On the Way to Granny's House- Before and After

About this image:  Little Red Riding Hood...that is the fairy tale that popped into my head when I came across this scene that I photographed back in 2010. In my minds eye, I could see Little Red walking through this forest on the way to Granny's when she comes across the Big Bad Wolf. I love scenes that have an air of fantasy about them. It gets the imagination going.

The original photograph left a lot to be desired. It had a huge sign blocking the left side of the barn, and the sky was not very interesting. So, with a bit of digital magic (read: hard work recreating the left side of the barn), I was able to create this final product that I felt good about. It is moody, dark, and has an air of fantasy about it. Bingo.

I've been fighting an illness this week and today I am down and out. I am typing this from my bed on my laptop as I have committed to rest today, trying to fight the fever and terrible sore throat that has plagued me for a few days. Aren't sore throats the worst? My ears always seem to follow suit when my throat becomes infected and then it hurts to swallow, breathe, or talk. Ugh. Anyway, I will be resting, taking lots of zinc, colloidal silver, Vitamin C, drinking lots of water and bone broth, and diffusing essential oils all day today. Hoping to kick this virus's butt.

Have a beautiful weekend and I will see you, hopefully feeling better, on Monday.

xo

Amish Saturday Outing- Digital Art by Tracey Grumbach

Many Amish take the opportunity to take their buggies out for a ride on Saturdays, especially the young people who are courting. If you take a drive through Lancaster County, PA on a Saturday afternoon, you will have plenty of encounters with buggies out and about. Some of the carriages are enclosed, like this one, while others are open. On cold winter days you will find the occupants of the open carriages bundled in blankets with heavy coats and hats to protect them from the cold.

When I am photographing in Lancaster County I always try to respect the Amish and not shoot their faces. Many don't like being photographed (some don't mind) but if I don't have permission directly from them, I respect their choice of not having their likeness recorded on "film."  I prefer to focus on the farms, carriages, landscape, laundry hanging on the lines, quilts, etc. instead of portraits.  If I do take pictures of them, I like to do so from behind so that their faces are hidden. Nothing against anyone who does take pictures of the Amish, I just prefer not to...a personal choice.

Here is a little before and after...I like to go back through all my pictures from years before and find ones that are horrible. I can then use them as a basis to turn into beautiful digital art pieces by painting, texturing, and adding layers on iOS apps and on the computer in Photoshop. Here is a rare before/after of this piece.

I hope everyone had a joy filled, peaceful Christmas celebration yesterday. I had a wonderful Christmas spending time with family. I think we must have played the dominos game Chicken Feet a million times and we played some card games, ate some delicious food, exchanged gifts, and just hung out. It was a wonderful few days.

My mom is still here, but plans to return home tomorrow morning. If you could please keep her in your prayers for safe passage, I would very much appreciate it.

Have a wonderful day today. I plan on slowing beginning to put away gifts and organizing the house. I can't stand when it is in disarray. We will be back in homeschool tomorrow, starting the long winter stretch, counting the days until spring break.

xo

Abandoned

Reality seems valueless by comparison 

with the dreams of fevered imaginations;

reality is therefore abandoned.

~Emile Durkheim

This is what my mantra has been lately with my art. Why stick with reality when I can instead create something from the dreams of my fevered imagination?

For example, why would I stick with the photograph I took (below) when I can transform it, and create a dream-like vision that speaks from my heart? Now, when I see with my eyes scenes like the one on the left, I actually envision the scene on the right in my mind. I've trained myself to "see" this way.

Before and after. Reality abandoned.

Have a wonderful day. Abandon reality and go with your fevered dreams.

xo