Rock Garden – Digital painting by Cathy Ulrich
“In the midst of my skeptical, cynical, often pessimistic nature exists a slender capacity to believe, if only temporarily, in a guiding, unseen power, and whenever this happens, I go with it. That’s what inspiration is. You don’t get it from the gods. You make it.”
— Jeffrey Eugenides
LargeSelf 
Wow! This is beautiful! 🙂
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Thanks, Angelayeh! Thanks for stopping by!
Cathy
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I love it, Cathy. You are an inspiration!
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So are you, Crystal! Let’s talk soon!
Love,
Cathy
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I like how the quote starts going in a higher power direction but then make a u-turn to the self. That was very satisfying. I’ve only read one Eugenides book, “Middlesex”, but it was a great one. I hope it will never be adapted into a film for that would ruin it.
Lovely image. What exactly is a digital painting? Did you add and/or subtract imagery?
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V,
I liked that too. I am embarrassed to admit that I had never heard of the guy before, just came across the quote and really liked it, but I’m going to have to check him out. “Middlesex” sounds like a good place to start.
Thanks about the image. It started with a photo, but the painting part is working with a program called Corel Painter. The photo was really drab and I increased the contrast and enhanced it using the program, a virtual “ink” paintbrush and a Wacom graphics pad. It allows you to use a pen stylus and literallly paint on a virtual canvas. It’s really fun. Somewhat similar to photoshop, but much more artistic. Many times I start freehand like the mandala in the “Ode to the Blogosphere” post. That was also a digital art piece.
Cathy
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Here’s an idiot question, so the flowers were growing out of the rocks all along and you just re-worked the color? “Middlesex” is the only Eugenides book I’ve read but it won the Pulitzer. It’s a great intro to him. I loved that book. My boss recommended it to me 8 years ago. She simply handed it to me and said, “You’ll like this.” She was right.
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V,
Yes, the flowers were growing out of the rocks but I did more than rework the color. Corel Painter allows you to add different kinds of art brushes. In this one, I started with the photo, but changed it using dry ink “brushes.” So while it looks somewhat like a photo, the colors, the shadows and the whole composition has more of a “painterly” quality. It’s a very different image than the original photo.
And I have to ask you, what did you love about Middlesex?
Cathy
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I thought I followed you! Fixed that!
Lovely quote . . .
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Thanks, Robin. I think you had followed me but maybe somehow that got turned off. Maybe another thing to put on the WordPress Christmas list to Santa?
Cathy
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Totally! WordPress drops some of my favorites bloggers now and again. But in your case, maybe I didn’t do it properly. Follow and Un-follow in the same click. So sorry for the mix up!
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No apologies necessary, Robin. Just so glad to know you! I really like your style and sense of humor. Good stuff.
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I love Jeffrey Eugenides..great quote Cathy!!
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Thanks so much, Mimi! Glad to see you’re feeling well enough to visit! A good sign. Hugs,
Cathy
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