Golden Ruins

At one time, these brick-lined niches, part of the ruins of the Great Stone Church at the Mission of San Juan Capistrano, displayed statues of various saints. Modeled after Byzantine cathedrals, the mission suffered repeated setbacks from natural disasters, including a 7.0 earthquake in 1812 which killed 42 people who were buried under rubble when the church doors were pinned shut.

Typing vs. Writing

This image started with a photo I took of an old Royal typewriter keyboard. I then added a mask with scratches and a writing texture, focusing on the brown tones for an autumn palette.

Birds and Vines

This image is based on a photo I took recently at Whitful Nursery. In addition to a plant and flower nursery, they create some beautiful seasonal displays using antiques and shabby chic elements. I've added a page from an illuminated manuscript as texture.

Memento Mori

Getting excited about Halloween, one of my favorite holidays. This image was created from a blend of two photos - one of silk flowers taken at the local craft store, and a skull I bought which is actually a candle holder.

London Gold

Beginning with a photo I took of the Parliament buildings in London, I used various textures to create the scratched gold look of the buildings and another texture for the background sky.

Autumn Display

I stopped by Whitfil Nursery to see whether they had anything new for fall, and I wasn't disappointed, although the cottage was closed until October so that more autumn goodies could be installed. Even though the weather is still more reminiscent of summer here in Phoenix, I'm in the mood to think about seasonal colors.

Echoes of Time

More experimentation with layers, textures and masks. I started off with my photos of the column, a decorative accent at a local nursery. Then I added the woman's face, which was part of a freize I found hanging in a local antiques store. These seemed to lend themselves to a sort of classical Roman theme, so as a final touch, I added the Latin text.