75% off Cards

Zazzle is one of the print on demand companies I use, where you can order my photographs (or the work of many amazing artists) on a huge assortment of products like canvas prints, cards, t-shirts, mugs, phone cases, postage...well, the list goes on and on! I thought I'd let you know about their 75% off on cards sale, which is their best deal yet. The sale is only for two days, so act fast! Just use the code 75OFFCARDS13 at checkout to get your discount. I believe the sale is only on the American Zazzle site but it's still a great deal even if you have to factor in the shipping costs. I have a very large Christmas section in my Zazzle shop, but here are a few of my more popular Christmas cards...

 

Santa Squirrels Celebrating

 

Christmas Squirrel and Candy Cane

Just in case you aren't into squirrels (what?!), here are the Christmas cards my parents ordered from my shop the last two years. We don't get snow in the winters here on the west coast all that often but when we do, I make sure to take advantage of it and try to photograph some animals.

 

Chickadee and Red Berries in Falling Snow

Deer Buck in Snow

I've ordered Zazzle's cards in the past and I was very impressed by their high quality. And you know photographers, they can be very picky!

Time for Texture!

I've always been a fan of using textures to create a mood or add a more painterly appeal to a photograph. Maybe it's because I come from a family of painters (grandmother, father, sister and brother), but I like to blur the lines between photography and painting.

Baby Hummingbird on Nest

I've added textures various ways. Sometimes I add an actual painting I've done; sometimes I paint a texture digitally (in Photoshop); sometimes I photograph a texture (like bark, for instance), and add it to the photograph; and sometimes I buy textures.

Baby Duck in Tall Grass 

Recently I decided to do a series of bird images using textures. I often add many textures to a photograph and play around with the blending modes in Photoshop.

Finch Singing in an Apple Tree

Great Blue Herons Fight

Chickadee in Winter

I like to add inspirational sayings to my photographs occasionally. For the robin photograph I also added a diamond pattern, and I was going for a vintage look.

 Robin on a Cookie Jar

Small Tropical Bird on a Palm Tree

So that's a look at some of my latest images using textures. I encourage you to give it a whirl yourself!

textured birds art

An Elk in the Yard

Roosevelt Elk by the Barn

Yesterday somebody pointed out this crazy video of an elk head-butting a photographer. IMHO, the photographer probably got way too close to a bull elk during mating season. Although it kind of looks like the elk is just playing in the video (several times I've seen young deer bucks do the same thing), the photographer put himself in a very dangerous position. Bull elk can be aggressive during their rut and I've learned to steer clear of them at that time. In general though, it's never a good idea to get too close to them. Usually it isn't a problem because they tend to run away when they see you.

But coincidentally there was a six-point bull elk in our neighbour's yard first thing this morning. My husband was walking the dogs when he spotted it contentedly chewing grass. By the time I got out there with my camera, the elk was standing just inside the forest adjoining the yard. He calmly watched me and although it was too dark to even focus properly, I took a couple of blurry shots. I heard another "crack!" in the woods and assumed that this was the same pair of bull elk that occasionally invade the neighbourhood and help themselves to bushes and apples from a tree that they've since practically destroyed. Yes, they are big boys indeed and they can do whatever they want!

The picture above is of a Roosevelt elk that I saw standing beside a neighbour's barn last year when his antlers were in velvet. I wonder if it's the same elk that I saw this morning. If so, his rack has become even more impressive and he isn't what I'd call shy.

You just never know what you're going to see around the corner here...

elk art

Christmas Craft Fairs

Christmas Squirrel

Yes, it's already that time of year again. If you live on the Sunshine Coast, you can find me selling my photography at the following Christmas craft fairs:

November 9 (10:00-4:00) & November 10 (10:00-3:00) ~  Early Bird Christmas Craft Fair, Seaside Centre, Sechelt, B.C.

November 16 (9:00-5:00) & 17 (9:00-4:00) ~ Sunnycrest Mall Christmas Craft Fair, Sunnycrest Mall, Gibsons, B.C.

November 30 & December 1 (10:00-4:00) ~ Crafts from the Hood, Seaside Centre, Sechelt, B.C.

December 7 (10:00-4:00) ~ Serendipity Christmas Craft Fair, Madeira Park Community Hall, Madeira Park, B.C.

I'll have the usual cards plus lots of Christmas cards, matted prints, canvas prints, magnets, two new Life Lessons calendars, and my two Life Lessons books.


Hope to see you there!
christmas squirrels art

Classic Cars...a Different Kind of Animal

This past August I took some time away from selling my photography at a craft fair and checked out the classic cars at the Show 'n Shine car show, held in Garden Bay on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia.

Well, I wish I had done this sooner! Year after year I'd been selling my work at the craft fair that's held in conjunction with the car show and I'd never taken the time to have a look at the cars. After seeing the beauties at the show, I think I've turned into a car junkie now!

Take a look at some of these lovely vintage cars...

1937 Buick Century

 1935 Buick Victoria

'35 Buick Hood Ornament

 1940 Chevrolet 2 Door

I took photographs of just about every car at the show but these are the only ones I've processed so far. It's very time-consuming to process the pictures because I remove distracting objects like chairs, other cars, and sometimes even people in order to make the cars look their best. It's a challenge that I enjoy though, and I've been sharpening my Photoshop skills.

Next year I plan on skipping the craft fair...I'll go straight to the cars and spend more time photographing them. I really enjoyed the show and would like to take time to talk to the owners of these antique beauties. There's also a bigger show in nearby Sechelt called the Sleepy Hollow car show, held by the Coaster's Car Club. Even though I'll have to miss one of the year's busiest craft fairs that's held that weekend, next year I think I'll skip it in order to photograph the cars.

vintage cars art