dj pettitt - gentle whispering hues

living in gratitude

My plane leaves for Australia in just over a week! I'm so excited to see everyone, and soak in some beautiful Australian sunshine. 

Along with journal and painted photos classes, I'll be teaching a collage class using photos and acrylic washes.  My goal when creating this class was to incorporate photos into a collage with a flowing, painterly look, but without the need to learn how to paint, or buy a lot of supplies. Since scanning, I've added a hanger made from a garage sale necklace and beads. The base is a 10"x12" vintage book cover.

purity of heart

determined to live in 

gratitude

Here's another painted Towhee photo:And the unfinished Towhee I posted a while back, now finished with added detail and words: It's been so rainy and cold lately, that I haven't been out with my camera much, so I don't have many new photos to share.  

This Hawk visits our back yard frequently and I've been able to snap a few shots of him through the kitchen window.

And this gorgeous Owl was napping and let me take some photos of him while in Tule Lake, CA. As I watched the owl, I heard a covey of California Quail scurrying by right behind me, and couldn't believe it when this guy hopped up on a rock and posed perfectly as he called out chi-ca-go, chi-ca-go over and over. I think everyone is familiar with that sound, made famous by old western movies, but not everyone knows what bird actually makes the call.
 

journal ready for binding

I'll be finishing this journal as a demo while teaching in Australia, but wanted to show you the bits and pieces. Still needs some vintage buttons here and there, binding, and maybe a few images and words. I added some string to the front cover after I posted it last week: Spine:
Inside cover lining: Another lining and a signature wrap: Flip side of the signature wrap: Another signature wrap: Some of the pages: And the back cover:

painted photo

that my heart would fill-

class sample

Painted photo of a Rufous Sided Towhee. Another class sample for Australia! I'll finish it with words, stitching and some splatters as I make it into a book cover.

class sample

Another class sample! Painted photo for one of my April classes in Melbourne, Australia.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day! I don't have any heart photos, but I think a beautiful pink apple blossom is fitting on this day of love.
I'm still working on prep for my trip to Australia. I can't believe I leave in just 7 weeks! I'll be gone 3 weeks for teaching and an incredible photo safari with Bev. Here's a painted photo I just finished for a class sample:And below are a few more photos that I've processed lately.
Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time. -J.Lubbock

Two versions of the Italian countryside somewhere between Rome and Orvieto.

Not sure what this tower used to be. Possibly a pigeonnier or dovecote? Beautiful Orvieto, Italy: Sweet little Quail:

workshop samples

I'm getting ready, and very excited to teach in Australia in April. Here are a couple painted photos for class samples. This one is for a book class, and is the front cover:I haven't been taking many photos because I'm busy preparing, but also due to the rain and cold. I'm so looking forward to the arrival of spring and warmer weather, as well as a photo trip to the coast in a couple weeks with a girlfriend. I can't wait to get out and hunt for beauty. Below are a few more old shots that I've processed recently:

 

 

a few more photos

I'm still processing old photos, and thought I'd share a few more. During good weather, I take far more photos than I have time to process, so winter is a good time to catch up a bit.

The Great Blue Heron shots were taken at sunrise in Newport, Oregon.

Fall in the Rogue Valley, Oregon:

Somewhere in northern California:
Below is Crater Lake, Oregon. This is a panorama that I may have shown before, but I reprocessed it and like it better now. I took 15 shots- 3 exposures each, of 5 different sections of the lake. The 3 exposures from each section were then merged as an HDR, and the 5 sections were stitched together and edited in photoshop. It took hours, but I was quite happy with the result.

Lake of the Woods, Oregon:
Stone cottage and sheep in beautiful Italy:
Southern Oregon in late fall/early winter:
Bales of hay in Italy: Some of my neighbors watching a storm come in: Sunset Beach, near Charleston, Oregon:
After the Pelicans dive, the gulls surround them as they resurface, and try to steal their catch. I love that you can see the fish as the Pelican is swallowing:
Rogue Valley, and Mt McLoughlin:Near Klamath Falls, Oregon:

Finally.... a post and a catch up!

Wow. I'm hanging my head, and apologize that it's been so long since I last blogged. And I have no excuse... no new puppy or grand child, I'm not moving, didn't break my arm, and I haven't been traveling. I get going on my day, and just don't take the time to sit down and post.

Do come see me on facebook though if you'd like to hang out more. I post there almost every day. Easier for some reason. So what's been going on with me anyway? Would you believe I'm falling more and more in love with my camera?
Well, probably no surprise there, but I've certainly become even more passionate about photoshop and photography than ever. I've learned a lot since purchasing a good camera two years ago and deciding to learn how to use it. It feels good to finally feel like I'm "getting it".



 
I'm so excited about teaching in Australia again in April. Seeing all my Aussie friends again, and teaching 4 classes while there will be so much fun. I'll be staying a bit longer to go on a photo safari with Bevlea after the retreat, and I'm over the moon excited about it. An adventure in tropical Australia with friends and my camera... does it get any better than that? I'm so thankful for all the wonderful opportunities I've been blessed with.
And guess what?
I've been making totes again!
Well, I've only finished two, but I've figured out an easier way to make them that isn't so hard on my arthritic neck and shoulders, so I hope to get more made soon, and finally open my etsy shop again.
They're painted on both sides of the canvas using my photos as reference, and then made into a tote. These are about 10"X14" and 6" wide at the bottom. The crow is sold, and the English Sparrow isn't listed yet, but if you're interested in it before I list, just send me an email. Here's the back of the crow tote:
And a close up of the Sparrow before I added embroidery:
Below is a snippet of an embroidered piece that I have started. It will be the front of a tote. No painting on this one though:
I'm still trying to get a teaching DVD made, but it's tough for a lot of reasons, so as much as I want to do it, it will be awhile. I was really hoping to get something done before leaving in April, but it will have to wait until I get back. Sounds like a broken record, I know, but I really do want to do it, and I will as soon as I can.
Another version of the white horse: And a few more recent shots along with some old ones that I've reprocessed:

finished journal

Finished! You've seen most of the pages during construction, so I'll just show the spine, linings, and a few snippets of words and final embellishments. The book is 8" X 8" with a 4" wide spine.