When I'm not working...

If you are a reader of this blog then you already know that I design and sell custom digital graphics, patterns, and photography online here and here. 

However, you may not know that I also take time out for fun and practice. I have a Flickr account as well as a new DeviantArt account where I regularly share my creations. On Flickr, I regularly enter into art challenges and photo challenges so that I might gain more practice in photoshop manipulation and editing. It is something that I enjoy and I would like to share it with you.

Check out some of my works:

 
Bubble Girl by ~capturedbykc on deviantART

Love Never Dies by ~capturedbykc on deviantART

Into the Forest by ~capturedbykc on deviantART

Magic In A Bottle by ~capturedbykc on deviantART

Art challenge- Eyes/Many

This week's challenge by 2 Things Blog was especially fun for me. I tend to get my spooky Halloween creative juices flowing a few months early once I know it is just around the bend and so with that said, just know that this week's entry has a touch of Halloween theme. I just couldn't resist. :) Hope you enjoy. 

My entry for this weeks Eyes/ Many:

Peering Eyes- copyright CapturedbyKC

Quotes on Dreams

I am a big believer in dreaming. By that, I don't necessarily just mean the type of dreams we acquire while we sleep but also about the kinds of dreams we make for ourselves to give ourselves hope for something greater; to be something greater in life. The dream home, the dream job, the dream family... I believe we need those types of dreams to inspire us and to motivate us into being all that we can be. Reach for your dreams... reach for the stars.

Photo Copyright 2012 Kristina Conatser via BWC Designs by KC
You may share this image for non-commercial purposes only. Commercial use is prohibited.

"Dreams are the seedlings of reality."~Napoleon Hill
"All men of action are dreamers."~James Huneker
"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."~Walt Disney"Dream and give yourself permission to envision a You that you choose to be."~Joy Page

"Dreams are today's answers to tomorrow's questions."~ Edgar Cayce
“Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today.”~James Dean“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.”
~Ashley Smith

Art Challenge- Town/Stars

I like to enter into the "2 Things" art challenge hosted by 2 Things Blog. Each week, the Author of 2 Things blog lets us know which two words were randomly selected and we are to interpret them artistically however we see fit. You can join too! We would love new creative minds to play along. 

This week's challenge was Town/Stars

Here is my interpretation:

Starry Night in Venice by Kristina Conatser

The image above is a digital mixed media style design. I utilized a few different types of images along with some very cool Photoshop filters to create the final product. I have always wanted to travel to Venice. I believe that on a starry night while travelling by boat across the water with someone I love, it would be quiet romantic. Venice is definitely on my bucket list of places to travel. 

Where is a place you would most like to visit? 

Have you been to Venice, Italy? If so, what was the best part of your visit? 

Don't drop less appealing photos, make them POP!

As one who doesn't even throw away the little resealable containers you get when you buy lunch meats at the store, I tend to find ways to preserve my less than perfect photography as well. What do I mean by less than perfect or less than acceptable? Those slightly less pretty or more out of focus shots that you capture as you're calibrating your camera for a particular scene, trying to adjust for lighting or even still trying to learn your way around your new camera. I call these 'Trial and Error' photographs. Even some of the most seasoned photographers have these because no one is perfect and nor are the subjects that we shoot. 

My point is that those shots you spent so much time trying to capture don't have to go to waste, so long as you have some sort of imaging software. Those pictures don't have to be complete garbage. Even if most of the shot is ruined beyond compare but the subject of the shot is of great quality, you could clip the subject out of the image and crop it someplace else all together. I call this getting creative with photographs. 

I believe that anyone who has sheer passion for art, life and taking photos- even for sport or as a hobby- could learn to love doing this. It is a wonderful form of self-expression and it brings new life to something that you may have potentially thought was dead (speaking about the photo of course). Best thing is, you don't have to use only your 'trial and error' photos... you can digital recreate and manipulate to your hearts' content.

Here is an example with both before and after images. The one on the left is of a 'trial and error' photograph of a Blue Jay that I took. The image came out less focused than I would have liked. I decided that instead of tossing the image, I would digitally manipulate it using some filters from my extremely ancient version of Photoshop Elements (that would be the image on the right). 

©2012 Kristina Conatser, All rights reserved.

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If you do not have any imaging software but you are interested in getting creative with your images, 

I have compiled a small list that you may consider 

(note: some may cost money and some only do minor imaging effects):

http://picasa.google.com/

http://www.gimp.org/

http://paint.net/

Download a free trial of Photoshop CS5 Extended

Download Free trial of Corel Paintshop Pro

Download Free Trial of Adobe Photoshop Elements 10

Do you have more imaging software links I can add? 

Please share them in the comments!

Art Challenge- Apple/Art

For this week ( I completely miss last week's challenge btw) challenge on 2 Things Blog, the theme is Apple/Art. With this theme, I thought I would pull out an older art piece I made years ago for a ministry program I worked on and I figured I would play with it a little bit for this challenge. 

The program I worked on years ago was a ministry DVD program discussing temptation. For this, we used the image of an apple because although not proven... it is the most popularly thought of fruit that Adam and Eve took a bite of from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. It is always good to go with something people are familiar with. I myself, believe that the forbidden fruit is not a fruit we have yet re-discovered as there is only one particular tree growing flourishing that type of fruit; just as there was only one special tree in the Garden. On the other hand, if we have acquired the fruit our fallen ancestors-Adam and Eve- here outside of Eden... I believe it would be a more exotic fruit; something not as easy to come by. 

What type of fruit do you believe Adam and Eve ate from? Was it an Apple, a Pomegranate or something more exotic? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Here is my entry for this week's theme: Apple/Art

Pixelated Ruby Red Apple with green leaf

Art Challenge- Card/Blue

This week's art challenge on the 2 Things Blog was for the themes Card and blue. This challenge was originally set for last week but because of the Thanksgiving holiday, it was postponed. 

When I saw that this was the theme to be interpreted, my mind flooded with ideas and I became overwhelmed. I finally settled on something that I really enjoyed making and feel really good about. It is a digital art design and it's (you guessed it) BLUE! I feel it would make a fantastic business card, so you may see me posting about that in the future =) 

Check it out: 

© 2011 Kristina Conatser

Can you think of a cool name for this design? Nothing likes to be nameless. 

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What did you think of this article? Did you enjoy it? Leave me a comment and let me know you've stopped by.

Imagining Freedom

Freedom Flyers © 2011Kristina Conatser (BWC Designs)

If I Were A Bird

Oh, how I wish I were a bird

To lift my feet from the ground

To get away for awhile

Oh, if only I were a bird

Oh, how I wish I were a bird

I would take flight into uncharted territory

Exploring the world from a new perspective

Oh, if only I were a bird

Oh, how I wish I were a bird

So many times I have dreamed this dream

Soaring high above the clouds in the sky

where not a soul could harm me

Oh, if only I were a bird

Oh, how I wish I were a bird

I would fly away right now

Leaving all of my troubles behind me.

Oh, if only I were a bird.

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Did you enjoy this article? I would love to hear from you. Leave me a comment to let me know you've stopped by.

Fun Pop Art Creations

I like to play around in Photoshop as a hobby as well as for work purposes. Lately, in my spare time, I have been creating pop art or cartoonized manips of images I have lying around on my PC. I have also been asked to make some of these for others, so that they may be used as profile pictures on FB, Myspace and etc. I enjoy creating these type of graphics. I find fun in adding textures, patterns and filters to images of people, places and animals to give them a unique look.

Here are a few of my creations:

Holiday Pup © 2011 Kristina Conatser 

Actress- Nicole Kidman 

Art Challenge- Wet/Hot

As you may have read previously in my last Art Challenge article, I have tuned in to the fun weekly events by 2 Things Blog and have begun participating as well. These fun events are free art challenges where 2 random subjects are chosen, and those who would like to join in artistically express their own unique interpretations of those 2 subjects thru photography, painting, crafting, digital art or whichever art form feels comfortable to them. Anyone's welcomed to join these art challenges and enter their art interpretations each week, so long as it's family friendly. 

This week's theme was Wet/Hot and here is my entry:

The Path Less Travelled © 2011 Kristina Conatser (BWC Designs).

The image above is my interpretation of this week's theme- wet/hot. When I think of this week's theme, I recall playing at the creek on a hot summer evening as a child. The Sun's reflect's on the wavy surface of the water as it flows ever so gently, heating the water up to a lukewarm and playful temperature; perfect for fun! This is where I am taken as I interpret this week's theme... where does it take you?

What did you think of my digital art interpretation? I would love to hear from you! Thank you for viewing and following Thru My Lens art blog.  I also would like to say thanks again  2 Things Blog members for giving me the opportunity. I had so much fun!

What Do You See?

So, for today I thought I would get interactive with you. I hope you will join me. I was browsing through my photography and digital creations pondering about today's post, when I came across one of my oldest abstract designs! I think it's fun to gaze upon abstract creations and try to depict what we believe they could be. Kind of like when you make up what the clouds in the sky are forming into. It's a great use of the imagination... and it's fun! Join me and let's discuss what we think is within this abstract image together. 

Abstract "What Do you See" Art © 2011 Kristina Conatser (BWC Designs), All rights reserved.

I wanna hear from you! Let me know what you see in this funky abstract image. 

Leave it in the comments.