rock painting

[Dennis Bishop]

In some ways, a table used many times for painting rocks can be as interesting as the painted rocks. A while ago, I posted an image of part of a table taken between rock painting sessions. Last year, I decided to paint a rock, myself, and that allowed me to throw an only moderately clean paint tray into the mix.

iPhone 5s, ISO 200, PureShot camera app, two-exposure HDR at 2 EV increments

processing highlights

• The first layer, with the tray in the upper left, was copied, rotated 180 degrees, and applied in Darken blend mode. Because that obscured the trays, the one in the upper left was revealed with a mask.
• Topaz Simplify -- saved watercolor preset partially masked off tray
• Alien Skin Snap Art -- saved watercolor wash preset, Color blend mode
• Fractalius -- three saved black-on-white presets; Multiply, Divide, Multiply
• Snap Art and Simplify -- saved black-on-white edges presets, Multiiply
• two Joel Olives textures -- both Soft Light and masked off tray
• The tray was copied, pasted, rotated 180 degrees, and moved to the bottom right.
• A circle selection was used to copy, paste, and move a different part of the table into the wells in each tray. Various blend modes and opacities were applied.

[Wendy Kates]

This image is really interesting, Dennis. The watercolor effect is perfect given the subject of the image, and I really like the way that you used the repetition of the table's color/texture combination in the wells of the trays.

[Cheryl Slechta]

Dennis, this reminds me of Easter eggs :) I love the pastel colors and the different patterns on the table

[Anita Bower]

Outstanding lines, shapes, colors, composition. The diagonals crossing each other are strong. Adding circles to some of the diagonals--the trays--adds a new and welcome element. The colors of the paint unify the whole. Excellent work.

Rock painting? What is that?

[Dennis Bishop]

. . . Rock painting? What is that?

This may be more information than you need -- or want, but here goes. Since Lakeside Ohio's beginning in 1873, summers have including a variety of offerings. Many have been constant over the years, but new ones have been added. Three years after the explosion and crash of TWA Flight 800 in 1996, the Rhein family proposed a center for art classes in memory of their son, who had been a passenger on the plane when it went down. Although the head of the Lakeside Association at that time apparently was very skeptical, the family persisted and donated the funds to get it started. To say it's been a success would be an understatement. A wide variety of classes for youth and adults is offered. I've volunteered as an instructor (in hand-built pottery) and taken a number of classes. One of the popular classes that's available for children and adults is rock painting. Smooth, rounded rocks of various sizes are easily found along the shore of Lake Erie, the northern boundary of the community. In a single class session, they're decorated with fast-drying acrylic paints. The finished pieces decorate many of the cottages in Lakeside.

[Anita Bower]

Thank you for the wonderful story, Dennis!

[Hazel Grant]

Leave it to your visionary eyes to choose the capture the empty paint trays instead of the painted rocks...and thus give a whole new perspective. Just wondering about the top center circle. It looks the same colors and design of the wood of the table, so it looks almost like a hole in the tray. Maybe just a hit of different color there?

[Dennis Bishop]

From your description, Hazel, I think I know which one you're talking about, and you're right. When I chose the color spashes for the wells, tried not to make it look like there was a hole. In fact, I rotated the selection that ended up in the leftmost well of the lower tray for that reason. I should've done the same for that one in the upper tray. Thanks for catching that.

[Nancy Bell]

Dennis, I remember that very interesting image of the table. I see that "hole" that Hazel mentions. Great colors and shapes and your unique approach! Nice to hear such a good story.

[gary ellwein]

As always, creativity well executed. I like the illusion of a bottomless well.