Union Station, St. Louis October 3, 2009

Here are some pics from our trip to Union Station in St Louis last Saturday. I hadn't visited this place since I was ten years old (eons ago =) and so I was quite taken with the architecture, and the fantastic atmosphere. We took tons of photos, and ate at the Hard Rock Cafe (excellent food, btw) and then we went over to the Loop for some walking, shopping and sightseeing...it was an excellent day, and I do hope you will enjoy all these images. xo

A Couple of Color-full Altered Photos

It was a rainy day today, so really there's nothing like staying inside and playing around with Photoshop. The photo of the covered wagon is from St Charles, MO and the bridge is over the Mississippi River between Illinois and Missouri. I especially enjoy bringing lots of color to the images and Photoshop is so good at that - unfortunately I didn't get much laundry done today

(oh well =)

The Charm (digital collage)

Prints of this digital collage will be offered on Etsy shortly - in various sizes, including ATCs.

For Theme Thursday - Script

For Theme Thursday's challenge this week, "script" ... a bit gothic and Halloween-y but 'tis the season =) To see more submissions please visit Theme Thursday xo

St Louis Church

Just trying out some filter effects in Photoshop =)

Sunday Postcard Art - Gypsy

My contribution to Sunday Postcard Art this week; the theme is Gypsy ... please visit their blog

to see more entries! xo

Saturday Surprise Challenge ~ Theme: Time

I just recently realized that my friend Heather has a challenge blog up and running, and so I wanted to enter it. The theme this week is Time, and here is my entry ...

Illustration Friday - Infinite

A rose is forever ... infinite beauty ... symbolizing infinite love

My submission for Illustration Friday this week.

Another abstract digital - World in a Bubble

Combining a vintage postcard with a photo I took outside the St. Louis Opera building, and various PSP pattern swatches...I'd imagine living life in a bubble would be quite nerveracking, wouldn't you? =)

New Abstract Digital Art Print

Hello there! Here is a digital art piece that I just finished up today. I will probably list it in my Etsy shop, and will offer it in a variety of different colors/shades. I sure do love creating digital abstracts - and time really flies when I do, I mean, I had every intention of cleaning the closet today...ah well...=)

For Mixed Media Monday Theme: Round

For Mixed Media Monday this week I attempted to create a piece which incorporated a lot of different round shapes (but of course the pearls were my fav =)

To see more entries from the other participating artists, please visit Mixed Media Monday

Playing Around with Photoshop

Well, this morning we all got up way too early (4-ish) so that everyone ('cept me, ha) could hightail it over to Greenville for the yearly meeting - so, what does any normal digital artist do when they can't sleep? Why, playing around with Photoshop sounded like the right thing to do =) So here are a couple of images that I altered and wanted to share - even though the "science fiction" one is not my normal style I sort of liked it - "aliens have landed, and they want to see the St. Louis Arch" (I know - I know, I should probably go back to sleep =)

Modes Paris 1 - Digital Collage ACEO

Happy Thursday! This digital collage ACEO is the first one in a series I'm working on right now. The image consists of several different vintage images combined and then colorized to give it some overall "oomph". I was happily surprised to see that the pearls "glisten" (ya gotta love pearls =)

Olive Street Road - St Louis

Two different colorized versions, and depth of focus added (I'm partial to the more vintage looking image on top ... let me know which one you like best =)

St. Louis Images

We went to St Louis this afternoon and had a really great time driving around downtown - I remember a lot of the places from when I lived there when I was little, but there was just so much to see today...the city was alive, and proud, and very beautiful - even in what are often seen as her "weaknesses".

I took tons of pics in the time we were there today, and have spent this evening looking at them and touching them up, and deciding which ones to share here. I thought these would be interesting - because they are the same image - just different versions. It was fun to play around with the negative images, combining them - adding and subtracting colors, etc. So, courtesy of Paint Shop Pro, here are three different images...of the same thing (the last one is my fav =).

Solitude - Digital Collage

Hello! Here is another digital collage I finished up today. I just listed it on Etsy, but I think it's one of my favorites...I've always been partial to those pink-peach tones LOL This image kind of summarizes how I am feeling right now - like I just want to have some alone time, to think about all the good things in my life as well as those that I need to change...overall, I am thinking that is a good thing. Hope everybody has a happy and safe weekend! xo

Ode to Life - Digital Collage

This digital collage measures approximately 8X10 and will be listed in my Etsy shop today.

Another Mixed Media Piece and a Halloween ACEO

A couple more today - making the Halloween ACEOs is so much fun, I'm sure I'll have quite a few by the time Halloween rolls around =)

Halloween Digital Collage and an Abstract

The last several days of August always seem to put me in an autumn frame of mind and so I figured it was time to do my first Halloween piece of this year. This one is an ACEO, I'm thinking of doing at least ten more along these lines as a series.

In the other photo I played around a bit with the colors of a photo I took a while back...I know these are a bit dark, but I liked how they worked together.

I'm also working on a project featuring different "autumn" and "fall" style words...if you'd like to comment and add a few I would greatly appreciate it, and will also send a little gift (small but artsy) to anyone who contributes. Thanks!!! xo

Another mixed media collage...

Here is the one I finished up this weekend - I am so in love with crackle paint! What did I do without it? lol This photo is one I took last year at a nearby farm, once all the leaves had fallen. I worked with the image to get it a less-color, more vintage appeal. Hope you like it! xo

New Mixed Media piece

Finally I am getting back into some good old mixed media work - inspired by a gorgeous "tableau" I recently purchased from angelacartwright's shop on Etsy - I created this piece incorporating a textured canvas (crepe paper, string, crackle paste) and an altered photo I took of branches a few years ago in AZ. I'm working on a couple more of these and would really love to hear your comments. This one measures 5X7, and I am working on both larger and smaller ones now.

Happy weekend all!!! xo

A Couple More Newbies

Going for some softer colors right now - I am really loving the blue color in the bird collage, so you will probably be seeing a lot of it here lately =)

Can't believe our summer has come to an end here - James started school today, and Elisabeth goes back to SIUE next week...autumn is on its bright colorful red and orange way...bring on the pumpkins =)

New Digital Collage

Happy Friday =) Here is a new digi collage I finished up today. It's a regular sized ATC/ACEO and I went ahead and added it to my Etsy shop

Old St. Charles

Sort of like Bisbee Midwestern Style =)

I absolutely love the red brick streets and old buildings, and the "wide Missouri". Been doing lots of reading on the history of the place, the early French settlers, and of course Lewis and Clark. So cool!

A couple of new items for Etsy

Hi there! Here are a couple of new images I've been working on to add to my Etsy shop. I am offering them in different sizes, so if any of them should interest you just email me and I'll give you the details. Happy August (where has the summer gone? it goes too fast - always)!

My New Etsy Shop - Swirl Art Studio

Hi there!

Hope everyone's summer is going well ... I have been pretty busy with my Etsy shop lately, making banners, business cards and other graphics for all the wonderfully nice people on Etsy.

I've decided to open a new (additional) shop there that will feature my art and photography. I just began listing items in it today and would like to invite you to drop in sometime. The new shop is named SwirlArtStudio and I am hoping to get at least twenty items on there by the weekend, so please stop by and let me know what you think (comments and suggestions are always appreciated =)

Photos from the Missouri Botanical Gardens

These were taken last week in St Louis while visiting with my lovely niece, Katie and her son Conor, and Katie's bf Kirk. We had a blast, and this place is truly heaven on Earth... (more pics coming =)

Bisbee Alley ACEO

Digitally manipulated photograph

I'm going to add this one to my Etsy shop ... be sure and check it out... xo

Life...Still

Digital collage by Me ... today (while listening to Toby Keith - yeah! =)

Not in Kansas Anymore

Digital collage