesdaytaggers.blogspot.de/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #d9ead3;">Try It On Tuesday</span></a></b> has a challenge every two weeks with a limit of five images per participant that can be rendered in any medium. Click on the challenge title at the beginning of this sentence to participate or view the works of others.<br />
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This week's challenge is <b>Watches and Clocks</b>.<br />
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<b>Click on any image for larger views.</b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji11OnPml16efofyY7WYj8gvQ9RRII7uiVLSxbHRKaiOdzrmKkz5bUSplLQbS-iZCXA1fqVymYrFgEra0WA_F1rFINJKcTIKcfqTEclCUFE-fB3kLuWzn4HZjbbDiSK_8DUAca8AA6cAA/s1600/TheTimeMachine-S.Smlr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji11OnPml16efofyY7WYj8gvQ9RRII7uiVLSxbHRKaiOdzrmKkz5bUSplLQbS-iZCXA1fqVymYrFgEra0WA_F1rFINJKcTIKcfqTEclCUFE-fB3kLuWzn4HZjbbDiSK_8DUAca8AA6cAA/s640/TheTimeMachine-S.Smlr.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: small;"><b>"The Time Machine"</b></span></td></tr>
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I started with my own photograph of Kaufmann's Clock, a landmark in Downtown Pittsburgh. I then added images of other clocks and gears, added some electric sparks and created a border.<br />
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<b>MORE ABOUT THE CLOCK:</b><br />
Since 1913, "Meet me under Kaufmann's Clock" was said by one and all when meeting someone in downtown Pittsburgh. This clock has been added to the list of official local landmarks.<br />
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Kaufmann's was a large department store in the city then, and later built additional stores in the suburbs. The store is now owned by Macy's.
The Kaufmann family was also famous for hiring Frank Lloyd Wright to design their vacation home in the mountains southeast of the city ---the home which became known as Fallingwater.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnh-WpcLQBegKsdq8qb0b65u_veCk85uabnRc3tseAa_PHnSBWwLeW81wSIGGem7uNmT4CU9K9d5v3_Hs8WBAx4Sf3M7tP4VI1ezIb9X3nNZXnpl1HSBAKMRplKUbnHSc_SGhX25KjVw0/s1600/KaufmannClock8272-S.Smllr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnh-WpcLQBegKsdq8qb0b65u_veCk85uabnRc3tseAa_PHnSBWwLeW81wSIGGem7uNmT4CU9K9d5v3_Hs8WBAx4Sf3M7tP4VI1ezIb9X3nNZXnpl1HSBAKMRplKUbnHSc_SGhX25KjVw0/s200/KaufmannClock8272-S.Smllr.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My original photo.</td></tr>
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<b>From an April 21, 2013 article on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette website, marking the 100 year anniversary of the clock: </b><br />
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"The current clock is... the second one at Fifth Avenue and Smithfield Street. The original, four-faced clock was installed in 1884 and stood on a post at that intersection....<br />
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"The present clock was designed by Coldwell Clock Co. of New York City and weighs about 2,500 pounds. It was incorporated into the building's facade by the Pittsburgh architectural firm of Janssen & Abbott.<br />
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"In 1987, when the clock was dismantled for cleaning and restoration, more than 100 pieces were removed in a two-part process that took three days. The clock's works were tagged, numbered and photographed to ensure accuracy. Three teams of 15 specialists worked for 10 weeks on the restoration.<br />
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"The clock's surface was so heavily oxidized and coated with 74 years worth of soot, grime and pigeon droppings that chemical cleaners and solvents proved useless.<br />
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"Using bridge cleaning equipment, workers blasted 1,000 pounds of ground corncobs at the clock to clean it."<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/cjp/a3e6a3abc8c9a63044bbbae79b2aa479.png" border="0" /></a>
(©2009, C.J. Peiffer)</div>CJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105598015852813723noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1686107465936181330.post-8977258795195037912015-06-09T07:01:00.000-04:002015-06-16T13:36:49.258-04:00SUMMER OF COLOR 2015: Week 1 - 6/8/15<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5MOuSDwjwor1UB1frTtHlE7cVhnsTyBVHrrXPYjFNZeIN3QboNuoZrPc5EBSlIc2sxxjVMFRt04PlQCtHKGXh7ZvFV1k1ZR-syv0yWevi20TnQaUXyYqrg-6v_-URXHrgRcWpYX4eDo/s1600/SummerofColorWeek1Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5MOuSDwjwor1UB1frTtHlE7cVhnsTyBVHrrXPYjFNZeIN3QboNuoZrPc5EBSlIc2sxxjVMFRt04PlQCtHKGXh7ZvFV1k1ZR-syv0yWevi20TnQaUXyYqrg-6v_-URXHrgRcWpYX4eDo/s200/SummerofColorWeek1Logo.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><a href="http://twinkletwinklelikeastar.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: cyan;">Summer of Color</span></a></b> is back. Click on the link to the left to view entries or to participate yourself.<br />
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See my image on the <b><a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/thesummerofcolor/pool/" target="_blank"><span style="color: cyan;">Summer of Color 5 Flicker page</span></a></b>: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/cj_proartz/18609859576/in/dateposted-public/">https://www.flickr.com/photos/cj_proartz/18609859576/in/dateposted-public/</a><br />
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This year, instead of giving us three specific colors, Kristin is giving us two basic colors and we are supposed to choose our own shades of those. <br />
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For Week 1, we are supposed to choose two shades of blue and one shade of green. I always end up with many more shades because when I overlap colors they create more tints and shades. In this image, I combined two of my great loves ---art and quotations.<br />
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If you post your images to a blog or to Flickr I can see them. <i>(If you posted to Facebook, sorry, but I don't have a Facebook account, nor do I want one.)</i><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwkS0I_lTvaeVtNOOFH59aG-QJKqAVzWypcZAysso0molbK8g-CXHTbvoH4kb_IGUBmd2vhk2ClGOG5Dtoc12Lg7IRuzrlYOYbE8RrkH0v03RvOfyburJlI8owuu5p6PcmjXPbctwlsCo/s1600/BeardenQuoteSUmmerofColor2015.1-S.web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwkS0I_lTvaeVtNOOFH59aG-QJKqAVzWypcZAysso0molbK8g-CXHTbvoH4kb_IGUBmd2vhk2ClGOG5Dtoc12Lg7IRuzrlYOYbE8RrkH0v03RvOfyburJlI8owuu5p6PcmjXPbctwlsCo/s640/BeardenQuoteSUmmerofColor2015.1-S.web.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: cyan;">"The Function of the Artist 2"</span></b></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY8UprglHP05AHvpFTuHP7Si8o-ngyP-toPQUk9e5oo2KLevEzVILcyLyBOFa2K_Tpkr8p3UYHDNGANOMU7LoInzCaPsM8RohDHXNXiSkDLfS-ip40eH2jU42v6-v4cFGpTJWQPWvbTXo/s1600/SummerofColor2015.1Colors.web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY8UprglHP05AHvpFTuHP7Si8o-ngyP-toPQUk9e5oo2KLevEzVILcyLyBOFa2K_Tpkr8p3UYHDNGANOMU7LoInzCaPsM8RohDHXNXiSkDLfS-ip40eH2jU42v6-v4cFGpTJWQPWvbTXo/s320/SummerofColor2015.1Colors.web.jpg" /></a>I have always loved blue and green together. They seem to be a perfect combination, like the green leaves of summer against a blue sky. <br />
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To the right are the three basic colors I chose for this week.<br />
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<b>To see what I've been up to for the past three months click <span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://proartz.blogspot.com/2015/06/what-ive-been-up-to-march-june-2015.html" target="_blank">HERE</a></span>.</b><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/cjp/a3e6a3abc8c9a63044bbbae79b2aa479.png" border="0" /></a>
(©2009, C.J. Peiffer)</div>CJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105598015852813723noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1686107465936181330.post-11466661153036361782015-06-09T06:16:00.003-04:002015-10-06T11:56:16.494-04:00What I've been up to March 4 - June 8, 2015I've been busy.<br />
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I stopped posting to my blog for several months because I was busy with:<br />
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<b><span style="color: cyan;">1. Taking photos and posting to <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/cj_proartz/" target="_blank">Flickr</a> and <a href="https://500px.com/cj_proartz" target="_blank">500px</a>.</span></b><br />
These photos were taken at the W.A.Wright and Sons Machine Shop and Foundry, a shop that closed its doors, leaving everything as it was on the day it closed in 1969. I'm usually more into color photography rather than black and white, but the dusty old place just seemed to call for B&W and muted colors for most photos. <b><span style="color: white;">Click on images for larger sizes.</span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgttUr-e0sSFmKy0TGi3ozh84Wn59VrrT07OB18yt7MzYfFBSIuZgTz74QXOBzdw5nlFH_aodJ36u-Js-Kq7E_nlfb0YEScWLUHrpsxoJ67otG-dmnZO87qBwq7X85AovkfIyjTo8EWUIQ/s1600/Rounds2.0171.BW-S.web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgttUr-e0sSFmKy0TGi3ozh84Wn59VrrT07OB18yt7MzYfFBSIuZgTz74QXOBzdw5nlFH_aodJ36u-Js-Kq7E_nlfb0YEScWLUHrpsxoJ67otG-dmnZO87qBwq7X85AovkfIyjTo8EWUIQ/s200/Rounds2.0171.BW-S.web.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Rounds 2"</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqYYRxqiWP3fQsZGHr-HhhW6RiBdoa-WBGKJKGNpBXSL8DsfgKNtYQLP1OlkRHFeOpqgX4r7a7FtbDSJMgzwdWWmZLk4CHcJaIMhEEy0vq77g4el62jQyElWs8-r4oT0ilaQWBYdVFWpY/s1600/Rounds0138.BW-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqYYRxqiWP3fQsZGHr-HhhW6RiBdoa-WBGKJKGNpBXSL8DsfgKNtYQLP1OlkRHFeOpqgX4r7a7FtbDSJMgzwdWWmZLk4CHcJaIMhEEy0vq77g4el62jQyElWs8-r4oT0ilaQWBYdVFWpY/s200/Rounds0138.BW-S.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Rounds"</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmsGs8Hp9dI58KZOlpoKcKSd2WV-c8xteqGIzSvL8gZ7h_cr2zoStOAfL_605ZiLySrh9Q2RwIqQIs97ScJRD6kB8BCl698LZZZ0vGN_i7hdxg6-q7-Jipptnn811dtUuGSpxMP71gCgI/s1600/Rope0052.Mutd-S.web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmsGs8Hp9dI58KZOlpoKcKSd2WV-c8xteqGIzSvL8gZ7h_cr2zoStOAfL_605ZiLySrh9Q2RwIqQIs97ScJRD6kB8BCl698LZZZ0vGN_i7hdxg6-q7-Jipptnn811dtUuGSpxMP71gCgI/s200/Rope0052.Mutd-S.web.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Rope"</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8xE-8jjY09YXI67cYMz9ZSJ2qXEBTuVjIEOnAAdhb7-umfGGdmHxSm2KoX6zpXKm4dRksRt4YzZdx6eQFhWkX1HefUW73tiEAYfwvcbEqpRqB6w6N_27K8u_QcYrUa3ZL6y501mlbZEs/s1600/MysteryMachine2.0244-S.Smlr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8xE-8jjY09YXI67cYMz9ZSJ2qXEBTuVjIEOnAAdhb7-umfGGdmHxSm2KoX6zpXKm4dRksRt4YzZdx6eQFhWkX1HefUW73tiEAYfwvcbEqpRqB6w6N_27K8u_QcYrUa3ZL6y501mlbZEs/s200/MysteryMachine2.0244-S.Smlr.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Mystery Machine"</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVGaKsQlALX15UYMbyUlz-wAoAaBYDlwaJ0BBCpznQ7z6C55odEWyoDZ8RSG8D4ZuVr66vYfOECHnDDn2GxoHsqb-t_X92ESo4DGXoYeFaBnUU0GN_uBHyhn7lYWLa3lZLCGYkDRfFSQ/s1600/Tabletop0060-S.web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVGaKsQlALX15UYMbyUlz-wAoAaBYDlwaJ0BBCpznQ7z6C55odEWyoDZ8RSG8D4ZuVr66vYfOECHnDDn2GxoHsqb-t_X92ESo4DGXoYeFaBnUU0GN_uBHyhn7lYWLa3lZLCGYkDRfFSQ/s200/Tabletop0060-S.web.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Tabletop"</td></tr>
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<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW95YFI0GdDlHhNMNxlAHUxNSvV-ep2ueTntFnZ2keo4y2wtEVLvOr2rU-eYs2b7W7G_ig1kRlGj9W0mENjp0XRtMdn0xgY5ET-9wlPuD8ItQR68IaUXRqzScBp2-CfmCEbE17JTmOK9I/s1600/WireWheel0229.BW-S.Smlr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW95YFI0GdDlHhNMNxlAHUxNSvV-ep2ueTntFnZ2keo4y2wtEVLvOr2rU-eYs2b7W7G_ig1kRlGj9W0mENjp0XRtMdn0xgY5ET-9wlPuD8ItQR68IaUXRqzScBp2-CfmCEbE17JTmOK9I/s200/WireWheel0229.BW-S.Smlr.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Wire Wheel"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: cyan;">2. My local <a href="http://www.meetup.com/pittsburghphotomeetup/" target="_blank">Photography Meetup</a> group.</span></b><b></b><br />
I'm now a Co-Organizer and this eats up a lot of my time.<b></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: cyan;">3. Home renovations.</span></b><br />
This old house is close to 100 years old and we've put off many renovations and repairs for years, but finally decided this was the year to do the work We had planned a trip to Brazil but are postponing that until next year after the Olympic madness is over in Rio.<br />
<br />
Although we have hired contractors to do the work, we still had to search for good contractors & arrange for dozens of estimates. Then we had to move things to make room for window installers, for example, to get at the window areas. So far we've had 11 new windows, three new doors plus one garage door installed. On our huge garage, we had 5 windows boarded up. They are about 3 feet from the wall of a neighbor's garage so provide no view and little light anyway. One old door from the garage was moved to replace our basement door. <br />
<br />
We still need to move other things around in order to have a huge plumbing problem repaired, the house painted, siding installed on the garage, exhaust fans installed on both garage and house,have more windows replaced, and have the driveway and some sidewalks repaved. We need bathroom fixtures renovated or replaced and a new shower stall in the basement. We want to add a bulkhead door to the cellar, and replace the basement windows with glass block.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXaCyQ-yVUcU7xgccGtXKFCAQQzOMRppQMpoKX1p4RVrEQTYLhOVMtwoCCMg9RQk462D2sToFrkCoOIahOj3fbP7FzBOBsXybtCG3Hm_DI6pGpsjDo3SZ-tQMJwHzfaEtP-nXi0BJ0dJA/s1600/DoorAfter0288.web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXaCyQ-yVUcU7xgccGtXKFCAQQzOMRppQMpoKX1p4RVrEQTYLhOVMtwoCCMg9RQk462D2sToFrkCoOIahOj3fbP7FzBOBsXybtCG3Hm_DI6pGpsjDo3SZ-tQMJwHzfaEtP-nXi0BJ0dJA/s200/DoorAfter0288.web.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...new door.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0ZktHo7LehO2YHp4Uzu9CE-c5sImEG_bmZKAd70g6YoLgv72DmB1aaamvhaSJlpJJN_Njdo4zuBxE6UvueyoKm2wH8naxST_AX9b2m_V5x-Q5f5wGRraMFtsNJCfPgoKsjReun7tqPk/s1600/DoorBefore0290.web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0ZktHo7LehO2YHp4Uzu9CE-c5sImEG_bmZKAd70g6YoLgv72DmB1aaamvhaSJlpJJN_Njdo4zuBxE6UvueyoKm2wH8naxST_AX9b2m_V5x-Q5f5wGRraMFtsNJCfPgoKsjReun7tqPk/s200/DoorBefore0290.web.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old door in the<br />
garage is replaced by.....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One of our workers in an Amish man who brings several of his 5 sons and/or neighbors to help. If we had unlimited funds, we could have him and his family move in for about 5 years.<br />
<br />
There is so much more to do and we're already hemorrhaging money, so some of this might have to wait for another year or two.<br />
<br />
I was hoping by now we could sell the house my mother left me, but she died when the housing market was terrible, so decided to wait. Meanwhile I allowed my niece to move in, and well, it's difficult to throw out a relative. I thought she might be able to buy the house, but now she has one son starting college and two more children going to college within the next 3 years, so I figure it will be seven years before she can do that. I've been charging her only enough to cover taxes and insurance, but I think I'll have to raise that, enough to bring in a little income but not enough to be a burden on her.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: cyan;">4. My left foot.</span></b><br />
I mentioned that we need to have our concrete repaired or repaved. I was walking to the car one day and I turned my left ankle on an uneven patch where the concrete is broken. I fell, bruised and scraped my right knee, had a bloody thumb, & bruised my right wrist. <br />
<br />
It was early in the morning. No one was around and my husband was still in bed. Because I'm a night owl and sleep in the afternoons, we have disconnected the phone in the bedroom.<br />
<br />
The problem getting up is that I have arthritis in both knees. To stand up, I had to start in a kneeling position, which is hell on the knees. Then, when I need to get one foot on the ground to push up, it's painful to push off of either knee. I had my cell phone in my bag, so I could have called 911, but I was determined to get up on my own.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5vbaeW0Lqu_W2nyC21Cae5bhPnQNQfWGeoey-WawgyiPg1kS4lpRgGzdVYdHO4WjC-_meAsOIEZ0aWkpqhHZ7TTHZ-rYL074Otev-aR4o29qw7ZL1ni4aGIuPKPiUSOUaJR8euL8Qw4/s1600/MyLeftFoot0319.0615.web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5vbaeW0Lqu_W2nyC21Cae5bhPnQNQfWGeoey-WawgyiPg1kS4lpRgGzdVYdHO4WjC-_meAsOIEZ0aWkpqhHZ7TTHZ-rYL074Otev-aR4o29qw7ZL1ni4aGIuPKPiUSOUaJR8euL8Qw4/s320/MyLeftFoot0319.0615.web.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"My Left Foot"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Luckily, I had fallen right behind the car, so I used the key-remote to open the trunk. I reached in and pulled out two huge padded/insulated Costco bags and placed one on top of the other on the driveway concrete. I was able to kneel on those ---still painful, but not as bad as bare concrete. With the trunk still open, I was able to grab onto the lower part of the opening to pull myself up. <br />
<br />
It was only then that I realized that my knee wasn't the worst of my injuries. It felt like a knife had been pushed into the bottom of my left foot. In severe pain, I hobbled to the house. <br />
<br />
Often if I injure myself, it hurts like hell for a while, then the pain subsides, so I thought I'd be okay. I took a couple of Tylenol and went to bed in the afternoon. But when it still hurt then I got up that evening I decided to call the doctor the next morning. On my doctor's advice, I headed to to the emergency room. There, it was determined that I had a broken bone in my foot.<br />
<br />
<span style="text-align: center;">So now I have a 'boot' on my foot and a walker. I have an appointment to see my orthopedic doctor tomorrow.</span><br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/cjp/a3e6a3abc8c9a63044bbbae79b2aa479.png" border="0" /></a>
(©2009, C.J. Peiffer)</div>CJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105598015852813723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1686107465936181330.post-70621310906400085072015-03-04T00:01:00.000-05:002015-03-21T01:17:26.618-04:00Digital Art -3/4/15: "Going Negative"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFTW7wPAiy-oDCZcIYbhe1ahtyFQzFE4FlnZwFztsCDYHHf5NtFl4e7JEMXTQR_fNwiwKUz8KalIBIo3YW63-LhzeTdfrLR2V5anIX7kUXeU6IxKuwTlUZakxq_wX0fLheqWDxiowIhs/s1600/NFMemeIcons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFTW7wPAiy-oDCZcIYbhe1ahtyFQzFE4FlnZwFztsCDYHHf5NtFl4e7JEMXTQR_fNwiwKUz8KalIBIo3YW63-LhzeTdfrLR2V5anIX7kUXeU6IxKuwTlUZakxq_wX0fLheqWDxiowIhs/s200/NFMemeIcons.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The </span><a href="http://nfverk.blogspot.se/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank"><b>Digital Art</b></a><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> meme hosted by </span><a href="http://nfmemes.blogspot.se/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Natures Footstep memes</b></a><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> now includes what was formerly the Abstract Photo meme.</span><br />
<br />
--------------<br />
<br />
<b><u>GOING NEGATIVE</u></b>:<br />
<br />
A few months ago I started to experiment with "going negative" ---that is, I took an image, either straight from the camera or one that I had already enhanced, then inverted the colors.<br />
<br />
On some images the inverted colors look terrible. On some they look wonderful and then there are some that look OK, but need some adjustments. Sometimes I am surprised at what colors turn up in the inverted image.<br />
<br />
I tend to like bold colors, so there are usually some dark colors in my images. Those turn white or almost white when colors are inverted, so sometimes I erase the white in the inverted image to leave the colors from the original image (on a layer below) show through or I select the light colors and replace them with darker ones. I often make additional adjustments as I normally would with any image.<br />
<br />
If you want to try this in Photoshop, go to any image. Duplicate the image on a new layer (control +J ---or command +J on a Mac).
Use control + I to invert it (or command instead of control on a Mac.)<br />
<br />
Below find just a few before & after images I created over the past few months, with one step in-between.<br />
<br />
CLICK ON AN IMAGE FOR LARGER VIEWS OF ALL.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABIj9QzwC4hDR8r3M6ccrM2Tzx585WHhnYau8o0plukcSMGjN8vPBdOmZX_MZn6bcYT6sldrFTlsiI-mNaRuiAmUh4CmEQhl3-dwWafFwk9KausaER7tu_xDIFJi9Onb0kJnYpcV-IvI/s1600/Silver+&+Blue3303027-S.Smlr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABIj9QzwC4hDR8r3M6ccrM2Tzx585WHhnYau8o0plukcSMGjN8vPBdOmZX_MZn6bcYT6sldrFTlsiI-mNaRuiAmUh4CmEQhl3-dwWafFwk9KausaER7tu_xDIFJi9Onb0kJnYpcV-IvI/s320/Silver+&+Blue3303027-S.Smlr.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image 1a: "Silver and Blue"<br />
If you remember this from several months ago,<br />
I took a photo of the top of a square wooden post<br />
painted blue (notice the tree rings on the left) with some<br />
duct tape on top. I rearranged and worked with color<br />
to come up with this abstract design.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSL4z-5GPFxy2VOpxXaiuj39JaH61BgErxWjrhhjkLWbcTsmbEORJMnYd4YTHhCYYoItLPuUqpIDz2lmw4FJYtO7w3d9CsldnksDFlAyazOAsIyNb8wTtCnymNHXvhmsQY9rk3A86sxDA/s1600/BrownandGold3303027BeforeEnhance-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSL4z-5GPFxy2VOpxXaiuj39JaH61BgErxWjrhhjkLWbcTsmbEORJMnYd4YTHhCYYoItLPuUqpIDz2lmw4FJYtO7w3d9CsldnksDFlAyazOAsIyNb8wTtCnymNHXvhmsQY9rk3A86sxDA/s320/BrownandGold3303027BeforeEnhance-S.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image 1b:<br />
After inverting colors, before additional enhancement.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu71ZgtEftmdTqRD_WoFFsIibOfp1fWekh_OiVdvJ1Kdje_Jv61jjVcLVzHhkMI05OO1TjcPsvx1qEEPD69T2QDOv7gWcMd7lyy7nvuB1gcSKNmTMM7msGId1TS9SacrB0Twrh30FyAcM/s1600/BrownandGold3303027-S.Smlr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu71ZgtEftmdTqRD_WoFFsIibOfp1fWekh_OiVdvJ1Kdje_Jv61jjVcLVzHhkMI05OO1TjcPsvx1qEEPD69T2QDOv7gWcMd7lyy7nvuB1gcSKNmTMM7msGId1TS9SacrB0Twrh30FyAcM/s320/BrownandGold3303027-S.Smlr.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image 1c: "Brown and Gold"<br />
I upped the clarity and color saturation and made some<br />
areas darker with the burn tool to increase the textures.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAupgF8yXneNVZQE5hcRxfQuSYBcUMTKfjSZWS6mreDi6TFlHrB-rUiMwK8hutHHvBtt2BogoRSn9WyVY4OmBfpk7KARR_-sxtFWORk9q0tvx-1L9tLO0lHZq0IX_AFtXptVUWWqi9vYA/s1600/P7281094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAupgF8yXneNVZQE5hcRxfQuSYBcUMTKfjSZWS6mreDi6TFlHrB-rUiMwK8hutHHvBtt2BogoRSn9WyVY4OmBfpk7KARR_-sxtFWORk9q0tvx-1L9tLO0lHZq0IX_AFtXptVUWWqi9vYA/s320/P7281094.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image 2a: "White Hydrangea"<br />
SOOC (Straight Out Of the Camera)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoxTGmT1sfIr_8FEBIZxSTq8PSIM6wqTBTOJsBAHlXM54iuVW4jJyjzaRBPlTxhrgCalHKhVlpzyO4GI1vN9DaHuQI541SWEaPDCf30oX7E9ObsTdhKqC7WeOwFG2_pV6SrC7PkG5LMgs/s1600/HydrangeainNegativeP7281094-S.Smlr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoxTGmT1sfIr_8FEBIZxSTq8PSIM6wqTBTOJsBAHlXM54iuVW4jJyjzaRBPlTxhrgCalHKhVlpzyO4GI1vN9DaHuQI541SWEaPDCf30oX7E9ObsTdhKqC7WeOwFG2_pV6SrC7PkG5LMgs/s320/HydrangeainNegativeP7281094-S.Smlr.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image 2b: "Hydrangea in Negative"<br />
After inverting colors, there seemed to be too much white,<br />
so I added a blue-violet gradient to the white in the corners,<br />
then upped the clarity and color saturation slightly.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-dh-ZOKBFxUqaq9f0EIBAmXAvyr0X4M_G-RbO3cEZxz_jFtzzj_JlV81iyMjz6xgORek2TbTgWUes14rgyhwJTxvjhGPr8eCpyciqSGq-F1nMT0ERws0K_RumBfMxMlSjW5ao66YOhs/s1600/HydrangeainNegativeP7281094Framed-S.Smlr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-dh-ZOKBFxUqaq9f0EIBAmXAvyr0X4M_G-RbO3cEZxz_jFtzzj_JlV81iyMjz6xgORek2TbTgWUes14rgyhwJTxvjhGPr8eCpyciqSGq-F1nMT0ERws0K_RumBfMxMlSjW5ao66YOhs/s320/HydrangeainNegativeP7281094Framed-S.Smlr.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image 2c: "Hydrangea in Negative, Framed"<br />
I copied the center of the inverted image (above) &<br />
placed it on a new layer, then upped the saturation a bit.<br />
On the layer with the complete image, I used the<br />
cutout filter to simplify it, then added a violet layer in<br />
color mode over that (under the center section layer.)<br />
I selected the center section, expanded the selected area<br />
added a new layer under it and filled it with a blue I took<br />
from the image to create the small outline around it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>Negative colors with a difference</u>:</b><br />
<br />
I started with a photo of columbine flowers. When I inverted it, I didn't like the result. (The green flower bothered me.)<br />
<br />
But then, I changed the inverted layer from normal to "difference" mode and WOW! I loved the result.<br />
<br />
After adjusting levels a bit, it was even better.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0v1TU2auPQ-WisgoqhM3Z_OJwE3pVsGdvAAg8u3sP-TkHNhs_-5H9cyJnv5bC_-dg2T8Fqf6y-UgwWbWoFskVC9tI8wqTMXJPprLjV1EBLmR9SPrk_rSiFVjnrPsxP5qXmfioT2Tzu8/s1600/Columbine220740ImprssnOKeefe-S.Smllr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0v1TU2auPQ-WisgoqhM3Z_OJwE3pVsGdvAAg8u3sP-TkHNhs_-5H9cyJnv5bC_-dg2T8Fqf6y-UgwWbWoFskVC9tI8wqTMXJPprLjV1EBLmR9SPrk_rSiFVjnrPsxP5qXmfioT2Tzu8/s320/Columbine220740ImprssnOKeefe-S.Smllr.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image 3a: "Columbines"<br />
Original photo of columbines after<br />
normal enhancement.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyrF1OT_KQ-AjBCPMVL63ofXx-H-dmmx03HBhDAF0Pieyr6rGR9zdVADmHUAZcz0kdnU5trapPWJJG-rOFN61cYButmLEjmBIQg0EVkd4rbbrtDVCy7dAroIvpCyroBxHMcgzVu_bFrjg/s1600/ColumbinesInvertedP5220740-S.Smlr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyrF1OT_KQ-AjBCPMVL63ofXx-H-dmmx03HBhDAF0Pieyr6rGR9zdVADmHUAZcz0kdnU5trapPWJJG-rOFN61cYButmLEjmBIQg0EVkd4rbbrtDVCy7dAroIvpCyroBxHMcgzVu_bFrjg/s320/ColumbinesInvertedP5220740-S.Smlr.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image 3b: Inverted image.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUd2lF21iC5RlHsNZ5yBYGxWuwde9dhy2ko8e51YK_IsCsLzb4Ii6XyLjYNSHi4zciFMVT22lwe9WGFQs-_lWx5vYX91CnxD_gum7MjgJ9lISYyo_KvXjJ8_bYjeDneSsS79aBI9Pecs/s1600/ColumbinesinTechnicolorP5220740-S.Smlr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUd2lF21iC5RlHsNZ5yBYGxWuwde9dhy2ko8e51YK_IsCsLzb4Ii6XyLjYNSHi4zciFMVT22lwe9WGFQs-_lWx5vYX91CnxD_gum7MjgJ9lISYyo_KvXjJ8_bYjeDneSsS79aBI9Pecs/s320/ColumbinesinTechnicolorP5220740-S.Smlr.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image 3c: "Columbines in Technicolor"<br />
Inverted image in "difference"<br />
mode and levels adjustments.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I suggest trying this on an image that doesn't have a lot of white or very light colors and very little black or very dark colors. If you can't find something, try adjusting the contrast. Or choose the dark areas and add a lighter color and add a darker shade in the light areas.<br />
<br />
Once you have your inverted/difference layer, you can make additional changes on the layer(s) below it,. When you change the lower layer, the layer in difference mode will adjust accordingly.
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/cjp/a3e6a3abc8c9a63044bbbae79b2aa479.png" border="0" /></a>
(©2009, C.J. Peiffer)</div>CJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105598015852813723noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1686107465936181330.post-18832478792421327862015-02-18T00:01:00.000-05:002015-02-18T09:08:17.832-05:00Digital Art - 2/18/15: "Golden Slide"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFTW7wPAiy-oDCZcIYbhe1ahtyFQzFE4FlnZwFztsCDYHHf5NtFl4e7JEMXTQR_fNwiwKUz8KalIBIo3YW63-LhzeTdfrLR2V5anIX7kUXeU6IxKuwTlUZakxq_wX0fLheqWDxiowIhs/s1600/NFMemeIcons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFTW7wPAiy-oDCZcIYbhe1ahtyFQzFE4FlnZwFztsCDYHHf5NtFl4e7JEMXTQR_fNwiwKUz8KalIBIo3YW63-LhzeTdfrLR2V5anIX7kUXeU6IxKuwTlUZakxq_wX0fLheqWDxiowIhs/s200/NFMemeIcons.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The</b> <b><a href="http://nfverk.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Digital Art</a></b> meme hosted by </span><a href="http://nfmemes.blogspot.se/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Natures Footstep memes</b></a><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">now includes what was formerly the Abstract Photo meme.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Click on the links above to view the posts by other artists/photographers or to participate yourself.</span><br />
<br />
There used to be a large "Play Castle" at a local park. It included all kinds of bridges, slides, and climbing apparatus.<br />
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One day, after taking a walk in the park, when it was rather cold and close to sunset, no children were using the equipment. So, I climbed to the top of several spiral slides and took photos, looking down. The slides were made of metal, probably aluminum. The sun was low in the sky and there was just a hint of reflection from the orange sky in parts of the photo.<br />
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I like taking photos of playground equipment. However, these days I'm reluctant to take photos when youngsters are playing. I don't want anyone to think I'm stalking their children. <br />
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This equipment is now gone, replaced by a new playground. The new equipment is more colorful, and probably won't result in splinters, but I think the old structure looked like more fun.<br />
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<span style="color: lime;">Click on any image fore a larger view.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioyhVyZ84E68KYfO1xrG17vO0qOD_asC9bfGF3rgIzm3Wgtr8O-JM0_EAnPOyBz48xUzUgRQIc0hDdrztUM89pzuAf4xHR1HhzvpdwzjMaoID2JIVxNtYKAXSli3whmKniEmwvg44E3cc/s1600/GoldenSlide6225-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioyhVyZ84E68KYfO1xrG17vO0qOD_asC9bfGF3rgIzm3Wgtr8O-JM0_EAnPOyBz48xUzUgRQIc0hDdrztUM89pzuAf4xHR1HhzvpdwzjMaoID2JIVxNtYKAXSli3whmKniEmwvg44E3cc/s640/GoldenSlide6225-S.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>"Golden Slide"</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: small;">For this image, I added color and textures.</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdkApGNBAQ4DVfkbG-vXGRBqlItWi_iYJ3-oLAbLeRhm5uqx8YOvs1pLA2Xa-nq_73Kt34VFIevI3PzjGzHOw_2fHoFN2Aycop3SkrBCbTJ1X5kXJ4C-Yo4w4ACJlv15Lw3OecbZuGkM/s1600/Slide6225Orig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdkApGNBAQ4DVfkbG-vXGRBqlItWi_iYJ3-oLAbLeRhm5uqx8YOvs1pLA2Xa-nq_73Kt34VFIevI3PzjGzHOw_2fHoFN2Aycop3SkrBCbTJ1X5kXJ4C-Yo4w4ACJlv15Lw3OecbZuGkM/s640/Slide6225Orig.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">original photo:<br />
spiral slide, looking down from above</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEkzUofdg2qFZHDhg9xaN3R4wMEWkymSJAYTH61BFqTuefx2D2vVldCx3srI_PleS9SdlkYBfhszc8jIXi7pUBSm-lUzmBl71OaETXBgGnD52CaYUrwNiKbk685LsyOJwMMH4Ab8kdLA/s1600/PlayCastle6193-S.Smllr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEkzUofdg2qFZHDhg9xaN3R4wMEWkymSJAYTH61BFqTuefx2D2vVldCx3srI_PleS9SdlkYBfhszc8jIXi7pUBSm-lUzmBl71OaETXBgGnD52CaYUrwNiKbk685LsyOJwMMH4Ab8kdLA/s320/PlayCastle6193-S.Smllr.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Play Castle"<br />
gone, but not forgotten</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiHk8vl9Le5Aewd5PcRjwyd_bGphWzGHk5hj6rtygjPlakGOK8dDDvTBnQvc_gAxcLzk83WaUxs6lEk2-Zbw1AOtVRXjfVumGftt7FjnozNPJXdorPOHohisna8as61dsCVW4vGOv7Mo/s1600/PlayCastle.2.6444-S.Smllr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiHk8vl9Le5Aewd5PcRjwyd_bGphWzGHk5hj6rtygjPlakGOK8dDDvTBnQvc_gAxcLzk83WaUxs6lEk2-Zbw1AOtVRXjfVumGftt7FjnozNPJXdorPOHohisna8as61dsCVW4vGOv7Mo/s320/PlayCastle.2.6444-S.Smllr.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Play Castle"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>See my photostream on Flickr</b>: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cj_proartz">http://www.flickr.com/photos/cj_proartz</a><br />
Below my name there, click on albums to find a particular type of photo (Black and White, Fences, Abstract, Landscapes, Still Life, Autumn Scenes, Bridges, Animals, Art Created from My Photos, etc.)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/cjp/a3e6a3abc8c9a63044bbbae79b2aa479.png" border="0" /></a>
(©2009, C.J. Peiffer)</div>CJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105598015852813723noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1686107465936181330.post-35874536486720407522015-02-04T00:01:00.000-05:002015-02-04T00:01:00.587-05:00Digital Art and Geometric Friday - 2/4 & 2/6/15: "Spheres of Interest 5"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFTW7wPAiy-oDCZcIYbhe1ahtyFQzFE4FlnZwFztsCDYHHf5NtFl4e7JEMXTQR_fNwiwKUz8KalIBIo3YW63-LhzeTdfrLR2V5anIX7kUXeU6IxKuwTlUZakxq_wX0fLheqWDxiowIhs/s1600/NFMemeIcons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFTW7wPAiy-oDCZcIYbhe1ahtyFQzFE4FlnZwFztsCDYHHf5NtFl4e7JEMXTQR_fNwiwKUz8KalIBIo3YW63-LhzeTdfrLR2V5anIX7kUXeU6IxKuwTlUZakxq_wX0fLheqWDxiowIhs/s200/NFMemeIcons.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The </span><a href="http://nfverk.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank"><b>Digital Art</b></a><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> meme hosted by </span><a href="http://nfmemes.blogspot.se/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Natures Footstep memes</b></a><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> now includes what was formerly the Abstract Photo meme.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://lorikart.com/" target="_blank"><b>Geometric Friday</b></a> <span style="color: #cccccc;">hosted by</span> <a href="http://lorikart.com/" target="_blank"><b>LorikArt</b></a> </span><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Click on the links above to view posts by other artists/photographers or to participate yourself.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzqEHDW4DpPV0YfBWp16uEzz95xV0Zt3a9x3hwAXrs5WFpIwy2yS6k9S7x7I8c1qQ1MYwHMRgliiJCIF2hEglQK4NAXFfetQHqbCz0B4SYnP1KaPUHFzvAFLD3yK7rCrxtEY96BSJBvE/s1600/GeometricFridaySmller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzqEHDW4DpPV0YfBWp16uEzz95xV0Zt3a9x3hwAXrs5WFpIwy2yS6k9S7x7I8c1qQ1MYwHMRgliiJCIF2hEglQK4NAXFfetQHqbCz0B4SYnP1KaPUHFzvAFLD3yK7rCrxtEY96BSJBvE/s200/GeometricFridaySmller.jpg" height="191" width="200" /></a>
<span style="color: lime;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: lime;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span id="goog_1645542547"></span><span id="goog_1645542548"></span><br />
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<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<a href="http://nfmemes.blogspot.se/" target="_blank"></a></div>
<br />
Since I started to post photos & art on Flickr, I've been expanding my horizons. Occasionally a group I belong to has a challenge. If I don't have something that fits the challenge, I have to create something new (if I want to participate.) <br />
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Sometimes I post an image in one group and another group invites me to post to it, too.<br />
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I had posted several abstracts that included circles and was invited to post on two other groups that post only images that include circular shapes & forms. Several other groups post only square-cropped images. So, I started to create square-cropped designs with circles and or spheres.<br />
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I begin with one circle or more and let my imagination take me wherever it goes. I love challenging myself to figure out how to do something I've never tried before in Photoshop<br />
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This image was created completely in Photoshop ---no photos involved.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzDl6TPJjLrtS3599iqM0-BBHW5EJQUq032i5cVnkg4Mi0nhd9jsNmuJhGqSDb1e1W_qNtQ-XFAdF-F7byW9uM2jtAtj_H8C2TCe43rBjQrS8Rzt2Jfya82tpZdmtB_g72O7Dhv5PdEuU/s1600/SpheresofInterest5-S.Smllr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzDl6TPJjLrtS3599iqM0-BBHW5EJQUq032i5cVnkg4Mi0nhd9jsNmuJhGqSDb1e1W_qNtQ-XFAdF-F7byW9uM2jtAtj_H8C2TCe43rBjQrS8Rzt2Jfya82tpZdmtB_g72O7Dhv5PdEuU/s640/SpheresofInterest5-S.Smllr.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>"Spheres of Interest 5"</b></span><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: yellow; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;">This is the 5th in a series. Since I created this, I've worked on several others.</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>See my photostream on Flickr</b>: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cj_proartz">http://www.flickr.com/photos/cj_proartz</a><br />
Below my name, click on albums to find a particular type of photo (Black and White, Fences, Abstracts, Landscapes, Still Life, Autumn Scenes, Bridges, Animals, Art Created from My Photos, etc.) Or view my entire photo stream which includes everything I've posted, with the most recent first.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/cjp/a3e6a3abc8c9a63044bbbae79b2aa479.png" border="0" /></a>
(©2009, C.J. Peiffer)</div>CJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105598015852813723noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1686107465936181330.post-63892318429225708532015-01-28T00:01:00.000-05:002015-01-28T07:46:17.295-05:00Digital Art & Geometric Friday - 1/28 & 1/30/15: "The Squares Within"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFTW7wPAiy-oDCZcIYbhe1ahtyFQzFE4FlnZwFztsCDYHHf5NtFl4e7JEMXTQR_fNwiwKUz8KalIBIo3YW63-LhzeTdfrLR2V5anIX7kUXeU6IxKuwTlUZakxq_wX0fLheqWDxiowIhs/s1600/NFMemeIcons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFTW7wPAiy-oDCZcIYbhe1ahtyFQzFE4FlnZwFztsCDYHHf5NtFl4e7JEMXTQR_fNwiwKUz8KalIBIo3YW63-LhzeTdfrLR2V5anIX7kUXeU6IxKuwTlUZakxq_wX0fLheqWDxiowIhs/s200/NFMemeIcons.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The<a href="http://nfverk.blogspot.se/"> </a></span><b><a href="http://nfverk.blogspot.se/">Digital Art</a></b><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://nfverk.blogspot.se/"> </a>meme hosted by </span><a href="http://nfmemes.blogspot.se/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Natures Footstep memes</b></a><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> now includes what was formerly the Abstract Photo meme.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://lorikart.com/" target="_blank"><b>Geometric Friday</b></a> <span style="color: #cccccc;">hosted by</span> <a href="http://lorikart.com/" target="_blank"><b>LorikArt</b></a> </span><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Click on the links above to view posts by other artists/photographers or to participate yourself.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzqEHDW4DpPV0YfBWp16uEzz95xV0Zt3a9x3hwAXrs5WFpIwy2yS6k9S7x7I8c1qQ1MYwHMRgliiJCIF2hEglQK4NAXFfetQHqbCz0B4SYnP1KaPUHFzvAFLD3yK7rCrxtEY96BSJBvE/s1600/GeometricFridaySmller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzqEHDW4DpPV0YfBWp16uEzz95xV0Zt3a9x3hwAXrs5WFpIwy2yS6k9S7x7I8c1qQ1MYwHMRgliiJCIF2hEglQK4NAXFfetQHqbCz0B4SYnP1KaPUHFzvAFLD3yK7rCrxtEY96BSJBvE/s200/GeometricFridaySmller.jpg" height="191" width="200" /></a>
<span style="color: lime;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: lime;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Does anyone have the iPhone app that creates beautiful watercolor effects? I think it's called Waterlogue. (I rarely use my cell phone, so it's not worth it for me to buy an iPhone.) If so, would you be willing to occasionally use it on one of my photos? In exchange, I'll be glad to use Photoshop or Topaz to enhance one of yours? If, so, please leave a comment prefaced with "</span></span><span style="color: lime; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">DO NOT PUBLISH." ( I monitor all comments so I won't publish it.) Leave your email address in the message and I'll contact you privately.</span><br />
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Find a new Photoshop tip on creating composite layers </b></span><b style="color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">under my images</b><b style="color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</b><br />
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This image began with photos taken at the Portland (Maine) Museum of Art.<br />
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On the second floor, there are open spaces looking onto the first floor. From those, one can see painted squares on the walls. I took photos of them specifically with the intention of creating an abstract image with them.<br />
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I used three photos of those openings and manipulated them, repeated, scaled, overlapped, & rotated them until I had my basic composition. I added some of the colored squares to parts that didn't have those patterns on them. I added textures and colored outlines and upped the saturation.<br />
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I then made a composite view of all my layers merged together, made it smaller, duplicated it several times, scaled those to smaller sizes, and rotated them on top of my original composition. <br />
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My final step was to rotate the entire image. What started as the bottom is now on the right edge. A well-composed non-representational abstract should look good no matter which way it is turned, but sometimes an artist just prefers it one way over another.<br />
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To rotate everything at once, I created another composite layer. <span style="color: magenta;">See instructions below the image on how to create a composite layer while retaining all your individual layers in Photoshop.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6jtfcVNvxrFeKVU9Zq-ftj6fRSRObVziXyjtWH68v7hjzsU9IVVNVB4FEK_nJgdm4RBsna5NdRE061At1Ptp6I7aLQozkjON2i85bCv12sZe_5x-Pzj5m_MmUqk4Twma0XlNsVXgxVkM/s1600/TheSquaresWithin-S.Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6jtfcVNvxrFeKVU9Zq-ftj6fRSRObVziXyjtWH68v7hjzsU9IVVNVB4FEK_nJgdm4RBsna5NdRE061At1Ptp6I7aLQozkjON2i85bCv12sZe_5x-Pzj5m_MmUqk4Twma0XlNsVXgxVkM/s1600/TheSquaresWithin-S.Blog.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>"The Squares Within"</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0awSLKlx43WlU2dgbYI94jZgFAxe1vNqIx1KmrwX9j7C7w9hT9GN2eaqZJqrEae0U8ZgUvTFUcV7S4LzT9OTan1tho_U0dJft7wTmPY1zA0SsJs2_trS_Zc87mUO0uTTuwOwM9zvh-bQ/s1600/TheSquaresWithinOrig.1.9283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0awSLKlx43WlU2dgbYI94jZgFAxe1vNqIx1KmrwX9j7C7w9hT9GN2eaqZJqrEae0U8ZgUvTFUcV7S4LzT9OTan1tho_U0dJft7wTmPY1zA0SsJs2_trS_Zc87mUO0uTTuwOwM9zvh-bQ/s320/TheSquaresWithinOrig.1.9283.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of three original photos.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNeATUKH14INRi2x16RqDiobvk5vBQQ-tEpD6IkxP4Qt_J-qIb5Ajm0jtZko-9uNkOAFowA4hreJaLUm8HuSAHOeb4raBoxalX1Ws_145GTnIenls2KcK3Gld60ZQ7qXOm3X822pfa2tI/s1600/TheSquaresWithinOrigi.2.9273.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNeATUKH14INRi2x16RqDiobvk5vBQQ-tEpD6IkxP4Qt_J-qIb5Ajm0jtZko-9uNkOAFowA4hreJaLUm8HuSAHOeb4raBoxalX1Ws_145GTnIenls2KcK3Gld60ZQ7qXOm3X822pfa2tI/s320/TheSquaresWithinOrigi.2.9273.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another of my three original photos.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>Photoshop tip</u></b>: <b>Merging layers while keeping copies of all the separate layers intact.</b><br />
<br />
Sometimes I want to add a filter to all my layers at once, or I want to saturate or balance all the colors on every layer, yet I want to keep my layers separated in case I want to go back and make changes. (Sometimes I even need to copy a layer from one image and add it to a completely different image, so I want to keep at least one file in photoshop format with all my layers unmerged.)<br />
<br />
1. Make sure you have only the layers you want to merge visible. Hide all others.<br />
2. Go the the top-most layer you want to merge.<br />
3. Choose shift + option + control + e ---press all four keys at the same time.<br />
(On a Mac, use command instead of control)<br />
4. That will create a composite layer of all the visible layers above all the individual layers.<br />
5. Change the name of the layer to "Composite 1"<br />
<br />
If you want to make more changes:<br />
6. Hide that composite layer if you want to add more layers below it or change the layers below it. Otherwise, make a duplicate of Composite 1 and make changes to it.<br />
7. Again, hide layers you don't want to be part of your new composite layer, you can go again to the top-most visible layer and make a new composite layer, and call it "Composite 2."<br />
8. If you want to see if your additions to Composite 2 were an improvement over Composite 1, make both visible, and hide any layers between them, then hide the upper-most composite layer and turn it back on to see which one you like best.<br />
<br />
Repeat steps 6-8 as often as needed.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * * * * * *</div>
<b>See my photostream on Flickr</b>: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cj_proartz">http://www.flickr.com/photos/cj_proartz</a><br />
Below my name, click on albums to find a particular type of photo (Black and White, Fences, Abstracts, Landscapes, Still Life, Autumn Scenes, Bridges, Animals, Art Created from My Photos, etc.) Or view my entire photo stream which includes everything I've posted, with the most recent first.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/cjp/a3e6a3abc8c9a63044bbbae79b2aa479.png" border="0" /></a>
(©2009, C.J. Peiffer)</div>CJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105598015852813723noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1686107465936181330.post-52488405605374578762015-01-14T00:01:00.000-05:002015-01-14T14:24:18.680-05:00Digital Art - 1/14/15: Trying an online photo editor<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFTW7wPAiy-oDCZcIYbhe1ahtyFQzFE4FlnZwFztsCDYHHf5NtFl4e7JEMXTQR_fNwiwKUz8KalIBIo3YW63-LhzeTdfrLR2V5anIX7kUXeU6IxKuwTlUZakxq_wX0fLheqWDxiowIhs/s1600/NFMemeIcons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFTW7wPAiy-oDCZcIYbhe1ahtyFQzFE4FlnZwFztsCDYHHf5NtFl4e7JEMXTQR_fNwiwKUz8KalIBIo3YW63-LhzeTdfrLR2V5anIX7kUXeU6IxKuwTlUZakxq_wX0fLheqWDxiowIhs/s200/NFMemeIcons.jpg" /></a><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://nfmemes.blogspot.se/"><b>Natures Footstep memes</b></a> </span><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The </span><a href="http://nfverk.blogspot.se/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank"><b>Digital Art</b></a><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> meme now includes what was formerly the Abstract Photo meme.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Click on the links above to view the posts by other artists/photographers or to participate yourself.</span><br />
<br />
I've never had much luck using the "Colored Pencil" filter in Photoshop. I've played around with it, and usually don't like what I get.<br />
<br />
In searching for online enhancement sites, I found one that has several good filters for creating colored-pencil-like effects and lots of other effects.<br />
<br />
The only problem is that you can only use an image that is the maximum size of 2 MB, which is fairly small. On an image that was originally 12 X 9 inches, I had to reduce it to 960 X 720 pixels to get it to 1.98 MB.<br />
<br />
Below, I'll show you some of the results and give you a link to the photo editor and instructions for using it.<br />
<span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u>NOTE</u>: After I applied the effects on the photo of trees below, I did not make additional changes in Photoshop, so you can see what the actual results were.
</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">(I made additional changes on the very last photo "Mail Pouch" but not on the trees.)</span><br />
<span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>I suggest clicking on any image for larger views of the effects.</b></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlf9XZDthb5sSD97FOoItKahp5cSvpwvYH72b3cXIpWgu4WVJbYCp6QLhik4xeFXFYOp7AJs99cYI_0aBx0CFWrVtYEgxfrHaqNNKG2EAbScOA_jab0Xc0dWXUX53C8b0PyxWFl6xbEIk/s1600/ZelieTrees8798.960X720pxl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlf9XZDthb5sSD97FOoItKahp5cSvpwvYH72b3cXIpWgu4WVJbYCp6QLhik4xeFXFYOp7AJs99cYI_0aBx0CFWrVtYEgxfrHaqNNKG2EAbScOA_jab0Xc0dWXUX53C8b0PyxWFl6xbEIk/s320/ZelieTrees8798.960X720pxl.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original Photo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><u>If you want to try the photo editor yourself</u></b>: (Don't be intimidated by the numerous steps---it's rather simple to use if you can figure out how to reduce the size of your image, first.)<br />
<br />
Understand that a filter might look great on one photo and look terrible on another, so try several to see which you like best. There are 123 effects to choose from. (I can't imagine ever wanting to use about 75% of them, but some look great on some photos and I might find a use for more than I can imagine now.) <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-OE3Ch9AZ5K_1i6_vFoMClimwlIOprtWEYLtfDo5bdZWXPTdVqingNnI8BuPReWNqjd-zilgHtcI23D_8Z1qoqGR43d09b6NtKiQg1ed-2c6Mk2-uIpyowOS1cMnDKR7qHg-tM2RxPbw/s1600/online_photo_editor_result.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-OE3Ch9AZ5K_1i6_vFoMClimwlIOprtWEYLtfDo5bdZWXPTdVqingNnI8BuPReWNqjd-zilgHtcI23D_8Z1qoqGR43d09b6NtKiQg1ed-2c6Mk2-uIpyowOS1cMnDKR7qHg-tM2RxPbw/s320/online_photo_editor_result.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Dark Pencil Drawing" efffect</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBlBOlZN5uEMQUhCORczASABYY1N4HkZh91X9YFUSmFs0EbMnG4Mox7E-bwMd1e0UPhJ8iqfvqa3k7oJMGUhP0oMgxg6LuPGoP40V_bEHdNBrL7_7m5vVfhPdiUE5Ozdj49JxYGJ5omE/s1600/online_photo_editor_result-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBlBOlZN5uEMQUhCORczASABYY1N4HkZh91X9YFUSmFs0EbMnG4Mox7E-bwMd1e0UPhJ8iqfvqa3k7oJMGUhP0oMgxg6LuPGoP40V_bEHdNBrL7_7m5vVfhPdiUE5Ozdj49JxYGJ5omE/s320/online_photo_editor_result-2.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Clean Pencil Drawing" effect</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisuYGTVdiVlataj2tHoZ94X_Ky0JfBxV4o7y4Zu6BbOMpzqvjqwr7i-c1jjuNJ1wGxG7_12BCWfXs3Kh-_IKXp2TWhVgjQc5kG4cIDbTOUh1Qoj1MP9Eb6dBqnKQoYIX9Rpi1NsOrSlc/s1600/online_photo_editor_result-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisuYGTVdiVlataj2tHoZ94X_Ky0JfBxV4o7y4Zu6BbOMpzqvjqwr7i-c1jjuNJ1wGxG7_12BCWfXs3Kh-_IKXp2TWhVgjQc5kG4cIDbTOUh1Qoj1MP9Eb6dBqnKQoYIX9Rpi1NsOrSlc/s320/online_photo_editor_result-2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Stroked Pencil Drawing" effect</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-kX0k17rYcWFGqFOQhgAnkrZ-NX7l_KP6KkPWSSo7wnNqMMpd5nm57Q-eBU4nIGjo66rhPyBuETjlZ3KDT6YamDA-BGQJTBoR2yp3SsAaH7n500jAuwi86ORaF9JcUoJYRqnXp2RMSg/s1600/online_photo_editor_result.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-kX0k17rYcWFGqFOQhgAnkrZ-NX7l_KP6KkPWSSo7wnNqMMpd5nm57Q-eBU4nIGjo66rhPyBuETjlZ3KDT6YamDA-BGQJTBoR2yp3SsAaH7n500jAuwi86ORaF9JcUoJYRqnXp2RMSg/s320/online_photo_editor_result.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Detailed Pencil Drawing" effect</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_tlv0RYbe4TTY3EIStHg3Q_ajHg1_l9Ihl60rydQc0X4Ezyoy4jU-wLoEAu-iTraf07cSZzXjMbHSIqjqYhtgvZR1-Ba7GgrVqDHmT1obks8k-3MBgBDCKyK0ys2LXCkysR8dKzMVFho/s1600/online_photo_editor_result-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_tlv0RYbe4TTY3EIStHg3Q_ajHg1_l9Ihl60rydQc0X4Ezyoy4jU-wLoEAu-iTraf07cSZzXjMbHSIqjqYhtgvZR1-Ba7GgrVqDHmT1obks8k-3MBgBDCKyK0ys2LXCkysR8dKzMVFho/s320/online_photo_editor_result-3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Typographic Photo Effect 3"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3UDMryU6pRoGZue2ufZuLEVlyS8A-7SrmSiPkywXpsBFqoAg_6uP3mC0vRWwMVqE-zJ9ZTpSUjeiJyrxddq7OZyON3eopMfR3V3kKkkezN5H2kutTPNBhwHcHRkEkUEMzUUthKtxosgw/s1600/online_photo_editor_result-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3UDMryU6pRoGZue2ufZuLEVlyS8A-7SrmSiPkywXpsBFqoAg_6uP3mC0vRWwMVqE-zJ9ZTpSUjeiJyrxddq7OZyON3eopMfR3V3kKkkezN5H2kutTPNBhwHcHRkEkUEMzUUthKtxosgw/s320/online_photo_editor_result-4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Clean Impressionistic Painting" effect</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>FOLLOW THESE STEPS</u></b>:<br />
1. First enhance your photo in any way needed. Save it as you usually would. (If you don't have software to do that, you might want to chose the "Colors and Details Enhanced" filter once you get to Steps 5 & 6.)<br />
<br />
2. Then make your image dimensions very small. In Photoshop you can go to Image> Image size. Change the dimensions from inches or centimeters to pixels, then lower the pixels until it says 2 M or less at the top of that window.<br />
Examples:<br />
at 300 ppi (pixels per inch) at 960 X 720 pixels, the dimensions are 3.2 X 2.4 inches = 1.98 MB<br />
at 150 ppi (pixels per inch) at 960 X 720 pixels, the dimensions are 6.4 X 4.8 inches = 1.98 MB<br />
<br />
3. Save it again in jpg format, adding something at the end of the title to tell you this version is very small or for this photo editor, such as Title960X720px.jpg or TitleSmall.jpg or TitlePictureToPeople.jpg<br />
<br />
4. Go to the <b><a href="http://www.picturetopeople.org/easy-online-photo-editor.html" target="_blank">Picture to People</a></b> website: <a href="http://www.picturetopeople.org/easy-online-photo-editor.html">http://www.picturetopeople.org/easy-online-photo-editor.html</a> <br />
I suggest that you bookmark the page so it is easy to go back to ---you have to do that between effects and images.<br />
<br />
5. Scroll down through all of the options to find an effect you want to try.<br />
For a colored pencil effect, I like the "Stroked Pencil Drawing" or the "Detailed Pencil Drawing" filter under "Colorful Drawing Effects" but there are others, too.<br />
<br />
6. Click on the icon of the effect you want.<br />
<br />
7. Go to the bottom of the page and click on choose file. On your computer, choose the file then wait until you see the title of your image on the photo editor page.<br />
<br />
8. Click on "View Effect Result" or "Download Result."
In my experience, it is rather slow to view the effect. I often skip that step. (If I don't like the downloaded result, I can delete it later.)<br />
<br />
9. Click on "Download Result." If you clicked on "View Result", you have to click the left arrow at the top of your window to go back to the original page to click "Download Result."<br />
<br />
10. After it downloads ---and it may be slow ---it says to choose F5 to go back to the original page. However, that doesn't work for me (maybe because I have a Mac.) I just use the arrow to return to the previous page. I also have the page bookmarked so I can easily return to it.<br />
<br />
11. Your first item will appear in your download folder with the name online_photo_editor-result.jpg or it might end in png if you used a black and white effect. You need to change the file names later.<br />
<br />
12. If you want to try a different filter with the same photo, you have to start over, choose a filter, choose the file again, etc. It will go into your download folder with a slightly different title. It might have a dash and a 2 at the end, or jpg instead of png or vice-versa.<br />
<br />
13. Open up your edited photos in your regular enhancement software to make additional changes, if you wish.<br />
<br />
I haven't tried it yet, but I think some of these<br />
might look good over others, either making the top layer transparent or changing it to overlay mode.<br />
<br />
<br />
You might want to try clicking on other tabs at the top of the Picture to People page. I attempted one watercolor effect that gave the option to choose some parameters, but it wanted an image of 1 MB or less. I had to reduce it to 4.3 X 3.225 inches at 150ppi. The only choice was calculate effect. But since there was no option to download, I had to right click and choose to copy it, then paste it into a new Photoshop file. I thought it looked terrible ---not like watercolor at all.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHt7L6-it5N3i5HhU2H9bSTixKEBF0rXffdFxBC60nZBT2tXygK3hyphenhyphenE3j9z8QQELd7sG9t6G3SwBaAxzTKY7dK8bvInz5YZmIqLRI2F4xgyM7kIdp7gFfyPKsTlStWVfFUMi8xENiiR8/s1600/MailPouchDrawing8753-S.Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHt7L6-it5N3i5HhU2H9bSTixKEBF0rXffdFxBC60nZBT2tXygK3hyphenhyphenE3j9z8QQELd7sG9t6G3SwBaAxzTKY7dK8bvInz5YZmIqLRI2F4xgyM7kIdp7gFfyPKsTlStWVfFUMi8xENiiR8/s400/MailPouchDrawing8753-S.Blog.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>"Mail Pouch"</b><br />This was the first image I tried with this photo editor.<br />I used the "Dark Pencil Drawing" effect.<br />I then opened the image in Photoshop<br />to increase the color saturation and<br />add a signature.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * * * * * *</div>
<b>See my photostream on Flickr</b>: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cj_proartz">http://www.flickr.com/photos/cj_proartz</a><br />
Below my name, click on albums to find a particular type of photo (Black and White, Fences, Abstracts, Landscapes, Still Life, Autumn Scenes, Bridges, Animals, Art Created from My Photos, etc.) Or view my entire photo stream which includes everything I've posted, with the most recent first. <div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/cjp/a3e6a3abc8c9a63044bbbae79b2aa479.png" border="0" /></a>
(©2009, C.J. Peiffer)</div>CJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105598015852813723noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1686107465936181330.post-46417607447730553512015-01-07T02:22:00.000-05:002015-01-07T09:02:33.856-05:00Digital Art and Geometric Friday - 1/7/15 & 1/9/15: "Wheel of Fortune"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFTW7wPAiy-oDCZcIYbhe1ahtyFQzFE4FlnZwFztsCDYHHf5NtFl4e7JEMXTQR_fNwiwKUz8KalIBIo3YW63-LhzeTdfrLR2V5anIX7kUXeU6IxKuwTlUZakxq_wX0fLheqWDxiowIhs/s1600/NFMemeIcons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFTW7wPAiy-oDCZcIYbhe1ahtyFQzFE4FlnZwFztsCDYHHf5NtFl4e7JEMXTQR_fNwiwKUz8KalIBIo3YW63-LhzeTdfrLR2V5anIX7kUXeU6IxKuwTlUZakxq_wX0fLheqWDxiowIhs/s200/NFMemeIcons.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The </span><a href="http://nfverk.blogspot.se/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank"><b>Digital Art</b></a><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> meme hosted by </span><a href="http://nfmemes.blogspot.se/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Natures Footstep memes</b></a><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> now includes what was formerly the Abstract Photo meme.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://lorikart.com/" target="_blank"><b>Geometric Friday</b></a> <span style="color: #cccccc;">hosted by</span> <a href="http://lorikart.com/" target="_blank"><b>LorikArt</b></a> </span><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Click on the links above to view posts by other artists/photographers or to participate yourself.</span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Since June 2014, I've been spending several hours each day (sometimes 10-12 hours) enhancing and posting my images on Flickr. Since I am spending so much time doing that, I may be posting here sporadically. I do have several posts set up to post automatically in future weeks, but going forward, it may be hit or miss from week to week.</b></span><br />
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If you need some ideas for your digital art, I highly recommend browsing Flickr images. I've found some interesting ideas there. I "steal" many a concept, but I'm always sure to make it my own.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzqEHDW4DpPV0YfBWp16uEzz95xV0Zt3a9x3hwAXrs5WFpIwy2yS6k9S7x7I8c1qQ1MYwHMRgliiJCIF2hEglQK4NAXFfetQHqbCz0B4SYnP1KaPUHFzvAFLD3yK7rCrxtEY96BSJBvE/s1600/GeometricFridaySmller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzqEHDW4DpPV0YfBWp16uEzz95xV0Zt3a9x3hwAXrs5WFpIwy2yS6k9S7x7I8c1qQ1MYwHMRgliiJCIF2hEglQK4NAXFfetQHqbCz0B4SYnP1KaPUHFzvAFLD3yK7rCrxtEY96BSJBvE/s200/GeometricFridaySmller.jpg" height="191" width="200" /></a>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXerWwUg-QNAH6sVLkItE2_XkzZdPOnOxA47WkIpZnu1onSWEQIfD1lZaYC0iOI1ix_IcQ4IpKDR2TuEB_ApiuN9OVRcEpJCdmrnMnXgJxxVxLxCLq5ZnPmXkdBFFzCIz9-45XTs26wSc/s1600/WheelofFortuneSaturation-S.Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXerWwUg-QNAH6sVLkItE2_XkzZdPOnOxA47WkIpZnu1onSWEQIfD1lZaYC0iOI1ix_IcQ4IpKDR2TuEB_ApiuN9OVRcEpJCdmrnMnXgJxxVxLxCLq5ZnPmXkdBFFzCIz9-45XTs26wSc/s1600/WheelofFortuneSaturation-S.Blog.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: lime; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>"Wheel of Fortune"</b></span><br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">I used several photos of the former Penn Station rotunda to create this.</span><br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">And I created several abstracts from my photos of this location.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaNQlKNUVeQ1oEz1c0RMie-ReB324FG8oZLBrDsNQW10ieOtrEQ-9VorK9dKJs5e3mcDW5G6ZYP6FCZ4oufwYRpu923iPNu0S2xBeZtrf73WZnJ5t2tr45bgk76-gs5ZnV8vnrtZf8VQA/s1600/Rotunda8214.B-S.Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaNQlKNUVeQ1oEz1c0RMie-ReB324FG8oZLBrDsNQW10ieOtrEQ-9VorK9dKJs5e3mcDW5G6ZYP6FCZ4oufwYRpu923iPNu0S2xBeZtrf73WZnJ5t2tr45bgk76-gs5ZnV8vnrtZf8VQA/s320/Rotunda8214.B-S.Blog.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: lime; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Original photo:<br />Rotunda of the former Penn Station<br />in Pittsburgh, PA.</span></td></tr>
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The former Penn Station in Pittsburgh is now a privately owned apartment building.<br />
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It is considered to be one of the the great Beaux-Arts symbols of the nation.<br />
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Originally called Union Station, it was renamed in 1912.
Architect: Daniel Burnham (Chicago) ---built between 1898 and 1903 from terra cotta.<br />
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A renovation and expansion of the train station occurred in 1954.<br />
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This rotunda sheltered passengers as they entered or departed carriages. It was later closed to vehicular traffic as the floor of this area is the roof of a parking garage and is not strong enough to support modern vehicles.<br />
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Inside was a 'spectacular' waiting room. I was denied entry to take photos, but I remember being there as a child seeing my grandmother off on a train trip. At the time, it seemed enormous. It is now leased to businesses.<br />
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A small portion of the building still serves as the terminus of Amtrak's Pennsylvanian route.<br />
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The office tower was converted to apartments, renamed The Pennsylvanian and opened in 1988.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/cjp/a3e6a3abc8c9a63044bbbae79b2aa479.png" border="0" /></a>
(©2009, C.J. Peiffer)</div>CJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105598015852813723noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1686107465936181330.post-91264411473668220852014-12-19T00:01:00.000-05:002014-12-19T00:01:00.104-05:00Geometric Friday - 12/19/14: Court Abstracts<a href="http://lorikart.com/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank"><b>Geometric Friday</b></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">hosted by</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><a href="http://lorikart.com/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank"><b>LorikArt</b></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Click on the links above to view posts by other artists/photographers or to participate yourself.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>SINCE THE NEXT 2 WEEKS ARE HOLIDAY WEEKS,</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>I'LL SEE EVERYONE BACK HERE ON 1/9/15.</b></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzqEHDW4DpPV0YfBWp16uEzz95xV0Zt3a9x3hwAXrs5WFpIwy2yS6k9S7x7I8c1qQ1MYwHMRgliiJCIF2hEglQK4NAXFfetQHqbCz0B4SYnP1KaPUHFzvAFLD3yK7rCrxtEY96BSJBvE/s1600/GeometricFridaySmller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzqEHDW4DpPV0YfBWp16uEzz95xV0Zt3a9x3hwAXrs5WFpIwy2yS6k9S7x7I8c1qQ1MYwHMRgliiJCIF2hEglQK4NAXFfetQHqbCz0B4SYnP1KaPUHFzvAFLD3yK7rCrxtEY96BSJBvE/s200/GeometricFridaySmller.jpg" height="191" width="200" /></a>
<span style="color: lime;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></span><br />
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I am like Alex Trebek who said, "I'm curious about everything, even things that don't interest me."
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I have almost ZERO interest in sports, but that doesn't mean I can't see the possibilities of using the designs on an outdoor basketball court to create some art. Since a basketball court is rectangular and has lines dividing it into more rectangles or semicircles, and since this one had several different colors and patterns on it, I thought it would be great for Geometric Friday.</div>
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I started out with about a dozen photos, but chose 6 of them. I arranged them in various ways.</div>
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The first composition is one of the images I started with. There are quite a few versions, but this gives you the idea of where I began by taking parts of several photos and overlapping them. This image shows the actual colors of the court.<br />
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<b><span style="color: lime;">CLICK ON ANY IMAGE FOR LARGER VIEWS OF ALL.</span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3GmPkFw9fKzdtDQhVjlbS6wKxMT0RX_fN7druMQ5OuEgLUq5plSh7lVtTjcrLhuhs16tSLtEvQ-G78iw4z0UvkaOESBYU325i-1JYaxEf20K4Jn-QzogA1FZ-R2VHYuX3DMFqxJSqxs/s1600/CourtAbstract.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3GmPkFw9fKzdtDQhVjlbS6wKxMT0RX_fN7druMQ5OuEgLUq5plSh7lVtTjcrLhuhs16tSLtEvQ-G78iw4z0UvkaOESBYU325i-1JYaxEf20K4Jn-QzogA1FZ-R2VHYuX3DMFqxJSqxs/s320/CourtAbstract.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Below are 7 of the 14 images I created using various combinations of images from the basketball court. Some have the same composition but different colors or textures. Others are somewhat different from the others. But they all started at one outdoor basketball court at a local park.<br />
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I rotated, flipped, scaled, overlapped various parts. I colored them with color overlays, added textures, and made some layers transparent.<br />
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I like different ones for different reasons.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Which is your favorite and why?
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiGNSyCPxiTwEXXXhroqloIFPO68agDyoy2lamb_v0_RkoNIvnTB58r6Fe4VVBC9fY2OQ3Vy9HweOJle5APSJrn_zPJe-Ohjhi0DawQ6yrMQBLU_r4HcjiTTwkiDDZNNS1MQ493HQP1a0/s1600/CourtAbstract.B2-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiGNSyCPxiTwEXXXhroqloIFPO68agDyoy2lamb_v0_RkoNIvnTB58r6Fe4VVBC9fY2OQ3Vy9HweOJle5APSJrn_zPJe-Ohjhi0DawQ6yrMQBLU_r4HcjiTTwkiDDZNNS1MQ493HQP1a0/s320/CourtAbstract.B2-S.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>"Court Abstract" version B2</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmvhbud1OwUWfV75xHzFhSveblhPQ2tV7QJdBbU6KnuC3VpaEN6kFYfbTCHAISeKu673qH2FWw4RPUY79SvUxZZ3ogDenzCpzbjUzouIVEYNXvScEf6siq_P7lG35UHVf1Dl8KmunLUg/s1600/CourtAbstract.D3-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmvhbud1OwUWfV75xHzFhSveblhPQ2tV7QJdBbU6KnuC3VpaEN6kFYfbTCHAISeKu673qH2FWw4RPUY79SvUxZZ3ogDenzCpzbjUzouIVEYNXvScEf6siq_P7lG35UHVf1Dl8KmunLUg/s320/CourtAbstract.D3-S.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #f6b26b;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">"Court Abstract" version D3</span></b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLgLC0yYkjdIIMErhOPsxrwTgRlhLa6pWLItSjLb50oujUaux3a1KzMWfjqDc6V2UDjLf8Zgkei7UsuahPwRxmRqL_qtVJywe_A8o8vfWE55q5Gy6gXmrdqwu2TN67_w7Ml-nmDNakU1k/s1600/CourtAbstract.E-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLgLC0yYkjdIIMErhOPsxrwTgRlhLa6pWLItSjLb50oujUaux3a1KzMWfjqDc6V2UDjLf8Zgkei7UsuahPwRxmRqL_qtVJywe_A8o8vfWE55q5Gy6gXmrdqwu2TN67_w7Ml-nmDNakU1k/s320/CourtAbstract.E-S.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Court Abstract" version E</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigpLJoIYs_Sh2WwBS7AumKc1atNYaqpfzkZOleEWCktH-qXnS8NIZXTve4D7mwwTmGJNWxRXkWF9ibJoODP1AVV2qR7n79LsIVz0lHqVJYichyphenhyphenggud5JHxssEys-aoGrptH4rtdFolbR8/s1600/CourtAbstract.F-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigpLJoIYs_Sh2WwBS7AumKc1atNYaqpfzkZOleEWCktH-qXnS8NIZXTve4D7mwwTmGJNWxRXkWF9ibJoODP1AVV2qR7n79LsIVz0lHqVJYichyphenhyphenggud5JHxssEys-aoGrptH4rtdFolbR8/s320/CourtAbstract.F-S.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Court Abstract" version F</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5uBNAnDolrBgSwB8m-5s-ARmPceeKQrBHfxv3ymBxae8vpiRj04A1BLVKqOzoIOmjHeLae8MM8AIrmbq0wSpIlG3NSQd54ZVEmLwN6G3jHX-SyJCpUuvoiBwjazDljEnU2zOic-0995A/s1600/CourtAbstract.F2-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5uBNAnDolrBgSwB8m-5s-ARmPceeKQrBHfxv3ymBxae8vpiRj04A1BLVKqOzoIOmjHeLae8MM8AIrmbq0wSpIlG3NSQd54ZVEmLwN6G3jHX-SyJCpUuvoiBwjazDljEnU2zOic-0995A/s320/CourtAbstract.F2-S.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Court Abstract" version F2</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwcsQ7zJ15h7z966qrKoWcCChdtZd906IIBm-u-aN5AidtgPgUCJlq55OaErwM8ck2kyJXqEPIZp4MqEcdHv1zqilTASfk2BD6pncOgERC0_-6_mvmXON8C43o5OkMBOFm52ebdOiT7s/s1600/CourtAbstract.H-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwcsQ7zJ15h7z966qrKoWcCChdtZd906IIBm-u-aN5AidtgPgUCJlq55OaErwM8ck2kyJXqEPIZp4MqEcdHv1zqilTASfk2BD6pncOgERC0_-6_mvmXON8C43o5OkMBOFm52ebdOiT7s/s320/CourtAbstract.H-S.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Court Abstract" version H</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihjfx74kAJDuX9dG-CawweQsm8QpH9f2wA4ig1TuqViz4Isd252S-POZmHQMbISRua6DY8_sVa7oiBFrRsQDaZTHK40bsOEORZuhMsIOwyTYi5PocZUSqiYrYITaa1C9IutiOzUbMLQE0/s1600/CourtAbstract.H2-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihjfx74kAJDuX9dG-CawweQsm8QpH9f2wA4ig1TuqViz4Isd252S-POZmHQMbISRua6DY8_sVa7oiBFrRsQDaZTHK40bsOEORZuhMsIOwyTYi5PocZUSqiYrYITaa1C9IutiOzUbMLQE0/s320/CourtAbstract.H2-S.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Court Abstract" version H2</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/cjp/a3e6a3abc8c9a63044bbbae79b2aa479.png" border="0" /></a>
(©2009, C.J. Peiffer)</div>CJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105598015852813723noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1686107465936181330.post-8239180364520005372014-12-17T00:01:00.000-05:002014-12-17T07:11:04.578-05:00Digital Art - 12/17/14: "Winter Tree"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFTW7wPAiy-oDCZcIYbhe1ahtyFQzFE4FlnZwFztsCDYHHf5NtFl4e7JEMXTQR_fNwiwKUz8KalIBIo3YW63-LhzeTdfrLR2V5anIX7kUXeU6IxKuwTlUZakxq_wX0fLheqWDxiowIhs/s1600/NFMemeIcons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFTW7wPAiy-oDCZcIYbhe1ahtyFQzFE4FlnZwFztsCDYHHf5NtFl4e7JEMXTQR_fNwiwKUz8KalIBIo3YW63-LhzeTdfrLR2V5anIX7kUXeU6IxKuwTlUZakxq_wX0fLheqWDxiowIhs/s200/NFMemeIcons.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The </span><a href="http://nfverk.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank"><b>Digital Art</b></a><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> meme hosted by </span><a href="http://nfmemes.blogspot.se/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Natures Footstep memes</b></a><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> now includes what was formerly the Abstract Photo meme.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Click on the links above to view the posts by other artists/photographers or to participate yourself.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>SINCE THE NEXT 2 WEEKS ARE HOLIDAY WEEKS,</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>I'LL SEE EVERYONE BACK HERE ON 1/7/15.</b></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJ468EQAp-f9goy4HG-5RDAUDHqY9o0Hpbu1Qouqlr8wJiDDxoVNg5_73E0RdrfpvHej1MYIlUx5vR51oBCYQ_rU8vZEO02SjId_Gecv73hyA-JCSpw-J9wie5vyvhlFCPNI5t6kVzxA/s1600/WinterTreesAbstract3689-S.Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJ468EQAp-f9goy4HG-5RDAUDHqY9o0Hpbu1Qouqlr8wJiDDxoVNg5_73E0RdrfpvHej1MYIlUx5vR51oBCYQ_rU8vZEO02SjId_Gecv73hyA-JCSpw-J9wie5vyvhlFCPNI5t6kVzxA/s1600/WinterTreesAbstract3689-S.Blog.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>"Winter Tree"</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDyZWfweofsrwjkokIZVOMh72fc19E6-AWXd-t5nHWIRnmlOqpcPJ6j6D9uelC4laDx7AFg6Svvg95kjeY4fCV8C5_xui8XY4D3ppsmM0ctg7zJnOs9UScXH_aPpIbJnLPf-AughHpp0/s1600/DSCF3689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDyZWfweofsrwjkokIZVOMh72fc19E6-AWXd-t5nHWIRnmlOqpcPJ6j6D9uelC4laDx7AFg6Svvg95kjeY4fCV8C5_xui8XY4D3ppsmM0ctg7zJnOs9UScXH_aPpIbJnLPf-AughHpp0/s320/DSCF3689.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original photo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<b>See my photostream on Flickr</b>: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cj_proartz">http://www.flickr.com/photos/cj_proartz</a><br />
Below my name, click on albums to find a particular type of photo (Black and White, Fences, Abstracts, Landscapes, Still Life, Autumn Scenes, Bridges, Animals, Art Created from My Photos, etc.)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/cjp/a3e6a3abc8c9a63044bbbae79b2aa479.png" border="0" /></a>
(©2009, C.J. Peiffer)</div>CJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105598015852813723noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1686107465936181330.post-252849251062962322014-12-10T00:28:00.000-05:002014-12-10T07:46:17.200-05:00Digital Art & Geometric Friday - 12/10 & 12/12/14: "Iron Oxide"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFTW7wPAiy-oDCZcIYbhe1ahtyFQzFE4FlnZwFztsCDYHHf5NtFl4e7JEMXTQR_fNwiwKUz8KalIBIo3YW63-LhzeTdfrLR2V5anIX7kUXeU6IxKuwTlUZakxq_wX0fLheqWDxiowIhs/s1600/NFMemeIcons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFTW7wPAiy-oDCZcIYbhe1ahtyFQzFE4FlnZwFztsCDYHHf5NtFl4e7JEMXTQR_fNwiwKUz8KalIBIo3YW63-LhzeTdfrLR2V5anIX7kUXeU6IxKuwTlUZakxq_wX0fLheqWDxiowIhs/s200/NFMemeIcons.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The </span><a href="http://nfverk.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank"><b>Digital Art</b></a><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> meme hosted by </span><a href="http://nfmemes.blogspot.se/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Natures Footstep memes</b></a><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> now includes what was formerly the Abstract Photo meme.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://lorikart.com/" target="_blank"><b>Geometric Friday</b></a> <span style="color: #cccccc;">hosted by</span> <a href="http://lorikart.com/" target="_blank"><b>LorikArt</b></a> </span><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Click on the links above to view posts by other artists/photographers or to participate yourself.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzqEHDW4DpPV0YfBWp16uEzz95xV0Zt3a9x3hwAXrs5WFpIwy2yS6k9S7x7I8c1qQ1MYwHMRgliiJCIF2hEglQK4NAXFfetQHqbCz0B4SYnP1KaPUHFzvAFLD3yK7rCrxtEY96BSJBvE/s1600/GeometricFridaySmller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzqEHDW4DpPV0YfBWp16uEzz95xV0Zt3a9x3hwAXrs5WFpIwy2yS6k9S7x7I8c1qQ1MYwHMRgliiJCIF2hEglQK4NAXFfetQHqbCz0B4SYnP1KaPUHFzvAFLD3yK7rCrxtEY96BSJBvE/s200/GeometricFridaySmller.jpg" height="191" width="200" /></a><br />
<br />
* * * * * * * * * *<br />
In August, I was called for jury duty. Once they picked all the jurors they needed, everyone else was dismissed around noon. I have been called 6 times for jury duty and served 4 times, so I was not disappointed to be released.<br />
<br />
I was not allowed to take my camera into the jury selection rooms, so I had locked my camera in the car, just in case I'd have time to take photos during a lunch break or after being dismissed for the day.<br />
<br />
Butler (PA) was once home to several large industries. It was a wealthy town and has many beautiful buildings left from that era, including an impressive courthouse (in a photo at the bottom of this post.) But the town has lost most of its large businesses, so there are also some run-down scenes in the city. I like taking photos of both.<br />
<br />
Once I retrieved my camera from my car, the first photos I took were in the parking garage.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7fIebMDfvWu6f_LlIjJbybBGw7Pul6U3weAnP-2MOirfCAEr2H6bNzs0shjpKSZRqWHXIZjE8RzqlZzBFfK2559QGRmmyIGOGZTxlbZl48wH1EOtAujOGL5-I-5jKMgghiEk5SFKjeI/s1600/ParkingGarage7878-S.Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7fIebMDfvWu6f_LlIjJbybBGw7Pul6U3weAnP-2MOirfCAEr2H6bNzs0shjpKSZRqWHXIZjE8RzqlZzBFfK2559QGRmmyIGOGZTxlbZl48wH1EOtAujOGL5-I-5jKMgghiEk5SFKjeI/s320/ParkingGarage7878-S.Blog.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original photo:<br />
taken in a parking garage in Butler, PA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>For my abstract image, I used parts of this image and several others. I overlapped them and added a photo overlay with an image I had of rust, to add color and texture. I repeated the hexagon shapes to balance the composition and </b></span><b style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">purposely left the parking meters (on the left) somewhat recognizable.</b><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>During one of my steps some blues and purples appeared, so I added more of those for variety and to balance the colors, and finally intensified all the colors.</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The title "Iron Oxide" is the scientific term for rust.
</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIxOXv6ICzvCJKNO2hvz_h3iV_o8w2UQbMiBFaygCRg3Hm_q3RrAUJb53777m-QBicuTMH5Cq5aBvW-qio7cj-jcPU187xsWnE_3vLR0GXfYZECEfIK_el5nh3kB3vcv9GMkH5g45QAmU/s1600/IronOxide-S.Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIxOXv6ICzvCJKNO2hvz_h3iV_o8w2UQbMiBFaygCRg3Hm_q3RrAUJb53777m-QBicuTMH5Cq5aBvW-qio7cj-jcPU187xsWnE_3vLR0GXfYZECEfIK_el5nh3kB3vcv9GMkH5g45QAmU/s1600/IronOxide-S.Blog.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>"Iron Oxide"</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">I used the photo above and several other photos I took in the Butler, PA parking garage.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVx-xx97AkEtCkK-MqPFKJQxGoPAhFXg0vNRZVvayUeSOOr8UB6XupevcSCapT6esyHTlML1XeMTTc27fz2maxz0Drw8KaSR7uW8WbSEzjRHrfZ-2HBEP_OlLg-AZ6T-k8Oi9HMfb-bkM/s1600/Courthouse7971-S.Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVx-xx97AkEtCkK-MqPFKJQxGoPAhFXg0vNRZVvayUeSOOr8UB6XupevcSCapT6esyHTlML1XeMTTc27fz2maxz0Drw8KaSR7uW8WbSEzjRHrfZ-2HBEP_OlLg-AZ6T-k8Oi9HMfb-bkM/s320/Courthouse7971-S.Blog.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butler County (PA) Courthouse,<br />
built in 1885,<br />
is on the National register of<br />
Historic Places.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>See my photostream on Flickr</b>: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cj_proartz">http://www.flickr.com/photos/cj_proartz</a><br />
Below my name, click on albums to find a particular type of photo (Black and White, Fences, Abstracts, Landscapes, Still Life, Autumn Scenes, Bridges, Animals, Art Created from My Photos, etc.)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/cjp/a3e6a3abc8c9a63044bbbae79b2aa479.png" border="0" /></a>
(©2009, C.J. Peiffer)</div>CJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105598015852813723noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1686107465936181330.post-38859126673307781522014-12-03T00:01:00.000-05:002014-12-04T03:22:01.501-05:00Digital Art - 12/3/14: Blending Into the Furniture<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFTW7wPAiy-oDCZcIYbhe1ahtyFQzFE4FlnZwFztsCDYHHf5NtFl4e7JEMXTQR_fNwiwKUz8KalIBIo3YW63-LhzeTdfrLR2V5anIX7kUXeU6IxKuwTlUZakxq_wX0fLheqWDxiowIhs/s1600/NFMemeIcons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFTW7wPAiy-oDCZcIYbhe1ahtyFQzFE4FlnZwFztsCDYHHf5NtFl4e7JEMXTQR_fNwiwKUz8KalIBIo3YW63-LhzeTdfrLR2V5anIX7kUXeU6IxKuwTlUZakxq_wX0fLheqWDxiowIhs/s200/NFMemeIcons.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The</b> <b><a href="http://nfverk.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Digital Art</a></b> meme hosted by </span><a href="http://nfmemes.blogspot.se/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Natures Footstep memes</b></a><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">now includes what was formerly the Abstract Photo meme.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Click on the links above to view the posts by other artists/photographers or to participate yourself.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">__________________________________________</span><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I usually create and set up my images for this meme weeks in advance, so I rarely use the suggested-but-optional, theme for the week. </span><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But</span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <span style="color: lime;"><u>this week's theme was to include a woman</u></span></b><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> and I had just created several images that included women for several weekly challenges on the "Digitalmania" group on Flickr.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That group suggests doing something in the style of a particular artist or using a particular type of image each week, so each of these is very different.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So far, I have posted only three to that group and all three included images of women.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">CLICK ON ANY IMAGE FOR LARGER VIEWS OF ALL.</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMdoKBBv_CMJhxsRUAcvGTJB1imge0gvvxVimejhyphenhyphenSo0KEHZQQKbrMWNrG2zJ-RbSxWGQs3bgWvZ_Txf_H7z24-OrwMlAv0FGYAzP0PUED64dATWB5d3Fyft0upCOcI6Ws6LK8jk4-ffE/s1600/TechnicolorMindBender.2-S.Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMdoKBBv_CMJhxsRUAcvGTJB1imge0gvvxVimejhyphenhyphenSo0KEHZQQKbrMWNrG2zJ-RbSxWGQs3bgWvZ_Txf_H7z24-OrwMlAv0FGYAzP0PUED64dATWB5d3Fyft0upCOcI6Ws6LK8jk4-ffE/s400/TechnicolorMindBender.2-S.Blog.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>"Technicolor Mindbender"</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: black;">
#1. <span style="line-height: 18px;">This challenge was to create something inspired by artist Alberto Seveso who uses digital art to alter faces and bodies by adding flowers and other bits and pieces to produce ethereal images. Seveso's work can be </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">found here: </span><a href="http://burdu976.com/">burdu976.com/</a>
</span><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I had a few face photos, but I had never had anyone sign waivers for me to use them. So I took the eyes from one face, the nose from another, hair from two others, and took a few parts from online images and blended them into one face that looks nothing like any of the ones I used to create it.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I decided to add snowflakes I had made at <a href="http://snowdays.me/">snowdays.me</a> ---where anyone can digitally cut your own snowflakes. TRY IT! IT'S FUN! You can create your flakes and then email them to yourself or download them.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I had about 70 to choose from. Most were white, but I had colored a few in Photoshop. I used one for the entire image, another for the forehead and neck and another for the cheeks. I didn't intend them to look like snowflakes, but rather like radial designs or perhaps mandalas.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When I added the snowflake over the entire face, it looked like rays radiating from her forehead. That, along with the staring eyes, gave me the idea for the title.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvn2zg72SqxT9Ca2x_v1sg3nQK1sxvTAKUT5zxYnC8pBYsisCOVg38eSehpVpF8HHuU9HLkTCh4869o4L65sOGSACHyxWxWc_plqd-RPLRh1RzlDmvZ0ST1aHKEEGQBMVk5ckJevv253Q/s1600/Snowflake12026094.BlueViolet.B-S.Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvn2zg72SqxT9Ca2x_v1sg3nQK1sxvTAKUT5zxYnC8pBYsisCOVg38eSehpVpF8HHuU9HLkTCh4869o4L65sOGSACHyxWxWc_plqd-RPLRh1RzlDmvZ0ST1aHKEEGQBMVk5ckJevv253Q/s320/Snowflake12026094.BlueViolet.B-S.Blog.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">Snowflake used over entire image above.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d9d2e9;">Digitally cut at Snowdays website---see link above.</span><br />
<span style="color: #d9d2e9;">I like to make my snowflakes very detailed</span><br />
<span style="color: #d9d2e9;">and complicated </span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">#2. The next challenge was to use the face of silent film actress <span style="background-color: black; line-height: 18px;">Maude Fealy in an image. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0470588);"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I used a photo of Maude Fealy that I assume is in the public domain. I used the perspective and scale tools to make it look like a film screen and added thin lines & spots to make it resemble old film grain. The filmstrips were created in Photoshop. I found a photo of an old projector online and used it as a model to "draw" my own in Photoshop and then added a triangle of light with feathered edges to look like the light of a projector.</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpCo-cLxOitZnqD3RY7sgvn-0qVTDZNXqdCQV-qx8FdJ3AlKx0V3ysBSyoV3oOpkdj-iW1s2EsM0jj3AwxfWQ2U7LaJe85iMP8_sUW6sXnOtZhiAQULL-g4zk57s1XDMTCfzPojMp1XYE/s1600/MaudeFealyDigitalManiaChllnge1114-S.Smaller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpCo-cLxOitZnqD3RY7sgvn-0qVTDZNXqdCQV-qx8FdJ3AlKx0V3ysBSyoV3oOpkdj-iW1s2EsM0jj3AwxfWQ2U7LaJe85iMP8_sUW6sXnOtZhiAQULL-g4zk57s1XDMTCfzPojMp1XYE/s400/MaudeFealyDigitalManiaChllnge1114-S.Smaller.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>"Silent Film"</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">#3. The next challenge was to design something inspired by artist Duy Huynh, a surrealist painter whose work is very playful. Samples of his art can be found here: <a href="http://duyhuynh.com/" target="_blank">duyhuynh.com/ </a></span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnJIZmwvU5H9j5LrXPqnWqRnvDZ2eAi1NGLNeVHYPffFM4KBMWCvEfk9bZSut9eakXLzG1bnIb_HdUEaGbwdPrWM9xHvqs1evL4Rk-SpRYRmaaMl8HlA4dZGlgE2rRYclaHOdF-SnSmmw/s1600/BlendIntotheFurniture6X4.6-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnJIZmwvU5H9j5LrXPqnWqRnvDZ2eAi1NGLNeVHYPffFM4KBMWCvEfk9bZSut9eakXLzG1bnIb_HdUEaGbwdPrWM9xHvqs1evL4Rk-SpRYRmaaMl8HlA4dZGlgE2rRYclaHOdF-SnSmmw/s400/BlendIntotheFurniture6X4.6-S.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>"Dora Just Wanted to Blend<br />Into the Furniture"</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What I honed in on was not the artist's whimsical style, but the visual puns he created, reflected by the wordplay of some of his titles. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For example, a painting called "Between the Stars and Stripes" pictures an acrobat on the back of a zebra against a night sky. Another called "Poetreehouse" shows a treehouse made of (poetry?) books. "Uplifting Melody" depicts a woman holding an old-fashioned record player being lifted from the ground by balloons. Imagine what he created for "Stowaway on a Train of Thought."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I looked at idiomatic phrases online, selected a few, thought about them for a few days and decided to use the idea of literally "blending into the furniture."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This one is definitely best viewed in a larger size to see the details. For example, I used the woodwork on the couch to create her hair. I added a claw foot to the couch and used it to create her hands and feet. Obviously the dress and shoes were made by cloning the upholstery fabric and her dress in the frame was cloned from the wall paper.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This one took me much longer to create than the other two combined, but it was definitely the most fun.</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/cjp/a3e6a3abc8c9a63044bbbae79b2aa479.png" border="0" /></a>
(©2009, C.J. Peiffer)</div>CJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105598015852813723noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1686107465936181330.post-30549835705466331582014-11-28T00:01:00.000-05:002014-12-03T13:51:21.982-05:00Weekend in Black & White - 11/28/14: "The Door"<div style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px;">
<b><a href="http://blackandwhiteweekend.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Weekend in Black and White</a> </b> </div>
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asks us to post a black and white photo. No spot colors. No sepia. Black and white, only.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVtDciMwIwAqR7OgMtugt_fAVKGrFib3F2uakU0XTjLfNyOCag5EOVjphMUai75nCKHTnS5FNUaOJXZuoTjAozVkh1uSjqiEVkR2L7WdnZJ69at6vgVj2e_kRlTYFx8b2_UJJnH-oAkY/s1600/TheDoor4142EBW-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVtDciMwIwAqR7OgMtugt_fAVKGrFib3F2uakU0XTjLfNyOCag5EOVjphMUai75nCKHTnS5FNUaOJXZuoTjAozVkh1uSjqiEVkR2L7WdnZJ69at6vgVj2e_kRlTYFx8b2_UJJnH-oAkY/s640/TheDoor4142EBW-S.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>"The Door"</b><br />One of the doors at the main entrance<br />of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh,<br />Oakland branch.<br />The building was completed in 1898.</span></span></td></tr>
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<b>If anyone is interested, Topaz software is on sale. </b>Usually $429 for the entire package of 14 plugins, plus Impression, now $249 until Dec 1st, discount code blackfriday2014. They are not stand-alone programs, but must be used with other programs like Photoshop, Lightroom, or other software (listed on the <a href="http://www.topazlabs.com/store" target="_blank">web site</a>.) I was thinking of purchasing 3 programs, which would have cost $210, so I figured it was worth it to get 15 for $40 more. I've played around a little with the plugins that make a photo look like art, but haven't had time to explore them all.<br />
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<b>See my photostream on Flickr</b>: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cj_proartz">http://www.flickr.com/photos/cj_proartz</a><br />
Below my name, click on albums to find a particular type of photo (Black and White, Fences, Abstracts, Landscape, Still Life, Autumn Scenes, Bridges, Animals, Art Created from My Photos, etc.)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/cjp/a3e6a3abc8c9a63044bbbae79b2aa479.png" border="0" /></a>
(©2009, C.J. Peiffer)</div>CJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105598015852813723noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1686107465936181330.post-40082184567934292882014-11-26T00:01:00.000-05:002014-12-02T09:50:57.934-05:00Digital Art & Geometric Friday - 11/26 & 11/28/14: "Grime on Grime"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFTW7wPAiy-oDCZcIYbhe1ahtyFQzFE4FlnZwFztsCDYHHf5NtFl4e7JEMXTQR_fNwiwKUz8KalIBIo3YW63-LhzeTdfrLR2V5anIX7kUXeU6IxKuwTlUZakxq_wX0fLheqWDxiowIhs/s1600/NFMemeIcons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFTW7wPAiy-oDCZcIYbhe1ahtyFQzFE4FlnZwFztsCDYHHf5NtFl4e7JEMXTQR_fNwiwKUz8KalIBIo3YW63-LhzeTdfrLR2V5anIX7kUXeU6IxKuwTlUZakxq_wX0fLheqWDxiowIhs/s200/NFMemeIcons.jpg" /></a><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://nfmemes.blogspot.se/"><b>Natures Footstep memes</b></a> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The </span><b><a href="http://nfverk.blogspot.se/" target="_blank">Digital Art</a> </b><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">meme now includes what was formerly the Abstract Photo meme.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://lorikart.com/" target="_blank"><b>Geometric Friday</b></a> <span style="color: #cccccc;">hosted by</span> <a href="http://lorikart.com/" target="_blank"><b>LorikArt</b></a> </span><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Click on the links above to view posts by other artists/photographers or to participate yourself.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzqEHDW4DpPV0YfBWp16uEzz95xV0Zt3a9x3hwAXrs5WFpIwy2yS6k9S7x7I8c1qQ1MYwHMRgliiJCIF2hEglQK4NAXFfetQHqbCz0B4SYnP1KaPUHFzvAFLD3yK7rCrxtEY96BSJBvE/s1600/GeometricFridaySmller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzqEHDW4DpPV0YfBWp16uEzz95xV0Zt3a9x3hwAXrs5WFpIwy2yS6k9S7x7I8c1qQ1MYwHMRgliiJCIF2hEglQK4NAXFfetQHqbCz0B4SYnP1KaPUHFzvAFLD3yK7rCrxtEY96BSJBvE/s200/GeometricFridaySmller.jpg" height="191" width="200" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigEugpbm3WQzaJohBzNHRLJWKC1QbI_XQKKIQtTrmHQ_-mMPnFz9AnvaJwGMjvTliG69m7NL_hDq3yEgQoS-piKzB6t04q5VccQm71cb4gwdbaRcVxyValcdcMT8JcBYZ09pGjBicVDZA/s1600/PhotoHeartConnectionIcon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigEugpbm3WQzaJohBzNHRLJWKC1QbI_XQKKIQtTrmHQ_-mMPnFz9AnvaJwGMjvTliG69m7NL_hDq3yEgQoS-piKzB6t04q5VccQm71cb4gwdbaRcVxyValcdcMT8JcBYZ09pGjBicVDZA/s320/PhotoHeartConnectionIcon.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: cyan;">Update on 12/2/14 - <a href="http://kateyestudio.com/category/photo-heart-connection" target="_blank">PHOTO HEART CONNECTION</a>:</span></b> At the end of each month we are to choose one image that has a connection for each of us. I am choosing this image for the month of November.<br />
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As I become older (I will turn 70 next year) I love taking photos of old, even decaying, things and trying to make them into something beautiful. Perhaps I feel some connection with these rotting buildings or automobiles. They are growing old and deteriorating, just like I am. Some of them will be able to be saved, but many will crumble into complete ruin. I have no children to carry on my legacy, but perhaps, someday, someone may run across one of my photos and feel some connection to me, even when I am long gone.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigEugpbm3WQzaJohBzNHRLJWKC1QbI_XQKKIQtTrmHQ_-mMPnFz9AnvaJwGMjvTliG69m7NL_hDq3yEgQoS-piKzB6t04q5VccQm71cb4gwdbaRcVxyValcdcMT8JcBYZ09pGjBicVDZA/s1600/PhotoHeartConnectionIcon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">SEE <u>MY RANT ON FANTASY/AVATAR/SECOND LIFE ART</u> </span></b></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigEugpbm3WQzaJohBzNHRLJWKC1QbI_XQKKIQtTrmHQ_-mMPnFz9AnvaJwGMjvTliG69m7NL_hDq3yEgQoS-piKzB6t04q5VccQm71cb4gwdbaRcVxyValcdcMT8JcBYZ09pGjBicVDZA/s1600/PhotoHeartConnectionIcon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">BELOW MY IMAGES.</span></b></a><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir-ljsEBaueAXUTln-MFwPfior7zht-IvBdEna5uQztlQID1kUnL5waskB78YtTx7Ds1d5mIcYnmsRktfCQEMDqBNAeB_l7ls1rkJ4fMH7KYsYzT-LT0AhzGNcfzz-O_bg8AgflpoG_u4/s1600/GrimeOnGrime7565.9X9-S.Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir-ljsEBaueAXUTln-MFwPfior7zht-IvBdEna5uQztlQID1kUnL5waskB78YtTx7Ds1d5mIcYnmsRktfCQEMDqBNAeB_l7ls1rkJ4fMH7KYsYzT-LT0AhzGNcfzz-O_bg8AgflpoG_u4/s1600/GrimeOnGrime7565.9X9-S.Blog.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: lime; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>"Grime on Grime"</b><br />Because I liked the colors so much in the original photo, I overlapped shapes and colors,<br />saturated the colors and added some texture. You can still see hints of the concrete block</span><br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">foundation </span><span style="color: lime; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">and the corrugated metal siding, and even a stencil that says,</span><br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">"SAFETY GUARD STEEL CO" near the upper left.</span><br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">I'm not sure if that was the name of the company that occupied the building or if it</span><br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">was the manufacturer of </span><span style="color: lime; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">the huge door.</span><br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Besides being one of my favorite creations of 2014, at least so far, it has received more </span><br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">views and favorites than any of my more than 800 photos on Flickr.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit43bEcDXYs3HCCH-sFNNpXxVsjwu9Gc5KKpAUw_s1eQh93TBFzX3WWEvWLzSBYiMrcct9RaBUk95sD47l7jD8M71V55lzXpWrwab6RQ9Mj16lB0dklg-7n3TYpeiOi6IAJ8tMIwrwSJ0/s1600/Grime7565-S.Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit43bEcDXYs3HCCH-sFNNpXxVsjwu9Gc5KKpAUw_s1eQh93TBFzX3WWEvWLzSBYiMrcct9RaBUk95sD47l7jD8M71V55lzXpWrwab6RQ9Mj16lB0dklg-7n3TYpeiOi6IAJ8tMIwrwSJ0/s320/Grime7565-S.Blog.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: lime; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Original photo:<br />"Grime Scene"<br />This photo was taken in Millvale, PA,<br />a section of Pittsburgh.<br />I love taking photos of old, run-down,<br />rusted things. I thought this was<br />interesting because there is grime and<br />rust which contrasts with the pastel pink,<br />green and blue on the door and corrugated<br />metal sides. The place appeared to be abandoned.</span><br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">To give an idea of proportion, a </span><span style="color: lime; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">large</span><br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">dump truck would fit through the door,</span><br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">with room to spare.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>See hundreds of my photos and art images on <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/cj_proartz/">my Flickr pages</a>.</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>MY RANT ON FANTASY/AVATAR/SECOND LIFE/VIRTUAL WORLD ART</u></span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9;">(Please note that my rant has nothing to do with the Digital Art, Geometric Friday, or Photo heart Connection memes.)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I joined Flickr about 6 months ago.
One of my favorite things to do is scroll through other artists/photographers' photostreams to see what they are creating and to be inspired by the work of other artists.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have found thousand of stunningly beautiful and/or creative photographs and art work from around the world.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>But, one trend I dislike is fantasy/avatar art.</b> </span><br />
<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Almost every female figure is scantily clad (if at all), has huge eyes, flawless complexion and hair, and lips so puffy they look like pillows. The figures look rather plastic, as if they began as Barbie or Ken dolls and have been distorted into something worse.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">However, the “puffiest” part of the female anatomy is their boobs, which are either about to pop out of their clothing or have already escaped. These avatar women don’t have large breasts, not size Ds or DDs. Most are enormous, perhaps Ms or ZZs. If these women were real, they would have to wear back braces and I guess they’d have to put on some clothes to hide the braces. Even with braces, they would constantly be breaking their noses when falling forward. Some fantasy figures have wings, but surely they could never achieve lift off. And if their breasts don’t knock them over, their torturous 7-inch stilettos might.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In addition to huge breasts, some of them have enormous hips or butts. I can’t imagine them being able to walk without an uncomfortable waddle in addition to pitching forward, and they certainly wouldn’t be able to squeeze through a turnstile or negotiate a narrow hallway without knocking something over. Perhaps, double-wide hips are supposed to counteract top-heaviness. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What surprises me, is that much of this stuff is created by women.</b>
Haven’t they heard of the feminist movement? Many of the women of my generation had to work hard to be taken seriously, to not be thought of as mere sex objects, to have men look at our eyes instead of our chests, and to be accepted as equals in the workplace. In forty years, we still haven't achieved equal pay.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I don’t understand the point of creating such exaggerated features. Are they trying to turn on men? (I showed some to my husband and he said they were a turn-off, not a turn-on.) Do the artists want to be the women they create? Are their own lives so dismal that they have to create a fantasy world?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And then there are the male characters these artists create, which are equally objectionable. Most of their faces look like women with stubble. They are soft and way too perfect, almost pretty. They are supposed to be strong, virile men, but most look rather feminine. Those with bare chests (about 99.99% are bare-chested) often look like they have boobs rather than muscles. But, there are some who look downright evil. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Except for exaggerated body parts, many of these figures are done with very bad proportions. For example legs that are way too short for the torso and too far apart, arms that have elbows at chest level rather than waist level. The crotches on paints are way too low. Now, I know everyone is built differently, but some just look downright distorted.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On many, men's heads are way too small for their pumped-up-on-digital-steroid bodies. I wonder if that is a conscious or unconscious way of showing what the artists think of men. It reminds me of how women used to be portrayed as air heads.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I don’t say all such art is like what I have described. Some are tasteful without exaggerated features.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I know they are supposed to be “fantasy” so we have to suspend belief when looking at them, but I still dislike them. I even find them somewhat creepy. </span><span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I do, admit, though, that some make me laugh at how ridiculous they are, so maybe there is a redeeming social value in that.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Maybe avatar art bothers me because I don’t understand the appeal. </span><span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I don’t like rap music, but I can understand why it would appeal to certain people. When I see a film, I prefer not to be scared out of my wits, but I understand there is a certain thrill in horror films that appeals to some. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I’m not turned off by the nudity. I’m fine with artistic nudes in art, photography, and film. I'm not turned off by the sexual content. I'm turned off by the exaggeration that seems to imply any women without enormous breasts and puffy lips or a man without good looks and huge muscles cannot be sexually or romantically appealing.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm sure many of the artists spend a lot of time creating their art, and some are very skilled, but the appeal of the exaggerated fantasy/avatar figures is beyond me. And don't get me started on avatar zombies or vampires.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What do you think?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">------------------------------------------------</span><br />
<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Here are some links to see for yourself. (I'm not sure if you can view these if you are not a Flickr member.} I was going to link to some particularly exaggerated images, but I didn't want to pick on specific artists, so these links are to groups that post this type of image. All are not objectionable to me, but there are enough that are, that I've come to dislike the entire genre.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As I said, some are quite skillfully done and are probably excellent examples of the genre, but the genre, well, you can decide for yourself.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/2649131@N20/">https://www.flickr.com/groups/2649131@N20/</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/avatarart/">https://www.flickr.com/groups/avatarart/</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/secondlifebirthday/">https://www.flickr.com/groups/secondlifebirthday/</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/sl_400/">https://www.flickr.com/groups/sl_400/</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/secondlifeexpressions/">https://www.flickr.com/groups/secondlifeexpressions/</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/sl_pretty_boys">https://www.flickr.com/groups/sl_pretty_boys</a>/<br />
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<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There are many more. This is just a sampling. And there are many that are only open to members, so you can imagine the nudity and sexual content that must be on those.</span><br />
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<br />
<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm not sure how people create these, but in comments many refer to programs that they use, that seem to provide various elements such as face shapes, facial features, other body parts, clothing jewelry, tattoos, etc. Once they have the basic figures, I assume each can be customized.</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/cjp/a3e6a3abc8c9a63044bbbae79b2aa479.png" border="0" /></a>
(©2009, C.J. Peiffer)</div>CJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105598015852813723noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1686107465936181330.post-54559728152890686462014-11-20T00:01:00.001-05:002014-11-12T10:43:28.577-05:00Good Fences - 11/20/14: "Pittsburgh's Unique Neighborhood"<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="color: #545454; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://run-a-roundranch.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Good Fences Thursday</a></b><span style="color: #545454;"> </span><span style="color: white;">asks us to post a photo of a fence or gate each week.</span></span></div>
<a href="http://run-a-roundranch.blogspot.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img src=" http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7211/13317117563_c095d0b958_q.jpg" /></a><br />
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I posted this on 11/6/14, but didn't add my url to the Good Fences site because I knew I would not have time to look at other posts and leave comments that week. (A few people stopped by anyway.)<br />
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So I am reposting it when I have more time.<br />
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And, even though this post contains lots of other information, there are several photos of gates in the mix.<br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: magenta;"><b>Pittsburgh's Unique Neighborhood:</b></span><br />
On the North Side of Pittsburgh, there is a neighborhood known as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_War_Streets" target="_blank">Mexican War Streets</a>. The area dates from 1848 (around the time of the Mexican-American War) and consisted, then, mostly of Victorian era row houses owned by wealthy families. Many streets were named after battles or generals of the war: Buena Vista, Monterey, Palo Alto, Resaca, Sherman, Taylor.<br />
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However, by the 1970s, many owners had moved to the suburbs, leaving vacant or abandoned homes that were in various stages of disrepair and off the roles of property taxes.<br />
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The city of Pittsburgh offered the homes for sale for $100. The catch was, that one had to renovate the homes to current safety standards. Owners needed to acquire mortgages to provide the money to do that and because most were uninhabitable, they would have to live elsewhere while renovations were taking place. <br />
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But, a lot of people took on the challenge and the area was revived. In many cases, new owners gutted the insides and replaced them with innovative interiors. Many people got creative with the outsides of their houses, too. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6A1yv11aokYQInYPYgu8Ba-tQM9ZJqy0v4EdBLpDaFtBzyhxLMprxcY-tnEMmslxh6AJkRw74E8Bo1eQ1LyzbUUk1uYIspc3fmPFFeI49x9-CUmotLNCFKjpy0KD-lhS3ALgOe4a5Ag/s1600/PoetryHouseDoorGate8427-S.Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6A1yv11aokYQInYPYgu8Ba-tQM9ZJqy0v4EdBLpDaFtBzyhxLMprxcY-tnEMmslxh6AJkRw74E8Bo1eQ1LyzbUUk1uYIspc3fmPFFeI49x9-CUmotLNCFKjpy0KD-lhS3ALgOe4a5Ag/s1600/PoetryHouseDoorGate8427-S.Blog.jpg" height="640" width="479" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>A unique gate at one of the Poetry Houses<br />currently owned by "The Mattress Factory" art center.<br />See descriptions of this house and some of the other</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>neighborhood homes and pictures below.</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: magenta;">CLICK ON ANY IMAGE FOR LARGER VIEWS</span></div>
A man named Randy Gilson has created what everyone calls "Randyland." Randy has used yard-sale and flea market items, plants, donated paint & building materials to create his unique home. There are Coke signs and metal butterflies, old street signs, a neighborhood map, & gargoyles on the house and large plastic or metal insects on a utility pole.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNyl_Z18yttHB2OX6Mk4LcIo8IfG-big9m0IG-ego9FYaqSzscrpmBwgC65Sg-KjIJ74wLMCmZaqg5ezdbyIuDDkIX8CxtAGW-l3PRUADN8AbVAQYq6MY4NYLqLzyV1zg8VF_WDXo8Z8c/s1600/Randyland8440-S.Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNyl_Z18yttHB2OX6Mk4LcIo8IfG-big9m0IG-ego9FYaqSzscrpmBwgC65Sg-KjIJ74wLMCmZaqg5ezdbyIuDDkIX8CxtAGW-l3PRUADN8AbVAQYq6MY4NYLqLzyV1zg8VF_WDXo8Z8c/s400/Randyland8440-S.Blog.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>Randyland</b></span></td></tr>
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To see more of Randyland go to Google Maps & click <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@40.458172,-80.009624,3a,75y,182.2h,89.59t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s-2I3aNqSuhhRA4Z5LaN_1g!2e0" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a>. It is the yellow house on the right.<span style="color: magenta;"> (See info at bottom of how to navigate Google maps.)</span><br />
<span style="color: cyan;">Move forward, then turn the photo so you can see the yard to the right of the house, turn back & go forward to see the front of the house, then at the corner turn right so you can see the side and back of the house, and the house behind it, too. It's like an outdoor fun house.</span><br />
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<span style="color: cyan;">Or take a virtual tour <b><a href="http://randy.land/tour" target="_blank">HERE</a></b> (it works like Google Maps.) On this one, you can go into the back and side yards to see the amazing assortment of "stuff" Randy has used to decorate his premises.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHyH04YcJcrkkvss6fKuDopTySupNSi6XfVKNUekPBM3rGRB2WwuLEPy1jiP0vPnUxHF32FDfOHsNMw3aK-PLsnJpK7drTVwAvjlUO_Dx3aLujpqwzKtj5l36Kv0VKGpWxNHOJyAjdzg/s1600/RandylandRtSide8438-S-Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHyH04YcJcrkkvss6fKuDopTySupNSi6XfVKNUekPBM3rGRB2WwuLEPy1jiP0vPnUxHF32FDfOHsNMw3aK-PLsnJpK7drTVwAvjlUO_Dx3aLujpqwzKtj5l36Kv0VKGpWxNHOJyAjdzg/s320/RandylandRtSide8438-S-Blog.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;">Randyland's gate into the</b><br />
<b style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;">back patio area</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGYa3IYCEJgHwg5LpvKi22OwnmEccmgdzCkm-U2NgYq-OczhOB90Ae2xxxRW63TCXSFTqEtohbhTjQEasNkm4MDUTI40bLSpoFqJGeWa4Ez9SmryJypUgi-f5jD0oIW87A75jbcsrGcQ/s1600/SaxHouse8419-S.Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGYa3IYCEJgHwg5LpvKi22OwnmEccmgdzCkm-U2NgYq-OczhOB90Ae2xxxRW63TCXSFTqEtohbhTjQEasNkm4MDUTI40bLSpoFqJGeWa4Ez9SmryJypUgi-f5jD0oIW87A75jbcsrGcQ/s320/SaxHouse8419-S.Blog.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>Jazz House</b></span></td></tr>
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Several blocks away on one narrow street, there are several houses close to each other that people call Poetry Houses.<br />
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One has brightly colored images of a saxophone, rainbows, and splashes of color on the front. I call it the Jazz House.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6UBlWRZng1QKxfdMW8VpHepg4iMWsYLY3cZUGxplyILkv5yEHtblx5x9UyUVum3AuO6ADmhvzxqn5oPG1JyEYoP4utD7vvc2sY5J0zuw4ca8Th5oYCm9mAXYpmEvBkKp-SRzHlw6Kr8/s1600/Burma-ShoutsForFreedom8422-S.Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6UBlWRZng1QKxfdMW8VpHepg4iMWsYLY3cZUGxplyILkv5yEHtblx5x9UyUVum3AuO6ADmhvzxqn5oPG1JyEYoP4utD7vvc2sY5J0zuw4ca8Th5oYCm9mAXYpmEvBkKp-SRzHlw6Kr8/s400/Burma-ShoutsForFreedom8422-S.Blog.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;">Burma House, side</b></td></tr>
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Another has a painting on its right side called "Burma - Shouts for Freedom" which is somewhat reminiscent of Picasso's "Guernica" with Burmese writing surrounding it ---and images of Pittsburgh scenes on the front of the house. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghYUZtgIXfD2hbX6ZRk_TNor2sJVCJK65r51AOnxQXugsTDgjvsbVKsuSFal2FpjhnpqMTPslzkA2hFvnFQMucrXz3puSqYvQxX8AYMo_M9INGUU8WCu_RiOmm8v4LgyUCv6l8uIP15X8/s1600/BurmaHouseFront8424-S.Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghYUZtgIXfD2hbX6ZRk_TNor2sJVCJK65r51AOnxQXugsTDgjvsbVKsuSFal2FpjhnpqMTPslzkA2hFvnFQMucrXz3puSqYvQxX8AYMo_M9INGUU8WCu_RiOmm8v4LgyUCv6l8uIP15X8/s320/BurmaHouseFront8424-S.Blog.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;">Burma House, front</b></td></tr>
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Several doors down, a house has wooden sculptures by local artist Thaddeus Mosley attached to the front. (I don't have a photo but you can see them on Google maps.)<br />
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Several houses down the street, a clapboard house stained brown, has white Chinese writing all over it. (At least I think it is Chinese.) Next door is a house with colorful images of Pittsburgh's buildings and bridges, neighborhoods, and weather.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8r4v7W3JD_9VkBklleZLgmwng4Z6X4x7BBZzmyE2qY6kJfOZOrLkw9XF-EL-AjrLMSby0TPS_Apnc9d0qwIcUy5iDqqp-yhmIwD_3TsNGXkHOMh6jjVGkGCaVLgvcMFhN3jrQV6VijM/s1600/PoetryHouse8426-S.Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8r4v7W3JD_9VkBklleZLgmwng4Z6X4x7BBZzmyE2qY6kJfOZOrLkw9XF-EL-AjrLMSby0TPS_Apnc9d0qwIcUy5iDqqp-yhmIwD_3TsNGXkHOMh6jjVGkGCaVLgvcMFhN3jrQV6VijM/s400/PoetryHouse8426-S.Blog.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>Poetry House</b></span></td></tr>
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These last two are part of The Mattress Factory's artist residential buildings. (The info I have is old, so perhaps all of these houses are now part of The Mattress Factory.)<br />
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Just a few doors away is "<a href="http://www.mattress.org/index.cfm?&CFID=30882574&CFTOKEN=62300037" target="_blank">The Mattress Factory</a>" itself, a six-story building that used to be a mattress warehouse and is now an art center specializing in installation art.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;">The Mattress Factory</b></td></tr>
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When "The Mattress Factory" opened in 1977, it had a small auditorium, exhibition space, classrooms, and spaces for artists to live and work. The owner, Barbara Luderowski, lived there and built a community of artists and intellectuals.<br />
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In a huge kitchen and dining room on the first floor, artists, writers, and musicians from the neighborhood gathered nightly for meals. Each paid a nominal fee for meals and was required to cook or clean-up occasionally. I thought it sounded like such a wonderful idea ---to join other creative people each night or several nights a week to share conversation and ideas. <br />
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When that began, I think most of the artistic people in the neighborhood were young and single. As they grew older, acquired spouses and families, fewer met there and the meals ended. <br />
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Its first installation exhibit was in 1982. Now it has an artist residency program, educational programs, as well. It has acquired other properties to house artists in residence and other exhibition, and create parking space.<br />
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Read more about: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mattress_Factory" target="_blank">The Mattress Factory</a><br />
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You can follow the street to view the places on this street on Google Maps by clicking <b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@40.457085,-80.010902,3a,75y,244.25h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1svEGMMGcJK90ypKsYx-eqgA!2e0" target="_blank">HERE</a></b>:<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;"><b>How to navigate Google Maps:</b> place your cursor ahead of you just a little way down the street and click. When you stop, you can do a 360º turn to view the houses. Place your cursor near the right or left of the image. You'll see a whitish rectangle, just press your cursor pull it toward the opposite side of the screen to turn. (You can also turn it up to see the tops of tall buildings or down to see the street or sidewalk.) In the lower right of your screen, you can use the + or - to zoom in or out. All of the houses I mentioned are on the right side of the streets, but you can do a 180º turn and go back to view them on the left.)</span><br />
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I love Google Maps. I visit the streets where I am going to travel so I can pick out landmarks and cross streets (GPS isn't always right.) I took my husband on a tour of the town where I lived in Brazil 45 years ago via Google Maps. Some places are well mapped and photographed and others are not. I could hardly believe the little town where I lived in Brazil is accessible, yet a large city like Montevideo, Uruguay is not. You can probably find your own home, too ---or go to New York City, Rio de Janeiro, or Paris. It's the next best thing to being there.<br />
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(Excuse the odd formatting. No matter what I tried, the pictures and text kept jumping all over the page.)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/cjp/a3e6a3abc8c9a63044bbbae79b2aa479.png" border="0" /></a>
(©2009, C.J. Peiffer)</div>CJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105598015852813723noreply@blogger.com11