A Round-Up of Photos of The Farm in Albion

When Birds Insist on Getting in the Picture

Usually I Photoshop out extraneous birds that are blurred or only partially in the picture frame.  But sometimes I like the effect.  The reality is, these beautiful birds were out there flying around the beautiful rolling hills of Brazil Ranch, and over a ridge line of happy Angus cattle, this past weekend and deserve to be included.

The Magic of Digital Photo Editing

Lucky to have visited the Brazil Ranch in Tomales, while volunteering for MALT.  But I couldn't resist adding car exhaust, using GrutBrushes, and a jeep photographed in Salem, Oregon, to make an alternate version of the original photo.  The original says "calm, beauty of nature" while the modified version indicates "health hazards of too many vehicles on the road."

Some Fun With Family

Recently, nephew Greg Manata drove down to my studio to have his portrait done.  That takes nerve.  Finished piece combines watercolor, graphite, pen & ink, an old photo of Greg when he was young (which makes up his hair), some nice papers (his interesting shirt) - all glued on some white heavyweight top quality Arches watercolor paper.  I welcome more models - who don't mind what the final piece looks like (since it is rarely totally accurate or flattering).

That same evening, I noticed how cool my late, great father, E.A. Autrey's, stained glass rooster (which hangs in my kitchen window) looked reflected on my neighbor's house.  So some family art photos finished an artful day.