Dressed up in stitches

A card I'm working on, experimenting with stitching/sewing paper:

(Early) Spring Cleaning

I've been cleaning my hard drive, and keep coming across files from my college days. This is a series of tonal studies done for a computer based painting class using Corel Painter IX:



I haven't used Painter in awhile, and am beginning to become reacquainted with the software. While I enjoy how easy it is to "paint" digitally, I miss actual painting more. My easel and brushes have been sitting in the garage since last May, but I haven't felt the urge to use them until more recently. I think my project this weekend will be making a new palette (I prefer glass palettes, and my old one was unfortunately broken months ago), and finally get going on my mom's Mother's Day gift.

"Do or do not, there is no try."

Olympic Fever

The 2010 Vancouver Olympics are underway, and I absolutely love Canada's design sense. While a lot of attention is paid to the medals, I'm more in love with the podium:

(Photos courtesy of ben hulse's Flickr photostream.)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Final photos, as promised:


"LDR" (Pen & Prismacolor on watercolor paper)



"Swans" (Paper)

Almost here...

I'm almost finished with my love-inspired art!



This card is inspired by my new boyfriend, who is a resident of Australia. I'm sure it will resonate with everyone who has ever been in an LDR (Long Distance Relationship) during the past decade or so. While the bulk of our communication is online, I like sending cards and other physical love notes. It's nice to have something to hold or look at when you're missing that someone special.





Here's a detail shot of an origami card I put together. I haven't worked with printed paper in awhile, so it was fun mixing and matching patterns and colors.

I'll be taking better photos and scans of the finished products tomorrow. Right now I need to watch the Opening Ceremonies of the Vancouver Olympic Games!

Tilt-Shift Revisited

I'm definitely improving!



A view from the Tokyo Tower. Tokyo, Japan (January 2007)




Wild Animal Park. Escondido, CA

Tilt-Shift (1/30/2010)

Love is in the air...

Valentine's Day is right around the corner! To celebrate, I've started working on some fun recycled cards. I started saving the address flaps from my Netflix rentals awhile back, but wasn't sure how I was going to use them. Then a few weeks ago I stumbled upon Netflix Origami, and got some much needed inspiration.

I already have some fun ideas using the heart and swan designs.




I also attempted to make a box, just for fun. Unfortunately it didn't turn out right, so I used that sheet to practice the starched shirt. Since dress shirts don't really scream "Valentine's Day," I may make it into a paper doll for my cousin.

Tilt-Shift

A friend of mine posted this on her blog a while ago, and I thought it was one of the coolest things I'd ever seen. With a bit of Photoshop tweaking, you can make almost any photograph look like a mini-model, a la the opening credits of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

(More photos & instructions here.)

I decided to try it out for myself today, and had some moderate success:




This is my best attempt so far. It was taken from Tokyo Tower in Japan a few years ago. The angle and distance make it a great candidate for this sort of manipulation, but I wish I had a photo taken closer to midday with a clear blue sky (it was pretty hazy that day). I may play around with the saturation a bit more to see if I can compensate for this. I do love how the brake lights on the cars resemble tiny LEDs.




This image was taken in Shibuya, one of the busiest areas Tokyo. The angle isn't ideal (it should really be a downward shot), but I wanted to try anyway because I love the colors. The left half of the photo does look like a model (especially around the tree), and boosting the saturation levels adds to the "fake" look.

I will definitely be scouring my photos for more tilt-shift candidates. I'm also hoping to get some good shots in Vegas next weekend to play with.

Sold

Since the first photo was taken late at night (and minus the flash), here's a close up showing the true color: