What Do You See?

I call this little number Blue Strokes, but my friend Pam (in Maine) told me I should rename it. Funny thing is, my mom saw the same thing that Pam did; somehow I missed it! So, if anyone out there is paying attention, what do you see?

We've been having heavy rains here for two days now, which will probably bring the box turtles out of hiding. Could be some interesting art in the making! Cassie actually caught one last week; it was so big it almost got stuck in her jaws. I managed to get her to release it, with some difficulty. The baby deer were out playing yesterday, and she badly wanted to catch them, too. It's not smart for me to let my mind wander when we're outside; you never know what might show up!

Mostly Cassie

In the beginning of the "PiCassieO" project, I was mostly letting Cassie's strokes be the main focus, and if I found a critter or flower or something else recognizable, I zeroed in on that. Over the months, she has gotten a lot bolder with the "brushwork" (maybe she skidded the chair further into the window so she really scrubs her nose on it!). I liked this composition so much that I went back to my earlier approach and didn't add any color to it - just adjusted the contrast and used a filter or two, and it came out really well. Quite subdued, compared to our usual results, but I like it. The window was finally cleaned Friday and she's already at work on it again. Her enthusiasm is boundless!

We're pleased to report that our work has been selling in Maine, thanks to our good friend Pam! She'll continue to do the Stonington Farmers Market on Fridays, so if you happen to be in the area, look for her. She has wonderful crafts, in addition to the "PiCassieOs". And we're still donating $5.00 from each sale to homeless dogs and horses (Pet Smart Charities is getting my part of it).

Secret Language?

This one is pure Cassie, with no help from me! Any 'dales out there who'd care to interpret the meaning of the symbols?

New Direction, Continued (I Hope)

YES!! It finally worked! This is the B & W version (no title yet).

Version 2 has transparent color overlays...

and Number 3 has "Nose Garden" colors.

(Read previous entry "Old Friend, New Direction" for explanation if you haven't already done so!)

Old Friend, New Directions

First, the old friend - this lovely "Mommie Deerest" sent Cassie into a hissy-fit last week as she sampled the pears in the side yard. I sent "The Mouth" upstairs, grabbed my camera, and went outside to find the doe casually strolling through the wooded area at the front. She struck a pose and let me get close to take her picture, and then walked across the road and disappeared. I keep waiting for her to come back with at least one baby. The day before, another doe appeared with twins! They were playing around like big puppies - a joy to watch. Good thing we have enough pears to share, unless the groundhogs get greedy.

Now for new directions: with all the wildlife hanging around, Cassie's nose is taking a beating on that east window. She is keeping me supplied with art out the wazoo. These new ones were obviously from the same photo; I was experimenting with different techniques, starting with a black and white version that I really liked. In the last one, I pulled up "Cassie's Nose Garden" and used the colors on the new one. Can't remember now exactly how I got those colors in the first place, but the combination pleases me.

Well, wouldn't you know, the upload won't work now and I'm out of time. Tune in later, maybe the glitch will be fixed and you can see the work. It also won't let me change the font - grrr....