Foto Friday...Adorn Me!

So this week I have been at an art retreat called Adorn Me! in Houston. I took two night classes with Jen Cushman using resin and a day class with Diane Cook making an etched and layered brass cuff.

This first picture is of the cuff bracelet. We were all given a brass cuff that we prepared for etching and then as a resist we used black ink and rubber stamps. There is definitely a bit of trickiness to getting a clean stamp on a curved bracelet! After the cuffs went through the etching process and they were cleaned and patinaed it was time for some embellishments. So using a metal hole punch and some nuts and bolts we attached stuff to our bracelets. I still have some embellishing to do on mine as it still needs just a bit of bling. Diane is such a sweet person, and fabulous instructor and I enjoyed very much the opportunity to take this class from her. 



The other two night classes were with Jen Cushman using resin applications. The first night we made some paper collages and coated them with ICE resin®. It gives some of the papers a beautiful translucence and they become waterproof. The paper can still be torn or cut and they are still very pliable. I took some of my own photographs to collage with and became very excited at the possibilities! Jen just radiates enthusiasm in helping others with the creative process. Here are some of the pages....

And this one shows the ring and the page I used for it. We made a ring band out of nickel silver and I gave mine a texture using a rivet hammer. I still need to tweak this too! What you can't see is the long bolt still sticking out. In order to get a really good connection I need to take everything off and flatten the top some more so the nut will fit securely.

But I do have a few more pictures other than those from my classes. I needed to get out yesterday for some fresh air after being inside in classes. And going to the nursery seems to help me regain my center. Not only are they loaded with new shipments of flowers that are beautiful, but it's also intoxicating for one's nose.

                       I was able to capture this Monarch that landed right in front of me.

This is one of the things that I love about Maas Nursery. It's not a chain, and they live on site so everywhere you turn there are wonderful surprises. They had so much damage from hurricane Ike since they are less than a half a mile from Galveston Bay if that. Instead of taking out the trees that fell they have left them where they landed and work around it. Love it! I guess I need to take some pictures of those next time.

         This is probably one of the most beautiful colors of hibiscus I have ever seen. It literally glowed!

                                And it wouldn't be a trip to Maas without a picture of the gate!!

 I'm packing up my supplies to head out to Adorn Me! once again. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend full of creativity!

Love, Kim

XO

Foto Friday

The weather is getting warmer and people are starting to mingle about a bit more. This means that the chess players at the Starbucks I frequent are taking it outside. I'm not much of a people photographer and not exactly a shy person, but it can feel a little awkward to ask strangers if they mind I share their personal space. I'm getting over it! But don't let the pictures fool you because although they look deep in thought there was quite a bit of laughing going on. I do find people to be quite interesting and maybe I'll start bringing a journal with me....everyone has a story.

Concentrating.....

I love how the game board is reflected in his glasses.

A friend watching. . .

. . . his friend make a move.

They invited me to come back with or without my camera - maybe I'll even learn how to play chess?

Then it was off to you know where to get some pictures of flowers and such.

Spring has to be one of my favorite seasons, everything renews.

I didn't bring my tripod with me this time and it was just breezy enough to make

it tricky to get a really good focus. But I do love the old fashioned feeling of this one.

 

And I never tire of taking a picture of this gate!!

  And then a little game of hide and seek. As soon as he saw me he ran between two concrete benches with an opening of maybe an inch. This lizard and I had a love hate relationship. I loved that he posed long enough for my camera and he hated that I wouldn't leave!

After I left there it was off to a favorite path that leads to the gulf and one that has a sign that says 'snake and gator habitat' but I have yet to see either one!

Yep that's me and my shadow.

That path led me to this. And you can't see from here but there is a party happening at the end of this pier. Probably about a dozen people fishing, and having fun, and some of which I suspect were playing hookie from work. As a group of them were leaving they asked me to take their picture as long as their wives didn't see it.

 

This was the only catch of the day between about twenty poles hanging over the edge of the pier.  Ask a guy if he caught anything and they are more than happy to take it out of the cooler and pose with it. He wanted to know if it would be on the news. Umm, no. He was wanting me to help him get a sponsor for bass fishing, really?

The next two were actually shot earlier in the week and are one of my favorites to do - silhouettes!

There is this grove of trees that are scattered along a creek and they're covered with Spanish moss. As I was crossing the bridge over the creek as the sun was setting it looked like an enchanted forest. But when I actually got down into the trees the perspective just wasn't the same as it was on the bridge. 

And last but not least I do like the contrast in this one between the soft focus of the trees

and the hard lines of the iron fence.

Wishing you all a great week, and don't forget to take your camera with you. You never know what or who you might run into.

Kim