Trying more things...

I had an idea that it would be fun to try and photograph food dye as it drops through a glass receptacle.

I watched a video and then another one and another one. Then I decided to try it anyway. I used an old vase with defects that showed up, but still enjoyed the process. If nothing else, it was a great use of time to NOT sit on the couch and watch the boob Tube [as Dad used to call it].

I did this on the kitchen counter and all the lighting is off and not great. The first photo is with my cellphone.

Then I decided to do a mini video.
15 seconds.

I decided then that what I really really would love to love to have is a good ol' Lava Lamp.

After deciding that I'd go ahead and try this in a better spot and with better lighting, I ended up with this below.

 

Well, it didn't come out very well. I need to study it better and figure out why everything is so bleh. I'll pass on it for right now. I moved on.

I got out a white mixing bowl and thought I'd try some paint swirls. The red wasn't happy and dropped to the bottom and the glittery blue metallic blue did some interesting things. I dropped in some dish soap drops and everything moved all over. 

Fun, interesting, and interesting. But not worth more of my time.

I wanted to try a high key shot in the bowl of a tiny tiny pink flower.

I had a trick up my sleeve that involved water, playdoh, and a tiny bit of milk.

The playdoh held up the tiny flower in the water. The milk added white to the scene. I added lights from a desk lamp and a cube light.

Cha-Ching! I liked the feel of it. I know I could do better, but instead of starting all over, I thought I'd toss in some food dye.

So I added some drops of red. WHOA! 

Then some drops of blue.

I finally took a toothpick and pushed the mixture around a bit and settled on this as my final, though I actually like them all.

By now it was getting late and Charlie was groaning and complaining on the couch about not having his 'cuddle' time. I explained to him that this was much better than staring at a screen and that I was using my brain and making a huge mess.

He gave me his big Googlie eyes and I did relent after cleaning up my mess. 

No big celebrations here. Today is a day. Tomorrow is a day.

Just for fun...

Remember Charlie's squirrel? This is how I see it...

Obviously,

this is how Charlie sees him!

Or...

Perhaps this!

 Yes, I've been doing more experimenting with Wombo Art. It actually gives me better results than more popular  DALL-E or Midnight Journey. I use the free version of Wombo and can 'play' with it on my phone while waiting on important things.

Like waiting for the water to boil while making spaghetti. Or perhaps playing with it when hubby asks me to sit and watch football [waiting for it to end!]

I don't really care for the Game Avatar look that many people put out-- sample: 

They look too 'canned' or computerized to me....

Instead I keep looking for something that really interests me.

I asked Wombo to show me a green dinosaur in a radio studio doing a late night talk show:

When you really don't know who

you are listening to

on late night radio...

I like to find fun things. What about a Dinosaur in a laboratory!

Not a good idea

to have a dinosaur

as a lab partner

Then once in a while I get curious. I love watercolor painting and I've tried every program that offered digital painting and have failed to ever get anything close to what pleases my eye.

But...

I could never have actually done this with a brush and watercolors. But I think they are really appealing to me in a way.

I worked on a few different images and came up with something that really struck me.

I like mixing images I 'create' through prompts and see if I can make something that doesn't look 'canned'.

I took this....

and this....

and layered them together to create this:

"Everything in nature invites

us constantly to be what we are."

~Gretel Ehrlich

I'm saving some of these artworks to put in a photobook so I can page through it on dark and dreary days.

When I am among Trees

I know I want to create a photo book of some of the artistic images of trees that I've done this past year. 

I've gathered most of the shots and artistic renderings I've made by different methods and have been getting ready to put them together.

I had no coherent plan in mind, but like most things. Generally the mood of creativity has to smack me upside the head [mentally, that is]. 

I was still conflicted. Is it appropriate to put nice plain photos and mix in different methods of editing? I am stymied.

I was also stuck because I had nothing I wanted to put on the cover of the book.

I'd tried a few different shots and artistic designs with no luck.

I wasn't even thinking about the project when I took a photo of one of my favorite trees and ran it through Wombo Art AI and then Deep Dream AI. I was simply curious to see what would happen if I used AI to mix up two forest shots.

I merged the photos in ON1 [Photoshop is too pricey for me] and messed around.

Little did I know that this was exactly what I'd been searching for.

It looks like some sort of painting that I could imagine walking through.

I even tested it out with a title.

I was inspired by the piece of artwork enough to think about working on the project again.

When I am Among Trees is a poem by my favorite poet, Mary Oliver.

She says what I feel in one small beautiful poem.

I think now that I have this in mind, I can work on the rest of the book.
My executive decision is this. I'll mix and match photos with some of my art. After all, it isn't a 'book' per se that is going out on the NY Best Seller list. 
It will be a self published book for me to pick up and browse through and enjoy what I'd done.

We will see how the project progresses.

Some photos will be artsy and some not so artsy.
I just wanted to collect them in one place to enjoy them.

After all, trees are constantly on my mind.

When I Am Among the Trees

When I am among the trees,

especially the willows and the honey locust,

equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,

they give off such hints of gladness.

I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,

in which I have goodness, and discernment,

and never hurry through the world

but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves

and call out, “Stay awhile.”

The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, “It’s simple,” they say,

“and you too have come

into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled with light, and to shine.” Mary Oliver

Exploring AI Art

AI in photography? Nonsense, right?
Well, I couldn't resist trying a program that allowed you to type in words and add a photo of your own, then pick a style using wombo ai art. I'd read about it from a review on new AI art which was pondering the relevance or non relevance of new ways of creating art. 

Is it real art? Is it not real art?

The consensus in a way is that it is not 'old' art in a sense but a new kind of art. 

I'm ambivalent regarding that. My conclusion is using AI as a means to an end can be art as long as the 'artist' is in control of manipulating the final piece.

I'm one that has explored computer generated art in the past and enjoyed using it. 

So....

Here is the original photo I used.

I typed in Scary, End of the World, and picked the Malevolent Style.

I didn't expect I'd really get anything I'd like. After all AI isn't really quite art or is it?

The result:

I sort of liked it in an abstract way. But felt I could improve on it tremendously if I used some magical editing skills.

Crop/Resize/a bit of punch added and this was the result:

Still neat but not quite there. It needed something to tell more of a story and create a feeling.

I put it in DxO's Analog app and gave it some minor adjustments and a partial 'dirt' texture.

Clearly, my Grand daughter who is a gamer, would appreciate the final result. Dystopian, end of the world, creatur-ish, scary, out of the world...strange.

I stopped there because it struck me with the emotion of slight discomfort. 
Perfect.

I thought I'd try another one. I uploaded this with the key words: Forest Love and picked the Arcane setting.

Edit:

I tried an edit with a double exposure using the very same photo at the start of this blog. 

It's okay but I can think of better shots to use. 

This was an experiment in using DxO's analog double exposure edit which allows you to do this effect easily. 

It works quite well.

I couldn't leave well enough alone so I wondered what would happen when I used this shot:

This one was a bit too gloomy, but the result from the text I typed in was interesting. Instead of a forest, it looks like a city on doomsday.

I upped the 'influence' of the original image and got this which ended up looking like a painting with subtle tones.

It is sort of addicting to type things in and see what happens. The end result isn't always wonderful, but it is fun to see what happens.

Yeah.

You can tell that yesterday was hot, muggy, and awful! I spent the late afternoon inside mucking around with ideas and art exploration. 

Too dang uncomfortable outside.

Sunday Arty Stuff

I am doing a photo album of just 'tree' stuff. I'm trying once again to follow some of the local trees on our road and the forest through out the year.

It isn't just about the trees themselves but more of a study on how the trees shapes just amaze me. They are an artform all their own.

Below: Apple Blossoms

I think I like this one below a bit better...
for its artsy minimal effect

Below: Cherry Blossoms in the morning light

Abstract

Below: Cherry Blossoms in Neighbor's yard

Birch tree

Oak Tree with catkins

Most of these photos were taken in mid May. That is how far behind I am in addressing my photography. The yard and gardens sort of took over and I'm just about finished now except for planting sweet corn [I'm going to do a no till experiment that may fail miserably].  

I also have a rough spot in the yard that I'm going to dig up a bit and toss in a couple of packets of wildflower seeds.

Today looks like a good day to just chill out.

Having an abstract day

This is called a Mandelbulb Fractal. Fun, creative, frustrating and bizarre way to come up with something purely abstract.

Some of these folks that have mastered this program have had their work featured in Guardians of the Galaxy and funky album covers.

I've sold two abstract pieces in all of my time doing these. Not that I advertised, but that folks just thought it strange and weird enough that they wanted one piece on their wall.

I could get lost for hours in Mandelbulb 3D or JWildfire just creating fractals and enjoying what appears.
I tried Bryce 7 but never got along with it much. I sure don't have the skills to work through Blender and some of the other creative programs out there.

Ruins

Below is purely a random flame I played with the colors and then just it render. It's not meant to be anything other than just doodling with the program. 

The Clone Nursery

Then there is a composite of fractal Flames which I edited in PaintshopPro. 

No names just pretty colors and patterns.

Some days are meant for just messing around and exploring anything not related to the weather or the news.