Butterflies in Flight

Butterflies in Flight
Originally uploaded by ashpaints

Isn't this lovely? Polymer clay by itself is such a wonderful, colorful, versitile medium - but then when you add surface treatments like foils, alcohol inks, dyes, and paints - you can come up with such wonderful glowing colors and textures. This wonderful pendant by Arlene Harrison of Harrison Hollow Designs uses those surface treatments to make an absolutely gorgeous piece that reminds me of a silk scarf. The colors, the texture, and the golden butterflys are just wonderful and inticing!
Arlene's pendant is the 6th item I'm featuring in the April PCAGOE challenge "Inspired by Fabric." You'll find wonderful jewelry, beads and home decor items in Arlene's shop - fabulous colors, floral themes, and butterflys for spring! To find yourself a treasure, visit Arlene's ETSY shop or follow her on her blog at http://www.harrisonhollowdesigns.blogspot.com or at http://www.picturetrail.com/ashpaints.

Tomorrow is the last day of the PCAGOE April challenge! 5 lucky voters will win prizes made by our wonderful, artistic members. Make sure you get your vote in to be eligible to win. Vote HERE!

Ok - I was browsing some of my old photos the other day and found some pictures I'd taken of the Alamo and Riverwalk some years back. I was looking at them and compulsively started editing and cropping them - then realized the difference just a bit a cropping can make in changing the focus and draw of a photo artistically, so I posted before and after photos on my flickr page to show the change. The pictures were taken with an old digital point and shoot as I was showing some family visiting the city, which disappoints me to no end that I hadn't taken them with my 35mm because some of them turned out to be very compelling shots, but will never be super quality. Maybe though I can turn them into paintings. =) p.s. The photos are one after another - I included nearly all that I took except for some family photos - just to show how you can crop even simple snap shot for more effect.

Pray for the Great Barrier Reef - losing any part of it would be a tragedy. Thank you!