Barefoot Posse

018|365: He sleeps

2011-02-21T01:22:00.001-06:00

In art school, most of our photography work was black and white film. Lately, I have been admiring the black and white portraits of a flickr friend and fabulous photographer. I think black and white truly does capture more mood, more soul. So, I'm hoping to capture my kids in black and white more often. This is my son, Wolfie, and I loved how the morning light was coming in through the mini-blinds. We sleep late so often around here, it's a light I don't often get to enjoy.

016|365

2011-02-21T01:12:00.000-06:00

015|365

2011-02-21T01:09:00.002-06:00

Another attempt at levitation. This is a combination of many shots. At least 7 for the hair alone, which I, obviously, require a lot more studying. The legs are one shot, and the feet are each a separate shot. The cat is at least two, maybe three, and Drew's jumper outfit is 2 separate shots. Of course, the background is a completely separate shot as well. We took a series of picture with Drew sitting, and then several of her standing and leaning forward with kitty (who, by the way, is not at all interested in a modeling career either). Added textures and filters and tah da!

014|365

2011-02-21T01:03:00.003-06:00

This is my take on EJ Bellocq - this was really fun! Although I can't bring myself to do a full on nude, and don't know if I ever will; it's only because I've got 5 children (4 of them boys) and they would be, understandably, traumatized (to say the least) at the site of me in my birthday suit. Otherwise, I am an artist who believes in the beauty of our nakedness and have enjoyed many a nude artwork.

I don't mind my take on Bellocq's photo, but I would definitely like to try it again this time incorporating more of what I actually see in my mind of it (ie, different clothing and wall scribbles). This was part of a 365 I was attempting this year but seemed to have abandoned. I would still love to continue this project, but my schedule is very tight and I was putting a lot of pressure on content and quality, and then dissatisfied with the final product, because I didn't have the time to spend on it and produce a work I was proud of. All this, and I have had to deal with several deaths this year. Consequently, I went into a funk and taking pictures, as I may have said before, is obviously going to revolve around my mood swings. Ugh!

013|365: l♥ve you

2011-01-16T23:32:00.001-06:00

"We are shaped and fashioned by what we love." (Goethe)

Another portrait of my daughter, Drew. I needed a quick 365 shot and this was all I could come up with. I like the dof (depth of field) on this, with focus on her hands. She was a bit preoccupied with her toys and I interrupted her; she wasn't too thrilled with me. This shot was actually day 13, and today is the 16th; so I've missed a few days now. I've been in a sort of funk and my creativity is stumped right now. I am hoping to put something together tomorrow. I am also hoping that I haven't bit off more than I can handle with this 365; wondering if a 52 (weekly) project would have been more reasonable with my schedule. For now, I will trudge forward with my best intentions for this project.

012|365: Stolen Crowns

2011-01-13T10:02:00.001-06:00

Models and sisters, Candice and Samantha, showed up at my house ready and willing to do a photo shoot for my 012. Donning their quinceanera dresses, I worked in yesterday's Harley Davidson boots and my cowboy hat for a bit of humor. These girls are just so beautiful, I'm hoping you will be seeing many more shoots featuring them.

Processing included burning out the background, obviously, as well as the carpet some. I still need to work on my burning technique. I stretched the dress out to look bigger and poofier, and also decreased the size of the HD boots as they were a little overwhelming in the original.

011|365: Puss on Boots

2011-01-12T11:16:00.004-06:00

My knobby knees, the hub's HD boots (which I will likely try to confiscate because I love 'em so much now, haha), and ol' man Robin tops it off! I arrived home after work yesterday and began picking up around the house. I came across my hub's Harley Davidson biker boots pushed way back underneath a side table in the family room (go figure). Curious about how they came to be stashed back there, though I really have no reason to be surprised, this is how the above pic occurred to me. We've had Robin (the cat) since we bought the house eight years ago. He's been coming across kind of achy the last year and with the cold weather blowing in now, he never misses the opportunity to scutter around us when we open the front door. We brought him in for a bit last night and propped him up for a photo shoot. Surprisingly, he did not fight it too much and, as you can see, got comfortable after a while.

010|365

2011-01-10T02:48:00.002-06:00

My daughter, Drew. Initially, I was taking the picture of the earring because I loved them so, and they belong to my son's (Aaron) sweetie pie, Candice. But then, I saw the photo and now, I believe the picture is of my daughter as much as, or more than, the earring. Hmmmm...

009|365: Buffy

2011-01-10T00:37:00.001-06:00

This is Buffy. She was given as a birthday gift to my son, Aaron, by his mema while we lived with her. When Aaron and I moved into our own place, Buffy stayed behind with mema because we felt she was so comfortable with mema's big yard (it was home for her) and our new home would not be nearly so accommodating. Her namesake is Buffy (played by Sarah Michelle Gellar) of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", because Aaron had such a big crush on her at the time. I'm always taken with her emotional expressions, she is so precious. Today, camera in tow, I was so compelled to make her my 009.

Buffy is getting up in age now and it shows on her face. I'm so glad I did this shoot, I could stare at her all day. ♥

008|365

2011-01-08T22:29:00.000-06:00

Again, this is a series of shots pieced together. Several of just the closed door without the hands, and then many more with the hands in different positions. I had to bribe my daughter with pizza to get her to do this for me (she is getting much too pricey for me). Each hand is cut from two separate photos and then photoshopped into this one. Obviously, the key was not in the picture, and, obviously, I am not too pleased with the way the key came out. The angle I received it in was not accurate so I had to cut it apart, manipulate it, and put it back together again. I found the picture of this skeleton key on DeviantArt, which is a great place for stock photos, but, remember, if you decide to utilize that website you must be certain you only use those photos that specify it is free for your use. Finally, I added a couple of textures on top (my door is not really that dirty).

007|365

2011-01-08T01:00:00.002-06:00

So I wanted more practice on shoot and processing a levitation. I'm not real happy with this final product, but I was running out of time to post (I believe I had only 15 minutes to spare). Initially, I had completely different plans for todays shot, but it fell through, or rather, never showed it's face. I wanted a white on white shot today, but couldn't find anything that excited me. I had entertained the idea of the shot above, but in another perspective. Ah well...

Drew's little body is pieced together with parts from each of the 5 following shots.

When piecing body parts together, it's important, of course, to match your skin tones, and this may take some adjusting of brightness, contrast, maybe using color filters, or using the adjustment for skin tones feature (again, I am using Photoshop Elements 7). After getting them as closely matched as possible, use your eraser tool with the blurred circular brush and an opacity setting between 20-50%. Erase the hard edge of each layer so that the skin blends together.

She wore this cute little top, but it's more of a shirt than a dress, so I extended the length to cover her bum a little better.

I first intended to surround her with bubbles from my own photography shots, but time fell short to get todays 365 uploaded; consequently, I used a layer of stars instead. The star layer was set for a "lighten" layer and full opacity. I moved some of the stars around using the cloning tool and adjusted the contrast. Over the final product, I added another texture layer, found free on flickr. And, voila!

006|365

2011-01-06T23:48:00.003-06:00

My model is my 12 year old son, Wolfgang a/k/a Wolfie, and as you can likely imagine, this was a very painful project for him, though I do believe I have gotten the thumbs-up on my finale.

This is a manipulation of 3 separate photographs. Can you see each of them? The first was the reflection in the mirror, a second photo was Wolfie looking away from the mirror, and the last was Wolfie's hand, in the mirror that is. I didn't like the original hand in the reflection, so it was replaced with this one. Once everything was combined and tweaked just so, I added 3 textures on top to darken the edges but still compliment the fogged mirror. Speaking of fogged mirror, I ran the shower on full-blast hot for about 15-20 minutes to build up the steam. A white sheet was hung on the wall opposite the mirror so I wouldn't get my (seriously) ridiculous flowered wallpaper in the reflection. Using a spray bottle filled with (cold) water, we wet Wolfie's hair thoroughly (like I said, completely painful for him). My tripod wasn't tall enough to get at the angle I desired, so I wasn't able to give him hands on instructions like I would have prefered. Instead, we did a few practice runs in our second bathroom. Would liked to have put some dark make-up around his eyes for more drama, but that might have pushed my luck too far.

Hugs and kisses to my darling Wolfgang, xoxo - I love you!

005|365: Rise and Shine

2011-01-06T23:31:00.000-06:00

So, I really didn't feel like searching out or putting together a photo today. Consequently, I shot about ten takes of a roll of toilet paper with about 5 squares left, and then opted for the above. A view from my perspective first thing each morning. This is my bedside table, complete with various medications, a soda to down them with, my external hard drive, some dusty miscellaneous, and, last but not least, my happy Buddha. I'd thought about shooting this on previous dates, but suppose I was inspired elsewhere instead.

365 Project

2011-01-05T00:19:00.007-06:00

004|365: The Induction

A friend told me I should do some selfie's, though I'm not sure that this is what she had in mind. I laid in the wet street, running back and forth between the spot and the camera. Hiding behind my jeep from passerbys and curious neighbors; not well enough, as a woman and her male protector from down the way came to check on the crazy lady jumping around and then laying down to rest in the street. I screamed when they found me hiding behind the jeep, but believe I may have frightened them even more!

I'm sure this was some sort of induction for me.

I finally titled the above "The Induction" because after writing and re-reading my above comment about it, I really felt it defined the piece for me (in more ways than one); and I went in to 004's photo without intentions of creating a piece with symbolisms or story. Simply, I wanted to do my very first levitation shot.

This shot was created with three different photos. The first of myself laying on the (wet) road. I don't like taking photos of myself, so I believe there was well over 50 of me lying in different positions (ugh!). I took at least 10 of just the area without subjects with the expectation that I may need one. This is when the nosy cats crept in, simply checking out the area where I kept laying, but I was not in that shot, they were just being curious. The third shot was one of me in "floatation" mode or levitation. Of course, I manipulated this layer (third photo). I chose a "screen" effect in Photoshop (Photoshop Elements 7) and then adjusted the opacity so that I became a little more see-through.

I've included the three series shots below, so you can see what I was working with.

A few other minor adjustments to accomodate my cropping and - there you have it. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.

003|365: Peace, Love, and Bunny ears

"Be careful what you pretend to be, because you are what you pretend to be" (Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.)

It was getting pretty late and I still had no idea of what I was going to shoot for this 365 project.
My daughter, Drew, self-entertained by riding her brother's skateboard up and down the hallway. She probably got in a good hour of play before taking a nasty spill, hince her colorful chin. Breaking for a half hour to cry it off, she got back on her "horse", only now she was re-dressed head to toe this time in bright, happy pink and donning her bunny ears to boot! She is such a darling, I had to memorialize the moment as my 003. Always my unwitting muse, I did have to guilt her into letting me use her as my model (again), though you wouldn't know it from her bright grin (I love you baby girl!).

002|365

2011-01-03T01:12:00.001-06:00

Our newest family member, Max. He's a hot mess and we are really getting a kick out of him. I'm especially enjoying how trainable he appears to be, as we have, in the past, never been successful at potty training. Go Max!

So this shot was actually taken with Max standing on a canvas which was thrown over a tall, skinny recycle bin, and a white door in the background. As much as he was distracted with trying to find a way down, it's surprising I got this shot at all (and so thankful he didn't take a flying leap). I finally got my "assistant", Drew, to help distract him with some wet puppy chow. There is some texture layered over the canvas he is standing on, as well as the clouds added to the background. I also added a couple of textures on top as well. One of Max's ears has a pretty strong curl in it and that looked funny so I photoshopped it as well. Finally, I applied my "Bright Eyes" technique (outlined in a previous post dated 11.07.2010).

001|365

2011-01-03T01:10:00.000-06:00

My daughter, Drew, makes bubbles with our liquid hand soap. Keeping it stocked is a real chore, but I can't bring myself to spoil good clean fun for just a buck fifty.

Fun in the sun

2010-11-14T03:48:00.000-06:00

So, I've got a secret. Rather, I am a secret, a secret admirer of this photographer, Esther Hernandez, who is just so fabulously talented. All of her work is stunning and I especially love her series entitled "Canteras Beach". All of the images in this series are intentionally blurred causing a dreamy effect, and she frequently applies texture which creates a painterly edge.

So, anyway, these images included in this post are my beach scenes from Rockport, Texas, and my homage to Esther. Thank you Ms. Hernandez for your inspiration.

The photo above and below are of my beautiful daughter, Drew.

At the beach

2010-11-07T01:16:00.000-06:00

I'm up late tonite, probably because I slept all day. Watching my favorite show (It's Complicated) and working on some old shots. I've also listed these on my etsy shop for purchase.

Bright Eyes (How to)

2010-11-07T01:29:00.001-05:00

There are several ways to brighten the eyes in a photograph. I'm going to show you how I do it, and I am currently working in Photoshop Elements 7.

First, of course, you'll open up the desired photo. This processing works best if you choose a photo of someone with a good reflection of light in the eyes.

Enlarge the photo so that you can easily work with the eye areas. Choosing the lasso tool, draw around the first eye. Then, hold the Shift key down while you use the lasso tool to select the second eye (shown below). Keep in mind that your selection does not have to be perfect. Right click on the photo and you'll see a drop box appear; select the Feather option and set it anywhere between 5 and 9.

Now go to Enhance on the toolbar at the top of the screen; it drops down and after selecting Unsharp Mask you will see a pop up box appear. For this shot I've set the Amount to 160, the Radius to 9.0, and the Threshold to 0, but your settings may vary a little depending on your photo and preference.

Select OK, and voila!

Below is a before and after for your reference.

Well, I hope you find this tutorial useful. As I said before there are several techniques for enhancing the eyes, so I may post other methods later as well. Until then...enjoy.

Bree and the Great Pumpkin

2010-10-30T01:15:00.001-05:00

Baby Bree came back to see me again for a holiday portrait. She is just so delicious, I look forward to many more shoots with her.

I decided to include more before and after shots again.

We got in a mommy and me portrait as well (above).

2010-10-07T16:32:00.001-05:00

I'm crediting the holidays for bringing about some surprise shoots. My baby, Bree, is back for more. Her mommy and daddy want her in Halloween mode. The recent engagement shoot with Mike and Alicia has brought about a family shoot for a friend of Alicia's and is scheduled for the weekend after this. And I have an old friend from elementary, who has rekindled our friendship on Facebook, inquiring about Christmas pictures.

I'm exhausted just thinking about it all - excited, but exhausted.

Mike and Alicia

2010-09-29T09:39:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of putting together some engagement portraits for Mike and Alicia, and besides fending off our famous "everything is bigger in Texas"-sized mosquitoes, this was such an easy shoot. The lighting that day was really beautiful, and the couple - sweetly affectionate.

I enjoyed trying out the Coffeeshop Perfect Portrait action which seems to give a duller portrait some pop! To accomplish this, I actually had to adjust these to a lesser contrast first and then apply the action, which, by the way, I obtained free from The Coffeshop Blog. All this was applied after I had finished my own tweaking: a mosquito removal here, a little liquify there, etc.

I love seeing fellow photog's before and after shots. Maybe because I feel I'm seeing some secret part of their artwork that I'm not really supposed to witness, but that's about all the "trouble" I can handle getting into these days. In light of my appreciation to all those professionals who so graciously share their "secrets", I though this session provided the perfect opportunity to do the same. So here ya go. (Big thanks again to Alicia and Mike! ♥)

Lil' bug

2010-08-29T17:47:00.008-05:00

Found this little bug while weeding my garden today.

Photo manipulation practice continues, and I'm certain my methods leave a lot to be desired, and a class would be awesome, but who has the time. So I'll continue to practice, and surf the net for information, and practice more. I'm betting the model, my daughter Drew, will become exhausted with me long before I've mastered the manipulating technique. (After all, the shrink ray really takes a lot out of you!) Until then...

This piece is actually three separate shots combined. The first shot being of my daughter pretending to sleep with a stuffed toy. We set up on a white sheet spread out for staging in her bedroom. The second shot was of the shell which measures approximately 1 inch in legnth. I took many shots of many shells, some placed on a black background, others on white. The third and final shot is the nature shot. This came from the garden in my front yard. There were several areas and several angles but the rock and greenery in this shot is from one take, although while working on this I had to duplicated this layer. I don't believe I added any textures to this, so any appearrance that I did is "accidental". In the end, I really need to be more learned on better shading techniques.

Therapy (Series entitled: Consequently, me)

2010-08-20T23:21:00.001-05:00

Another turn in my photography/art. This piece is inspired by several of my flickr friends. I really wanted to try my hand at some manipulative photography. This was my first try and I have much more in mind, but it was eating at me to get something done, and I was the only "model" at the time. I hate having my picture taken, so I really thought of this as therapy in that way (hince the name). The plan is to do a series entitled "Consequently, me", which will tell my story defining me and my life's path. In that right, the title of this piece (Therapy) stands true, as it still defines me in that I have, at times, resorted to my dream state to escape my reality. When surrounded by unhappy or unsatisfying circumstances, which I don't feel I can escape in actuality, I create my perfect world in my fantasies. Maybe you can relate?

I have plans to do other series as well, so I may flip-flop between them, but you have to go where the heart leads, right.

Bree

2010-08-15T23:24:00.001-05:00

Here are a few shots from my first "professional" infant setting. Baby Bree was one month old at the time and absolutely adorable. I could have held her all day.

I was super pleased with the end results, and consquently, photoshopping was quick and painless. Therefore, I played a bit and came up with the piece below.

Kaitlyn

2010-07-18T00:03:00.001-05:00

My gorgeous niece, Kaitlyn, is a natural in front of the camera. She was an absolute doll to "work" with and I came away from this shoot with so many photos, it was difficult to narrow down. I have discovered a real passion for creating triptychs. They seem to capture so much personality and mood, but can you tell the mosquitoes were attacking my poor model?

Senior Shoot - Colton

2010-05-19T20:16:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to post the results of my last senior shoot. I've had so much going on lately and blogging has only now moved up to the top of the list. The following are a few of my favorites but you can find more on my flickr.

I have to admit, I've watched one of my favorite photographers do series shoots like the one above, and I love, love, LOVE them. So here is my first take on a series shoot of my handsome nephew and again, I love it (and him). It is probably my favorite from the shoot because it seems to capture an intimate moment that I know ALL the girls hearts will melt over. ~ Congratulations Colton on your 2010 graduation, your future is SO bright! Best wishes and lots and lots of love to you.

(forget it girls, you're not ready)

My 2nd assignment

2010-04-15T21:40:00.001-05:00

Saturday!! Saturday I get to do another senior shoot. This time it's my nephew. Another freebie in exchange for experience. I have some ideas I'm really excited about, but I'm still nervous because it's my sister and I'm not sure if she has some preconceived ideas that I will be competing with.

Also started a second flickr account, Skin & Bone, for posting my textures on it. You can check them out here.

1st Senior Shoot

2010-04-08T21:59:00.001-05:00

Last weekend I had my very first senior shoot! This is Simone, my cousin's daughter and she was an absolute pleasure to "work" with. Although we fought the sun and some wierd shadows created by the surrounding foliage, I learned a lot and got some really great shots. I'm alreadly looking forward to a second senior shoot with my nephew, but until then you can check out the other shots from this session on my flickr.

2010-03-29T21:06:00.004-05:00

Both Drew and Wolfie were such good sports letting mommy practice portrait shots, but they are such beautiful models too.

It was such a wonderful weekend with my babies. It's highlight would have to be teaching Drew to ride her bike without the training wheels. It exhausted me but I'm not sure who was more excited and proud with her accomplishment, me or her. And now, she can't be stopped. Although, I counted five wardrobe changes because she kept riding her bike through the water puddles, but don't even try to keep her out of the water.

Wishful Dreaming

2010-03-21T20:42:00.001-05:00

Dreaming, 8x8

Wishful, 8x8

This weekend I worked on a canvas painting...uh... IF it can be called that yet. I have been staring at this white canvas for at least a month now and I was itching to get some paint splashed on it, but after several attempts now, I got nothing. Is this artist's block? I've got an idea of what I want to do, but I haven't got an end result yet. It's my first painting in... I don't know how long, so I've got all this pressure built up that I want this one to be SO fantastic. Something cool. Something both guys AND gals would enjoy. Something I would place on my own wall. Obviously, I'm going to need to sketch this one out first. Until then, more photography.

The above shots were taken at least a year ago. I had played around with it for a while and revisited it recently, hence this.

2010-03-20T21:39:00.003-05:00

On March 16th this year, I made it to the front page of etsy.com for the first time (see the muffler shot in the middle of the first row, entitled "Demuffled No. 1"). Sadly, I didn't even realize it until today. But today, I couldn't be more excited about it! Looking back, I realize the clues should have tipped me off...duh. (I had a load of fans mark my shop as a favorite. I thought it was just a busy day on etsy.) Regardless, today is a good day to realize my frontpage debut - I was in desperate need of good news (it's been in short supply lately). So YEEEAAAAHHH (jumping up & down now)!! And lots of thanks to Jean at 3squares for including me on her fabulous treasury. I do appreciate it. And you know what?!?! She has some fabulous stuff listed in her shop too! Like this beautiful peruvian blue paisley necklace, and totally creative copper and silver bracelet, then there is a too cool Hearts of Romaine heart-shaped necklace that is to die!! Seriously this artist is too talented and I could go on and on and on about her creations but you should really jump over there and see for yourself!

2010-03-06T15:24:00.001-06:00

The carnival came to town last weekend and these are a couple of shots born from the event.

Title: Racing Stripes

Title: Widow Maker

Both are available in my etsy shop.

2010-03-06T15:17:00.001-06:00

I've been out of pocket for a while. Been in sort of a funk that I seem to go in to when it gets overcast for too long. It's amazing how the weather can effect a mood. But instead of going on and on about my crybaby excuses, I created more "Mood Swing" textures to share. All of my textures are free for your use as a layer in your image-editing software creations for both personal or commercial work. However, the unedited original may not be sold or distributed in any way. Enjoy.

1. Sweat | 2. Impatience | 3. Stoked

4. Determination | 5. Stimulated | 6. Forgotten

FREE!! New "Mood Swing" Textures

2010-01-17T23:48:00.001-06:00

I have created some new textures for your use and abuse. You can download these and/or any of my textures from my flickr site. The above are part of my "Mood Swing" collection. Enjoy, and I would love to see some of your art created with them.

By the way, these are FREE - no strings attached textures.

One of my canvas textures - again, it's a FREE for all!

Available here.

2010-01-04T22:37:00.008-06:00

I have been photographing for my personal enjoyment for about 15 years. And I took photography classes at the Art Institute of Houston. But I’ve never really done any macro photography. So, last year I got a new and awesome camera for Christmas from my eldest son (must have done something right), and just recently coupled it with a new lens that has macro capabilities.

I went on a “field trip” recently, stalking out my first macro shots and it went nothing like I hoped. Actually, it was awful. For one, the sun did not cooperate…AT ALL. (Do you think there is a secret to photographing under dull grey skies? – I’ll google it later. Maybe! It is called pho...to...shop.)

The dyptech (above) was the first thing I looked at when I exited my vehicle. I thought that I would do a few practice shots before looking for that perfect one – turned out to be closer to twenty practice shots! After the fence, I went for a walk hoping something would either “pop out” at me or jump up and down screaming for me to photograph it. No such luck.

Macro Photography Lesson Number 1: the photographer must learn to look at everything with a completely different perspective…duh. And this (MUST) take practice, practice, practice. Because - I’ll be honest (and embarrassed) - I am one of “those” that looked at a fantastic macro photo and thought, “It’s just a leaf! There are a billion leaves out there! So I’ll just zoom in on one. That’s easy! Right?” WRONG! (LOL) So before I go on, let me apologize to all of the macro photographers out there, for my ignorance.

Next time out, I’m thinking I’ll grab a picnic blanket and just relax on it for a while, allow nature to come to me, rather than me stalking nature out. Or, maybe I’ll simply walk around my yard and practice, practice, practice. I’d definitely be more comfortable there anyway. (Secret about me, I can’t stand the idea of people watching me photograph.)

Anyway, comment back with your constructive criticism (or whatever), maybe a photography tip you have found useful and don’t mind sharing. - I L♥VE L♥VE L♥VE TO HEAR FROM YA’LL!

2010-01-03T00:06:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, I spent most of the day lounging in my pj's and admiring some of the following - amazing - flickr photographers who have sparked new inspiration for me. I probably marked at least 20 photos by this talent as favorites - Moosebite is my hero! And then there is the amazing and generous Isabelle Lafrance who offers free photoshop actions! Kudos Isabelle! While macro magic is evident in Martha's photostream, and, thanks to her, I can't wait for tomorrow's field trip to break-in my new macro lens! Hopefully, I'll get some results posted soon, but that darn full-time job keeps getting in the way of the more important things in my life - ugh!

2010-01-01T01:34:00.001-06:00

My dad, may he rest in peace, was a big guy, who seemed to strike the fear of God in all of his daughters' male friends. Surrounded by women in his home, he couldn't wait for coffee and a smoke with his friends every morning before sun-up. Born a poor country boy, he worked - hard - all of his life, and took up smoking before his teens. His gruff laugh was infectious and he always left a memorable impression with those he encountered. He loved beautiful art and poetry, old country music and horses, a big truck and Marlboro's. His hands were huge and rough, so even his tender touch was not so tender. He loved the children and, according to him, all of the grandchildren favoured his features.

Yesterday was New Year's Eve - it was also my father's birthday. Happy birthday dad.

2009-12-22T20:40:00.002-06:00

Home for the holidays, my eldest stepson has taken a break from military training, and my eldest son is home from college. Did I mention I am a mother of five? (His, hers, and ours. And we had custody of all of them.) Did I also mention they are four boys, and the last is the girl. Whew! It's been fun. Loud, busy, messy, educational fun.

Only a few days until Christmans. I just grabbed the last gift on the list. Tonight I finish wrapping.

Next stop, New Year's! My resolution - increase my art and decrease my waist.

What's yours?

2009-12-22T20:21:00.001-06:00

Just another version of my 1950 Jeep Willy.

2009-12-15T22:51:00.001-06:00

Pink Weed - 8x8

I have plans to work on some assemblage art as well as a painting or two. With all of the holiday hustle and bustle right now, it is hard to find time to accomplish much art. On the other hand, inspiration is everywhere, so I'm, at the very least, taking plenty of notes.

2009-12-07T22:42:00.002-06:00

The day after Thanksgiving my sister's kids and I had a last minute photo shoot. It was a lot of fun despite my son getting into some of our park's famous poison oak. Two bottles of Caladryl lotion and 400 photos later, my son is on the mend and I'm really happy with the outcome of the shoot. I've posted several more photos on the flickr site.

2009-11-23T23:03:00.002-06:00

Out of the blue,

a serendipitous life change,

a chance meeting,

a meaningful connection,

a windfall of fortune

doing what you love.

No coincidences.

No more excuses.

No more waiting.

You are a part of the Divine.

Everything is possible,

when you connect to your Spirit.

2009-11-23T22:18:00.003-06:00

2009-11-17T22:34:00.002-06:00

Today I launched my first note cards. Each set features one of my

photos. Blank inside, but the outside can be personalized at no extra

charge. Set of 10 cards w/envelopes for only $10.00

(this is an introductory price only).

Prints turned out really nice, I am so happy with them.

I am working on more layouts with more of my photos, so

if you would like to order a set using one of my photos not currently

shown on a note card, please do not hesitate to contact me.

To order visit my etsy shop: http://www.barefootposse.etsy.com/

Next stop....calendars!

2009-11-17T22:27:00.004-06:00

2009-11-17T22:25:00.001-06:00

This one is named I've named for my daughter because

it reminds me of her...soft, beautiful, and dreamy. (I love you sweetie.)

(Color enhancments created using Isabelle LaFrance's soulful sweetness action.)

2009-11-17T22:19:00.001-06:00

2009-11-17T22:16:00.000-06:00

I captured this photo during a family romp in the park

and named it for the Spanish Moss (aka Greybeard)

that embellishes the trees surrounding this building.

2009-11-17T22:12:00.000-06:00

This is number 3 in a series of 5 photos entitled Fly Bird Fly.

These pigeons were perched atop a local bank building and would

occasionally take flight, circling the building as if they were playing.

To view the rest in this series visit my etsy shop:

http://www.barefootposse.etsy.com/

2009-11-03T19:25:00.000-06:00

This one is called "Quack". (I know your laughing with me now, right?) What can I say? It was 2:00 a.m. in the morning and I had to come up with a title, and "quack" was pretty much all that came to mind.

After double-checking it the following morning, I still liked it. And it looks pretty awesome framed, so I've included one (below) for your visualization reference.

But, what do you think?

2009-11-01T18:01:00.004-06:00

I have been working every spare minute on the etsy shop and my photography. My goal now is to introduce my photo pendants on etsy as well as some bookmarks and note cards. I'll keep you posted.

And big thanks to the 48 etsy-ers who have marked my shop a favorite - it's so encouraging to have my shop bookmarked.

2009-11-01T17:59:00.001-06:00

I called this one "In retrospect" because it simply looked like a great place to go and think things out or just chill. I can get lost in this photo.

2009-11-01T17:58:00.000-06:00

2009-11-01T17:54:00.000-06:00

2009-10-25T14:51:00.002-05:00

This angel is especially pretty once framed, so I included one for your reference.

2009-10-25T14:47:00.001-05:00

2009-10-25T14:39:00.002-05:00

While I have an appreciation of cemetary photos depicted as dark, gothic and/or mysterious; I want to portray my cemetary from another perspective - that of light, hope, and peace.

2009-10-25T14:36:00.001-05:00

2009-10-25T14:32:00.002-05:00

2009-10-15T22:03:00.001-05:00

2010 Bucket List (I need to watch that movie again)

2009-10-15T21:58:00.003-05:00

1. 150 photos on BarefootPosse.etsy.com
2. create a handsome collection of assemblage art
3. create assemblage jewelry line
4. complete 1 large scale painting
5. post, promote, post, promote on etsy
6. spend more time with my kids creating (they too are artists at heart)
7. re-model the guest bathroom
8. replace flooring in my son’s bedroom
9. declutter and organize the homestead
10. clean up the sunroom, garage, and dining area
11. create and organize a studio space
12. budget better
13. read more
14. blog more
15. travel more
16. begin running again watch my food proportions loose weight
17. finish the birds and skulls ink around my cherry blossom tree (tattoo)
18. get the skull in the grass ink on my back
(shhhh, don’t tell my son though, he’s reprimanded me on this subject already)
19. figure out how and block the neighbors from piggy-backing on my wireless internet service
(I like ya – but I don’t like ya that much)
20. take my blood-pressure medicine like a good girl this year
21. recycle, recycle, recycle
22. save money for the a/c unit I will probably have to replace next summer-ugh
23. quit my day job
24. homeschool my last two
25. get an etsy interview for the “Quit your Day Job” blog

2009-10-15T20:47:00.000-05:00

2009-10-15T20:44:00.000-05:00

2009-10-15T20:03:00.001-05:00

2009-10-04T13:21:00.000-05:00

2009-10-04T13:14:00.000-05:00

Castle Wolfenstein was created using a combination of several of my photos and a couple of layers. My son, Wolfgang, sitting over my shoulder in awe of photoshop the whole time, I have named this photo for him. I hope you enjoy.

2009-10-04T13:13:00.000-05:00

2009-10-04T13:11:00.000-05:00

2009-09-30T23:51:00.001-05:00

The first flocks are finally passing through town and I jumped at the opportunity to capture a few shots. It won't be long before they are making such a mess that I will be happy to see them go. Until then, I'll be lurking with my camera.

Reminder: if you'd like to purchase, please visit my etsy shop (link at the top right corner): www.barefootposse.etsy.com

2009-09-30T23:40:00.000-05:00

2009-09-30T23:38:00.000-05:00

2009-09-30T23:36:00.000-05:00

2009-09-30T23:33:00.000-05:00

2009-09-22T21:56:00.000-05:00

2009-09-22T21:47:00.000-05:00

2009-09-17T11:29:00.000-05:00

My heartfelt appreciation to Julia for featuring my photography (etsy shop) in her blog! What a super compliment!

Check it out at:
http://ramblinggallivantinggirl.blogspot.com/2009/09/amazing-etsy-photographers_17.html

Check out Julia's etsy shop at:
http://gallivantinggirl.etsy.com

and my shop at:
http://barefootposse.etsy.com

2009-09-13T23:56:00.000-05:00

2009-09-13T23:53:00.000-05:00

2009-09-13T23:49:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited I don't know "whether to scratch my watch or wind my butt" (Steel Magnolias).

Not only did I make my first etsy sale today, but I have also been asked to be featured on a fellow-bloggers page. I'm really looking forward to it Julia, thank you so much for your interest!

2009-09-12T22:01:00.000-05:00

2009-09-12T21:58:00.001-05:00

I now have 43 pictures uploaded and available for purchase at my etsy shop: http://www.barefootposse.etsy.com/

I've also upgraded my banner from generic to professional. Looks cool, I think.

But if you will check out my shop and let me know your thoughts, I would truly appreciate it.

I think I've got a lot of antique car pictures right now, but plan to post a buffet of others (trying to appeal to many).

2009-09-12T21:56:00.000-05:00

2009-09-12T21:55:00.000-05:00

2009-09-12T21:51:00.000-05:00

In business!

2009-08-22T14:54:00.000-05:00

Today I am officially an "etsy" girl. I've got my work posted for sale and you can check it out at: www.barefootposse.etsy.com

I just can't express how excited I am about this venture and I've got to go now, because I have so much more to do with it!

I hope you take a moment to check out my etsy shop! Let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions!

Thanks!

2009-08-22T14:53:00.001-05:00

2009-08-22T14:51:00.001-05:00

2009-08-10T23:47:00.000-05:00

2009-08-10T23:44:00.000-05:00

2009-08-10T23:37:00.000-05:00

2009-08-05T21:11:00.000-05:00

2009-08-05T21:10:00.000-05:00

2009-08-05T21:09:00.000-05:00

2009-08-05T21:01:00.000-05:00

2009-08-05T20:56:00.000-05:00

etsy beginnings

2009-08-05T20:42:00.000-05:00

etsy.com shop, phase 1: I have signed up for an etsy shop and opened a paypal account. My first features will be my photography, shown above. I am unable to print some of my larger scale photographs, so I am currently making inquiries with several professional photography studios in an effort to decide which will provide the best quality prints on the best quality paper. The goal: I'd like to have these prints available for purchase by the end of August at: http://www.barefootposse.etsy.com/

All original photography will be signed and numbered on the back of the photograph and the copyright mark will not appear on the original purchased piece.

Barefoot Ventures

2009-04-05T00:59:00.001-05:00

I have finally formed my business which will operate under the name Barefoot Posse, LLC. I've named the company for my family (my posse), who always seem to be barefooted. The intention is to use this business as a sponsor to my various other ventures in whatever excites me.