As you might remember, we have been taking little trips to the country and the mountains over the last few months….just a day two here and there, but enough to feel refreshed and remember that there is more to life than what the city offers. We haven’t done that for a long time, so it really is like a new adventure.
This week I am showing you a collection of images of windows – from the ornate and exuberant to the homey. Most of them are quite old – some are of buildings still used and lived in and others are abandoned.
Window Collage. The images here were sharpened and Curves and Levels adjusted using Photoshop.
The following collection of images has been edited using Photoshop Filter Gallery. They were orangified using Hue/ Saturation, Selective Colour and finally adjusted with Shadows/Highlights.
Man (reluctant mode!) at Window. Carrington Hotel, Katoomba. Photoshop Neon Glow filter.Open Window. Carrington Hotel. Katoomba. Photoshop Poster Edges and Photo filters.Front Veranda Window. Carrington Hotel. Photoshop Dark Strokes filter.Window. The Carrington Hotel, Katoomba. Photoshop Accented Edges filter.Window in Billiard Room. Carrington Hotel, Katoomba. Photoshop Cut Out filter.Window. The Carrington Hotel, Katoomba. Photoshop Accented Edges.Loungeroom Windows. House my Dad built and where I grew up. Photoshop Sumi-e filter.
The countryside is scattered with abandoned, dilapidated shacks..but you will also find majestic mansions as well as quirky suburban houses (the last two were actually directly across the road from each other.
These houses are all in the Oberon-Bathurst area of NSW, where we recently spent a few rambling, relaxing days.
Collage of images – Photoshop sharpened and Curves and Levels adjustments
The Mansion, the Suburban House, the Country Cottage and the Dilapidated Former Farmhouse.
Thank you for your sharing your work last week on MoM and for your comments. Matty was particularly pleased:) And thank you for letting me share a happy family moment with you.
The time has come again for us to see you work. Perhaps you have been on a holiday too like me..or maybe a family celebration? The subject of course is up to you…but don’t forget to make it orange -ish and do a little playing with an editing application if it is a photograph. Of course no need to change anything if you are photographing your painting, drawing, fibre art etc! This is where you can find more information about MoM and links to past collections.
Soon it will be 100! Any suggestions for a celebration?
It is Mothers’ Day in Australia today…which means it is also Nannas’ Day too…a double whammy in fact. Today we gathered for lunch at a cafe – a mummy and two nannas and the “children” and grandchild. Guess what one a nanna and the grandchild had for lunch? Pancakes with ice-cream and strawberries! Whose idea was it? Not telling! But I did have spinach, parsley, ginger and lettuce juice before I left and little Matty had eaten a healthy breakfast.And after all, it was a special day:)
Note Gramp’s healthy veggie turkish roll beside him.
Earlier in the week it was a far more civilised breakfast.. toast and juice….at Matty’s Pre School. Mummy and the two Nannas were the special guests..along with all the others. Of course the two Nannas took lots of photos and here are mine. Don’t you love the magic garden? And the owl?
All the pics were taken with my IPhone..I didn’t want to be too obvious a proud grandmother with my huge camera. However, I wasn’t anonymous, two of the teachers had been students at the school I taught at for nearly 20 years…. they were very likely in my Year 7 Art class. Also, another student of mine, one I remember very fondly, had sent her two children there the year before last.
The Magic Garden images are almost straight from the camera, only a little editing in Photoshop – cropping, adjusting levels and contrast. I did, however, use Topaz to improve clarity.
The lockers, with names and symbols. Matty’s symbol was a butterfly. He always did enjoy the finale of the Very Hungry Caterpillar!
And every child’s favourite – the sand pit. It was huge!
These pics were transformed using Nik Color Efex – Photo Styliser and then adjusted using Photoshop Hue/Saturation, Selective Colour and Photo Filter (Warming).
Next I used PhotoShop Filter Gallery to make changes. The first included two filters, Paint Daubs and Poster Edges. The remainder, my favourite, Poster Edges.
PS Paint Filter Gallery – Paint Daubs and Poster Edges.
The following images were processed using Nik Color Efex and Topaz Filters
I know it it is a fairy garden but I still haven’t been able to get The Beatles “Octopus’ Garden out of my head since seeing the magic garden. Matty and even danced to it. I had to stand on a “stage” (footstool”) of course.
Thank you to everyone who took part in MoM last week…and of course, thank your comments. Now, once again, it is your turn to share your work again.
There is much talk and actually, proposals, to change and ruin one of my favourite places – one of many peoples’ favourite places – Sydney Botanic Gardens and its adjoining Domain gardens. Ruin it with buildings, permanent “sound shells” and …a hotel…… in fact, commercialise what has always been a very peaceful and special place. I remember it as child, I remember it was the first place where my son touched grass….stretching out from his sheepskin rug, as a baby.
Already one side of it is is blocked from our view by a huge building, known locally as “The Toaster”. Let’s hope our former Prime Minister, Paul Keating, can lead the way to having this development stopped.
Here are some pics I took on a recent visit. I have i ncluded “The Toaster” wall too.
The first group are almost straight from the camera… just a little sharpening and changes in levels and curves.
I made several changes using Photoshop for the following series. As well as increasing Vibrance adjusting levels and curves, I also used tthe Selection Tool and Magic Wand to isolate areas. Next, changes with Selective Colour and Hue/Saturation.
Photoshop’s Filter Gallery was next – Dark Edges and my favourite filter, Poster Edges.
And finally, playtime…using Topaz and Nix Color Efex filters.
So now it is over to you. Add your orangish pic to the linky list and let us all see what you have been working on this week. It would be nice if you visit each other too.
During my time away from LorikArt and blogging, I spent a few days in the Australian bush…well…almost. It was at a place called Wallacia, which is on the foothills of the Blue Mountains and actually the outskirts of Sydney. A beautiful, natural, peaceful place. One of the highlights of my stay there was seeing the wallabies. I even woke up one morning to find one watching me from outside my window.
1. The Australian Bush. Photoshop-Sharpened. Curves and Levels adjusted.
2. As Above. Photoshop Hue and Saturation – all but Red, Yellow and Magenta removed. PS Selective Colour – Remove Cyan from Yellow, increase saturation of Magenta in Yellow. Increase saturation of Yellow. PS Photo Filter – Warming Filter 85. Adjust Levels and Selective Colour again.3. Wallaby Watching Me. Photoshop-Sharpened. Curves and Levels adjusted.4. Same adjustments as No. 25. Wallaby Still Watching Me. I dare not move! Photoshop-Sharpened. Curves and Levels adjusted.6.Same adjustments as No. 2 and No. 47. Wallaby Thinking about Eating – but still watching me. Photoshop-Sharpened. Curves and Levels adjusted.8. Same adjustments as No. 2, 4, 6.9. Wallaby Bored with Me…maybe trusting me? Photoshop-Sharpened. Curves and Levels adjusted.10. Same adjustments as No. 2,4, 6, 8.11. Off He/She Goes. Photoshop-Sharpened. Curves and Levels adjusted.12. Same adjustments as No. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10.
Welcome once more to Mandarin Orange Monday. Sorry about the “glitch”…my error in fact, last week, when the linky list didn’t open when it should have done. I had set it to automatically publish and open…it published ok…but not the linky list. This week I will publish a little early, because, once again I won’t be around my computer at the usual time. So I am playing it safe!
This week is about some of the orange objects that have been given to me by family and friends recently. And being an avid “op-shopper” (hoarder? collector?) a couple of things I have actually given to myself…I have to admit:) Orange makes me happy! I hope my collection makes you happy today too:)
1. Collage. Images as taken with adjustments using PS curves, sharpening and increased vibrance.
First, the orange card, with a special handle too, given to me by Matty, my grandson, for my birthday. There are more drawings inside- which my son and daughter-in-law contributed to…and on the back Matty wrote some addition sums. Just for me!
His 4th birthday is today:) Happy Birthday dear Matty x
The candle, with the most beautiful aroma, was chosen by my son, Michael. He followed its aroma into a shop while he was on holiday- it turned out to be an orange candle!
The roses were a surprise present from my husband. They also had a lovely aroma.
Those two shiny orange bangles were given to me by my sister. She chose the top one especially for me for my birthday. Her husband noticed the lighter one underneath in an op shop while they were on holiday and said “your sister would love that”! So I was given two bangles!
The bottle I found in an “antique/collectables” shop in the Blue Mountains, while on a short holiday. And the dress…..well how could I possibly resist it??!! I call it my happy dress:)
I processed the images individually and used Collage Factory Pro to make the collages.
2. Collage. Images individually processed using PS Filter Gallery – Accented Edges.Collage 3. Images individually processed. First PS Selective Colour and Saturation changes. Second Topaz Filters – Clean and Cartoon.1. Rose 1. Processes same as in collage plus Topaz Clean – Cartooned. PS Filter Gallery – Poster Edges. Selective Colour and Curves adjustments.2. Rose2.Processes same as Rose 1 except I used Topaz Clean – Stylise Details instead of Cartooned. PS Poster Edges.3. Bangles.Same as Rose 2. Topaz Clean -Stylise Details. PS Poster Edges.4.Same as Rose 1. Topaz Clean – Cartooned. PS Poster Edges.
5. Bottle. Same as above. Topaz Clean – Cartooned. PS Poster Edges.6. Same as above. Topaz Clean (Cartooned or Stylise Details? sorry…I forget!) PS Poster Edges.7. Umbrella. Same as above. Topaz Clean – Stylise Details. PS Poster Edges.8. Play
It was lovely to see my old friends back and great to see what people have been doing lately in their creative lives. Thank you for all your wonderful comments too, I really did appreciate them. It is nice to know there is such a community out there…and from all parts of the world too!
I am going to try to keep MoM simple for a while…ha! …we’ll see how long that resolution lasts!! Mandarin Orange Monday must remain fun …not only for me…but for you…fun, but also a sharing of our creative pursuits. I am afraid I was probably trying to do too much before…and that is why I took a break. As many of you, I am also working part time ( some of you full time! how do you do it??!) teaching little 8 and 9 year olds – for the first time in years. Everything gets harder as you get older…but I really love doing it. I go home with a smile on my face….a tired one…but it is still a smile.
During my time away from MoM I had three little holidays… just a couple of days for each one. The first was at the the beautiful Blue Mountains. Todays pics were taken at Govetts Leap Lookout.
1. Govetts Leap Lookout2. Govetts Leap Lookout – a little closer.3. Govetts Leap Lookout. Even closer.4. No. 3 Orangified.5. Govetts Leap. Looking down through the safety fence.6. No. 5 Orangified and processed – PS Saturation and Selective Colour.7. No’s 4 and 6 combined. Nik Color Efex.8. No 7 Played with….
Techniques used were mainly default Photoshop, including Poster Edges Filter. I also used Nik Color Software and Topaz Cartoon in one (can you guess which one?).
Once again, it is over to you. I look forward to seeing what you have been doing lately.
Another walk through Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens…still as beautiful as it always has been. I remember visiting there with my mother, grandmother, aunt and cousins often on school holidays. We used to love feeding the ducks too…not so good for the ducks, but we kids thought it was great fun. Also playing hide and seek amongst the many exotic bushes and palms. Still as beautiful as it has always been…for now…but I hear change may be coming….restaurants, more areas for hire for parties etc…. maybe in 20 years it will become a theme park! Let’s hope people like ex Prime Ministers, Paul Keating ( who celebrated his 70th birthday yesterday), has some influence in stopping this from ever happening. And guess who has a birthday today?:))
These pics show some of the treasures up close…almost a little fantasy world.
The first series is almost straight from camera…with some adjustments to Curves in Photoshop
This second series includes some editing using Photoshop. The only filter I used was PS Photo Filter – Warming 85. The processes were – sharpening, cropping, increased Vibrance, and adjustments to Curves. Also changes to in Saturation and Selective colour. The last four have areas selected with magic wand and almost desaturated.
These are playtime – using Nik Color Efex and Topaz filters as well as combining layers.
Thank you to everyone who visited, shared art and left those lovely comments last week. Castro will indeed be proud to hear them:)
Now it is time to see what you have been working on this week – or maybe rediscovered from your archives – I know it is still a busy time of year.
Here in Australia, it is still summer holiday time and actually quite hot. Some parts of Australia are experiencing a heat wave. I hope those of you who are enduring bleak winter conditions in other parts of the world are keeping warm and safe. Perhaps you have some spectacular pics of ice and snow to cool us down!
I have been lucky enough to spend the past couple of weeks in Manly – beautiful harbour views from every window, ferries and other boats passing by. I also had a new friend…well, became reacquainted with an old friend, His name is Castro – a pretty amazing cat.Castro can even use a proper human toilet (his very own of course).
Meanwhile our Melody Cat was being looked after by my son and his family together with regular visits to and fro by my husband and I. The regular visits, I might add, were part of the fun. A ferry ride across Sydney Harbour and short bus ride…all for $2.50 -since we are now “Seniors”. And the odd night alone to do what I wanted…skip meals or have ice-cream for dinner..or watch a television series which definitely is not my usual “cup of tea”. The only hint I will give here is that it is about zombies – I still can’t believe I got hooked . I also must add that for large parts of it I had my hands covering my eyes. My usual favourites are British and Nordic crime fiction – Spooks, Wallander, Borgen etc. This one was very different…
So now it is time to meet Castro.
1. Castro. Pentax istDL. Sigma Macro 70mm lense2. PS Hue/Saturation and Selective Colour changes.3.Desaturate. Nik Silver Efex – Antique. PS Photo Filter – Warming4.PS Tone, Curves, Contrast changes5.PS Hue/Saturation and Selective Colour changes. Nik Color Efex -Polaroid Transfer -Glamor Glow.6.PS Hue/Saturation and Selective Colour Changes. Nik Color Efex – Glamor Glow.7. PS Hue/Saturation and Selective Colour Changes. Nik Color Efex – Glamor Glow.PS increased Vibrancy.8. Nik Color Efex – Glamor Glow9. PS Hue/Saturation and Selective Color Changes. PS Filter Gallery – Poster Edges. Increased Vibrance. Nik Color Efex – Polaroid Transfer.10. Nik Color Efex – Glamor Glow11. PS Hue/Saturation and Selective Colour Changes. PS Photo Filter – warming. Nik Color Efex – Glamor Glow and Reflector Efex.12.PS Hue/Saturation and Selective Colour Changes.PS Nik Color Efex – Glamor Glow and Relflector Efex. PS Filter Gallery – Neon Glow. Topaz Clean Filter. PS Filter Gallery – Poster Edges. PS Selective Color and Curves adjustments.
Thank you all for your New Year wishes and comments last week. I am glad so many of you enjoyed seeing the collection of your work. I very much enjoyed doing it too. I really do love doing this challenge, I look at your work and read your comments with my first coffee of the day – although it is often the end of the week before I can return your comments and thank you.
I must tell you about the happy surprise I found in my letter box this week. A wonderful card and calendar in French- with an Australian theme pic! I put my schoolgirl French to good use – and also used it to teach my grandson some seasons in French. Thank you so much Nadine:) Even the envelope was beautiful and very creative.
And once again, thank you to all for making blogging so much fun. I have met so many lovely people here.
Looking forward to see what you have to share this week! If you are new and not sure what to do…visit About Mandarin Orange Monday.
This time I think I must have chosen hundreds! So instead of one Nature collage as I promised last week, I have grouped your work into various themes. It was so hard to choose – my criteria? A good cross section of your contributions during 2013.
As always, looking forward to seeing your art. Happy Holidays everyone:)
Linking with Nature Footstep Abstract
LorikArt 
