Photo Friday challenge: Depth of Field

This has to be one of my all time favourite pictures. The beautiful eyes are sharp and the shallow depth of field really make them stand out!

Our Christmas card to family & friends - such silliness.

Photo Friday challenge: YELLOW

In the spring I planted 2 entire packages of sunflower seeds - anticipating brilliant yellow blooms in Autumn. To my dismay, only 3 plants came up. Those 3 plants certainly were cherished.

I took my neighbour for a 'fieldtrip' to the seedy district to shoot "Urban Decay". We came away with some wonderful images. I was thinking about using one for the Photofriday theme of worn, but changed my mind. (See previous post) I decided to post a few here anyways.

Photo Friday theme: WORN

"Misty Mountains"

Alberta's Rocky Mountains are so beautiful! It is one of my favourite places on earth. The rocks are WORN & eroded just right ( although hopefully pollution isn't hurrying the process up too much! )

Photo Friday challenge: WARMTH

Monarch Montage

Created with 2 layers - one image blurred & brightened. When compressed it gave it a wonderful 'dreamy' feel. I like the warm orange colours of the photograph.

I recently took a workshop on Impressionism Photography. I left leaving very inspired. Here is a picture that I worked on. I like the colours.

Illustration Friday challenge :Night

This is titled "Starry Night" since it is a take from Van G's famous piece. Of course, this will never become famous as it was done with the help of a 3 1/2 yr old with wax crayon, glitter, and tempera.

Photofriday challenge : RETRO

On the farm where my mother grew up, are many retro trucks, cars, machinery, and buildings. One of my favourite 'landmarks' is the old barn. It may soon be taken down - unuseable & unsafe. I am going to have to get lots of pictures of it before it goes down !

Photofriday theme:

FIVE

as in "Give me 5"

Thanksgiving was celebrated on the farm (where my mom grew up). The weather was perfect, food was great, family was incredible and those cats! One even 'followed us home' ! It is 'Furry' or 'Fuzzy' or 'Fluffy'. The name will sort itself out in the next little while. This cat was carried around all day by my daughter - sometimes wrapped around her neck, and often upside down. It is a spring kitten so the age is nice.

She is such a joy to have around. Such a wonderful addition to our family.

Happy Thanksgiving :)

How cool is that!

My daughter gracing the front cover of EDMONTON CHILD magazine, and the photograph is mine.

Actually, at this very moment there are 3 publications with my images inside. I also recently began my dream job teaching ESL to children for 1 1/2 days a week! Life is great. (Hence, no time for blogging or entering IF or PF challenges.)

Illustration Friday theme: DEPTH

(I am late posting this eventhough it was finished awhile ago. Oh well, life happens!)

Fingerpainted by my 3 year old - I assisted with the antennas and faces .

Photo friday challenge : MASSIVE

I checked out this particular tree today and the leaves have not changed to bright Autumn colours yet, so I am posting a photo from Spring when the pink blossoms were a MASSIVE display of beauty! The tree itself also is quite large (full of character - if you could say that about a tree!)

DIRT - 'hand' painted background.
ROOTS - black felt (water added to it) & blow art (cut down straw with thinned tempera)

(...as usual done with my 15 month old and 3 year old )

"Peek A Boo" captured 5th place in the Fujimugs competition!

Alia (15mths) plays peek a boo with her hands, towels, and the curtains! The other side has paint on it from playing "Peek A Boo". Curtains can always be replaced but these precious years can not. (I guess I'll have to deal with a messy house for a few more years.)

... and this is for the BLACK page. (with some much needed cropping of course.)

Gotta love those wrinkles!

(no worries, I won't post all the other colours.)

I am working on a colour book for my daughter Alia (1 yr). This is the WHITE page. It has been a fun project for my 3yr old. She had a lot of creative imput (props, outfits, page layouts etc.) I usually find children angel pictures quite creepy, but I did it anyways.

Illustration Friday : REFLECTION

I did printmaking with my daughter (3yrs). The paint transfers to a new piece of paper making a true "reflection" of itself!

We had a BLAST making these outside. She wanted to make one for all her friends and family members. I better go buy some stamps tommorrow!!! :)

topic: Ourselves

In this GAME of LIFE, I play many many roles. My favourite & most important being that of MOTHER.

I actually was going for something else, but some comforting was needed and the timer went off ...... needless to say, this is my favourite self portrait!

Photo Friday theme : VIOLET

Illustration Friday theme is : WISDOM

* ... ONLY on SOME things!

She is pretty cool. I love her lots!

My "Sunny Daisy" was chosen to be included in Photo life magazine (Sept.2005). It is inside twice - 1 in the table of contents and the other in an article. This is very exciting for me. I love taking photos of flowers (esp. macros).

Illustration Friday theme - EMPTY

This humble watercolour represents the vast fields of emptiness between Calgary & Edmonton that I drove past this weekend!

I had a wonderful weekend visiting my brother, going to the beach, the zoo, and the majestic mountains (Banff).

The city of Festivals! This week alone we enjoyed Klondike Days Exibition and Heriatge Days in Hawrelak Park. The weather has been nice & warm - and those wonderful dragonflies are enormous from eating the mosquitos! I doubt I was bit once this summer!

Photo Friday theme: SOMBER
Title : Prelude to a Meal

Many levels to it

-Autumn leaves - a Somber thought indeed (I live in Canada!). I just took this photo today - Fall is around the corner :(
-Spiderweb - symbolic of despair
-Dead fly - well, pretty obvious.

*Click on the photo tp enlarge - it looks sharper and more detailed.*

Illustration Friday : AGING


In this AGE obsessed society, VANITY is the new trendy God. In my opinion, lines on a face are more flattering than the inability to show espression! It is sad.



My 1 year old helped me with the wash and my 3 year old MIXED up a green and actually painted the bottle & needle HERSELF ! .... no worries, I finished it up when they were in bed!

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HONEST - NO help!

We were painting this afternoon. I went to put Alia down for a nap. When I returned this is what I saw. I asked her what she named her picture & she said "LAVA MOON". Keep in mind that Sara just turned 3 !!!

Our Illustration Friday "art days" are paying off! (a theme is offered each week for creative imput without judging - just for fun. Check it out. There are some incredible talents out there.)

... then there is THIS sky photo. I took this last week from the front of my house. We get the most amazing colours in the sky here - too bad there wasn't a wonderful big body of water to reflect it!

The canola fields are so vivid in contrast to the menacing sky. And yes, it DID rain!

Photo Friday : ONE

ONE very large mud puddle
jumped on
ONE very muddy little girl !

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A weekend worth of Prairie celebrations left Sara very muddy!

I brought the girls to Round Hill to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Alberta. On Sunday we ventured to the Heritage Centre near Leduc to watch her Grandfather show his vintage John Deers. I am such a city girl - I love being outside but only when it's warm - & it was so windy both days. I think I'll stay in town this week!

(..... we had a wonderful time at both events! Great family!)

Tranquility

No matter how hectic of a day it's been, seeing one of our beautiful sunsets makes me feel calm and peaceful.

I live in a mature neighbourhood with lots of trees - wonderful black sillouettes against a firey background! Many a' photo has been taken!

Attractive
It's those EYES ! Even when she misbehaves (as a 3 year old MUST do!) those expressive eyes real you in and you just have to smile!

I love this photo because it shows her mischeivious nature - that subtle smirk, dimple, and large puppy eyes. I find her very attractive - we'll be in trouble when she grows older!





*** UPDATE ***
This photo received a "Noteworthy" on Photo Friday for the theme "Attractive". I am thrilled!
(posted on my Flikr acct.)

(PhotoFriday is a website that posts a challenge each week. Photographers from around the world submit their interpretations and vote for the top 5 - a "Noteworthy". There were 605 participants for this challenge.)

- KARMA - what comes around goes around. Basically, people need to be kinder and less selfish. Others gravitate towards positive things and people. Happy people make others feel good about themselves. On the other hand, negativity brings people down and although one might attain power and money, they ultimately are alone and unhappy..... or so it should be!