Rosetta Fall Day

Sunday, we headed down to Rosetta McLean Gardens in the afternoon. Surprisingly, there were still lots of colour, lots of flowers, and there were additions of mums and other fall themed flowers, the waterfall on the rock was still going. We even saw a Monarch flying around though pretty much we're sure that one now may not make it to Mexico before snow.

There was a silver lining on the lake at the horizon, very beautiful. Lots of seagulls were hunting. A few people out still looking for raptors. We didn't spot any ourselves.

There were still a lot of golden crowned kinglets. We also saw a lot of white throated sparrows but they are very timid and keep low to the ground, flitting through open spaces quickly, preferring the thicker cover, and going after the seeds and berries on bushes. They are lovely birds. Their sound always brings back deja vu for me for the Ontario nature commercial/announcements that used to be on TV, their sound is so very "Ontario" to me :-)

We had a thrill watching all the American gold finches in their winter colours, going after the seeds of the dead echinacea flowers. so cute! I see that in summer they are so yellow, maybe because you often see them eating the seeds of sunflowers and such, while in this season, their duller coats match and blend perfectly with the dead and dying browns, creams and faded golds of the flowers they harvest from. Keeps them safe while eating.

The leaves were gorgeous, the day was so very Fall feeling, the epitome of a fall day. Such a beautiful park to have in Toronto.

LePix in Toronto, Fine Art Printers and Framers

I would like to express my thrill at receiving back my print that was required by Oct 23rd at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa for the RMG Exposed juried show and gala auction.

To be safe, I also took in my TIFF image to Black's Photography. The print I received back was so disappointing that I was beginning to panic. It was solid darks in all my shadow areas, no detail, and it was cold and bluish. Is my image too subtle and difficult too print? All I could hope for was that the print my husband would be picking up that same day from Le Pix near where we live would be better.

Wow, wow, wow is all I had to say when I saw it and the relief I felt cannot even be described. I didn't want to part with my print after seeing it lol! Alas, I have to but boy could I feel proud about how I know it will present, framed by the Gallery and beside the rest of the wonderful pieces by some quite successful photographers, none of whom I know, but will be honoured to meet at the event.

Being a painter really, a draftsperson, and only having looked at photographs as "reference" for realistic drawing, rendering and painting, I am not familiar with the photography community in Durham well, a place I lived from 1990 to 2013. To add to that, a finished photographic piece is a different animal than a finished painting or drawing.

A painting, I can control my outcome, I have complete say and control on my finished piece. A photograph? Not so much lol! I am not the printing house, I Have to depend on a printer for my finished product. This is scary, this does not sit well, it is nerve wracking to say the least! So, one can well imagine my relief that someone was able to print my image properly, the way I meant it to appear. Whew!!!

Le Pix did this, I am thrilled. I will use them for any sales I make of any future images.

The paper that was suggested by the owner is: Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White

It is a clean bright white, matte, with a smooth cold press watercolour paper like finish, which means not very much surface texture at all. It was recommended for my almost monochromatic and subtle image. Also, it does work well for bright color and sharp detail too, it is a very versatile matte finish paper. I love it!!! 

I have images here of my 18"x12" print, Foggy Shoreline, with quite a bit of a border on it, and a corner detail The photos don't do 100% justice to the real look in life, which is the look and feel of a fine art piece. However, they hopefully do get across the quality of it!

LE PIX website 

RMG Exposed: slideshow of accepted entrants' work

Re-opening my Old Etsy Shop for Photographic Prints

Well, I decided that I'd give Etsy a try again after 6 years of no longer really needing to use it as a venue. My Etsy store was one venue where I offered portraits and small landscape and figure paintings. My old feedback seems to be gone.

Presently I will offer small professionally printed giclee prints of  some of my fine art photography. The cost to list there is minimal and the listing stays open for 4 months before having to renew it.

As I can, over the next few weeks, I will begin listing up to about 50 of my photos as prints. Once February rolls around, I will decide whether it is worth renewing the listings.

My Etsy

My Photo Selected for Display in a Juried Show!

I am so excited! I never expected to get one of my photos selected when I submitted 3 images for the RMG Exposed show in Oshawa, Ontario! The show and auction takes place Nov 22nd, tickets are available through the gallery and are $60 a piece. I receive one ticket but John and I want to go so we will purchase a 2nd ticket :-)

The photo I submitted is called Foggy Shoreline and I shot it at Halls Rd. a year ago, one foggy morning during one of our walks.

This is a small web version of it with my watermark on it, which will not be on the final print that is matted and framed by the gallery for the show.

RMG Exposed Show Info

Blood Moon

Well, it sure was a blood moon since I cracked my ankle bone pretty good and got a blood spot on it even, in the process of hurrying past a metal chair to get a shot set up lol! But, it was all worth it, getting to see the gorgeous thing in the sky before work, from our balcony! It set the tone for such a positive day, the high of it still not worn off yet :-)