Boat/Ship - Photograph Top Picks of 2013

© All Rights Reserved

This is 1 of 13 posts of my Top Picks of my own photographs that I took in 2013. I ended up with too many for one post, so I arranged them by category.

Interesting - Photograph Top Picks of 2013

© All Rights Reserved

This is 2 of 13 posts of my Top Picks of my own photographs that I took in 2013. I ended up with too many for one post, so I arranged them by category.

Sunrise/Sunset/Sky - Photograph Top Picks of 2013

© All Rights Reserved

This is 3 of 13 posts of my Top Picks of my own photographs that I took in 2013. I ended up with too many for one post, so I arranged them by category.

Great Egret - Photograph Top Picks of 2013

© All Rights Reserved

This is 4 of 13 posts of my Top Picks of my own photographs that I took in 2013. I ended up with too many for one post, so I arranged them by category.

Various Birds - Photograph Top Picks of 2013

© All Rights Reserved

This is 5 of 13 posts of my Top Picks of my own photographs that I took in 2013. I ended up with too many for one post, so I arranged them by category.

Egrets/Herons - Photograph Top Picks of 2013

© All Rights Reserved

This is 6 of 13 posts of my Top Picks of my own photographs that I took in 2013. I ended up with too many for one post, so I arranged them by category.

Beach Birds - Photograph Top Picks of 2013

© All Rights Reserved

This is 7 of 13 posts of my Top Picks of my own photographs that I took in 2013. I ended up with too many for one post, so I arranged them by category.

Swans - Photograph Top Picks of 2013

© All Rights Reserved

This is 8 of 13 posts of my Top Picks of my own photographs that I took in 2013. I ended up with too many for one post, so I arranged them by category.

Scenery (1 of 2) - Photograph Top Picks of 2013

© All Rights Reserved

This is 9 of 13 posts of my Top Picks of my own photographs that I took in 2013. I ended up with too many for one post, so I arranged them by category.

Scenery (2 of 2) - Photograph Top Picks of 2013

© All Rights Reserved

This is 10 of 13 posts of my Top Picks of my own photographs that I took in 2013. I ended up with too many for one post, so I arranged them by category.

Moon - Photograph Top Picks of 2013

© All Rights Reserved

This is 11 of 13 posts of my Top Picks of my own photographs that I took in 2013. I ended up with too many for one post, so I arranged them by category.

Flowers - Photograph Top Picks of 2013

© All Rights Reserved

This is 12 of 13 posts of my Top Picks of my own photographs that I took in 2013. I ended up with too many for one post, so I arranged them by category.

Architecture - Photograph Top Picks of 2013

© All Rights Reserved

This is 13 of 13 posts of my Top Picks of my own photographs that I took in 2013. I ended up with too many for one post, so I arranged them by category.

Male Hooded Merganser - Photograph

© All Rights Reserved

I took this photograph of a male Hooded Merganser this past week in Fairfield, CT.

Brown Horse - Photographs

 © All Rights Reserved

© All Rights Reserved

I stopped by the horse farm in Fairfield, CT this past week and took some photographs of the horses there. The two brown horses came down to the fence to greet me. Both have past injuries that seem to be healed now. I believe this farm takes in horses that require rehabilitation.

Christmas Tree Ornaments - Photographs

 © All Rights Reserved

 © All Rights Reserved

© All Rights Reserved

This is 1 of 3 posts of photographs I took of the ornaments on my Christmas tree.

We had a light dusting overnight, so it will be a slightly white Christmas here today.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas Tree Ornaments - Photographs

 © All Rights Reserved

 © All Rights Reserved

© All Rights Reserved

This is 2 of 3 posts of photographs I took of the ornaments on my Christmas tree.

Christmas Tree Ornaments - Photographs

 © All Rights Reserved

 © All Rights Reserved

© All Rights Reserved

This is 3 of 3 posts of photographs I took of the ornaments on my Christmas tree.

"Mail Art" – A9 Envelope

© All Rights Reserved

(Click on image to enlarge)

This week’s Three Muses challenge was "Mail Art Envelope."

I created this using GIMP 2.8.8.

The images are from a tag that I created, a GIMP script, and a DuckDuckGo search.

The font is Corbel Bold.

"Merry Christmas" – Postcard

© All Rights Reserved

(Click on image to enlarge.)

This week’s Take A Word challenge was "Season's Greetings."

I created this using GIMP 2.8.8.

I used brushes and vintage images that I found from a DuckDuckGo search. (See the side of my blog for links.)

The font is DK Northumbria

"Tiny Angel" – Postcard

© All Rights Reserved

(Click on image to enlarge)

This week’s Sunday Postcard Art challenge was "Tiny Angel."

I did a search on this and discovered it was a somber theme about the loss of a child. Instead of using the poem that Victoria uses when she makes pieces with this theme, I used words from a bereavement poem by Mary Frye.

I created this using GIMP 2.8.8.

The images are from a DuckDuckGo search.

The font is Courier New

Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you wake in the morning hush,
I am the swift, uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starlight at night.
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there, I did not die!

Mary Frye (1932)

Style - Postcard Top Picks of 2013

© All Rights Reserved

(Click on image to enlarge)

I decided to create a post for Top Picks of my own postcards that I created in 2013. I ended up with too many for one post, so I arranged them by category. These are ones that were stylish.

Air of Mystery - Postcard Top Picks of 2013

© All Rights Reserved

(Click on image to enlarge)

I decided to create a post for Top Picks of my own postcards that I created in 2013. I ended up with too many for one post, so I arranged them by category. These are ones that had an air of mystery to them.

Color - Postcard Top Picks of 2013

© All Rights Reserved

(Click on image to enlarge)

I decided to create a post for Top Picks of my own postcards that I created in 2013. I ended up with too many for one post, so I arranged them by category. These are ones that were colorful and/or full of exuberant celebration.

"Retro Christmas" – Tag

© All Rights Reserved

(Click on image to enlarge)

This week’s Tag Along challenge #17 was "Retro Christmas."

I created this using GIMP 2.8.8.

Most of the images are from the Graphics Fairy.

"Joy to the world" – Moo (1.1" x 2.8")

© All Rights Reserved

This week’s Moo Mania challenge was "Snowflakes."

The images are from a DuckDuckGo search.

The font is

Elementary Gothic Bookhand

Mute Swans in Flight - Photograph

© All Rights Reserved

This is 1 of 2 posts of photographs I took at the Reservoir in Easton, CT this past week.

This is another one of my once in a lifetime shots. The all white Mute Swan (adult) was actually pursuing the mottled Mute Swan (cygnet), after chasing it out of the water. I'm not sure why though. This happened several times while I was there.

This is my entry for

Wild Bird Wednesday 75

Water World Wednesday

Mute Swan Racing Through Water - Photographs

 © All Rights Reserved

 © All Rights Reserved

© All Rights Reserved

This is 2 of 2 posts of photographs I took at the Reservoir in Easton, CT this past week.

The first time I saw the adult Mute Swan swimming rapidly through the water, I wondered why it was in such a hurry. But then I saw that it was charging an almost fully grown cygnet, which flew off to another section of open water.

"White Space" – Postcard

© All Rights Reserved

(Click on image to enlarge)

This week’s Three Muses challenge was "White Space."

As a result of the "Tiny Angel" theme on other challenge sites this week, my muse has gone in a somber direction, which crept into this piece. My understanding of "White Space" is from the description posted on Johanna's blog, which said, "The term "white space" is used to define art that has a single focus and lots of uncluttered space." " I'm not sure if my piece conforms to that 100% though.

I created this using GIMP 2.8.8.

The vintage images are from a DuckDuckGo search.

The font is DK Northumbria

The words are from a grave:

Behold and see as you pass by,
As you are now so once was I,
As I am now you soon must be,
Prepare to die and follow me

"Tiny Angel" – Tag

© All Rights Reserved

(Click on image to enlarge)

This week’s Tag Along challenge #16 was "Tiny Angel." It's also the upcoming theme for Sunday Postcard Art, so my designs for both are similar.

I did a search on this and discovered it was a somber theme about the loss of a child. Instead of using the poem that Victoria uses when she makes pieces with this theme, I used words from a bereavement poem by Mary Frye.

I created this using GIMP 2.8.8.

The images are from a DuckDuckGo search.

The font is Courier New


Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you wake in the morning hush,
I am the swift, uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starlight at night.
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there, I did not die!

Mary Frye (1932)

Christmas Santa Claus – Tag

© All Rights Reserved

(Click on image to enlarge)

I created another Christmas Tag to use with gift bags.

This is also my 500th blog post for the year, a milestone I was hoping to achieve.

I created this using GIMP 2.8.8.

The vintage images are from a DuckDuckGo search.

The font is Caneletter Script

Christmas Santa Claus – Tag

© All Rights Reserved

(Click on image to enlarge)

I created another Christmas Tag to use with gift bags.

I created this using GIMP 2.8.8.

The vintage images are from a DuckDuckGo search.

The font is Caneletter Script

Christmas Santa Claus – Tag

© All Rights Reserved

(Click on image to enlarge)

I created a Christmas Tag to use with gift bags.

I created this using GIMP 2.8.8.

The vintage images are from a DuckDuckGo search.

The font is Caneletter Script

"Shop 'til you drop!" – Postcard

© All Rights Reserved

(Click on image to enlarge)

This week’s Sunday Postcard Art challenge was "Snowmen." I decided to create a whimsical piece for this.

I created this using GIMP 2.8.8.

The images are from a DuckDuckGo search.

The fonts are

Colwell
Caneletter Script
Santa'sSleighFull Bold

Sunset - Photographs

 © All Rights Reserved

 © All Rights Reserved

© All Rights Reserved

I took these photographs at Burying Hill Beach as the sun was setting in Westport, CT this past week. In the first one, a dog charged down to the water, causing the ducks to take off.

The first photo is my entry for:

Water World Wednesday
Skywatch Friday

 

Black Swan - Photograph

© All Rights Reserved

I took this photograph of the Black Swan (with clipped wings) at the Reservoir in Easton, CT this past week. As of yesterday, she/he was still there. I am hoping the rescue group saves her/him before the water freezes. We're getting a snow storm today and the temperatures will remain close to freezing after that.

Christmas Scene - Photograph

© All Rights Reserved

I took this photograph while it was snowing here in CT earlier this week.

Winter Scene - Photographs

© All Rights Reserved

© All Rights Reserved

I took these photographs at the Reservoir in Easton, CT while it was snowing here earlier this week.