Magazine Featuring Photoshop Artists featuring IRENE
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Shelia became inspired by some Asian furniture pieces that she wanted to display in a spare bedroom. Logically, she figured a bit of culturally appropriate art would be a good companion, and why buy it when you can paint it yourself?
We came to the close of fall and headed straight into winter! Yet, there is just something rejuvenating about it. Maybe it’s because, here in Tennessee, we finally got a break from all the heat, but there is something else that is special. We all go through different seasons in life, and the fall tends to be a time of togetherness with holidays kicking off the winter and the new year not far behind.
In this issue, we’re going to be talking about the different seasons in your artistic journey and how art is a multifaceted career, especially when it comes to making all seasons of memories all the more special.
COVER IMAGE BY
Artist: Sue Anderson fineartphotography18.mypixieset.com/
Sue adores the bond between dogs and their humans. This little boy bonding with his best friend caught her eye and captured her heart. Now, their mutual connection and peace in their surroundings is encapsulated in this memorable painting.
Magazine © Michelle Parsley, M. Photog., M. Artist, Cr., CPP Student images © remain with each individual as noted.
Screen capturing artwork from the magazine for your own use - whether personal or commercial use - is a violation of the artists’ copyright which is punishable by Federal fines of up to $150,000 per image.
Please be respectful of the copyright of the artists. Thank you.
MICHELLE PARSLEY PUBLISHER
HANNAH PARSLEY COPYWRITER
CATH SMITH EDITOR
ARTICLE: IRENE BOWERS
IMAGES:
SUE ANDERSON
SHEILA TENNES
DIANNA RUCKER
KELLY O’KEEFE
KATHLEEN BARBER
ROWENA CHERRY
RUSSELL KINERSON
DIANNA PAULK
DORIS WOODRUFF
PATTI FORD
IRENE BOWERS
BEKKIE HARPER
JANICE BATTERBEE
SUE ANDERSON
NANCY FRAKES
MARGARET GOODWIN
ANN LAUWERS
Kelly could simplify this series into two words — palette knives. Her inspiration was catalyzed by a LIVE session, where Michelle started by asking what the artists would like to see her paint. Kelly chimed in, and her suggestion for the loose painterly look was selected. Aiming to achieve that same painterly look, Kelly dug back into her archives and found the photo of the girl on the beach. Using the LIVE as a guide, Kelly followed along mimicking the technique and methods. The colors were even inspired by the ones chosen during the LIVE session. Over the moon with how it turned out, Kelly decided to tackle another project.
The other two images are sisters that she photographed last year. Watching the replay, Kelly reaffirmed her practice and recreated the loose painterly look twice more! Though the dresses were originally green, Kelly swapped the green for a soft pink to add some contrast. The mother, a long-time client of Kelly, cried when she saw the finished pieces. They are beautifully framed and hang proudly in their living room.
Artist: Kathleen Barber www.kbarberfineart.com/
Kathleen unexpectedly encountered this barred owl while out birding. Perched quietly amidst the trees, she almost missed it, but luckily, her husband pointed it out. Taking Michelle’s suggestions, she made the highlight edge pop using the chiaroscuro technique. Palette knives and brayer brush combined to make this an unforgettable birding adventure.
Artist: Rowena Cherry
www.facebook.com/ImageInationbyRowena
Rowena picks subjects that interest her when following along with the lessons, and who doesn’t like puppies? The exercise was to create an underpainting and then add color, and just like this puppy, Rowena got trained right. Except for her, the experience and skills learned were treat enough.
Russell traveled to Smoky Mountain National Park and woke up to this on a beautiful spring morning. He left the trip with a 3-photo panorama at Cades Cove that hangs in his living room but finally worked up the courage to paint the scene, adding that special touch to a beautiful souvenir.
Artist: DiAnna Paulk
www.diannapaulk.com
DiAnna enjoyed the daily visits of this young deer to her backyard. Watching him grow, she knew it wouldn’t be long before he would move on to greener pastures. She commemorated the visits by changing the original dark brown surroundings to a beautiful field of blue and gold that she imagined him visiting.
Doris returned to her still-life roots and aimed to create as much dimension and color harmony as she had in past traditional paintings. She enjoyed her time working with Brushy Goodness and was enthralled to find this piece felt more like working on a canvas. It will be a practice to return to time and time again.
One thing we can count on in life is change.
From the seasons to the art movements, change is a constant, but that isn’t a bad thing. It often brings with it much-needed experience, growth, and development. Yet, that doesn’t make going through change easy.
Ever heard the phrase “Out with the old, in with the new?” Sometimes, that can be exciting, but other times, it is a dreaded experience.
As a momma, it was a joy to be there through all the stages as my babies grew up, but there was a bittersweet aspect to it.
My BABIES were growing up! They were becoming more independent, more self reliant, and carving out their own paths in life.
But that’s what I raised them to do, so why was it so hard?
Even though that change can sometimes be a bear to swallow, want to know how I and many other parents got through it?
Pictures!
Oh yes, those precious little time capsules of memories were just the medicine I needed for the growing pains.
Better yet, I could take those photos and paint them to imbue my own emotions and feelings about that particular memory. It was like getting to relive all the “good ole days” right from my studio.
That’s something I love about creating art and cherished keepsakes. I don’t usually just get a photo. I get a story, and with each brushstroke, I try to retell the heart of that story.
Art is so much more than just pretty pictures. It is a multi-faceted discipline, and two of my favorite facets are storytelling and memory preservation.
What is it about art that draws you in? Is it the storytelling? The memories? The restoration? The challenge?
Whatever it may be, just know it is a hobby AND career path that always gives you room to pivot and wear a slightly different hat.
So, as you navigate all of the seasons and changes in your own artistic journey, know that what you are doing
• Is valuable
• Is cherished
• Is important
Use that to motivate yourself, push through, and make the memories last.
Artist: Patti Ford
www.pattifordphoto.com
Patti saw a picture of Graham and his new dog on social media and knew she would love to photograph them. She started with a monotone image of mostly browns but changed her mind to liven up the background. The parents were thrilled with the result of their keepsake.
PICTURE THIS, A YOUNG GIRL SET UP AT AN EASEL WITH HER VERY OWN BRUSHES, CANVAS, AND TURPENTINE. HER DUTCH GRANDMOTHER DOTES ON HER AND LOOKS ON AS SHE PUTS THE BRUSH TO THE CANVAS FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.
It sounds like a scene from a movie, doesn’t it? For Irene, this scene is just one of the many cherished memories from her life, but that doesn’t mean she followed the straight and narrow on her creative path. Developing a love for illustrative pen and ink work, Irene studied art as a major in college. However, like many artists, wellmeaning people influenced her to lay down her pens and brushes in exchange for a career they believed would offer her more financial stability. Luckily, Irene’s draw to create brought her back into the realm of art, and there was no turning back.
Her dive into digital art began about 10 years ago when a colleague introduced her to the mixer brush. Captivated by the creative possibilities it could add to her workflow, Irene dove in head first. While earning her Master Artist degree through the Professional Photographers of America, she created complex composites, using the mixer brush as her go-to tool. With guidance from various instructors, Irene explored more advanced techniques, which made joining Beyond the Brushes in 2019 the next logical step.
All of the lessons have been invaluable to Irene in developing her skills, but there were areas, like composition, that already came naturally to her. Compositing played a key role in Irene’s creative process for this series. Her inspiration came intuitively. For instance, the ballet dancers had a distinctly Parisian look to her, so she composited the background, dancers, and birds into a single piece. For the cows, the backdrop from her walk was dull and uninspiring so she transported them to a new setting, adding her own touches.
Color is also something that sparks Irene’s creativity, and it came into play for her
other paintings. The portrait of the young lady in blue was inspired by the use of complementary colors. As for the bird, it was photographed at a local zoo, and the colors in its feathers captivated her. She decided to enhance them and incorporate green and gold tones in the background to evoke a sense of nature. For Irene, inspiration is about translating the internal vision of what the subject communicates to her — unless, of course, she is following a client’s specific direction. This series blossomed from personal creative exploration where she was free to follow her muse.
Dancing in Paris was inspired by a photograph Irene captured during a ballet workshop. The couple’s fluid pose, elegance, and poise attracted her interest in turning it into a painting. The real challenge came when the background she decided was the perfect setting for the young couple was dark and stormy, but she tackled it head-on like a true composition artist. She painted the base with the dancers, adjusted the colors of their outfits, and overlaid the Eiffel Tower, reducing the opacity to seamlessly blend it into the scene.
Reflection came from a stylized senior shoot, where Irene and a friend were playing with fabrics and concepts. Though the photograph was enticing, Irene left it alone until she got enough tools in her belt from Beyond the Brushes. Color-toning the image and painting the background and fabric to look organic all while maintaining the young girl’s skin tone proved to be a major challenge. Freehanding the bit of headscarf that floats in front of the girl was one of the final touches that gave the painting the feeling of movement.
IRENE RECEIVED CERTIFICATIONS FROM PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS OF AMERICA AS A MASTER ARTIST AND MASTER PHOTOGRAPHER. WHEN IN THE MIDST OF HER CREATIVE PROCESS, YOU’RE MORE LIKELY TO SMELL A FALL CANDLE THAN HEAR A SOUND AS SHE FALLS INTO MEDITATIVE HARMONY WITH HER BRUSHES.
The Protector was captured at a zoo. Ironically, the bird wasn’t part of any exhibit, and Irene was thrilled that her camera’s zoom allowed her to catch it in stunning detail. She aimed to paint an organic background that would complement the intricacy of the nest and evoke a feeling that the bird was in its natural habitat. Creative liberties had to be taken with the lighting because the bird was in the shade for the original, but it let Irene exaggerate the colors of the feathers and eggs to bring the scene to life.
Sisters was the only commissioned piece in this series, and the client provided a photo of his granddaughters playfully seated in a planter. That inspired Irene to create a floral background. With that decision came several challenges in harmonizing the different perspectives of the girls and the background. Irene painted in the necessary elements; adjusted the color and contrast of the girls; added touches of sunlight, hair, flowers, and grass to enhance the scene; and painted the sky from scratch. In the end, everything came together beautifully, and the client was thrilled.
Last but not least, Grazing came from a special moment captured on Irene’s cell phone. On a morning walk, she encountered two cows grazing in a pasture. The background left more to be desired, but she found one that was more appropriate and got to work color-toning the image. She wanted to give it an autumnal feel, and once she integrated the elements, she painted the image, adding intentional sunlit backlighting to the subjects. Never binding herself to the original photograph, Irene felt this proved a simple cell phone capture could be transformed into a stunning painting.
When asked if she had any other comments about her experience with Beyond the Brushes, Irene said, “Our photographic community is full of incredible instructors who teach Photoshop skills and digital painting. What sets Beyond the Brushes apart is its focus on developing artistic skills and providing in-depth formal art education in a methodical way that’s hard to achieve in a short, weeklong course. The requirement to create portfolios as you progress is reminiscent of higher education, offering a structured and comprehensive learning experience.”
Artist: Bekkie Harper www.facebook.com/bekkie.harper/
Bekkie admires the elegance and poetry of ballet. This image became an opportunity to imbue herself, as it seems to her like much of her life takes place backstage. Rather than waiting “In the Wings” on this one though, it quickly became a painting to be on the main stage.
Artist: Janice Batterbee
www.instagram.com/janicebatterbee1695/
Janice had the pleasure of painting her friend’s beautiful dog. Wanting to get it just right, she restarted the painting three times but became satisfied after incorporating a few pointers from her reviewer. Achieving the result she was hoping for, Janice was confident she was offering a portrait her friend could treasure.
I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve told my children, “Stupid should be painful.” Now, before anyone gets up and arms with that, I’m not saying they should get hurt. I’m just saying I hope they learn from their mistakes so bigger ones don’t happen.
But what happens when the bad decision is painful for someone else? Rufus LOVES when this happens, and his favorite thing? When the bad decision is actually a bad choice of words.
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” right? WRONG!
From being told art won’t get me anywhere in life to being told to get a real job, goodness has Rufus pulled out all the stops in helping people come up with the worst things to say (and, usually, at the worst times).
Sometimes, they are passing comments from strangers to which I give rent in my mind, and other times, they are comments from people I love that meant well but cut deep. It’s when these happen that Rufus starts his murmurings:
“Art won’t get you anywhere because you’re no good at it. You know it, and they know it too.”
“Why don’t you quit now before you really embarrass yourself?”
“You’re all dried up. You have nothing new to offer.”
“You’re going to fail. You’re not going to be good enough. You never were.”
I’m sure similar thoughts have crossed the minds of almost every artist, so how do we move past it and have the confidence to go on?
I don’t know how to describe it other than my why, my purpose, my reason for creating art.
For me, I needed to create like I needed to breathe.
Creating was my lifeline as a child. Art was an escape from the reality of day-to-day life, but that’s not all that drove me toward that passion.
I’m an introvert and a homebody, but would you believe that I have an adventurous spirit?
Each piece of artwork became an imaginative pondering, a challenge I just had to accept.
I spent A LOT of quiet time thinking and reflecting, and that led to new ideas for artistic adventures. Each one became a mental reward that surpassed the negativity.
The only way I can explain my why for creating is it was God-driven.
It was a day-in, day-out constant positive that got me through the dark times and brought so much happiness and joy into my life. Art opened doors I never dreamed existed. Art grew my soul and my heart. Art played a key role in making me who I am today. Art made unforgettable memories and helped me to do the same for others.
Don’t get me wrong. There were still several times I wanted to throw in the towel and have a “normal” job, but each time I did that, I ended up tail-tucking and running back to creating.
So, when Rufus is trampling your confidence, when people open their mouths and say something hurtful or insulting, and when it seems like it would be better to just give up, remember:
1) WHY are you creating art?
2) You are NOT alone in your struggles.
3) YOU CAN DO THIS!
Artist: Sue Anderson fineartphotography18.mypixieset.com/
Sue combined 3 loves in this painting — family, animal bonds, and landscapes. Swapping out a Las Vegas subdivision at sunset for Red Rock Canyon, Sue created a composite of her brother and his dog. Their reflection as they watched the sunset demonstrated their bond and her brother’s compassionate soul.
Nancy paints photos that speak to her, and once compelled, the creative process begins with figuring out the composition, the crop, and the focus. For each painting, Nancy believes it is important to focus on the eyes of the subject as they represent the light and soul within that living being. Everything else in the painting should be pointing toward and supporting them.
Nancy starts her paintings with a general concept and an open mind because she wants her paintings to take a life of their own. Photoshop helps since she can experiment on a separate layer, and if it doesn’t work, she changes it or trashes it if it isn’t the right direction. The hardest part is figuring out when she’s finished. Throughout her creating process, she asks, “Does it need a little more or a little less of something?” Leaving it for a few days and coming back with fresh eyes is the best way she has found to answer whether it is complete.
Artist: Margaret Goodwin
www.pixelsandpaint.studio
Margaret stopped scrolling when this stock image popped up. Honoring the bond between them, she wanted to paint that sense of camaraderie at the end of a hard day’s work on the farm. Selecting a more muted color palette complemented their relationship and made the subjects stand out.
Artist: Ann Lauwers
www.anartistview.net
Ann gets excited about new puppies, and her new fur baby, Poppy Sue, was no exception to that. She wanted to portray Poppy with her namesake on a traditional background. Needless to say, it was a tail-wagging experience for Ann to paint.
