Music of the Heart

There is something about a rose of any color that speaks to me of love.  And, from my perspective, love makes one’s heart sing!  This photo collage combines both roses and music for a soft, romantic piece.

Enjoy!

Note: This piece is available in a variety of finishes and sizes by visiting https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

A Tattered Life

When I saw this battered cabin with the door almost falling off its hinges, it made me stop and imagine the life that once lived there.  It seems sadly ironic that somehow, through all that had befallen this place, there still was an attempt at niceness – the somewhat fancy, perhaps even lacy curtain that was in the window of the door.  

I  imagined a woman, most likely, peeking out from behind the curtain, hoping to see her husband or lover returning from his travels.  This cabin was along the Atlantic coast, so I imagine him to be a sailor.  What letters had been written and received?  Were her hopes still alive or had they been dashed like the waves along the rocky shore.  And, how did her life turn out?  Hopefully, a happy ending and not the tattered life that was the fate of this cabin.

Enjoy!

Note:  This piece is available in a variety of formats and finishes at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/Nadine-berg    

Foto Art Friday – December 1, 2017

Shades of Home

This piece came about as I thought about home and what it means to so many people.  Of course, the heart of the piece is the image of what once was someone’s home.  There is writing, both handwritten and typed, in different positions, representing how people tend to write to those at home, or about home, or even about leaving home, depending on one’s perspective.  Different textures represent the different thoughts people have about what “home” means to them, and the birds represent the fleeting time we spend at our various homes throughout our life.  So, what does “home” mean to you?

Shades of Home

Enjoy!

This piece, in a variety of finishes and formats, including prints, pillows, tote bags, journals, is available at www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

Foto Art Friday – November 10, 2017

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, it’s 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.

Hidden Story

Enjoy!

This piece is available in a variety of sizes and finishes at

www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

Foto Art Friday – October 13, 2017

Old Barn

Note:  This is a repeat of a previous Foto Art Friday from September, 2016.  I’m reposting this as a sort of remembrance to this old barn.  This past week, as I drove by the place where it was, I noticed that it had just been torn down.

There’s this small little barn that apparently hasn’t been used for years on the road that I drive on all the time to head to the store.  I have always thought it had such character, and planned to photograph it.  However, I hadn’t until recently.  I noticed there was a “For Sale” sign on the property, and I realized that when it sold, whoever the new owners were might tear it down to build a newer, bigger barn.  So, I finally made a point to stop and photograph it.  I decided to have it be the focus of this art piece, to sort of honor the farming community that used to live in the area.  The piece has my own Citra Solv paper as its background, with some vintage handwriting blended into it.  Add my image, some grunge effects and specialty paint brushes in PhotoShop Elements, and it’s done! Credit: on thin air and soul poison (brushes); GTD Grunge Collection (grunge effect)

Old Barn

Enjoy!

Foto Art Friday – October 6, 2017

Inevitable

This piece speaks to the time of the year when summer is giving way to autumn.  Some look forward to the new season, while others want summer to remain a while longer.  But, no matter how much one wishes for the warmth of summer to remain, the crisp of autumn will certainly come.  The lesson of autumn is that change is inevitable, and our ability to thrive depends on our resilience to the changes around us.

Inevitable

Enjoy!

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

Foto Art Friday – September 29, 2017

Autumn Raindrop

It’s rather unusual for it to be very rainy here where I live, in the desert Southwest of the US.  However, the other day, it was raining off and on all day.  When I looked out at the tree in our front yard, the leaves were all turning from green to gold.  And, in the rain, they all looked a bit bedraggled.  I did go out between showers, tho, to see if there was an image to be had.  Nothing was extremely photo-worthy, but I did notice a raindrop just hanging from the edge of a gold leaf, with brownish edges.  I decided to use a close up of that image as the foundation for this piece.  It was such a close up, it became somewhat abstract, so I decided to go with that, and just made the piece about all the different signs of autumn – leaves turning colors, from green to gold to red, bare trees waiting for winter, and birds taking wing to their winter retreats.  It’s a time of endings, and beginnings, too, depending on one’s perspective.  I’m looking forward to the change of season.

Autumn Raindrop

Enjoy!

Credit: Bird brushes by wingsofahero

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

Foto Art Friday – September 8, 2017

The Old House

Memories are funny, and selectively incorrect, or correct, depending on one’s perspective.  Is the season summertime, or late winter, as is this case?  And, were there visitors by car, or perhaps a more casual visitor by bicycle?  Memories can play tricks, or do we play tricks with our minds.  Generally, it’s of no importance, as they can be something that offers us solace when looking back on what once was.

The Old House

Credits:  Background paper by Somerset Studio, Brushes used complements of Wings of a Hero (birds) & Maya (written word).

Enjoy!

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

Foto Art Friday – September 8, 2017

Ancient Word

A few weeks ago, Jeff & I drove past Shiprock.  Shiprock.  It is significant in the history of the Navajo People, and means, roughly, “winged rock” or “rock with wings”.  It refers to the great bird that brought the Navajo from the north to the current area where they live.  As I look at it, I’m reminded of not only the Navajo People’s history, but all of our histories, both as a culture and individually.  The title of this piece refers to how we capture our history, written in the traditional sense of the word, and in other ways just as meaningful as the written word.

Ancient Word

Enjoy!

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

Foto Art Friday- August 11, 2017

Reality

Sometimes, life is harsh.  This piece has, as its focus, a cabin called the Beeman’s Cabin, in Alaska.  Life certainly can be hard, and harsh, in Alaska.  This piece is meant to capture the reality of how hard can be.  In today’s world, it seems many want to make life unrealistically easy for younger people.  By doing that, they are doing a disservice to those individuals, because that’s not what life is.  I won’t go on, but life will hand all of us reality, which may be exactly what we want….or not.  Here’s to having the strength to survive and thrive in reality.

Reality

Enjoy!

This piece is available in a variety of finishes and formats at the following sites: www.etsy.com/shop/photoimagerybynadine and www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

Foto Art Friday – June 2, 2017

Haunted Impressions

Recently, Jeff and I spent time exploring the back roads in Texas, near the town of Fredericksburg.  We located a number of old one-room country schoolhouses, many of which were in a state of disrepair.  One image that I took of a window in one of the buildings reminded me of someplace that could possibly be haunted.  For this piece, I decided to run with that idea and added a hazy image of a small child as a ghost that still lives on in the building.  Various other digital collage backgrounds and effects were added to add to the overall feel of this piece.

Haunted Impressions

Enjoy!

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

Foto Art Friday – April 21, 2017

Morning Thoughts

This piece finds it inspiration in the mundane!  One morning, I thought about how sometimes my thoughts are very muddled and scattered in the morning, much like the outer edges of this piece.  Then, I take a bit of time to write in my journal, and my thoughts, feelings and plans for the day become much clearer.  The ray of sunshine in the photo image in this piece reflects the bit of clarity I receive as I take the time to reflect in my journal.

Morning Thoughts

Enjoy!

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

Foto Art Friday – March 17, 2017

Waiting

It seems that we all spend a good portion of our lives waiting for various things – waiting to be old enough to vote, drink, and marry to begin with.  Then, old enough to retire and enjoy life.  Or maybe, waiting for someone to return home or something wonderful to happen.  This piece focuses on that last feeling.  The pier in fog can represent so many things – waiting for it to lift to be able to truly enjoy the day, or waiting for a loved one to return or to visit.  The darker clouds overhead is our worry about the situation. The birds in the distance can remind us of a person who is gone.  A handwritten note received so long ago seems to fade in our memory.  And, still, we wait. 

Waiting

Enjoy!

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

Foto Art Friday – March 3, 2017

Yesterday’s Picnic

One of the campgrounds at Big Bend National Park, in Texas, has a day-use area that has several picnic tables underneath the cottonwood trees.  As I road my bike past the area, and later rested at one of the tables, I was reminded of times past when we would picnic at similar open areas when I was a child.  I also remembered when my husband and I would picnic along a river, laze about reading, and also ride our bikes, as the mood struck us.  This piece is meant to allow us all to remember the times when our days were full of simple pleasures.

Yesterday’s Picnic

Enjoy!

This piece may be purchased as a print or in a variety of other formats at

www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg

Foto Art Friday – February 24, 2017

Understanding

I’ve been thinking about understanding, and how somehow, we seem to have a hard time understanding how to understand.  It sounds simple – put yourself in the place that another person is in, and think of how you’d feel.  That’s the simplest way to describe it.  You may not agree with them, but you can, to some degree, understand how they arrived at that opinion or feeling.  This piece is what came to me when I thought about the sometimes difficult act of understanding.  I started with an image I took of a dead tree in the Organ Mountains National Monument.  To me, it represents the bare bones of an idea or opinion.  The written words in the background represent the explanations that somehow never seem to be heard.  The shadows in the piece represent the various reports or opinions about what the base idea is.  Often, they only serve to cloud the issue.  But, still the bare bones of the idea or opinion still remains, standing alone, just waiting for …. understanding.

Understanding

Enjoy!

This piece is available as a print and in other formats at

www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg. 

Foto Art Friday – February 17, 2017

Rainy Day Commute

One day, while exploring a national park in New Mexico, Bandelier National Park, Jeff & I found ourselves following a rather old, sort of beater type car, just moseying along at a very slow, leisurely pace.  We weren’t in any real hurry, so we just patiently followed behind.  It was a rainy day, so all the colors were quite vivid, and I was taken by commentary the color of the car was to its surroundings, and captured this image of a sort of creaky looking car.  I then processed it using my High Dynamic Range (HDR) software to accentuate the colors in the image and made it the focus of this piece.  I added some textured background to the piece.  I also added some tree and bubble brushes to the piece.  Trees because we were in a forest, and the bubbles reminded me of the raindrops that were ever present on this day.  So, sit back and imagine where this little old car may have been driving along this forest road.

Rainy Day Commute

Enjoy!

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

Foto Art Friday – December 9, 2016

In A Deep and Dark December

There’s been quite a bit of wintry weather going on all over the country, it seems.  I felt like I wanted this piece to match the week’s weather, so I went back into my image files and found this image of a wintry day here from about a year or so ago.  I layered it with a number of different backgrounds and effects, blending and merging them until this result happened.  As I played with this piece, the old Simon and Garfunkel song “I Am A Rock” kept repeating in my head, specifically the line “in a deep and dark December”.  I knew I just had to name this piece for that line, as it certainly does look like a deep and dark December.

In A Deep and Dark December

Enjoy!

October 14, 2016 – Foto Art Friday

Surf Play

Summer is at its end, and the thought of this made me reflect back to some enjoyable summer memories.  When in San Diego, a friend of mine and I walked along the beach.  I saw a little girl playing with the surf, not IN the surf.  She would run down to the shore and then squat down and wait for the waves to roll back in.  Then, she’d race the waves into the shore.  This would happen over and over again, to her delight!  I’ve been thinking about her for a while, and decided to make her the focus of this piece, celebrating summer, life, childhood and fun.

Surf Play

Enjoy!



Foto Art Friday – October 7, 2016

Autumn Day

It’s getting to be that time of year again – autumn.  My husband and I were in the Moab, UT area, driving along a mountain backroad when a beautiful autumn colored scene appeared.  In the mountains, the air was crisp, but not yet cold – in short, a perfect early autumn day!  I decided to savor the memory of this time in this piece.  Hopefully, you live in a place where you, too, can enjoy the colors of autumn!

Autumn Day

Enjoy!

This piece can be purchased from my Etsy online shop at www.etsy.com/shop/photoimagerybynadine

 



September 30, 2016 - Foto Art Friday - Old Barn

 

There’s this small little barn that apparently hasn’t been used for years on the road that I drive on all the time to head to the store.  I have always thought it had such character, and planned to photograph it.  However, I hadn’t until recently.  I noticed there was a “For Sale” sign on the property, and I realized that when it sold, whoever the new owners were might tear it down to build a newer, bigger barn.  So, I finally made a point to stop and photograph it.  I decided to have it be the focus of this art piece, to sort of honor the farming community that used to live in the area.  The piece has my own Citra Solv paper as its background, with some vintage handwriting blended into it.  Add my image, some grunge effects and specialty paint brushes in PhotoShop Elements, and it’s done! Credit: on thin air and soul poison (brushes); GTD Grunge Collection (grunge effect) #FotoArtFriday.

Old Barn

Enjoy!