A Walk Down to the Beach: Evolution of ART?

Bribed the kids with dinner at one of their favorite take-out places if they would walk down to the beach with me.  So we ate dinner on the beach while watching the waves crash into the shore ... It was an exceptionally windy day today.  Not many sailboats out today, but a stealth speed boat was literally skipping across the wave crests as it sped on by.  The walk down to the beach was good exercise and a nice change of pace.  Something about just being near water ... watching its movement, hearing its song ... is healing to me on a spiritual level.  And of course, I love to change things up, embrace the unexpected and go on new adventures.  Love dragging my digitally entrenched kids along too; although my oldest somehow managed to sneak not only her cell phone, but her iPod as well.

On the way to the beach, of course, I saw numerous photo opportunities (My kids loose patience with me sometimes ; ).  But as I only had my cell phone, I didn't capture much that was useful for the purposes of art.  The following is one of my three photo captures.  As you can see, the center roses were just gorgeous, but the spotted leaves and the scraggly back-drop leave a lot to be desired.

Original Image

@Copyrighted Photograph, 2012. All Rights Reserved.

 

Not to worry, however, this was the perfect opportunity to use my new graphics tablet.  I am still getting used to working with this new tool.  Trying to use my left hand (one I write with), when I am used to "drawing" with a mouse using my right hand (okay, I'm actually ambi-dextrous). Bearing the latter in mind, it probably took me longer than it normally would to do a typical standard photo edit (ie., not too complex) ... and I was just taking my time, enjoying the process while listening to music.  Probably took me about an hour total to do this whole edit, from start to finish.  I cleaned up the original cell phone shot first.

Cleaned-Up Photo Edit

@Copyrighted Photograph, 2012. All Rights Reserved.

Lastly, I decided to paint it a little to add highlights, brush strokes, etc. and make it pop.  This is the final product.  It's pretty simple, whimsical ... but it was a great exercise for me using my new graphics tablet.  Fun to play too =)  So I got to exercise, body, mind and soul today:  A good day, all in all, I'd say. 

"In the Garden ..."

@Copyrighted Photograph, 2012. All Rights Reserved.

Hope you and yours had a great day today too ♥


Peace & Love,

~M

One-eyed ME?

Not much writing these past few days :(  Injured my eye over the weekend.  Self-inflicted wound ... trying to improve my vision, perhaps?  Opened my eyes to a new way of seeing through pain pills, I guess.  Kind of knocks down all your protective barriers in a manner of speaking.  Truth is a booger sometimes ... But the drugs wear off and reality sets back in.  Life in the moment, right?  And when you look back, only the important ones shine through ... We tend to edit out the painful and mundane, don't we?

Life in this moment ... this here, this now.  No looking back ... Only forward.  After all, I believe that there is a ruling balance corrects over time.

I hadn't realized how much we do with our eyes on a given daily basis.  A bit frustrating to be one-eyed for a few days here.  Sensitivity to light and lots of pain ... Trying to give up the pain pills today.  They make me incredibly sleepy and loopy, never really cared much for drugs of any kind.  I have slept a lot these last few days though, so I guess that's something.  Lots of writing ideas buzzing around in my head.  Wish I had taken Ken up on his offer to buy me "Dragon" ; )  Still haven't played with my birthday presents either --among them a new high tech digital graphics tablet for photo editing and ART renders.  So this dang eye had best heal quickly!  Doctors say I should be good as new in 5-7 days, it's been 4 days now. I'm a terrible patient, I know.  I'll find something to do with myself --besides sleep, but I suppose a closed eye maybe heals quicker?-- between now and the magic number of 7 days and it better not take longer than that!

Since I can't see, I've no recent photo edits.  I could post a photo of me during one of my 3 a.m. --up all night-- photo editing sessions?  At least this photo has me without an injured eye?  Guess, I'll post and take it down in a day or two when these drugs wear off ; )  ... Pain is a funny thing, for me when I don't take the pain pills I can't tune out this eye pain, like I can with other pain.  The pain is so intense and IN MY HEAD, it just translates into intense irritation, bordering on aggravation.  Talk about short tempered?!? I have to wonder if maybe the drugs are the lesser of the evils in this instance?

3 a.m. photo editing ...

A tired, but not yet sleepy me?

Well, wish me a speedy recovery so that I can get back to writing, right?!  My ears are still working though.  I found a cool song by Lifehouse, titled "Broken" ... I would title it "Barely Breathing", but they are the artists.  Apparently, this group did a recent remake of this song ... newer more hip, instrumentally intensified version.  I prefer the original version, myself.  I didn't like the music video for this as it was not at all how I had envisioned or interpreted the song, but decide for yourself.   Oh well,  this song is about "pain" and "healing" and "broken" (my eye) so it fits with my current state of being.  Enjoy!

Song:  "Broken", Lifehouse



Healing vibes to all who pass this way!


Peace & Love,
~M




P.S. Have a friend who seems to be venturing into stand-up comedy these days.  Finding humor in this life of ours ... having a sense of humor ... is a form of higher evolvement on some level, I think.  Well, perhaps contemplating life from a one-eyed perspective will give him some funny material to work with?  Am I a rock star with my dark glasses 24/7 or would I go over better as a pirate with an eye-patch?  I've always had a thing for pirates ; )  Best to you, Paul.   XOXO