"ARROYO"

A dry channel through which water flows intermittently and irregularly. Kind of like this blog.

My art is an infectious need for me, sometimes a burden but most often a blessing.

This blog is about me and my obsessions, my loves, my need to create and my need of JUNK. I'm addicted to thrift stores, estate sales, flea markets and all roads leading off the beaten track to discover that perfect piece of junk. I recycle old license plates, old shovels, wheelbarrows, saw blades and anything else that's funky using my hand held plasma cutter. I love working with steel, sculpting, photography, watercolor painting, stained glass, and turning everyday utilitarian objects into art. Junked cars ~ I will always veer off the path to search out the beautiful wrecked Arroyo JunKers throughout Arizona, New Mexico and anywhere else the road may lead. When I'm not searching for those JunKers
I ~ RESURRECT ~ STEEL

Monday, June 6, 2011

Foto Fun

I've always loved Photography and at last look I had over 22,000 pictures on my computer.  I've been staying inside playing with Photoshop, which I truly muddle thru and couldn't recreate what I do to one picture because I have no idea what I did to get the effect ~ All I know is I love playing around with my many photo's.  So here are some before and after photo's of some I've been working on.  I hope you enjoy!

BEFORE
 This dragonfly comes around everytime I take my dogs swimming ~ today he poised for many pictures.
AFTER

I took this one at the Tower of London in England ~ the Crows there are huge!
AFTER

 This is the Penitente Church that is just up the road from Georgia O'Keefe's
house in Abique, New Mexico
and a Hollyhock from my Mom's Garden
AFTER
This is a beautiful abandon church in Lamy, NM built in 1924
AFTER

A beautiful hummingbird in my backyard
AFTER

8 comments:

Luthien Thye said...

oh man!!! you're a genius!! how did you do all that????? darn!! i need to learn photoshop now!!

soraya nulliah said...

Holy smokes Soozee!!!! That's just frickin amazing!!!! Okay...i need to learn photoshop too!!! I love what you have done-especially the sepia tints...they look like watercolors!!! My fave..the church!

Nikki said...

Fantastic texture work. The dragonfly is my favourite.

Barbra Joan said...

Hi Sooz, I love your photographs and our JUNK! you turn things into art. Came here by way of Hang Art!
and glad I did!! I'll be back .!
oh yes, that will teach you to miss a few days of blogsville !! lol ! BJ

Rama Ananth said...

Photoshop is very interesting, and yes although we have all the tools , we must also know to use them effectively to enhance our pictures.
My daughter is genius in that, though she has no training in that, She is also a very good photographer, which is also self taught. Even the most horribly shot photo, she somehow makes it look like a masterpiece.
I wish I could learn, but there are certain things that are beyond my understanding, so I just let it go.
You are doing a good job, and I am sure you will get better and better if you are hooked to it.
By the way, I have already visited the places mentioned in my blog last year itself, we went on a US tour in August 2010, for about 21 days, and managed to see most of important places there just by driving everywhere. We started our journey from NY(of course the real trip by car started from SFO)to Grand Canyon and back to NY.
So it is my way of recording each and every place in a form of travelogue so that I don't forget the places I have spent so much time and money to see.
As you know after a few days the places become a mere memory, and we don't really remember the places so well.
I am so glad it brought back memories of the places visited for you.
Thanks, it was nice to see you in my blog. Have a wonderful weekend.

Rose ~Victorian Rose ~ said...

Just blog hopping and landed here...glad I did. My favorite of yours (so far) is the rusty hummer on the rusty texture.
Super.

Rose

Rose ~Victorian Rose ~ said...

OH...JUST saw your watercolors...do you do them in PhotoShop or by hand ?
The boots and whe wheelbarrow are GREAT...being from Texas.... they really caught my eye.

LOVE EM !


Rose

Denise Mulligan said...

Love all of them! I have a special fondness for hummingbirds. Just lovely.

Takin' the back road from Greer to Morenci was gorgeous. This was waiting at the end.

Takin' the back road from Greer to Morenci was gorgeous.  This was waiting at the end.
Alpine Cliff Jumper

Don't you just love bugs! My first car.... but RED.

Don't you just love bugs!  My first car.... but RED.
Lamy, NM

This was a great old Studebaker Truck in Lamy, NM . It has seen better days. I love Lamy,

This was a great old Studebaker Truck in Lamy, NM .  It has seen better days.  I love Lamy,
Studebaker in Lamy, NM