Tag Archives: Digital Art

The Creative Playroom – The Timeless French Quarter

French Quarter, April 2016

I’ve been in New Orleans attending a convention this week but I am close to the French Quarter and have managed to break away a few times to check out the French Quarter. What I tried to do with this photo is give a sense of the timelessness of the area. I don’t know for sure but I like to imagine that this is a scene that hasn’t changed much in the last 100 years and won’t change in the next 100.  A restaurant with with barely seen people lingering over the food and a couple strolling by on the paved walkway with the big beautiful doors wide open to let in the light and the air.

You can see a color version of this photo by clicking on it to the right in my Instagram panel. Which do you like better?

I just love it here but I’ll be heading home to Tulsa on Wednesday.

I’m linking with with Nature Footstep’s The Creative Playroom today.

 

Digital Art – Tulsa’s Linnaeus Gardens

Linnaeus Gardens - Topaz Glow - Fin and Feather II 100 pct

Spring is here, last week, (when Spring wasn’t quite here, I guess) I took the big camera to Tulsa’s Linnaeus Gardens and took a few pics. I loved these flowers in the planter. The flowers seem a little overpowered by  the mass of the rocks in the planter and the ultra heavy duty lattice above it but with the flowers, with the bright colors, overcame that mass. At least that is what I think. I used Topaz’s Glow to bring out the grain of the wood and the texture of the rock.

I’m linking with Digital Art Meme

South Tulsa Skywatch

South Tulsa Skywatch - Topaz Glow - Whisker Wires at 32 pct

I used the Whisker Wire filter in Topaz Glow, backed off about two thirds.

So last Sunday it was kind of raining and sprinkling and so Logan and I decided we would go to the local mall and walk around a little bit. So we walked around and mocked the merchandise and left and I snapped the above pic with my cell phone. The sky was very dramatic. After a winter of no drama is was nice to see a few clouds.

What are the skies like where you live?

I’m linking with Skywatch Friday

Digital Art – Back to the Future

Amplifier with Tubes- Topaz Glow - Blazing Neon II at 78 pct

Son Logan and I were wandering around Best Buy the other day when I was attracted to this strange glowing device. It is an amplifier for a music system and it uses tubes! Those of a certain age remember going to stores with suspect tubes in hand and putting it in the tester to check. That all went by the way side when solid state amplifiers and televisions came about. I still have an amplifier from the 80’s and some massive speakers but I haven’t played anything on them in decades. It has been all about headphones and iphones.

I had heard about purists praising tubes and okay, if it works it works. The recent renaissance of vinyl records has puzzled me also although I do miss the days of rummaging through albums and playing them in the evening with a glass of wine and friends.

Are so called stereo systems making a comeback? I have to tell you the music from the system that included this device sounded wonderful and the speakers were very light.

Anyways, I thought it appropriate to use Topaz Glow to highlight the tubes on this photo.

I’m linking to Digital Art Meme Today

Digital Art Meme – Kwan Yin Sculpture at Tulsa’s Tam Bao Temple

Buddhist Sculpture Kwan Yin - glow squiggly lines ii 82%

I went on a lunchtime geocaching adventure in east Tulsa last week and on the way back to the office I saw a huge sculpture so I pulled off the road and took a photo of the statue. I would have got closer but a dog came bounding out and although friendly acting decided to move on. It turns out that the sculpture is of the Buddhist bodhisattva, Kwan Yin, who represents mercy, compassion, kindness, and love in the Buddhist religion. The sculpture is located at Tulsa’s Tam Bao Buddhist Temple.  The sculpture was erected by the Temple to express their appreciation to the people of Oklahoma and United States for the hospitality extended to the Vietnamese refugees who came here after the Vietnam war.

It is 57 feet tall and made of granite and is beautiful. I used Topaz Lab’s Glow software to add some texture to what was a flat blue sky.

The following is a short (1 minute plus or minus) documentary on the sculpture.

I live for serendipity. Don’t you?

Linking with Digital Art Meme

Skywatch Friday – YMCA Sunset

YMCA Skywatch Sunset Impressions Cezanne II 58 pct

I used Topaz Impressions software on this to give it kind of an impressionistic effect and then dialed it back about 40%. I also cropped out some annoying features.

We are having some colorful skies lately here in Tulsa. I liked how the color was shining through the windows of the old downtown YMCA. A developer demo’d the interior and has the project on hold pending higher oil prices probably. I also like the reflections on the building on the left, the old Amerada Hess Petroleum building. They bugged out for Houston back in the 90’s during another oil downturn, and insurance company occupies the structure now.

Will the last person in Tulsa please turn out the lights?

I’ve been told by numerous people that the energy companies manipulate the prices of oil, natural gas, and gasoline. That may be, if so they are doing a really poor job of it. What do you think.

In the meantime I’ll be enjoying the sunsets.

I’m linking with Skywatch Friday!

Childless Weekend

Leake Park Pond Renoir

Leake Park in Tulsa on a warm sunny Winter Day (up in the 70’s)

The kid has gone with his senior class to Breckenridge, Colorado. We do have proof of life via text messages that he has survived the long bus trip, the snow, and the new surroundings and such. Far cry from when I was a kid where when we left we left and nobody ever thought about calling home or anything. No news was good news.

Heather and I are going places that Logan can’t stand (Bass Pro and Academy) and eating food he won’t eat (sushi) and staying up late without worrying about him but we already miss him and hope that he is having a good time. When we ask him what he is doing we find out that he is “hanging out.” When we ask if he is having a good time we find out “yes.” I’ve taught my son too well I think.

So today, more stuff the kid can’t stand, we are going hiking. What about you? What do you do when the kids are gone? I mean that you can share on a G rated site.  Well, maybe PG.