A "New" Technique

Back around 1995 or so, when I first began doing collage my Dad got me a video of Gerald Brommer. In it Mr. B talked about, and demonstrated, how to do lovely watercolor and rice paper collages. Believe me, I spent many hours doing just that - it was so much fun, and such a creative experience. The end result would always end up as somewhat a surprise...I actually won my first art prize with one of those collages =)

Anyway, I was playing around in Paint Shop today and came up with these - actually two photos combined, but I altered them before I combined them ... the textured look is almost exactly what I was getting from Gerald Brommer's watercolor/rice paper technique. If you look up close you can really see the details...I love it when I get surprised by the things Paint Shop can do - it definitely lets me know there's always something new to learn.

Hope everyone is well, and is enjoying their last few days of 2006 - I can't wait for 2007! Nothing like a New Year to get ya going'! Enjoy!!! xxxoooxxx

Some Things ...

are definitely worth waiting for ... and I do believe I've been waiting for some "real" snow to play in for a couple of years. Isn't this beyond beautiful? These are from yesterday morning in Huachuca Canyon (in the Huachuca Mountains, of course =) There was a young family up there playing in the snow (you may be able to make out a coat or two if you zoom in to the end of the road) - so cute! The little boy kept pelting his Dad with snowballs (the little guy had a great arm too - definitely a future ball player...) Didn't spot any deer though, but I think they may have been hiding, it being hunting season and all - poor things!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! When I get more time I'll fill you in on ours - it was sweet and quiet, and I think the overall feeling was one of peace and togetherness. I couldn't ask for anything more =) Blessings and hugs to everybody - xxooxx Peggi

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas =)

I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very merry and safe Christmas! As many of you know, this will be a bittersweet Christmas for my family and me this year, as my Dad passed away last spring after a long and courageous battle with cancer... Of course, waking up every day since then, crawling out of bed, and "putting one foot in front of the other" has not been easy - but at Christmastime celebrating without a special loved one is even more difficult. I am grateful I have so many wonderful memories of my Dad throughout the years I spent as his proud daughter - those are truly the peace I find comfort in. So yes, Virginia, to everything there is a season and we now begin this Christmas season head-on ... may your lives be filled with blessings, love and hope at this time . God bless you all, my wonderful blog friends. Merry Christmas to you and yours =) Peggi

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I mean, honestly - what on earth would be a good name for this little collage anyway? lol

Julia

Memories of Winter

Tonight, a snow picture...you see, it snowed here - really snowed here - for a whole three minutes or so today. Needless to say, it was short - but sweet...I love the snow =) Come back again someday snow, pulleeeze!!!

Syrupy Sweet and Oh So Girly

In the middle of winter, she's dreaming of spring ...

Crazy Busy!

Well, things here have been too busy this week ... with Christmas shopping, and decorating, and baking going on I haven't had too much time for making any art. This is one I did last night, but I was too tired to post it. Will try and take a breather this weekend and answer some emails - I also wanted to say welcome back to my old friend Crackingshot, and a big hello to new poster on the block Sombraknight =) Thanks for leaving such wonderful comments ... talk to you soon!!!

Gothika

For my buddy James ...

Travel Journal

April

My 600th Post!

Wow! I never thought I'd make 600 posts - so cool! Thanks to all of you who drop by and leave comments, and those of you who simply take the time to look =) I truly appreciate your comments, your emails, and your friendship here in Blogland... Hope everyone is enjoying a Merry Christmas & holiday season so far. Only 15 more days!!!

Life in Retrospect

Seeker

In Old Santa Fe

End of Summer 1982

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A Little Bit of Christmas Spirit

Diva

Conversations with Herself

Young Love

Old Roses

A Hidden Place

Anything...and Nothing

Red Door

Window Scene

An Ancient Sunset

A Little Bit French

For Artwords This Week - Window

For this week's theme of Window at Artwords I combined a couple of my own photographs to create a sort of "alternate reality" - an impression of looking out a window onto a lake...the photos are actually of a lake in New Mexico and a patio garden, located in Bisbee, Arizona. I like the idea of creating a dreamlike state when I combine photos...it's challenging, but also a lot of fun. I suppose I could have made it all black and white, or all sepia-toned, but by having the two different types combined, I think it actually gives more depth & contrast to the end result....

Photography Collage II

Photography Collage

Farewell to Autumn

Invention - Illustration Friday

My IF submission this week...a photo I took at a carnival (used PaintShopPro to turn it a nice sepia tone) combined with a couple of vintage photos ... I like how the woman looks rather bored with the "newfangled" things, and appears to simply desire to read her book....

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The little girl in this photo looks exactly like my daughter, Elisabeth, did at that age. Such a beauty!

Lady and the Raven

Remember

Another Raven & Another Journal Page ...

I'm off to bed now, good night!

The Birds (Da Boidz)

Here is my submission for Artwords this week, under the topic, "Birds." This is my first time submitting, in fact =) I've been wanting to do a piece with ravens for a while, and I wanted it to be a bit "dark." This is a digital collage where I combined a couple of my own photos with an image of a raven - the photo of a rose that I took last year, I decided to make "negative" thus, (hopefully) giving the collage more of a dark, edgy look. Hope you like it!

Journal Page - Born to Hike

Midnight in the Garden

Illustration Friday - Thanksgiving

I know that I often get so overwhelmed with life's big issues that I have to remind myself it's the little things - the things I take for granted - I'm most grateful for in life...

Waiting for Sweet Sir Galahad

This image is for my friend and fellow blogger, the Pondering Pig ... when I did this collage it sort of took on a life of it's own and reminded me of what a "vintage" Mimi might have looked like waiting by her bedroom window for her new love. I guess this means I'm a silly romantic - ah well, so be it =)

VNS

Yep, folks, it's a vintage nude sunbather - modestly covered by some brown texturey stuff I concocted in PaintShopPro (what can I say, I'm a modest person at heart LOL).

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The Boys