Oil and texta on canvas...

art006d
Originally uploaded by gtveloce

And then Photoshopped as well. I like it, anyway.

It's the Zig Zag Railway near Lithgow, NSW, Australia, btw. Before the railway cut through the Blue Mountains like power-crazed engineers are wont to do, they zig-zagged their way up the steep bits instead. A bit slow to traverse in this manner but a lot easier than boring long tunnels and slicing deep cuttings into the rock (which of course they ended up doing later anyway).

abstract s1002a

abstract s1002a
Originally uploaded by gtveloce

Another version, just to show a little of how it was done (with those layers and blurring, and a cut-out mask, then recoloured, then blurred, and repeat...

My abstract phase

abstract s1002
Originally uploaded by gtveloce

'm clearly going through an abstract phase. This was built up layer upon layer, each layer recoloured and blurred, then another sharper layer added. And then blurred, ad nauseum...

Butterfly visitor

Butterfly visitor_0475a
Originally uploaded by gtveloce

Hard one to catch as they don't stay still when you say "cheese". Cropped but untouched otherwise.

Can't get close enough, really

chicks_0489
Originally uploaded by gtveloce

Composition is a personal thing, within reason. You can compose in a fairly safe way or go crazy with angles or "cut-offs", and like both - or not. Here I have 2 possible main characters, one almost centered, the other way off but looming. Your eye is drawn to one or the other, then back. Later you realise there are other characters at play, out of focus. You also get a sense of depth from the focus on the hat itself.

Well that's my take on it, anyway!

Easter chicken macro shots

chicks_0490
Originally uploaded by gtveloce

Just for the fun of it, some close ups of chicks on an Easter hat my 6 year old daughter made...

From my 'arguably abstract' collection

abstract s2779h
Originally uploaded by gtveloce

It's nothing, and it's something. Read into it what you will. Photoshopping is the new painting.