Night Photography

I am not a photographer but thanks to the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts workshop with instructor Martha Rial that I attended last night and this morning I have a better understanding of what the all the numbers in my camera mean. We hit Penn Avenue for the Unblurred event and took photos using only the ambient light from street lights, car headlights, and shop interiors capturing images of people and their surroundings along the way. We gathered at the Center for the Arts this morning and shared our favorite images with our classmates.

The images on the left is straight out of the camera (SOOC); the images on the right were embellished with my favorite Photoshop features and filters. Click on each image to see a larger version.

Artist: Tiffany Bender

I now wish I had a baby so Pittsburgh-based photographer Tiffany Bender could photograph it!
You must click over to look at her gorgeous photos!!! The light, the clarity, the fantastic styling!
Each child looks like a perfect angel. I'm sure they were not, but you wouldn't know from looking at the pics. A co-worker's adorable little girl is one of models.

If you have children, go make an appointment now! You'll have to wait because Tiffany is booked months in advance but you will understand why when you see the photos.

 Wander through her flickr pages.

 Here are some of my favorites...

The overhead bathtub shot. 

And snow pictures! 

The little boy who seems to be saying "I'm not convinced."

Find details about Tiffany here: http://munchkinsandmohawksphotography.com/blog/

Artist: Jeannie McGuire

After the pastel workshop (see post below), a few of us went to an open house at artist Jeannie McGuire's house. She works in watercolor and has a gorgeous, distinctive style. She does figures and uses strong cropping to add drama and put the focus on the subject. She was the featured artist in the Aug 2010 Watercolor Magazine.

And I am totally jealous of her attic studio. If I had such a room I would never leave it!

 Go look at her website!

 
At the open house I had this deeeeeeelicious white bean, rosemary,and lemon zest dip. Addictive and delicious!

Pittsburgh Neighbors: Cardamom Press

Hey current and former Pittsburgh residents, go check out the elegant Pittsburgh-themed letterpress notecards at Cardamom Press on Etsy. I bought some from shop owner Sarah today!

At right is the Smithfield Street bridge that I drive across to get to my office every day. She features 4 other landmarks in the $5 card set.





And for something not at all elegant, go look at my own Pittsburgh-themed pastel artwork!
It commemorates an actual sight I witnessed two years ago and snapped with my camera to capture in pastels later. I have a pile of these as 5x7 postcards so if anyone wants one, email your address to me (berecca [at] aol) and I will mail one to you!

Pittsburgh Zoo: Afternoon with the Animals

Rob and I stopped at E2 on Bryant Street for breakfast. I had a DEELISH frisee salad topped with fried egg and bacon. There was goat cheese and pecans hiding under the egg. I feel like going back again today!

Even though it was one of the hottest days, the animals at the Pittsburgh Zoo

were fairly cooperative for the camera (plus a little Photoshop cropping and contrast work!)

...and the most dangerous creature in the sea!

I Made It! Market: I'll be selling June 27!

Everyone should stop by! The I Made It! Market is full of a wide variety of crafts and it's always an interesting all-ages crowd...dreadlocks to walking canes, you see it all!
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I Made It! Market, Pittsburgh’s nomadic indie crafts marketplace is celebrating our third birthday party on Sunday, June 27 from 12 – 5 pm in partnership with the American Jewish Museum and My Baby and Me, both located at the Jewish Community Center in Squirrel Hill.

The festivities include 50 local artisans selling handmade wares, hands-on activities for kids including pirate and princess hat decorating, collage making, and cake and balloons! For more information, visit www.imadeitmarket.com or www.jccpgh.org.

Pittsburgh Neighbors: SueBeads

Well, while I was out shopping all afternoon, SueBeads was putting up her blog entry about our trade. Read all about it here.
We had a mutual admiration email exchange a while ago and worked out a trade (and also discovered we live just a few hills apart!). I was enamored of the little enamels in her shop and I wanted to make something out of polymer clay to go with them so I could have a new necklace. It was easier said than done.
I made one set of beads and had the things completely strung and then decided I just wasn't loving the result. So I tried again with a totally different look...still, not quite it. So, the third time I went a bit simpler and smaller so as not to overwhelm the enamels. And now I love it!!!

Here's necklace attempt #1. I put these beads on etsy the other night and they sold yesterday.

Here's necklace attempt #2. These are currently for sale on etsy.

Third time's the charm! Here's the keeper! The gold spacers were purchased at a bead show in February.

I'm going to a Dayle Doroshow workshop sponsored by the Pittsburgh Polymer Clay Guild this weekend and plan to wear it!

Events: Art All Night in Lawrenceville

Pittsburgh Polymer Clay Guild had a demonstration table at Art All Night in Lawrenceville held last night in the gigantic old warehouse of the former Iron City Brewery. It was my turn to man the table at 9 so Rob and I went early to check out the art. Plenty of interesting tattoo and piercing creativity on display as well!
Two of my favorite art pieces were:
Bruno Sammartino by Mario Zucca. He has a lot of images on flickr that you can check out.
Jack Puglisi did a large (18"x24" or so) pointillism picture of a girl sitting in the grass. It was made up of eeny weeny dots. I can't find any of his work on the web except this picture of Lincoln.

Everyone and anyone are invited to show one piece of art at Art All Night. I didn't take anything because you had to drop it off in the afternoon and I didn't want to go over there and then back at night and back the next day to pick up. But if I had, I might have taken my bar scene pastel. It would have fit right in!