Old Quebec City, Photo Art Friday on Sunday

The summer of 2010, on a summer break from school, I flew out to Montreal where my sister and brother-in-law were living at the time for what turned out to be my most enjoyable vacation ever. Our first adventure was a day trip to Quebec City to take in the historic sites of Old Quebec City. As I was thinking about this months prompt for Photo Art Friday, I remembered the abundance of geometric shapes and angular lines of many of the buildings we saw there, and so, I have put together a little show of a few of my photos from that day.  

The prompt that Bonnie gave us for this edition is Graphic/Geometric/Angular.

 This was taken at Place Royale in the Lower City.

I used a simple watercolour filter as well as some basic adjustments to brightness and contrast.

 This red door along the Rue du Petit-Champlain in the Lower City is one of my favourite shots from that day. This piece uses a Giger Fine Art filter.

 One final shot from the Lower City is also from Place Royale, a magnificent open square with cobblestones and a small cathedral across the square.

I used a watercolour filter and Bonnie's pdpa "Age It" texture.

 Back up on top of the citadel this building on a corner captivated  my attention. I used a Metropolis preset and Bonnie's pdpa Etched in Stone texture. I also took this into picMonkey and used a number of effects that I did not write down - one was a Warhol effect.

 Chateau Frontenac with Bonnie's pdpa "Yesteryear psd" texture and basic edits.

Finally the clock tower portion of the Ministry of Finance building with a Paper Cutouts filter and pdpa "Antique Me" in difference blend mode.

Collage of original images.

That's it for now . . . I hope to share some of the rest of that memorable vacation in the coming weeks. I am linking up quite literally at the last minute with Bonnie at Pixel Dust Photo Art.  I actually linked my post and then came back to do some finishing touches just to make sure I wasn't too late.

A "Fresh" Challenge for the New Year

Joining up with Adrienne for the first time for "Six Word Fridays".

Using the given prompt the challenge is to caption a photo or tell a story using just six words per line.

This week's theme is "Fresh".

Fresh fallen snow, grass bowing low

the towering blades unable to bear

the weight of the icy deluge.

Warmer weather returns, winter sun burns

releasing each stalk to resume its

graceful waltz in the gentle breeze.

Photo Art Friday - The Year of "Ask"

My choice for this year's word is "ASK" with echoes of "seek" and "knock".

These words in Luke 11 are what guided me in my selection.

"So I say to you, ask and it will be given to you,

seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks, receives, and he who seeks finds

and to him who knocks it will be opened."

The progression from asking to seeking to knocking suggests that more is involved than just the words passing over one's lips. Like pursuing diligently, making inquiries and quite literally knocking on doors.

I am very much looking forward to this adventure of asking, seeking and knocking.  I am sure I will be very surprised at the way it turns out and expect to be greatly enriched on many different levels.

One area that I will be asking myself about is my art work.

How much time am I prepared to give to it?

What do I hope to accomplish with it besides expressing myself creatively?

Is there a specific style that I want to cultivate?

These two pieces are from the same original photograph of a pink and yellow peony.  The one above has a comic book filter applied as well as basic adjustments to contrast, brightness, highlights and shadows. The second version is processed with a watercolour filter.  I really like the negative space to the right of the image.

This last piece I am sharing I call "Winter Tree".  It has a watercolour filter and I have used Bonnie's pdpa Spring Light Canvas at 100% Burn blend mode.

And now I ASK you to come and browse the gallery over at Bonnies . . .

A Way of Escape

I have been her.  You know the one.  

The woman struggling to disentangle herself from the crushing, repetitive patterns that keep her stuck in relationships that suck the life out of you, drain the colours from your surroundings and stifle hope and creativity. Labeled with words that define you, confine you to another's perceptions of who you are, how you should think . . . feel . . . behave. Longing for release but clinging to the distortions that enable and prolong your captivity. Looking for a way of escape but fearful things will only get worse.

Dismantling the distorted belief systems can be excruciatingly painful but oh, so worth the cost. To be your true self, think your own thoughts, feel your authentic emotions and make choices that are right for you are such precious gifts.  How grateful I am to have come home to myself. Watching and praying as dear ones struggle to find their wings.

Open to Possibilities

Well, after a whole month of being "OPEN" to inspiration for the current prompt, it appears my muse has headed for warmer climates.  I really enjoy preparing a post that not only serves to showcase my photos but also brings a corresponding message of some sort.

Such is life  . . . sometimes it is difficult to match things up in a way that makes sense.

And in fact, there are a number of things going on right now that are quite baffling to me, how to process them is proving to be quite a puzzle.

It has however not prevented me from creating a number of pieces that I am happy to share with you all.

"Burning Bush"

Original photo taken early November before all the autumn colours fell away.

 "Coastlands of the Sea"

Cropped from a photo of my painted pumpkin, this piece was created the day of the horrific typhoon in the Phillipines.  Those suffering through the aftermath were much on my heart and prayers were offered up for safety and rescue of survivors.  May they continue to heal as they rebuild their lives, their homes, their nation.

This final image was inspired by this story posted at A Holy Experience

 just 2 days ago.  (And it fits the prompt, too ☺)

 At the end of the post is this Dickinson quote:

"Hope is the thing with wings,

 that lands at the end of you

and shows you how to open to possibilities, 

so that you never close again."

(original version of the butterfly piece)

Photo Art Friday - "Embrace"

Time for another Photo Art Friday.  This month's theme is "Embrace". 

But first, a little vocabulary lesson.

embrace:

/im'breis, em/

verb

       1. hold (someone) closely in one's arms, especially as a sign of affection

           synonyms: hug, hold, cuddle, squeeze, clasp

       2. accept (a belief, theory or change) willingly and enthusiastically

           synonyms: welcome, accept, take to one's heart

My mother embracing my first born son and her new role as grandmother.

Oh how she delighted in her grandchildren.

Cuddling with her 4 year old granddaughter just 2 months before she passed away.

I am so thankful that I have photos that capture the love and affection she had for her grandchildren. This month marked 29 years without her dear presence and influence in our lives and family get-togethers.

(Some things are more difficult to embrace than others.)

Miss you, Mama. 

 See you later.

Photo Art Friday - 4 October 2013

The sky is the daily bread of the eyes.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

This time around I am not going to detail my steps in producing these pieces . . . 

just post and pepper with some appropriate quotes.  I had great fun and learned a few new techniques.  

Hope you all enjoy these "Sky" themed images that I will be hanging in Bonnie's gallery for 

Photo Art Friday.

Reflection on the Fraser River

Sunset Sky

Clouds come floating into my life, 

no longer to carry rain or usher storm, 

but to add colour to my sunset sky.

~ Rabindranath Tagore

Sunset Clouds

 The next three shots have a few things in common.  They were all taken on my way home from work last winter.  Lots of stop and go traffic so, no I was not driving distracted.  They also all feature power lines which are not always desirable in a photo but I think these are the exception.

Electric Raindrops

Peek-a-boo Moon

A snow day, literally and figuratively,

 falls from the sky, unbidden, 

and seems like a thing of wonder.

~Susan Orlean

Snow Flurries

 These last two are using a tiling filter I discovered in my software.  

More accurately, I discovered how to use because previously I just didn't get it.  

Pays to investigate those little drop-down boxes and play with all the options.

Foggy Tree Line

In nature, everything has a job. 

The job of the fog is to beautify further the existing beauties.

~Mehmet Murat Ildan

Misty Morning Golf Course