Removed Poster Made From Cirlces of The Image

I enjoy photographing unusual closeups and the dots make this even more fun.

The color is the original, I photographed the staple remover on a yellow backdrop but the lighting made everything this delightful green. Serendipity is a wonderful thing.

The multiple circles were done in Illustrator by making a reversed clipping mask.

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Bicycle I Want To Ride My Bicycle Poster

This poster was inspired by Queen's song Bicycle Race. I ride my bike almost daily and miss it when the weather is too bad for riding.

The missing bits of printed color resemble a screen printed image. You can fake screen printing by taking a black and white image that has no grey tones and do a live trace of it, ignoring white. You then change the black to white and place it over the image. Since the white bits are now a vector you can change size as well as un-group the lot and eliminate some of the areas.

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Victorian Houseplant and Planter Poster

These wonderful vintage botanical illustrations are from the Graphics Fairy. I put them in Illustrator, did a live trace and changed the color to Pantone. The original black is now a Pantone shade, then I painted a lighter shade of Pantone on another layer. Pantone is wonderful choice since you can easily alter the intensity without changing the opacity or color. Make sure you change the colors back to CMYK or RGB after you are done since some home printers have problems with Pantone colors. I think the stripes tie them together nicely and reinforce the vintage look while staying modern. Available on Etsy

 

Raining Watermelon Seeds Poster

I'm a little obsessed; I've painted chairs, tables and baskets to resemble watermelons. Who wouldn't love something so tasty and beautifully graphic.

The song, It's Raining Men was on the radio and I thought what else could it rain. Watermelon seeds look like water droplets and a design was born.

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Minneapolis Skyline Lake Harriet Poster

When you stand on the shore of our beautiful Lake Harriet, you can see the Minneapolis skyline in the distance.

I took a photo and turned it into a travel poster.

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Lunch Time Portrait Drawing

I feel like such a lurker, this young man didn't know he posed for a portrait.

He was drawn with a Micron pen. You don't get nice line variation but Micron pens travel well and don't smudge

Barbie Took A Little Time To Rethink Stilettos Poster

Perhaps she should have purchased the Dream airplane rather than catching a ride with GI Joe.

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I Found This Humerus Poster

I was feeling punny. A top hat wearing skeleton is holding out a humerus, an arm bone.

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Wine and Happiness Poster

You can't buy happiness but you can buy wine and that's kinda the same thing.

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Fezzes Are Cool Doctor Who Poster

Fezzes are cool and so are bow ties. The background has an argyle pattern with a fez center. The banner resembles a bow tie and the blue square represents the top of the Tardis. 

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My Baby Wrote Me A Letter Airmail Poster

"The Letter" has been performed by many famous bands including The Box Tops, Joe Cocker, Trini Lopez, The Beach Boys and Bachman-Turner Overdrive.

Rolling Stone ranked it as one of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

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2012 July 3 Artist Journal Page Itasca State Park

We went to Itasca State Park the day after a lively storm; about half of the park roads were closed due to fallen trees.

The temp in the parked Jeep said it was 114 degrees but the actual temperature was significantly less. The reading corrected after we drove it away from the baking sun in front of the cabin.

A man in Osage was using a chainsaw as a weed whacker.

A snake landed on Nissa when she opened the cabin door. He slithered into the cabin and attacked the broom when we tried to encourage his departure. We were very brave while under attack.

Ice Cream Is The Cure To A Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day Poster

The healing power of ice cream. This is an original art journal drawing that I colored digitally.

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Strange Days Have Found Us by The Doors Poster

The lyric is from the Doors song Strange Days. The Death's-head Hawkmoth is flying over a garden pagoda, strange indeed.

The vintage illustrations were changed to vectors and recolored.

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To The World You May Be One Person But To One Person You May Be The World Poster

This square poster has a world of color. The colors on the text range from dark blue, to turquoise, to green, to golden brown. Our beautiful planet is the center of the word you.

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Microwaved Concrete Tiki Head Sculpture

In keeping with my driveway sculptures at the cabin I put a concrete Tiki head in a a microwave oven and put it in the woods.

Now I know what happened on Easter Island.

Alphabet Animal Silhouette Circle Poster

These a to z animals are hanging around. The circle of animal silhouettes includes an

alligator, bear, camel, donkey, elephant, frog, giraffe, hippo, impala,
jaguar, kangaroo, lizard, moose, narwhal, ostrich, pig, quail, rhino,
scorpion, turtle, umbrette, vulture, whale, x-ray tetra fish, yak, zebra

 Available on Etsy

California Dreaming Song Lyrics Poster

California Dreaming by The Mamas and the Papas is one of my go to songs; it tends to come out in the shower and while shopping at Target.

The layout was inspired by vintage record covers and the colors were taken from 1960s era fabrics.

Sail Away Explore Dream Discover Mark Twain Quote Poster

Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. What a great quote by Mark Twain.

I had a photo class assignment to try to replicate a famous photo but I can't remember the photographer's name now. The cruise ship was one I saw down in the Caribbean and my mock ocean was actually Lake Mille Lacs. It's ironic the photo was taken with a nice SLR camera only to make it look like the cool, but grainy, Instagram effect Nashville.


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I Will Be Awesome Today Orange Star Poster

It's a good day when I can make something orange.

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If You Like It You Should Have Put A Pin On It Poster

I was on Facebook, went to Pinterest, the song Single Ladies from Beyonce came on; a poster was born.

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Don't Wish Away Your Days Waiting For Better Ones Ahead Poster

The trick is to enjoy life. Don't wish away your days waiting for better ones ahead. So true...

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Scrap Metal Sculptures

Our cabin has a very long driveway and the forest was filled with scattered junk metal. I bought a bunch of spray paint and started assembling strange creatures which now live in the woods. I have over a dozen sculptures and these are some of the oldest.

We have no visible neighbors so it was a bit of a surprise to see golf carts, ATVs and walkers wandering through the woods. Last weekend someone said they always bring their guests to look at it since "It's sorta like art." I guess that explains the occasional disappearance, pesky "sorta" art thieves.

Wag More Bark Less Pug With Top Hat and Bow Tie Poster

I used to have a vintage figure of a small dog wearing a top hat and this illustration is based on a drawing I did of him. I enjoy objects that cast impossible shadows and the person yelling (barking) was inspired by someone I saw on a walking trail.

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Winter Is Coming Game Of Thrones Poster

 I finally watched Game of Thrones; two years in two days. I can see what the fuss is about: it was riveting.

The red dragon is resting on a heavily ornamented helmet. The illustration is from a vintage French book. You can see the image through the text and it was harder to do than you might think.

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Work Hard Play Harder Poster

I don't find many uses for the Rosewood Standard font but it has an interesting vintage appearance that reminds me of the old west.

How to tip. To make the entire image have a gradient, not just each letter, you have to convert the text to outlines and apply the gradient to the group.

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Why Is Dryer Lint Always Blue Poster

One of life's great mysteries is why is dryer lint always blue no matter what color your clothes are? The poster is designed to look like a dryer door with text clothes spinning inside.

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He Loves Me He Loves Me Not Daisy Poster

Some things are so well known they don't need text. The flowers were made in Illustrator but the grass was constructed in Photoshop.

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Life Doesn't Have To Be Perfect To Be Wonderful Poster

The odd man out motif was very popular back in the 1960s. Square peg in a round hole is very symbolic with a strong graphic image. I like the circles forming a square with an inset square.

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Paper Birch Trees By A Lake And Mountain Chalk Art

The autumn landscape drawing was done in chalk on lightly textured paper. Paper Birch is one of my favorite trees and they are even more striking in the fall.

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Winnie the Pooh Quote Mouse Lovers Full Moon Poster

If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you — Winnie the Pooh.

The adorable mouse illustration was taken from a vintage illustration and turned into a vector in illustrator. I then painted the color using Illustrator. The rather whimsical font is Trinigan FG.

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