Category Archives: Nikon D90

Two Weeks Away with Family

21 Wednesday Oct 2015

Posted by in Dogs, Life and Family, Musings, Nikon D90, Pets, Photography

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It’s always a great time when I get to spend some R & R with my family.  One of my very best friends just happens to be my brother’s wife Darlene.  We have many interests in common.  My vintage Airstream trailer is on my brother’s property in Michigan.  We spent almost two weeks there this month which included a couple of trips to see fall colours.  Surprisingly both the trip up to NW Michigan and the River Cruse in Bay City didn’t yield much of a colour show.  However, we did get a bit of colour in central Michigan.  No paintings this time but some nice photos.

 

Road Trip up to North Western Michigan for Fall Colours

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Sailing Trip up the Saginaw River out of Bay City

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Pelee Island Plein Air with Friends

27 Saturday Jun 2015

Posted by in Art, Botony, Flowers, Hike, Landscape, Landscape, Nikon D90, Oil, Oil painting, Photography, Plein Air, Portrait, sunset, Uncategorized, ViewNX

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It was my first trip to Pelee Island, Canada’s most southern Post. I am so blessed to have good friends. My Plein Air group the Windsor & Essex County Plein Air Artists is chock full of wonderful people.  I could not be more grateful.  One of our members and incredible artist Vera Graham, invited the group to spend the night at her cottage.  Two of us, Kathy Hudak and I, were able to take advantage of her generous offer. 

A large backhoe barely fits in the Jiimaan hold.

A large backhoe barely fits in the Jiimaan hold.

It was an early day Monday.  We had to be at the Leamington dock by 9:00 to board the Jiimaan Ferry to the island.  It’s amazing what this vessel holds!  A huge backhoe on a trailer bed, large trucks, a garbage truck, a cherry picker lift, and many other smaller vehicles. 

 

 

Life jackets ... check Life boat ... check

Life jackets … check
Life boat … check

It was a full and heavy load.  The ferry listed on the Port side from the incredible weight of the trucks.  I’m sure she was never in any danger of capsizing, but I was very grateful for calm seas.    Just to be sure I made note of the life jackets and lifeboat locations! 

 

 

 

Bon Voyage!

Bon Voyage!

Once we’ve boarded we headed up to the deck to watch the boat leave the harbour.

The one and a half hour cruse was pleasant.  The brisk breeze was refreshing.   I could hardly contain my joyous anticipation of what the two days ahead would hold for us.

 

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OOps!  We got into a bit of trouble.  We walked down a set of stairs into a restricted area.  Well they didn’t have any signs, and the steps were not roped off!  How were we supposed to know?  The equipment was just so COOL!

OOps! Ship's hand chased us out of here, but not before I got this great photo of a huge winch. They need better signage!

OOps! Ship’s hand chased us out of here, but not before I got this great photo of a huge winch. They need better signage!

We reach the Island docks.

We reach the Island docks.

First order of business snacks! Chips, salsa and Pelee Island WINE!

Relaxing on the beach.

Relaxing on the beach.

Then off to paint.

Vera’s Refuge 8 x 10 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord $275.
Painting Vera’s Refuge on the East Beach, storm incoming

 

The rest of our 2 day painting holiday was filled with a great beach bonfire, nighttime thunder storms, hiking on the beach, hiking in the woods, sack lunch at the winery, snacks at the cottage,  and good friends.

Chairs positioned to catch the last rays of the day.

Chairs positioned to catch the last rays of the day.

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Monday’s sunset is an incredible light show.

Monday’s sunset is an incredible light show – looking west
Monday’s sunset is an incredible light show – looking east
No trip to the cottage is complete without a good campfire. One on the beach is the best!

No trip to the cottage is complete without a good campfire. One on the beach is the best!

 

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Tuesday’s tour of the island saw that Monday night’s storms flooded much of the farmland.

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A walk through the forest at the south west end of the island.

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The southern most tip of Canada, which is the south west tip of Pelee Island.

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The harbour lights signal we are home again.

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DSC_9600A beautiful end to a wonderful 2 days.  Sunset on the north shore of Lake Erie.

Fire Destroys Obstruction of Justice House – Heidleburg Project Detroit

03 Friday May 2013

Posted by in Art, Nikon D90, Photography

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One of the most interesting houses at the Heidleburg Project burned down early this morning, Friday May 3rd, 2013. Authorities say the fire started around 3:30 am. Neighbors called in to report the blase.

I visited the project last fall when I attended a gallery crawl that toured many galleries in the greater Detroit area.

If you have Facebook you can view a video about the project here.

Mom’s RumRill Vase, Table runner, Hydrangeas and My Abstract Watercolour

10 Wednesday Oct 2012

Posted by in abstract, Art, Botony, Flowers, Nikon D90, Photography, Still Life, Still Life, Watercolour

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Mom's RumRill Vase, Table runner, Hydrangeas and My Abstract Watercolour by photographerpainterprintmaker

Yesterday we cleaned up the front garden. My hydrangea bush had some incredible blooms on it this year. It was a joy to bring these inside. I found a lovely spot for them in my office. The background is a section of my abstract watercolour/rice paper collage which measures 40 3/4″ x 49 3/4″.

When I was a child we had two very large lilac bushes in our backyard. Every spring I would cut lilacs from these bushes and bring them in for my mother. She would go to the china cabinet and pull out this vase to hold them. Little did I know that this piece of American pottery was anything special. It is Red Wing RumRill art deco pottery with the number 629 on the base. The crochet table runner was made by my mother.

This was one of my final BFA pieces. My classmates, I’m sure, didn’t appreciate having to hop over this painting every day in order to get to their studio’s. I had to lay it on the floor with fans drying the large pools of watercolour. This process would take hours.

I love it because it was one of those pieces that I pushed beyond the breaking point and brought back. I thought it was trash, but my professor Adele Duck made me work it to death, or should I say back to life. I think I learned more on this one failed painting than in all my other works combined. Thank you Adele!

I photographed this in natural light. It’s a bit grainy because it is a cloudy day.

Lunch – Omelet with Morels

03 Thursday May 2012

Posted by in Botony, Nikon D90, Photography, ViewNX

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Lunch - Omelet with Morel's by photographerpainterprintmaker

Lunch - Omelet with Morel's by photographerpainterprintmaker

Lunch - Omelet with Morel's by photographerpainterprintmaker
Lunch - Omelet with Morel's by photographerpainterprintmaker

Monday’s paint out may have been rained out, but the trip to Chatham was well worth it! We had to reschedule for the 7th. What made my day was the opportunity to leisurely stroll though Peter Moffat’s incredible woodland garden with my camera. One of the ladies had very sharp eyes, and spotted an incredible patch of morel’s. I could not have been more excited. I was able to take a few home. Today I made lunch with one of them.


1 morel cleaned and sliced
2 eggs beaten
A splash of milk
2 pats salted butter
1 clove minced garlic
1 sliced shallot
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese
Salt & fresh ground pepper

Saute veggies in butter a bit
Slide to one side of pan
Gently pour in beaten eggs
Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese
When almost set fold omelet.
Let set up a bit more
Plate and enjoy!

Red or Purple Trillium

26 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by in Botony, Gimp, Nikon D90, Photography, ViewNX

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Monday, was a blustery day out in Essex county, but in Greg Iler’s woodlot you would hardly know it. All around the lot barren fields lost their precious topsoil to the angry wind. On the woodlot floor the Trillium’s were sheltered from these gale force winds. The tall slender trees creaked around us as they swayed in the wind that forced its way through their canopy. The occasional small branch would fall victim, and come plummeting into a bed of white, purple and blue wild flowers. Not wanting one of these wayward branches to knock us out, we quickly captured these beauties in their brief spring show. Thank you Greg, for showing us this beautiful sight.

Plein Air at the Amherstburg Navy Yard

28 Saturday May 2011

Posted by in Art, Botony, Moleskine, Nikon D90, Photography, Plein Air, Watercolour

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RodiDSC_2315, originally uploaded by photographerpainterprintmaker.

My best two female friends and I ventured out to Amherstburg this morning to paint during the Garden Tour. We were not disappointed as the gardens were in full bloom. I’ve taken to doing smaller watercolours in my Moleskine. I have fallen head over heals in love with this book. I bought two larger one’s when I was in California, but I’ve yet to take the plastic off them. We have an exciting summer planned for the Windsor & Essex County Plein Air Society in this our third summer.

Just an incredible day in Amherstburg. I wish we could have stayed longer.

The 8th Hole

14 Saturday May 2011

Posted by in Art, Landscape, Moleskine, Nikon D90, Plein Air, Watercolour

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The 8th Hole, originally uploaded by photographerpainterprintmaker.

The 8th Hole at Roseland Golf Course. It was a beautiful sunny day on Monday, May 9th, 2010. Finally we got some warm weather, although it was still cool in the shade. The golf course was teeming with golfers eager to get out on the course. I really enjoyed painting this sketch. It is my first double page sketch in my first Moleskine. I am so loving this book. It goes with me everywhere.

The True Morels vs the False Morels

24 Monday May 2010

Posted by in Botony, Macro Monday, Nikon D90, Photography, ViewNX

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Ascomycetes – Morchella – The true Morels vs the False Morels


If I told you where these were,  I would have to shoot you! They are a spring mushroom, and highly prized. We also encountered some false Morels, which are poison. I’m grateful that I have my Dad’s mushroom books to help me identify them.

Morchella The True Morels

Gyromitra, Helvella, and Related Species of the False Morels

Gyromitra, Helvella, and Related Species of the False Morels

Gromitra Brunnea Underwood

Cap large 5-15 cm broad, often saddled-shaped, lobed, often veined, chocolate-brown, white beneath, Flesh brittle, white. Stalk large, 16 – 15 cm long, 2-5 cm broad, Slightly larger base, somewhat ribbed to smooth, white, nearly hollow to cottony inside. Spores 28 – 30 x 12 – 15 elliptical, finely warted.
Single or several under hardwood forests in eastern North America in early Sp. Causes severe illness from high levels of MMH. (Group V toxins). G. fastigiata (Krombh.) Rehm (394B) is similar but looks as though it might be a darker brown formm of southern Helvella gigas; however it also contains Group V toxins. It is occasionally found at low elevation in western North America.

This mushroom is identical to the one depicted in 394B

Macro Monday challenge