Arizona Relics

 

Arizona Relics

The Southwest is a great location for finding old treasures, relics from the past.  Here are three we came across while driving down a road close to where we were camping.

Deserted Home

This deserted cabin was set a bit back from the road, just like a nice home would be.  Although, to be honest, I’m not even sure the road I was on was even there when this place was built.  Still, I do like the way the tree sort of frames the cabin, and the green hills behind it.

Not so Easy Rider

This car was sitting alongside a road down which we traveled.  I think it was meant as a sort of advertisement of a junk yard back from the road by about a quarter mile.  I’m not generally drawn to old cars, but this one seemed to have a bit of character still clinging to it – like it knew it was “hot stuff” when it was in its prime, and didn’t feel like it lost too much of that!!  The lines are fairly classic, and it looks like it was a snazzy turquoise color – and a convertible, to boot!

Past Life

As my husband and I drove along a country road, we saw a deserted cabin, one of my favorite photography subjects.  I captured what I felt was the spirit of the cabin, and then decided to create a digital collage, because a simple photograph just wasn’t enough.  I can imagine someone living there in the past, perhaps reconciling the books of their small ranch in an aged ledger.  I can also see them writing to family in far away towns or cities.  As the seasons change, birds call out a welcome or farewell.  To us, a simple life.  To them a full life worth living.

Enjoy!

Note:  Each of these pieces are available in a variety of formats and finishes, from prints, to masks, to journals and everything in between!  Visit my online gallery at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

New Art Additions

As I was looking through my art files recently, I came across some art that somehow escaped me posting it both on my blog and in my online gallery at Fine Art America.  How could that happen?!?  LOL!!  In any event, here are a few of those pieces, for your enjoyment (I hope!).

Otherworldly Sunrise - Tauranga

When on a cruise to the southern portion of our world, I stepped out onto the balcony from our stateroom early one morning, and was greeted by this incredibly low-key sunrise.  It’s a bit of a misnomer to call it a sunrise, for, as you can see, the sun is actually quite high in the sky.  It’s the cloud cover that painted everything in sort of a golden grey.  I felt as if I had stepped into another world.

Beautiful Monarch

One day, when I was exploring, I came across a Monarch butterfly perching delicately on what I believe is some Queen Anne’s Lace.  The photo image was nice, but converting it to this digital sketch really captured the feeling I had while watching this fragile looking beauty.

Times Past

I was playing around, trying a bit of a new technique with my digital art, and ended up with this piece.  I began with an image I took several months ago, while driving along a new “photo op loop” as I think of it.  The image spoke to me of a past time in history, and I worked with a distressed background and some specialty brushes to enhance that message – a written note, back when everyone learned to write in cursive (however horrid our handwriting might have been!), and an old clock face, before digital numbers told us the time.  All are examples of times past, as is an old windmill, used to pump water for the old farm house it inevitable stood close to.  There are few of those reminders left, and I feel bad for those who live in a more urban environment where “progress” had demolished these parts of our history. 

Hidden Story

The old barn that is the focus of this piece, reminds me of lives all around us that have portions of them held close, and hidden to much of the world around them.  People may share a portion of their life story with us, but many people have pieces that they don’t share, that remain hidden.  Sometimes, it’s embarrassment, other times, its fear of judgement, and there are times when some things are just too painful to keep reliving.  This piece is an acknowledgement that all of us have those hidden stories within ourselves.

Beautiful Places

This digital watercolor piece started out as a casual photo image of my patio table with some flowers to be planted, a watering can, and a pair of gardening gloves sitting on it.  It evolved into a sketch which was digitally framed and became part of a larger piece with a lovely quote about gardeners to complete it.  It is something that will always remind me of the spring planting season!

Enjoy!!

Note:  These can be found on my online gallery and are available in a variety of finishes and formats – you can visit there by clicking on this link – https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/Nadine-berg

Three Doors

When I saw these three doors lined up together in an old deserted building, if you look, the doorknobs are all in slightly different locations on the doors, but otherwise, the two panel doors seem remarkably alike.  I wondered why anyone would do that – perhaps to allow a carriage to enter thru the two panel doors?  It didn’t really appear that large to me to allow for that, but it intrigued me enough to capture the image.  I carried the theme of three throughout the piece – 3 rings and 3 sets of trees.  I guess the mystery of the three doors will always be.

Three Doors

Enjoy!

Note:  This piece can be found in a variety of sizes and formats at http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

The Path Home

There was something about this deserted house.  I first saw it as we drove to Acadia National Park, but I didn’t photograph it until a few days later.  It has been deserted for some time, and a no trespassing sign was posted on it.  I didn’t trespass in it.  I just stood out front to photograph it from a number of different angles.  The full-face on view won, and then I decided that I needed to incorporate it into a piece of digital art, what I call photo collage.  The end result reminds me of how often people tend to return to their base, be in where they grew up or where their soul came alive.

The Path Home

Enjoy!

Note:  This piece is available in a variety of print finishes and other items (pillows, tote bags, etc.) via http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

Foto Art Friday – November 3, 2017

Circular Clouds

This piece celebrates the wonder of White Sands National Monument.  Specifically, at sunset, when the sun warms the sky and it’s a nice compliment to the sand and desert plants.  The background of this piece is a vintage love letter, where the writer talks about being on a journey with another person.  And, such is the way I feel about nature of all types, and today specifically the wonder of this US National Monument. 

Circular Clouds

Enjoy!

This piece is available in a variety of sizes and finishes at www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.  

Foto Art Friday – August 18, 2017

Ghosts

The old deserted house stands in the ghost mining town of Kennecott, Alaska.  It speaks to time gone by, when the town was a hub of ore mining activity.  Now, the town is a tourist town, altho the way there is just difficult enough so that it will never become a tourist trap.  This house reminds me that we all have ghosts, so I inserted some into this piece.  Ghosts have a somewhat negative reputation, so another way of thinking about them is as history – sometimes our own and sometimes as society’s.  As much as we sometimes would like to forget the past and focus on the future, the danger in  that is that we will lose the lessons of the past, and in the words of an old saying, “Those who do not learn from the past, are doomed to repeat it.”  So, let us remember the lessons, the ghosts of our past.  It may sometimes be a bit difficult, as is represented by the wisps of memory clouds in this piece, and the faded words as well.  Here’s to the good ghosts, the good memories, and the lessons worth remembering!

Ghosts

Enjoy!

This piece is available in a variety of formats and finishes at www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg

Foto Art Friday – August 4, 2017

Homestead of Old

This piece has, as its focus, one of my favorite photographic subjects – an old deserted cabin.  There’s something about it being a living history, in a way.  Yes, it’s deserted and left standing until it falls over.  But, as long as it is standing, it serves to remind us of a life, or lives, that lived there.  Of a time in our history when brave souls faced the unknown in order to make a better life for themselves.  The image that is the base of this was converted to a sepia toned image to enhance the historic feel of this piece.  Vintage handwriting enhances the intention of this piece, as well as other brushes and effects.  It’s a homestead of old, our living history.

Homestead of Old

Enjoy!

This piece is available in a variety of finishes and formats at my web site at www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

Sunflower Festival Art Exhibit

This year, I was once again accepted in the art exhibit that begins with the Sunflower Festival in Mountainair, NM, on August 26, and continues thru the month of September.  I am truly honored to have my work accepted in this exhibit.  Here are the pieces that will be on display at the Manzano Mountain Art Council Building at 101 E. Broadway in Mountainair.

Beautiful Monarch

It’s always a treat to be able to capture a butterfly in repose.  That this one happened to land on a lovely flower was a true treat not to be missed.  I processed the image as I did to add to the ethereal feel of the moment.

Package of Three

Three daisies at my feet as I walked along a trail in New Mexico were the inspiration for this piece.  I layered it graphically with a piece of vintage handwriting and then used a variety of specialty brushes in my photo imagery software.  The photograph was converted to a colored pencil drawing to enhance the soft and gentle feel.

Window in Adobe Wall

There’s nothing more Southwest (or New Mexican) than an adobe wall.  I loved the feel of the image of the adobe, with all its nuances of color.  Much like our lives – no matter how simple, there are still complexities in every one.  The significance of the window?  It’s a mystery – like the rest of our lives.  What we’ll see is what we make of it.

Old Fence

This image was taken close to my home in Edgewood, NM.  When I looked at the starkness of it, I decided to convert it to a monotone, and then added the texture to it.  It reminds me of the days when life here in the West wasn’t as easy as it is today and I wanted to honor those folks who made a living and their lives in this area.

Times Past

I saw this old windmill on the drive from Moriarty, NM to Mountainair, NM and knew I had to capture it.  When I began processing it, I realized that to truly what life may have been like when this was part of an active homestead, I needed to convert it to a black and white print.  I then added the other elements – the birds represent the fleeting nature of life, the handwriting reminds me of a journal perhaps someone kept, and the clock in the lower corner represents how time keeps passing.

Enjoy!

Foto Shop Friday – July 28, 2017

The Perch

It’s the dead of winter, right after a brutal snow storm.  Most birds, in fact, most animals, are burrowed away, waiting for the sun to return, to once again warm the earth and melt the snow.  And, I see this raven, alone but not lonely.  A curious creature, seemingly oblivious to the conditions around him, perched on just about the only thing around not covered in snow, waiting, watching, content in his own environment.  Looking for some unlucky creature to venture out and become lunch?  Hard to say.  I do love the hardiness of these independent, and intelligent beings and this piece celebrates their uniqueness.

The Perch

Enjoy!

This piece, in a variety of finishes and formats, is available on my web site at www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

Silence

“Winter is a time for recovery and preparation.” Words by Paul Theroux and an image that I took during the winter are the inspiration for this piece.  There is nothing quite as silent as the world covered by a blanket of snow.  All sounds are muffled, and if they aren’t rather loud to begin with, they are totally silenced.  And, silence gives us time to recover our balance, and prepare to move forward.  That is what I feel when I look at the image in this piece, and what I attempted to convey overall.

Silence

Enjoy!

This piece is available in a variety of formats and finishes on my web site at www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

Foto Art Friday – July 14, 2017

Forest for the Trees

This week’s piece was inspired by a ride on a chairlift taken during the summer.  As we traveled both up and down the lift, I was truly amazed at the beautiful scenery.  I kept being drawn to the many, many pine trees that we passed over and alongside – so much so, that I totally missed this small stand of birch trees mixed in with the pines.  It reminded me of the saying about how one cannot see the forest for the trees – getting too hung up on the details to see the overall picture.  I felt a bit like that’s what I had done, totally missing all the birch trees in the forest because I was focused on seeing the pine trees!  I converted my image of the birch trees into a colored pencil drawing, and then merged it with some digital collage elements – some text from an Asian book, and some CitraSolv background paper I made.  I added some specialty brushes to the piece to add a finishing touch. I hope you enjoy the piece and don’t forget to check out all the trees!!!

Forest for the Trees

Enjoy!

This piece is available in a variety of formats and sizes at www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.  

Foto Art Friday – June 23, 2017

Truth Shines In

When exploring in our home state of New Mexico, my husband & I came across this door, or rather, this wall, with a door in it.  What struck me about this wall was how it was still standing, while apparently very sound structurally.  After all, the light was shining in at almost all the seams where the wood boards were joined.  The color was warm and lovely, and truly accented the light nicely.  It made me think about all that one hears in today’s world.  What is true? What is assumption?  What is an outright lie?  Sometimes they all sound the same, all are believable.  The key, I feel, is to listen with your heart.  When you do that, the truth will shine in. 

Truth Shines In

Enjoy!

Foto Art Friday – May 19. 2017

School Days

In Gillespie County, Texas, there are a number of old one-room schoolhouses scattered along the highways and country back roads.  These schools hearken back to the “olden days” when several grades of grammar school were gathered and taught in one room, by one teacher.  This image has as its foundation and inspiration, a photograph of one of those schools.  As I viewed the schoolhouses, I thought about how teaching has changed throughout the years.  One of the sad things that I’m reminded of lately, is that cursive writing is more and more frequently not taught in schools any longer.  For this piece, I then also used some vintage handwriting, and special brushes featuring handwriting.  And, for a bit of whimsy, I added in a clock, as I do recall as a child in school, always watching the clock, noting how long it would be until recess or the end of the day!  What memories does this piece bring back for you?

School Days

Enjoy!

This piece can be found in a variety of formats and finishes on www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg

Foto Art Friday – April 14, 2017

Light the Way

For this week’s Foto Art Friday, I chose an image I took and converted to a painting type effect from a stop Jeff & I made while touring Cartagena, Columbia.  I love the weathered textured appearance of the wall, and how nicely balanced the arch and wall sconce were.  This is an image taken in the Palace of the Inquisition, and as I thought about this piece and where it wanted to go, I thought about how knowledge and learning throws a light on all behavior.  I layered in some Spanish text pages into the background to emphasize the idea of knowledge and learning, and added in some additional written words to further compliment the background.

Light the Way

Enjoy!

This piece is available in a number of print styles and a variety of other formats at www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

FotoArtFriday – March 10, 2017

What is Past

The foundational image for this piece, the top portion of an old weather vane and windmill, reminded me of the past.  I thought about how we can learn from the past, and if we don’t, we tend to repeat our same mistakes over and over, until we do learn.  I then came across a quote from Shakespeare – “What is past is prologue”- and thought that if we don’t learn from the past, then it truly is a prologue to what will be our future.  That can be good or bad……it’s up to us.

What is Past

Enjoy!

This piece is available as a print or in a number of different formats by visiting                                                     www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg

Foto Art Friday – February 10, 2017

The Path Less Taken

I had been thinking about the Robert Frost poem “The Road Less Traveled” and I remembered an image I captured a few years back when my husband, Jeff, and I were walking in the woods not far from where we live in New Mexico.  The image was of a path in the woods, one that clearly was not taken very often by hikers.  And, yet, it held great promise, with sunlight glimmering up ahead, just out of view.  The image that is the foundation of this piece brings the feeling of that poem to mind.  Sometimes, it is the path that not many have taken that will yield the best rewards in life, but only if we chance it and follow it.  As Robert Frost said, it can make all the difference.

The Path Less Taken

Enjoy!

This piece is available as a print and in a variety of other formats on www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg

Foto Art Friday – February 3, 2017

Falcon Flight

For this piece, I merged two different photo images – one I took of a lonely country road in winter, and the other of a falcon I took a year  or so ago.  I decided to give the falcon top billing, so to speak, for this piece, just because the image of him with his wings totally extended is so magnificent.  To add a bit of interest to the background, I blended in a page of Asian text, and then added some grunge effects to the piece overall.  I truly believe it allows the grace of this bird to be spotlighted in a wonderful way.

Falcon Flight

Enjoy!

This piece is available in various formats via www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg

Foto Art Friday – January 27, 2017

Little Red Boat

For this piece, I reflected back to warmer days.  My husband and I were on a Mediterranean cruise and we were wandering the shoreline at a port of call in Cadiz, Spain.  One of the more charming sights that we saw was this little red boat, pulled up on the sandy shore.  When I saw this image, it reminded me of that lovely warm, sunny day.  This piece started with some Spanish text coupled with two different background papers blended together.  I then added some special brushes and blended in the images. 

Little Red Boat

Enjoy! 

This piece is available in a variety of formats thru Fine Art America - http://fineartamerica.com/featured/little-red-boat-nadine-berg.html

Foto Art Friday – January 20, 2017

Wispy Winter

A tree in winter is the inspiration for this piece.  This was from a storm a few years ago, but I decided to play with this image to make it look a bit more “liquid” to create a sort of wispy and fluid look.  I was inspired by viewing the paintings of cottonwoods by Georgia O’Keeffe.  No, the tree is not a cottonwood, but it was a good tree to inspire some abstract musings.  Vintage text, an image of a rock I took a while ago, and various paint brushes complement the tree.  The rock image provides some wonderful texture that add a nice touch and remind me of what the tree trunk and branches feel like.

Wispy Winter

Enjoy!

This piece is available for purchase in a variety of products (prints, greeting cards, tote bags, etc.) by clicking on the following link:   http://fineartamerica.com/featured/wispy-winter-nadine-berg.html

Foto Art Friday

January 13, 2017

While working on another art project, I came across this image of a golden flower that I took a few years ago, and it inspired this piece.  I complemented it with layers of background including vintage text and a number of different golden tones background papers.  I added some grange effects to finish off the piece.  I was then struck by the overall warmth of this piece – sort of a glow of happiness and contentment, at least to me.  The browns and darker tones add depth and even an element of structure.  Overall, it left me with a warm feeling on a chilly winter night.

Golden Tones

Enjoy!