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Sunday, February 20, 2011

Weekly Challenge at Inspiration Avenue: "Faded"

I really didn't think I was going to have anything to submit this week at Inspiration Avenue, not because I didn't have any ideas but because my kids were on holiday this week and I find it very difficult to concentrate on painting when they're home.  Oh hurry up studio!  I love them dearly and I love how affectionate our family is, but they have been known to give huge hugs from behind while I'm applying paintbrush to canvas and the results are usually not good!
So I just worked on journals this week and didn't worry about getting very much accomplished. 
Enter the bluebirds.......I LOVE bluebirds and with our Spring-like weather this week, they've been going through all the motions of preparing for the season.  We've been lucky enough to be able to watch them nest and raise babies two to three times a year for the last two years and this year I noticed that there were two couples fighting over the rights to our one house.....so I added a new one in hopes of having 2 families to watch.  But nobody seemed interested until yesterday!  So:
Unfortunately, the bird house is placed on the "unfinished" area of my garden so you get to see all the yuck that I haven't started working on!  I never noticed that you could see the trash cans.....and there they are!  Isn't it funny what you train yourself to not see?  At least that's what *I* do....
Anyway, here is my entry for "Faded" with a little airbrushing and filters to remove or at least disguise the trashcans....;)
I wish the bluebird weren't so faded too, but my photo editing skills just aren't to that level yet.....
This is one of my favorite bluebird snaps from a couple of years ago......
Be sure to pop over to Inspiration Avenue to see what everyone else has put together for "Faded" it's sure to be an amazing collection!
cheers,
Stephanie


14 comments:

Yvonne said...

Beautiful, Stephanie! Love the colour of the bluebird, he's a beauty :)

gma said...

LOL You are so funny. I too have taken pictures of flowers only to notice later that the garbage cans loomed large in the background. 8-)
How wonderful to have those beautiful bluebirds making homes there. Your faded photo is lovely.

Priti Lisa said...

LOL too funny. I am so glad you put these photos up, I've never seen a real bluebird. Boy, they are really blue, so pretty.
Is that a wine cork roof on that bird house?
Whatever it is...it's cool.
XoX

Theresa said...

I love watching and photographing birds. I love how your faded photograph turned out. Lovely~
Theresa

Luthien Thye said...

LOL!!! if that happens again, we'll see a lot of abstract art from you then :) awww.. they're so sweet, giving you hugs from behind :)

anyhow ... i like they way you treated the photograph! wow!! it looks painted ... i thought you painted it out of the photograph! that effect is really cool!

artangel said...

What beautiful birds, you are lucky to have them visit you! Your faded image is gorgeous, all soft and dreamy - and not a trash can in sight lol!

Carola Bartz said...

So beautiful! Bluebirds are gorgeous - I have tons of birds in my yard and I love to watch them. Sometimes I even get a good photo of them.

Kim Collister Studio said...

I am so happy you posted these pics. Before we moved we always had beautiful red cardinals and I wined for months because I had no cardinals and a really cool bird house that I found. It was vacant and then one day ...bluebirds! I never had them and now I have enjoyed them for 3 years!
Thanks for sharing your little jewels!

Joanne Huffman said...

I love your faded piece. I often end up trying to disguise trash cans, electrical boxes and random things from my photos. I love the photo of the bluebird at the feeder.

Maggie said...

Oh so gorgeous! What is the roof made of, I adore it.

I love the "faded" version ~ it looks like the softest of watercolors!

Kat W said...

Oh those birds are such a beautiful vibrant shade of blue. I really like your bird house too.

I have the kids home this week & my son off most of last week with a virus so I really get you when you say its harder to paint & concentrate. I find it hard to get lost in the creating when the house is full of children. But its good to create with them sometimes too.

Kat :-)

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I had a similar thought on last week's challenge, but didn't enter. Love what you did, though. At least you had the guts to show yours. This is the second week, I have nothing to show in the IA challenge.

Victoria said...

Yay!! Wonderful..so lovely...I feel uplifted now!

Regina said...

OK now...your kiddos and mine would get along awesomely!!! The Chazman has been working with me in the studio since he was a tiny tot but it is hard when he sneaks up on me....ya don't know how many clay faces I have squished because of it..LOL

I LOVE your "Faded" entry. What trash cans? I don't and didn't see any..^_^

Hugs,
Regi