We recently redecorated our guest bedroom in soft blues and grays. Along one small accent wall my husband installed shiplap. The basics are in place and there is still a large bare wall staring at me when I walk into the room. So today I played with a photo I shot off the coast of Peurto Vallarta while our extended family was vacationing in nearby Sayulita, Mexico. A copy was imported into Topaz Impressions then blended with the original photo and finished up with several more texture layers in Photoshop. I ordered a 32 x 24 canvas print from Costco. I was aiming for a painterly feel and wanted to lighten and brighten it a bit to fit the colors in the room a little better. Below is the original for comparison.
This is the first time I played with multiple photo layers in black and white. The stairway is leading to the center photo of Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy. I layered on a few textures in color to give a vintage appearance to areas along the border. The tree and bird are from our cabin property. On the lower left notice some padlocks on a ring; locks of love.
After coming home from vacation it took me awhile to get back in the swing of making art. This piece started off as a hot mess and I almost dumped it. But in the AWAKE class there was a video about creating for fun. Just play and see what happens. After all, I don't have to show everything I make - just my best work. This piece finally came together and I'm happy with it. The girl was from a wedding I was shooting, most of the path and trees was from a trip to Italy and the plum blossoms are from a tree in my garden.
