This weeks challenge from Bonnie at Pixel Dust Photo Art was to:

post our photo art that "wows" with light in the image!

 "A cloud is made of billows upon billows upon billows that look like clouds.

As you come closer to a cloud you don't get something smooth,

but irregularities at a smaller scale."   Benoit Mandelbrot

Edit Me Challenge ~ Summer Show Off {Week 2}

I've been taking my share of really unimpressive photo's this summer!

That being said, I'm enjoying of opportunity of edit, play and learn more about PSE 10

in an attempt to see if there is anything reasonably recoverable!

Church in Las Vegas, NM

 Editing Steps:

1) PSE pencil sketch, duplicate;

2) Top layer: add noise and motion blur;

3) Create layer mask on top layer and with soft brush masked out some of the noise/motion blur

to reveal part of the bottom pencil sketch image;

4) Used bottom pencil sketch in a blending mode to bring out some of the color from the original; and

5) Added two textures. 

La Castaneda Hotel Window, Las Vegas, NM

 Editing steps:

1) Straightened;

2) Cropped; and

 3) Edited same as above

Originals

There is a blog hosted by Randy called 

"Santa Fe Daily Photo, A daily photo from in and around Santa Fe. The Dancing Ground of the Sun."

Can't remember how I came across the blog, but it piqued my interest.

I know nothing about Randy, where he is from, what he does, but his interest in Santa Fe got me to thinking about my lack of interest in the community I call home!

I no longer participate in what Santa Fe has to offer;

I never stroll on the plaza, I don't shop downtown, I don't go to the museums, the parades, the Rodeo,

the 4th of July Pancake Breakfast, the evening concerts on the plaza or at St Johns College, 

the Santa Fe Fiesta, or the arts and craft shows that abound.

 Guess I'd have to say that not only was my interest piqued by Randy's blog,

but I was also a tad bit embarrassed.

I'm a native Santa Fean; my grandfather established a mercantile on the plaza in 1854,

my father born in Santa Fe when New Mexico was a territory, served on the City Council

and owned a shop on the plaza until the late 60's,

yet I've lost all contact with the community I call home. 

Seven weeks during the summer there is music festival on the plaza;

apparently this has been happening for numerous years.

My younger sister, who does participate in the community,

asked me if I want to go, to which I immediately responded 'yes'!

I enjoyed not only the music, but the people I visited with (natives and tourists alike);

it was such a joyous evening, smiles abounded, young and old alike,  people dancing, it was great!

 Thank you Randy;

I'm looking forward to reacquainting myself with the city I call home.

 

Playday!

Art Techniques Digital is a Yahoo Group I participate in

that more often than not, offers weekly challenges.

This weeks challenge was to make retro style posters;

so I went in search of photos that I could use in the challenge,

which took me south of Santa Fe once again!

Lo Low Rates: Encino, NM  (Please note the spelling in the sign)

Back at the Ranch: North Pasture, Hope, NM

Frontier Cemetery: Animas, NM

"Work and play are words used to describe the same thing under differing conditions." Mark Twain

52 Photos Project ~ Gallery 13 {Growth}

Michelle has suggested the prompt for this weeks challenge ~ growth!

Bella offered up the following;

"what is growing in your world?  

maybe something in your garden, a flower pot on your window sill.

or maybe you're noticing a different kind of growth...emotional, spiritual, physical.

consider growth in your life right now and offer us a little peek..."

Whether growth or change it abounds in my life right now,

but in a much less tangible way than offering up the growth in my garden!
 

My one and only lemon cucumber is planted in a hanging pot
and is now loaded with flowers and beginning to bear fruit!

    My four heirloom tomatoes are loaded with blossoms and starting to grow green tomatoes ...

and I have two eggplants ...

don't know how to cook it, but I love watching them grow!

The fruits of my labor!

Texture Tuesday ~ textured x's 2 eDition

The Immaculate Conception School, Las Vegas, NM, was built in 1921.

Designed by architect Charles Barrett in a World's Fair Classic style,

the two-story tan brick school features a variety classical motifs including

urns, arches, and columns. 

The central entrance is in classical pediment style

with a baroque curvilinear parapet at the top.

KK's texture's, "ohMy" Linear Burn@100% and "Providence", Overlay@58%

KK's textures', "ohMy" Difference@100% and "Warmly Vintage", Linear Burn@78%