christmas day 2016

libations!!'
yellowtail merlot and fireball whiskey. [ not together]

presents!!!

smiles!!!

rain falls in my thoughts today...;
a rare reflection; not quite dark, 
but shrouded

book review; Understanding Exposure

Understanding Exposure, by Brian Peterson, is just what I needed to get a grip on understanding the many important things about exposure; typically called The Exposure Triangle (apeture, speed, and ISO).
The book is filled with good photographs that give examples of how a picture can change when these settings are changed.  That was a good teaching tool.
As a beginner, all this information can be a bit overwhelming, but with a lot of practice (i.e. picture taking), and this tool in my pocket, I'm sure my photography will improve little by little over the years.
There is a good section in the book that explains some special techniques, using polarizing filters and graduated neutral density filters. 
There is also a comprehensive section on using different types of flash in your photography.
I'm sure I will refer to this book many times, and am glad to have it among my reference books on photography.

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I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

caroline's birthday extravaganza

some photos from caroline's birthday bash

annette and donna

donna and susan

donna, annette, charlie and basha

birthday girl, caroline

book review:Wonderland

This book,Wonderland;a coloring book inspired by alice's adventures,by Amily Shen is just beautiful. The illustrations are whimsical and great fun to color. the pages are bright and the perfect weight for use with markers as well as pencils. Even the dust jacket can be colored.

i can't say enough great things about this book.  my only criticism  is the omission of a major Wonderland character , the caterpillar.  Aside from that, Wonderland is a very fun coloring book.

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I received this book from Blogging for Books, for the purpose of this review.

dancing; some watercolor sketches

coney island paintings

 madam zola
acrylic on board

 old steeplechase
watercolor on paper

 cyclone
acrylic on canvas

 you must be this high to ride
mixed media on canvas

the old parachute jump
ink on paper

Book Review:Paris Street Style

what can one say about a coloring book? this is an elite coloring book, as fun as it is charming.From it's gorgeous cover of gold on brown, Paris Street Style ,  a coloring book by zoe de las casas, is pure entertainment.. the book is an elegant size with the feel of a journal. complete with a bookmark and elastic band to keep it closed. once open, the pages are covered with whimsical drawings, detailed enough to be interesting but not so detailed as to make your eyes hurt. the fashions are diverse and beg for color!!

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once you've heard the blue guitar version five

Modern Printmaking A guide to traditional and digital techniques

This book, Modern Printmaking: A guide to traditional and digital techniques by Sylvie Covey is a comprehensive study and history of printmaking.The book is well presented, with easy to read ,informative text and many beautiful illustrations of the many different methods of printmaking. The book is printed on heavy weight, glossy paper, which compliments the prints.
I was a little disappointed that there was only one chapter focusing on  digital printmaking techniques which is my main interest. but all in all , this book is informative and beautiful.  I would recommend it to anyone interested in printmaking.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for the purpose of this review.

Book Review, "Pop Painting"

I knew nothing about this artist, camilla d'errico or the genre of "pop surrealism" when i began this book, "pop painting".  This is  a beautiful book, filled with dozens of full color illustrations which take the reader thru the artist's entire process.from concept to finished painting.Along with step by step instructions, camilla d'errico includes chapters on tools, techniques and how to take your work from hobby status, to presenting a portfolio to galleries...valuable information for any artist. There is also a section of how to deal with rejection which artists of all genres face...and is all too often unaddressed.
While it turns out that this is not a style of painting I particularly enjoy, i was very impressed with the quality of the work
I received this book from Blogging for Books.,

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once upon a time, continued

photos: tony tirado

once upon a time

batiks on silk

the goddess smiles/ an early batik

some batik silk from a long time ago