Saturday, July 28, 2012

Pink Hibiscus In Bloom & The Wonders Of Photoshop

**I'm taking a blogging break for a week or so to finish enjoying some of my vacation time**

This week in my perennial garden the pink hibiscus have started to bloom, they are a summer favorite of mine as they always put on such a pretty show for about 4 weeks during the season.


I use a lot of my black eyed susans that have started blooming for cut flowers to bring in the house and sit on the living room coffee table.


With the black eyed susans, I like to cut them to bring them inside after a good rain or after I have watered, that way I find they will not wilt but will last for many many days.  I also run freezing cold water over the ends of the cut stems, which also seems to help.


The hibisucs I cannot cut and bring in, they wouldn't work as a cut flower but they sure are pretty to look at and photograph each year.



I hope you have beautiful blooms in your own garden each week to look forward to and photograph as they put on their summer show.



Ok, on to wonders that don't have anything to do with nature, this particular one centers around the amazing things that can be accomplished by using Photoshop.  This past week when I submitted "Fair Weather Friends" to my licensing agent Laurie, she asked that I change the types of birds in the painting to better suit what they are needing to make the image more usable for them.  
To keep my original painting in tact I decided to create the chickadee, goldfinch and wren that Laurie asked for on loose sheets of unstretched canvas and insert them into the orginal image by using photoshop.  Above is the goldfinch, I painted this bird leaving out the areas that would be in front of him in the painting, so he could just be slipped in behind  the purple climatis petals.


The end result is a pretty cool variation on my original theme.  The original painting is left in tact and a second digital image is created using the newly painted birds.....the finished product is two very different bird house scenes.  These changes of course did not magically appear with the waving of a wand (I wish) I did the painting and Chris (the husband with the photoshop chops) created the new digital image for me.  He did a great job so thank you photoshop for existing in the first place and thank you husband for all your hard work on this image.

10 comments:

Miss Val's Creations said...

I am so jealous of all your hibiscus Ruth! They are beautiful! I just have 2 plants my parents gave me from their yard a couple of years ago which are doing really well. Black eyed susans are growning wildly along my woods. I will be gathering them in the fall and putting them together in the garden. I made a mental note about cutting those to bring inside. It is wonderful when you can bring in flowers from your garden to enjoy.

Very cool about Photoshop. It is so amazing what we can do these days! Have a great week!

The Painted Garden said...

Hi Ruth,
Your flowers are amazing. I am in awe that your husbnd could make changes to your painting with photoshop - thank you for sharing - it is like a miracle program!!
Have a creative day.
Blessings,
Erin

ArtSings1946 said...

Wow, love your hibiscus. You know I never heard of these flowers until I moved to Florida .. and this so reminds me that I need to plant one in our little courtyard. What am I waiting for???? Love your painting, especially the bird. I love, love, love wild birds.

Happiness always

Memories for Life said...

I don't have my own blooms, so I always love seeing yours :)
It's great that you can create a new piece to meet your client's wishes without having to create a whole new piece! Gotta love Photoshop :)

Catherine Holman said...

That's great that your husband can do that for you. I have to do my own photoshop work. It's a sure is a time saver! I'm so glad you have a licensing agent and hope you and your beautiful artwork are blessed by that.

Celestina Marie said...

Hi Ruth, Your hibiscus are gorgeous. I love haging them in pots but our Miss B used to eat the leaves so I have not enjoyed them for a few years. Enjoyed seeing your beautiful blooms.
Love your painting and it is so amazing what can be done with photoshop and other editing programs.
Thank you for stopping by. I was actually in Miami Florida this weekend with my hubby for his work. We had a nice time although it was very hot and humid. Not as hot as here, but the humidity made up for it.
Have a great creative week.
Hugs, Celestina Marie

Donna said...

Your flowers are beautiful, Ruth, and the hibiscus is gorgeous! I've always loved those big bright blooms.

Photoshop can do amazing things! I love your painting.

Hugs,
Donna

NeereAnDear said...

Oh my oh my oh my ... I am in love with the painting ... in love with the hummingbirds and in love with the hibiscus ... they are beautiful !!

I truly love the creative way you changed out the bird ... so nice to have a hubby that can do that in the wink of an eye ... I think that is a very clever idea !!

HUGS AND LOVE ~ JO

Anonymous said...

Bonjour Ruth,
I have no hibiscus in my garden. Yours are lovely and so is the painting with the bird house. With its bright colors it will be perfect to illustrate a children book.
Thank you for stopping by my blog and for your kind comments.
Hélène

Celestina Marie said...

Hi Ruth, So nice to view your pretty flowers again and your creation. Always so inspiring to visit you and your awesome talents.

We were in Miami last weekend and I thought of you. It was so muggy. But we are really hot here in the triple digits. Today is 106 and due to be this hot all week.

Thank you for stopping by. Have a great week ahead and happy creating.
Hugs, Celestina Marie