Abstraction in yellow and blue

In the spring I purchased a flat of petunias at a new to me nursery close to my house.  I walked around for the longest time trying to decide what I wanted to put into the windowbox on the deck.  It gets very sunny and hot there and over the years I have tried different annual plants with mixed success.  There were the usuals colours and bicolours of petunias but these petunias caught my eye.  They were a soft yellow and deep burgundy colour and looked more robust than the usual ones.  I found out they cost more too.  When I couldn’t make up my mind I came back to these and then decided to take them and plant them with a burgundy leaf potatoe vine.  The planter has been very pretty all season with minimum upkeep.  The flowers have not gotten leggy at all.  They did not require excessive amounts of water.  I was very happy with the little extra money for a quality plant.

I added one of Bonnie’s textures called mauve threads to the photo.  I added it twice and played around with the blending modes and then added a gradient map adjustment.  It gave it the dark and mysterious look.

 

I am joining Bonnie for Photo Art Friday.  Have a great weekend.  Alas it is the last one for September 2012. 

 

It Is The Beginning of Fall

e

.

It has been raining off and on today but just an hour ago I looked out and it was hailing really heavy. . You just never know what kind of day you are going to get in September here in the Sandbox. 

 

My mosaic today is showing the Sedum Autumn Joy that is blooming in the back foundation flowerbed. The leaves of the Maple are in the neighbour’s yard.  Polish Spirit clematis is blooming on the arbor.  I wondered the other day what all the pink was at the top of the arbor and when I looked closely I saw that the clematis had travelled all the way to the top to twine in the rose bush at the top.  This bloom just happened to be down at eye level.  The Chrysanthemum Clara Curtis is beginning to bloom also. She can be a bit aggressive but I really like the daisy like flowers.

 

Hope your week will be a good one.   I am joining Mary for Mosaic Monday.

 

 

His and Hers

This photo came out of the archives of 2010 pictures.  That in itself would qualify for Bonnie’s Friday Photo Art Challenge of “aged” but the hats sort of said old timers to me too.  I used Bonnie’s latest free texture called Ancient Treasures.   I took it into Topaz adjust and used a black and white preset to age it more. 

 

I will be joining Photo Art Friday.  See you there.    Have a great weekend.

 

Giant Coneflowers with an Orange Twist

 

Sometimes it is just fun to see what kind of effects you can create when you push a few buttons just to see what will happen.   In this photo I took a picture of the Giant Purple Coneflowers in the Sandbox garden.  After editing them in Photoshop I took it into Topaz Adjust 5 and after trying one preset after another I tried the preset Autumn and really liked it. I took the photo back into Photoshop and added Kim’s latest texture called partings and one from Pixel Dust called memories of Paris.   Then I added a new frame by Rita at Coffeeshop Blog called Vintage Frame 26. 

I am joining Kim Klassen for Texture Tuesday.  Have a great day.

Fall Pinks in the Sandbox

Do you ever have days that you seem to just spin your wheels and not be able to be productive about anything?  I am having one today.  I have plenty to do but just can’t seem to get at it.   I have been back and forth to the computer many times deciding what photos to include in my mosaic today.  I finally went out and took some new ones.   The Colchicum or Autumn Crocus is popping up in the Sandbox garden.  They just seem to appear overnight and surprise you when out wandering around.  Mine are a soft lilac.  I have way too few cosmos this year.  I like great swaths of them in the autumn garden.   Miss Ruby buddlea had a passing visitor this week.  The butterflies like our summer birds will be migrating somewhere warmer soon.  We thought we had seen the last of the hummingbirds this week but my husband spotted one making the rounds of the pink zinnias in the garden.
I will be joining Mary for Mosaic Monday.  If you haven’t had a chance to join us or just look in on the wonderful mosaics there please do.

Seven Work Phrase for Photo Art Friday

 

I found this weeks prompt excruciating as a personal exercise.  I had not given it much thought to what I would call my journey into art/photography.  I have such a lot to learn and have inner glee to learn as much as I can.  I love to look at what others have done and I learn from them.  How I survived before I discovered blogs is a wonder.  How I survived before I found photography courses and wonderful photographers to emulate I wonder.

The photo is a Physalis alkekengi or Chinese Lantern plant.  This one escaped my notice until it bloomed.  Normally I pull the plant out when I see it as it an aggressive spreader.  It is pretty in bloom but no friend to the garden.  My words suggest my artistic journey as having its ups and downs but always a work in progress as the world is a colourful place to be.

I am joining Bonnie and friends for PhotoArtFriday at PixelDustPhotoArt.com.   Have a great weekend.

 

As The Seasons Change

o

The mornings are cooler now and there is quite a bit of dew on the ground.  In summer when I sat out on the deck at 6am having my coffee the birds were already busy and there was plenty of light but now it is dark at 6am and damp if you are not cozy in your housecoat and slippers. No more roaming around in my pjs taking pictures at the break of dawn .  I do like the intensity of some of the colours in the Sandbox flowers though. Miss Ruby Buddleia is at her peak and the morning glories are glorious in the morning.  I captured this snail on the front walk. He was probably headed for a juicy Hosta plant.

I have been making the trek to Peterborough, an hour and a half away to see my Dad of late.  He is 92 and is now showing signs of dementia.  We had just moved him to a nice retirement home after his house sold but he will not be able to stay there as they do not have the level of care needed for a person in his lack of awareness. It is a big worry at the moment.   As I am travelling the roads I see lovely views and I want to stop to take a picture but I am usually rushing there or rushing back. It won’t be long before I will see lots of colour in the trees out that way.

I am planning on joining Mary for Mosaic Monday.  Last week I posted in my blog but had to run as Dad had fallen and I never got to post to the meme. 

 

Have a great week.

 

End of Summer Mosaic

 

Labour Day Weekend is upon us and that signals to me that it is the end of the summer. Do I stop wearing white jeans now and put my summer purse away are the big questions that occupy my mind now that September is here.

My ornamental grasses are beginning to flower with large plumes. I just love to look at them.  The chipmunk is busy eating and storing the rose hips.  He makes a big mess on the deck with his left overs.  The Cup Plant grew to 10ft high with oodles of blooms.  I have noticed that some of the Maple trees are beginning to turn and it won’t be long before all of the trees begin to show off their fall colour.  

I am joining Mary at DearLittleRedHouse for Mosaic Monday.  I hope that you are enjoying the weekend too.