Artistic Transformation

Stargazer Lily | Barbara Houston

“In this layout, I used a transfer for the first time and duplicated a photo more times than I would have ever thought of. I applied blending modes and filters to bring out a totally different look to a so-so photo I took with my iPhone of the Stargazer. I love how the photo has turned into something that looks like a watercolor. Very exciting!”

Transformation literally means going beyond your form. – Wayne Dyer (LifeHack Quotes)

My favorite part of teaching is watching my students transform.  

Some obviously grow more than others depending on where they started, and the amount of time they are able to devote to this sport.

It’s never about comparison but rather a measure of their own personal growth.

Barbara Houston is just one of the many AnnaBlendz LIVE students who is creatively flying using the principles taught in the workshop, and has taken her DigitalART beyond her own form.

“My digital art has been kicked up a few notches since taking AnnaBlendz LIVE and that excites me no end. My eyes are opened to new possibilities, even when I’m doing more traditional layouts. I just don’t look at a layout the same way anymore and feel enriched with the knowledge I acquired in taking the class.

I’ve admired digital artists, such as Adryane Driscoll, Donna Goar and Linda Davis, to name just three, and often wondered how they created their beautiful DigitalART.  I wanted to be in their world of artistry.

Before taking the class, I had bought several ArtPlay Palettes and other products from Anna Aspnes Designs not really knowing what the heck to do with them exactly, but nevertheless loving the look. Every once in awhile I would open them in Adobe Photoshop to create a layout, but always felt in the dark as to how to use them to their full advantage.

I love how Anna took the mystery and intimidation out of creating artsy layouts like the people I admire, and broke it down to manageable, bite size pieces that wasn’t overwhelming, even though there was a lot of wonderful information to take in.   There are still many things I want to try out that I learned and look forward to playing with the aA DigitalART product range and being more relaxed about it.

I not only feel the class was a wonderful spring board for my own DigitalART, but I’ve also noticed how the art of fellow digital artists has improved immeasurably since taking the class, no matter what kind of layout they create.

I certainly am very grateful I took the class and look forward to taking more. I hope you enjoy the layouts I’ve been honored to share here, I certainly enjoyed creating them.”

Thankful | Barbara Houston

“My eyes were opened in an early lesson from AnnaBlendz LIVE on using the Gradient tool and artsy papers to blend a photo.  I took this photo of a couple of pumpkins that I had put in one of my whiskey barrel planters and forgotten until I noticed them again rotting during a January thaw. I chose a paper that would match the dirt background of the photo and blended it into the dark paper, duplicating it several times with different blend modes applied. I added stains, a leaf, word art and a button to finish it off.”

Remarkable Poinsettia | Barbara Houston

“I was experimenting/playing with blending photos together after recoloring using masks and re-sizing them -this was the happy surprise. I used the ArtPlay Palette Remarkable and the button came from ArtPlay Palette My Camera. Taking the class has loosened me up to just experiment and see what happens. It doesn’t always work, but a new understanding comes out of the process anyway.”

Reflection | Barbara Houston

“Using the ArtPlay Palette Family, one of my favorite Palettes, I wanted to create something a little more traditional yet use what I’ve learned about blending from AnnaBlendz LIVE. I blended two papers using the AnnaBlendz CheckerBoard on the background. I also clipped some layers from ArtsyKardz Family to the square shape I created, leaving them on Normal blend mode. The photo of me was recolored to match the color palette of the collection, before placing a transfer from the ArtPlay Palette to mimic the look of the tree on the ArtsyKard. I adore that tree.”

There are just 3 seats left in the next AnnaBlendz LIVE workshop begins January 12th, 2016.

Learn more about this interactive on-line discovery and simple approach to digital artistry here.