Color Me November 22

Today I'm celebrating the color red!

Most particularly I am remembering how my late (American) husband and my late (New Zealand) sister used to enjoy a friendly sparring with each other over accents. "Red said Fred. Drop dead I said." was an oft used refrain to focus on a way they each would laugh at the other's pronunciation. Above I'm illustrating some red from my husband's story. He loved a red tie, the Fall season, riding the big red double decker buses in London (especially when they went to Beatties toy store where he liked to purchase little remembrances like this bus).

More red leaves brilliantly playing off the wonderful blue sky.

A shot from Laura's garden (see the Blue day, November 20).

A week or two ago my photo class homework for the week was to take photos using an old crate. At the time I had to first go find me an old crate!  I came home with this Coca Cola one and one old bottle. That tree from November 20? By yesterday afternoon  90% of the leaves were on the ground so I scooped up several handfuls as potential for still lifes.

Not content with the one shallow coke crate I had ventured out the second day and found this old one at the Chartreuse barn sale. Sure, I am stretching the "red" topic by including this one but I sorta like it (and check the small red flowers in the background - it qualifies!)

Class homework this week is to use the same prop in many different photos. I was loving those red leaves as you can see but I also discovered a new setting in Lightroom called "dehaze". I went into the negative side and liked the more moody approach for this shot.

When the light fades, it fades quickly. I try to get the last ounce of potential out of the natural light, and, as it turns out, of the red leaves before they turned too dry.

Trying for that last brilliant burst of foliage color highlighted by the sun...

Today I went to the open house hosted by my artist friend Jill Banks. Every room in her home was hung with her art but there were also many potential still life vignettes where-ever I looked, even downstairs in her studio. This cookie was apparently set aside to be a subject in a painting yet to be started. I was immediately attracted to the lovely old red work station - so many memories in all that paint splattered on the surface. Jill delights in using this hand-me down from an aunt (I might be corrected as to the original owner).

 I didn't have to search hard to find the red. But check out these two blue kittens who have appeared in more than one painting. Love the cow!

And when I pulled back from admiring the kittens you can see that they are posing underneath "Garden Girl" - who is sitting pretty among touches of red and between the two oriental gentlemen.  You can read more about Jill by going to her website http://jillbanks.com/

And as the sun goes down on my enjoyable artsy weekend it's a red sky at night for shepherd's delight. Here's hoping!