Gold Winterberry

From a photograph taken in my neighborhood while walking our dog. I've added textures from Shadowhouse Creations and graphic fairy.

Autumn Haze

This image began with a photograph of leaves carpeting the forest floor during a fall hike in Sedona. Thanks to Kerstin Frank Art, Shadowhouse Creations and Sienna62 for the textures I've added.

Singel 404

Bikes line one of the bridges crossing Amsterdam's Singel canal. Singel 404 is a highly recommended lunch spot.  Textures by leeber and mulberrymuse were added.

Cafe Life

One of our favorite places to eat in Amsterdam is Kantjil & de Tijger, which features Indonesian food. Their specialty is rijsttafel (literally "rice table") which consists of many small portions of dishes such as egg rolls, vegetables, satay and seafood served as side dishes which can be easily shared.

I've added textures from Kerstin Frank Art and Shadowhouse Creations.

Steampunk Style

This image began with a photo of a mannequin at our local antiques store. I've been wanting to use this steampunk texture from cloaks on deviantart and I thought it might work because of her old-fashioned look.

Strolling the Stradun

Dubrovnik's main street is the Stradun. It runs through the heart of the town connecting the Pila Gate with the Ploce gate. This photo was taken from the wall which surrounds the old town.

I've added two textures from Shadowhouse Creations.

Southwest Garden

This was my own private cactus garden to enjoy when I stayed at the Indian Hill Bed & Breakfast in Tucson, Arizona. Paul and Doreen Hedger share their beautiful home on four acres of natural desert and make wonderful hosts. I've added a texture from Shadowhouse Creations.

Imagination is Everything

This image began with a photo of a hummingbird at the feeder in my parents' back yard in Kingman, Arizona. I decided to play around with the background and added a stormy sky that I had photographed while visiting them at another time. Next I added a rainbow texture from Michelle Green Wheeler and a paper texture from Shadowhouse Creations. The words are from a fortune cookie!

Water Lily

This image began with a photo of a water lily in Balboa Park. I've added textures from pareeerica, Shadowhouse Creations and boccacino.

La Fete Foraine

This is the summer carnival in the Jardin des Tuileries of Paris featuring rides, attractions and sweet treats.

Textures used are courtesy of Sophie G and Dyrk Wyst.

Desert Quail

These are Gambel's quail and they are very plentiful in the Sonoran Desert, where I live. Although I often hear their distinctive call, they are shy birds and rarely let you get too close. I've added a texture from Shadowhouse Creations.

Crooked House

This 16th century Tudor cottage in the village of Wilmcote was thought for years to be the childhood home of Mary Arden, Shakespeare's mother. In 2000, it was discovered that the house and surrounding farm actually belonged to Adam Palmer, a neighbor of the Ardens. The crooked walls and sloping floors add tremendously to the ambience.

I've added a texture from Shadowhouse Creations.

Room with a View

Looking across the bay to the town of Beaulieu-sur-Mer from Villa Kerylos. Who wouldn't enjoy this gorgeous French Riviera view every morning?
http://www.villa-kerylos.fr/en/home

I've added a texture from distressed jewel.

Casa del Prado

Located in Balboa Park, San Diego, the ornate Casa is a recreation of a historic building from the 1915 Pan American Exposition. It hosts a variety of events for clubs and organizations. I've added textures from distressed jewel and Shadowhouse Creations.

Dried Flowers Against a Blue Background

This was an experiment to try and photograph a still life. I put a stalk of dried leaves in a blue vase and draped a blue cloth behind it. The result was less than satisfying. Then I decided to add two textures from pareeerica to add more drama and this image was the result.

Allegro

This is another image from my Masquerade series, which combines my original photos of Venice with scrapbook elements and centuries old portraits.

Dolphin Ride

This is a portion of the plaster frieze on the walls at Villa Kerylos. Dolphins are a popular motif in this Greek-style home built in the early 1900s by the French archeologist Theodore Reinach.

Textures courtesy of French Kiss Textures, Shadowhouse Creations and Dyrk Wyst have been added.

Taliesin West

This dragon is actually a metal sculpture sitting on a rock above (my) eye level at the former home of Frank Lloyd Wright in Scottsdale. I believe that it was originally meant to be a fountain, but later was turned into a fire breathing dragon with the addition of a gas line. Unfortunately, we didn't see it in action because we were there during the daytime.

Textures from aurelio monge and jody dogma have been added.

Colle Verde in Bloom

The fattoria of Colle Verde  is located high in the hills of Tuscany, not far from Lucca. It's a wonderful place to visit for sampling their olive oil and wine, or just to enjoy their lovely views. I've added textures from Shadowhouse Creations and Dyrk Wyst.

Taormina Cat

This cat was one of many that I saw in the back streets of Taormina. Many of the cats seemed to have bits of fur missing or other wounds and scars, indicating that they their lives were not easy ones. I've added a texture by dj pettit.

Antibes Balcony

This colorful balcony caught my eye while visting the town of Antibes on the Mediterranean. I've added a sketch action, as well as a texture from Shadowhouse Creations.

Spiky Shadows

Another view from the heights of Oia town on Santorini. I felt right at home with all the cactus and agaves!

Antibes Revisited

This is an alternate version of the image I posted on September 26, 2011. For this one I used a texture from les brumes to give the harbor of Antibes a slightly grittier, somewhat chillier mood.

From the Forest Floor

This photo was taken during a fall hike in Sedona. I've been wanting to use this rusted frame texture by Kale Taylor Photography for quite a while now, and I thought the muted, earthy colors in this photo would be a good match. I also added a vignette texture from pareeerica.

Black Eyed Susans

This picture started with a photo of some of the spring flowers in our neighborhood. I love the month of April because it is the brightest, most colorful month in my part of the desert Southwest, when all sorts of flowers are blooming, including the cactus flowers.

I've added a texture called Paris Papers from French Kiss Textures.

Dutch Garden

This house with its garden is part of the open air museum at Enkuizen in the Netherlands. I've added a texture by Sy Parrish.

Ants on Chitalpa Blooms

This was taken in our back yard before our lovely chitalpa tree succumbed to the blistering Phoenix summer. I've added textures from Shadowhouse Creations and french kiss textures.

Tuscan Hills

This picture began with my original photo of the countryside near Montepulciano. I've added a vignette texture from pareeerica.

Sad Eyes

This Wolf's Monkey was photographed by me a couple of years ago at the San Diego Zoo. I love his pose, but the background of leaves and branches was much too distracting, even after I tried blurring it. Textures from Shadowhouse Creations and pareeerica helped me achieve the subdued look I wanted.

Facades

Venetian mask over a palazzo in the Santa Croce district with a texture from Shadowhouse Creations.

Happy New Year!

This picture began with a photo of a heron and ducks on Marguerite Lake in Scottsdale. We took a long walk by the lake and enjoyed the sunshine and beautiful warm weather. It seemed like a good omen for the new year. I've added textures from Shadowhouse Creations, Emma Cox and les brumes.