It's time for a break

Raising children is difficult. Anyone that has done so or is attempting to do so, will tell you that is an understatement! A dear friend of mine has two very busy boys. This is a blessed moment of quiet for all three of them.

Dinosaurs in the Yard

My nephew is turning 4 in a few days. Last summer he watched his older brother ride my grandfather's horse around the yard. He sees dinosaurs playing everywhere he goes. This altered cyanotype illustrates the wild dreams and thoughts of a little boy.

To add the dinosaurs to this cyanotype print I used vinegar, strong coffee and water to paint loose watery shapes. Each liquid affects the color of the print differently. Water simply clears away the emulsion to show the  paper undernieth. Vinegar reacts with the emulsion and leaves an intense blue trail. Coffee colors both paper and chemistry a nice vandyke brown. All of these are very uncontrolled since the liquids spread creating sharp shapes because the paper is dry when it is worked. Another great complication is the fact that you must work in near darkness. It makes it almost impossible to see your strokes as you work. This results in random shapes which only mimic what you had in mind. If you are open to a little visual chaos, this is an interesting twist on the cyanotype. I made the dinosaurs more defined by adding details using colored pencils.

Good Ol' Web Design!

I admit right here and now, I am not a website designer. I was never trained in web design and that is why I love sites like Google and Lynda. There are hundreds of sites out there that offer free and instant web design. But then there are some of us that are too stubborn to accept their help! After much cursing, ranting, and asking "but why can't I make that doo-dad float in a counterclockwise fashion right there?" my website is very similar to what I would like it to be. My point being, with persistance you can come pretty close to your wildest dreams! So bite off more than you can chew today and see if it tastes any good!
Hopefully my website gives everyone out there an idea of what it is I spend my days, and sometimes nights, doing. Is it worth it? If you enjoy the images, I think so. If you want to know my photographic and web techniques I am more than happy to share.



Have a great day!
Tess

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