A Novel Experience

Last Thursday I posted a photo and said to check back this weekend to see where it was taken -- well here is where....A Novel Experience in Zebulon, Georgia. Actually -- this photo (above) shows exactly where the other photo was taken.

A Novel Experience is a delightful shop in the delightful town of Zebulon. The store offers new and used books. It is also a gallery. They have a book club. And, you can even find a cup of coffee there. Check out their website to see what is on their calendar.

The gallery part is my focus this post. During the month of July I have twenty-two photos hanging in the store. The photos hanging are:

‘It’s a Daisy’ black and white Lensbaby image printed on canvas gallery wrap (daisy)

‘Purity’ black and white floral macro (rose)

‘The New Dog’ color macro

‘Charleston Weekend’ black, white, and orange floral macro (daisy)

‘Emilie’ black and white image

‘Pop’ digital art from a floral macro (daisy)

‘Line Creek Path’ color Lensbaby image (Peachtree City, GA)

‘The ARC’ black and white image, digitally enhanced (St. Simons Island, GA)

‘Carl’s is Closed’ black, white, and blue image (Fredericksburg, VA)

‘Followed by a Spoon Shadow’ black and white macro (from the Kitchen Series)

‘Self-Portrait’ digitally enhanced portrait triptych

‘The Old Kitchen’ black, white, and red image (from the Kitchen Series)

‘Opening Dance’ black and white botanical macro (sunflower)

‘Is the Devil in the Details?’ black and white Lensbaby image (Methodist Church, Senoia, GA)

‘Jelly’ black and white digitally enhanced image (Georgia Aquarium)

‘Opening Night’ black and white long exposure (Fayetteville, GA)

‘Prince’ black and white image printed on watercolor paper and hand tinted with watercolors

‘Peachtree’ black and white image (Pike County, GA)

‘Pleated’ black and white macro

‘Bonsai’ black and white Lensbaby image (Panola Mountain State Park)

‘Top of the Tower’ black and white Lensbaby image (Methodist Church, Senoia, GA)

‘Rosebud’ black and white

Stop in, browse the books, browse the photos, and say hello to Chris, Brenda, Susan F., Karen, and Susan C. For directions to the store, check out the link to their website above. I hear that Zebulon is having a nice 4th of July celebration!

From the Barefoot Files...

I can't believe it is Friday again so soon!

Today the photo from the file is of my father in law with his college buddies. Last November we lost him and this past Father's Day was kind of sad at our house. My father died right after I got married -- so my father in law was the only father I have had for years.

He was a Navy veteran and a pharmacist.

Sometimes I believed he could do anything. He refinished furniture pieces for me that seemed too damaged. I remember one piece that came from my Aunt Anna's home. The wood on the top of the piece was cracked and bowed up severely. He used steam to flatten the wood and make a repair that no one would ever know about it they had not seen the piece before he worked on it.

He loved to work in the yard. The back yard of their home was filled with azaleas and boxwoods that he had propagated. He had a special little 'hot house' built to keep the babies until they were ready to go into the yard (or into my yard!).

We have a grandfather clock that he made with his own hands. I remember seeing him carving the details for it. The rosettes (that are actually dogwood blooms) on the top are very ornate and beautiful. He made a clock for each of his children.

He loved pound cake. I used to make one for him on holidays. This past Father's Day when we had pound cake it was the first one I had made without him around to have any.

It was always nice to have him in our lives. If we had a question about how to do just about anything -- we always knew we could call him and get an answer. In this photo he is in the front row, second from the left.

Where is This?

Check back over the weekend to find out where I took this photo...

Playing With Photoshop Elements

Many people want to rush out and buy the big Photoshop program. I am completely satisfied with Elements -- it does way more than I will ever need, want, or use. The last Friday entry shows a tough restoration completed with the aide of Elements.

When I teach a Photoshop Elements class I will show how to make a water background. I believe I originally found the directions for this in Photoshop Elements User. I have never used it for

anything except to show what you can do with Elements.

A couple years ago I took a photo of my mother's cat -- I use that photo in the class often as my example. Here I have placed Rora's head in the swirling water (the created background).

I have also used Rora's face to merge it with my daughter's. My daughter all of a sudden will have cat ears and eyes. I have also used Rora to show how you can blur a background and keep the subject sharp -- but of course when I do it -- I do it to the extreme! Besides blurring the background -- you can completely remove the background and replace it with what you would like. Here the back of the couch was removed and it kind of looks like a weird sunrise behind Rora.

Making Belt Buckles

I have always enjoyed doing any kind of craft project. Over the years on my own and doing classes with children I think I have tried just about everything -- except making a belt buckle. Last night I did it!

Dogwood Gallery and Framer has started a Ladies' Night at the gallery. These nights feature an art or craft project -- hands on and how to. Jenni Horne was the instructor this evening for the belt buckle class. She had quite a collection of papers to use to create your own one-of-a-kind

piece.

As usual, I had just as much fun taking photos of people working on their buckle as I did making my own.

When it came to making my own -- I decided to go with simple black and white -- typical me. I did think about taking my photo from my ad in the arts & expressions magazine. I think it came out nicely with the black and white ad on the black and white background paper. A few words thrown in and dates. I like this -- and I do plan on making more with my photos on the buckle!