Artists Down Under - Australia and New Zealand - June 2022

DOWN UNDER Australia and New Zealand

Issue 63

| june 2022

| digital ar tistr y

04 E D I T O R ’ S R E P O R T

By Pam Henderson

05 P H O T O S H O P A R T I S T RY

By Sebastian Michaels

06 CA R O LY N J E N S O N - Head In The Clouds

07 J U L I A R A E 08 A N D R E W H AYS O M - F i v e Ye a r s

- W e d g e -Ta i l e d E a g l e

33 I N G R I D JA KO B S E N - Sur f ing The Wave

- T i d a l Tu r m o i l

37 J U D I L A P S L E Y M I L L E R - P e e k a b o o ( p i w a k a w a k a)

09 A L B A M A S S - Urban

10 E L E N O R G I L L - Tr o p h y R o o m

38- D E A N H O H N 39 - M o r n i n g F o g 40 K A R E N WA A LW Y K - Cheetah

11 I LO N A A B O U - Z O LO F - I Am Shy

41 B E V T E R R AW S K YJ - M a n A b o u t To w n

12 H E M A N T KO G E K A R - Whimsy House

- U m b r e l l a Tr e e

13 C O L I N CA M P B E L L - Minstrel

32 D E N N I S R I C K A R D

34- S O M E P H O T O S H O P I N S P I R AT I O N 36 B y A n d r e w H a y s o m

- The Climb

- To T h e L i n e

30- P R U E W R I G H T 31 - C o p i H o l l o w

- Minstrel Construction

14 G E R A R D W H E L A N - Queensland Sunset

42 G I TA M A DAY - S t o r m I n A Te a c u p

43 M I C K R O O N E Y - Gathering

- N i g h t Fr i e n d s

44- C O L I N K I L L I C K 45 - D e l i r i u m W a y

15- A R T I S T S M O N T H LY 23 AC H I E V E M E N T S

46 S H A R O N R A N K M O R E

24- S A N D R A DA N N 25 - E s c a p e

47 K I M R I C C I

26 H E L E N M C L E O D

48 C H I N E S E W H I S P E R S # 5 5

- The Hidden Message

- Fr i e n d

- T h e S e r p e n t ’s C h a r m

- By Maureen Maxwell

27 LY N E T T E PAU L - She Wears Flowers In Her Hair

28 P E N N Y D E J O N G - J u d g e N o t U n t i l Yo u ’ v e W a l k e d I n M y S h o e s A nd Worn My Skin

29 R O S A P E R RY - Pecking Order

- Waiting

F R O N T C OV E R

by LY N DA R L I N GTO N - O n e Eye O n Yo u

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49- F E AT U R E D A R T I S T LY N DA R L I N GTO N 57

73 M AU R E E N M A X W E L L - Golden City

- Cockatoo

74 M A RY K N AG G S

- Do Not Disturb - Cheetah

- Solitar y Singer

- Pale Headed Rosella - Down By The River

75 S U E M A S T E R S O N - Underground Recording

- Owl - Garden Gem

76 M E AG H A N P RYO R

- Graceful

- First Contact

- Time Gone By - M e e t Yo u r A r t i s t

- Rock On

77 K Y E T H O M P S O N - An Apple A Day

59- K AY L E N E H E L L I W E L L 59 - A s l e e p

78 PA M H E N D E R S O N

60 J U L I E P O W E L L

79 M A R K PA S S F I E L D

- Sunlight And Halos

- Crossing Paths

- Scorched

61 G E O R G E KO N C Z - Neuschwanstein Castle

62 M I C H E L L E B A K E R - Bad Hair Day

- P e p p e r Tr e e S w a m p

80- M O N T H LY A R T I S T I C P H O T O 88 C H A L L E N G E 89- A R T I S T S B U S I N E S S 93 A DV E R T I S E M E N T S

63 C H R I S T I N A B R U N T O N - Band Leader

64 LO U I S E S M I T H - Broken

- Hannah

65 B A R B A R A D U D Z I N S K A - Por trait In Orange

- Por trait With Roses

66- A N N W E H N E R 67 - Tr i p t y c h O f O w l s 68- I N T E R V I E W A N D R E W H AYS O M 72

By Maureen Maxwell

Ilona Abou-Zolof - Lotus Flower Rosa Perry - Ambrosius

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a r t i s t s DOWN UNDER Australia and New Zealand

Hi everyone, well winter is here, the snow is falling and we have started the countdown to when Spring and Summer start because it is cold and wet.

What better ways to pass these cold days than to sit inside, have the fire burning and create.

Our artists have been very busy this month with their achievements in competitions and also their exhibitions.

Maureen has given us a delightful interview with our own Photoshop Guru and talented artist, Andrew Haysom. Very interesting and a pleasure to read.

Our Featured Artist this month is Lyn Darlington. Lyn is a very talented artist in all genres and her images are outstanding. I know you will all love Lyn’s work.

Andrew has shared another Photoshop tip for you all. This time he covers what to do when Photoshop won’t play your game.

We have another edition of our ever popular Chinese Whispers series, it is just amazing how you can change one image into something completely different with just adding a few elements and having a vivd imagination. Well done girls.

June’s Monthly Artists Challenge was “Ghosts”, enjoy what they have created for you.

Well thats all for this month, stay safe everyone and be kind to each other.

Pam Henderson

Ann Wehner - One Day Backgrounds: Foxy Squirrell Laitha’s Designs - Jai Johnson - White Lane Studio Copyright 2017 ©

Ilona Abou-Zolof - Portrait Painting

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Artists in this publication are responsible for any rights appertaining to their work.

HTTPS://PROPHOTOSHOPARTISTRY.COM

Image by: Esther Byrt, Photoshop Artistry Student

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( NEW ZEALAND )

CAROLYN JENSON

H E A D I N T H E C LO U D S

https://www.cjensonimages.com/ https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/carolyn-jenson/

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( NEW ZEALAND )

JULIA RAE THE CLIMB

https://juliaraephotography.com/

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( AUSTRALIA )

ANDREW HAYSOM

FIVE YE ARS

https://andrewhaysom.myportfolio.com/ https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/andrew-haysom/

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( AUSTRALIA )

AL BAMASS

TO THE LINE

URBAN

https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/al-bamass/

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TROPHY ROOM

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ELENOR GILL ( NEW ZEALAND )

( AUSTRALIA )

ILONA ABOU-ZOLOF I AM SHY

https://www.zolof.net/ https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/ilona-abou-zolof/

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( AUSTRALIA )

HEMANT KOGEKAR

W H I M SY H O U S E

UMBRELL A TREE https://photos.kogekar.com/ https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/hemant-kogekar/

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( AUSTRALIA )

COLIN CAMPBELL

MINSTREL

MINSTREL CONSTRUCTION https://colincampbell.myportfolio.com https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/colin-campbell/

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QUEENSL AND SUNSET

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GERARD WHELAN ( AUSTRALIA )

artists down under monthly Achievements 15

artists down under facebook

Hemant Kogekar - Floating Away

page

Hemant Kogekar - Moonlit

The Artists Down Under Public Facebook page has been set up to allow the artists in the group to showcase their work and to enable them to share promotional information about themselves, e.g. exhbitions, awards etc...

You can find the Artists Down Under Public Facebook page at this address; https://www.facebook.com/groups/ArtistsDownUnder/ So, if you are an artist in the group, don’t forget to regularly share your work and information here, and to let your friends and family know about the page if they are interested in viewing the latest art and news from the group.

If you are a reader of the magazine who does not have access to the page, please click the link above and request to join. When you request to join you will be asked to answer three simple questions that will allow us to determine if you are an eligible artist who may wish to join the group and therefore be able to post on the page, or a member of the public who can view, comment and like the work on the page. It’s a great place to see some great art from this vibrant group every day!

Maureen Maxwell - Lake Wanaka Tree

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Prue Wright - Heart Of The Lily

Sandra Dann - Adventure Is Out There

Penny De Jong - Something One Drinks Julie Powell - The Watcher

Three ADU members receive a special gift Our very good Awake friends Teddi Rutschman of Foxey Squirrel and Diane Stafford from WhiteLaneStudio continue to give gifts as a reward for members of the Artists Down Under group who contribute to the ADU Facebook page by regularly posting their artworks and supporting other members with their comments.

Teddi, from Virginia, USA, is well known for her fantastic sets of digital designer backgrounds, masks and all kinds of wonderful elements ready for designers to add to or build a wondrous creation.

Teddi Rutshman can be found at

http://www.foxeysquirrel.com/ http://www.oscraps.com/shop/Foxeysquirrel Teddi has given a $10.00 voucher for one very lucky member to spend in her on-line shop.

The JUNE lucky winners are Teddi Rutschman (Foxy Squirrel) Gift Voucher of $10.00 - Prue Wright Diane Stafford (WhiteLaneStudio) Texture & Overlay Kit - Jen Fawkes - Sandy Boles

Diane Stafford from Chester, UK, designs Photoshop textures and overlays for photo artists and photographers to use in their digital artworks. Diane has created another special kit just for Artists Down Under for the month of JUNE. Two artists will receive a Diane kit each.

Diane Stafford can be found at

https://whitelanestudio.co.uk/biolinks

Elenor Gill - Old Timer

Rosa Perry - Appreciate The Little Things

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LIVING THE PHOTO ARTISTIC LIFE https://issuu.com/thephotoartisticlife/docs/issue87-final?fr=sNWEyZDI1ODEw Congratulations to the following artists for having their images chosen to appear in the International magazine “Living The Photo Artistic Life”.

Helen McLeod - Oh Deer - Having A Dandy Time Julie Powell - Cheers - Absinth The Green Fairy Sonia Pusey - Until The Cows Come Home - Pieces Of My Heart Ilona Abou-Zolof - Stampede Maureen Maxwell - Blossom Time Rosa Perry - Ambrosius - All Is Not As It Seems Louise Smith - Queen Bee Christina Brunton - Waiting On The Platform - City Living Lynette Paul - Auckland Church Penny De Jong - Turmoil Behind The Smiling Mask - Beautiful Parrot Barbara Dudzinska - Gold Fractals - Just In Red Kim Ricci - The Serpent’s Charm Carolyn Jenson - Angel 1

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Ilona Abou-Zolof - Stampede Kim Ricci - The Serpent’s Charm

Sonia Pusey - Pieces Of My Heart Lynette Paul - Auckland Church

Louise Smith - Queen Bee

Julie Powell - Cheers

Christina Brunton - City Living

Helen McLeod - Oh Deer

LIVING THE PHOTO ARTISTIC LIFE

Rosa Perry - Ambrosius

Carolyn Jenson - Angel I

Penny De Jong - Beautiful Parrot

Helen McLeod - Having A Dandy Time

Barbara Dudzinska - Just In Red

Barbara Dudzinska - Gold Fractals

Penny De Jong - Turmoil Behind The Smiling Mask

Maureen Maxwell - Blossom Time

Rosa Perry - All Is Not As It Seems

Sonia Pusey - Until The Cows Come Home

Christina Brunton - Waiting On The Platform

Julie Powell - Absinth The Green Fairy

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light space and time “Figurative Exhibition” https://www.lightspacetime.art/figurative-art-exhibition-may-2022/

Congratulations to the following artists for their special achievements in the May 2022 Light Space & Time competition.

Honourable Mention

Christina Brunton - “Waiting On The Platform”

Special Merit

Christina Brunton - “Face Up” Julie Powell - “Lost Loves” Christina Brunton - “Eye On You”

Special Recognition Julie Powell - “Can Can”

Julie Powell - Can Can

Christina Brunton - Waiting On The Platform

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light space and time

Christina Brunton - Eye On You

Christina Brunton - Face Up

Julie Powell - Lost Loves

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shift art

May 2022 Theme

“National Park Poster” https://shiftart.com/shift-art-photoshop-challenge-results-may-2022/

Congratulations goes to Winner Penny De Jong Honorable Mention

Kim Ricci

Noticed Prue Wright

Kim Ricci - Deer Valley

Penny De Jong - Elephant Rock Desert Mountains National Park

Prue Wright - Hidden Treasures

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fusion art Into The Wild Exhibition https://www.fusionartps.com/4th-annual-into-the-wild-art-exhibition-march-15-june-14-2022/ March 15 to June 14, 2022

Congratulations goes to

Lyn Darlington & Ilona Abou-Zolof Lyn received a 2nd Place with her image “What’s Down There” and Ilona received a 4th Place with her image “Stampede”.

Lyn Darlington - What’s Down There

Ilona Abou-Zolof - Stampede

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( AUSTRALIA )

SANDRA DANN

https://www.sandradimagery.com/

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E S CA P E

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( NEW ZEALAND )

HELEN MCLEOD

T H E H I D D E N M E S S AG E

https://www.2-galleries.com/

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( NEW ZEALAND )

LYNETTE PAUL S H E W E A R S FLO W E R S I N H E R H A I R

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( AUSTRALIA )

penny de jong J U D G E N O T U N T I L YO U ’ V E WA L K E D I N M Y S H O E S AND WORN MY SKIN

http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-4/penny-de-jong/

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( AUSTRALIA )

ROSA PERRY

PECKING ORDER

WA I T I N G https://rosa-perry.myportfolio.com/artwork https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-4/rosa-perry/

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PRUE WRIGHT ( AUSTRALIA )

C O P I H O L LO W

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( AUSTRALIA )

DENNIS RICkARD

W E D G E -TA I L E D E AG L E

https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/dennis-rickard/

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( AUSTRALIA )

INGRID JACOBSEN

S U R F I N G T H E WAV E

T I DA L T U R M O I L

https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/ingrid-jakobsen/

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a Dr t Oi sWt sN U N D E R Australia and New Zealand

SOME PHOTOSHOP INSPIRATION WHEN PHOTOSHOP JUST ISN’T WORKING

By Andrew Haysom

When Photoshop just isn’t working, it’s probably because …

Sometimes when working in Photoshop the tool you’re trying to use just won’t work, or won’t work as expected, or some command is greyed out in the menu and just isn’t available, or things just seem to not be working properly.

Here’s a list of a few things to check if this happens to you.

You have the wrong layer activated.

Click on the correct layer to activate it. The active layer is shown “highlighted” in the Layer Panel.

You have the Layer Mask active, rather than the actual image content (or vice versa).

Click on the Layer Mask icon to work on it, or the image thumbnail to work on the image itself.

The one that is active is shown with a white highlight around it in the Layer Panel.

The active layer has the Visibility turned off.

Click on the Visibility “eye” icon to make it visible.

The Layer Blend Mode is set to something unexpected (other than Normal).

The Layer Opacity (or Fill) is set to something unexpected, (e.g. really low opacity will mean your change won’t show up).

You have too many (or too few) layers selected.

Some commands will only work on one layer at a time; some require multiple layers to be selected.

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SOME PHOTOSHOP INSPIRATION (CONT....)

The layer is “locked”.

Check for the padlock icon in the Layer Panel – click it to unlock or use one of the Lock icons at the top of the Layer panel.

You cannot see the circle around the brush that shows the brush size just a cross-hair in the centre of the brush.

This can also occur for tools that operate like brushes, (e.g. Clone Stamp, Healing Brush).

You have Caps-Lock turned on, press the Caps-Lock key to turn it off.

Your brush (or other tool) is not working as expected.

- Check that the tool’s Blend Mode is set properly (usually Normal) - Check that the tool’s Opacity and Flow are set properly - Check that the Brush colour is set correctly, e.g. brushing white on a white layer mask instead of black.

- You could have the wrong tool selected, e.g. Eraser instead of Brush or Mixer Brush instead of Brush.

The menu command you wish to use is unavailable (greyed out).

This is often because certain commands do not work if the bit-depth of your image is set too high. Use the Image / Mode command to reduce the bit-depth, e.g. from 32-bit to 16-bit, or from 16-bit to 8-bit).

Check that you are not in Quick Mask mode (the layer will usually be highlighted in red if this is the case).

Press Q to toggle Quick Mask mode.

Some tools such as Free Transform and Crop require you to accept or reject the changes you’ve made before you can move on and do something else.

Click the Stop or Tick in the Options bar or press Escape or Enter respectively to reject or accept the changes and continue.

The Clone Stamp, Healing Brush or Patch tools are not working as expected.

If you are working on multiple layers, check that you have the right sampling option set in the Options bar, e.g. All Layers, Current Layer or Current and Below).

You might have an active selection that you cannot see.

Only selections of 50% or more show the “marching ants” and you may also have turned off the display of the “marching ants” by pressing the Cmd(Ctrl)+H key (press again to toggle these on and off).

Press Cmd(Ctrl)+D if you wish to deselect.

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SOME PHOTOSHOP INSPIRATION (CONT....)

Some operations (such as many in-built filters and add-in filters) require a pixel based layer to operate on.

You might want to create a “stamp visible” layer using “The Move” Cmd(Ctrl)+Option(Alt)+Shift+E. A tool is missing from your toolbar, or is not found in the usual place.

Choose Edit / Toolbar in the Photoshop menu, then click the Restore Defaults button to restore the default Photoshop toolbar. Obviously if you have moved tools around, this will reset those changes too.

Your Photoshop preferences file may be corrupt.

A common cause of weird behaviour in Photoshop is a corrupt Photoshop preferences file, you can recreate your Photoshop preferences file easily, but before you do you should back up your Photoshop workspace as it will be reset as well when you recreate your preferences file. Once it is backed up, you can easily restore your workspace layout by reloading the saved copy.

To reset your Preferences file, go into the Photoshop Preferences and click the Reset Preferences On Quit button on the General tab, you will then need to respond OK to a warning dialog to confirm. The next time you open Photoshop it will be with a clean, fresh preferences file. Obviously if you have made changes there, you will need to reselect them.

So, while this is a common fix for many weird problems, it does not come without the pain of having to re-choose your previously set preferences.

Andrew Haysom

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( NEW ZEALAND )

JUDI LAPSLEY MILLER

P E E K A B O O ( p i w a k a w a k a)

https://www.artbyjlm.com/ https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/judi-lapsley-miller/

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( australia )

DEAN HOHN https://www.facebook.com/Dean-Hohn-Photo-Artistry-247723325687722/ https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/dean-hohn/

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M O R N I N G FO G

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( AUSTRALIA )

KAREN WAALWYK

C H E E TA H https://www.flickr.com/photos/88165766@N05 https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/karen-waalwyk/

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( AUSTRALIA )

BEV TERAWSKYJ MAN ABOUT TOWN

https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/bev-terawskyj/

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( AUSTRALIA )

GITAMA DAY

S T O R M I N A T E AC U P

https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/gitama-day/

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( AUSTRALIA )

MICK ROONEY

G AT H E R I N G

NIGHT FRIENDS

http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/mick-rooney/

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( AUSTRALIA )

COLIN KILLICK

www.behance.net/colinkillick https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/colin-killick/

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D E L I R I U M WAY

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( AUSTRALIA )

SHARON RANKMORE

FRIEND

https://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-4/sharon-rankmore/

46

( AUSTRALIA )

KIM RICCI THE SERPENT’S CHARM

https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/kim-ricci/

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artists DOWN UNDER Australia and New Zealand

DIGITAL ARTISTS GROUP A COLLABORATIVE GROUP OF PHOTO ARTISTS

CHINESE WHISPERS #55 “HAUNTED FOREST” STAGE 1

STAGE 2

Maureen Maxwell

Pam Henderson

Pam called my start image a ‘brain teaser’.

Yet again Pam has shown her wonderfully creative, and varied, artistic skill in completing this month’s collaboration with this wonderful art work.

Our collaborations each month are increasingly more challenging which gives us both a lot of fun, and learning opportunities.

ENJOY!’ Maureen

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LY N D A R L I N G TON

C O C K AT O O

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DO NOT DISTURB

C H E E TA H

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PA L E - H E A D E D R O S E L L A

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D O W N BY T H E R I V E R

OWL

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GARDEN GEM

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G R AC E F U L

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T I M E G O N E BY

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Meet your artist LYN DARLINGTON Central Coast New South Wales

Website:

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http://www.sabvaningphotoart.com

1. Tell us a little about yourself and where you live?

I’m a passionate photographer from the beautiful Central Coast NSW. I have 3 amazing daughters and 5 grandsons! I have always enjoyed dabbling in many creative hobbies but my true love is photography. I enjoy spending time with my lovely husband and our little furry friends, I love going away on relaxing holidays where I can capture new images for my artwork.

2. How did you become interested/get started in Photo Artistry?

I have always enjoyed using textures as a means for enhancing my photography. By chance I came across The Photo Artistry Course, it has allowed me to untap my creative side with my photography. Gaining knowledge in software such as Photoshop has helped me improve my skills and give my images a painterly look.

3. What inspires you or gives you inspiration to create your art?

Many things inspire me! I have to say with my love of wildlife and nature, this stirs emotion and draws attention to the beauty which surrounds us.

4. Do you have a certain approach to creating your art?

I don’t often sit down with a plan for each piece, all my work begins with my own photos. I just love working with textures and experimenting to see what I can bring to life.

5. What does your art mean to you?

Being able to express myself creatively to put together unique pieces of art - I often get lost for hours!

6. Do you think since starting in photo artistry it has changed you and if so, how?

Yes most definitely! It has made me more confident as a person, but most importantly, not allowing myself to compare my work with others.

7. Is there anyone that you draw inspiration from?

There are many different talented artists out there who I admire. The different types of creativity inspires me to try different textures and learn new aspects within my software.

8. Where do you see (or hope to see) your art taking you in the future? What are your next steps?

I am a passionate photographer and love creating new artworks! I will keep learning techniques and creating images that are impactful and visual for all to enjoy.

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KAYLENE HELLIWELL ( NEW ZEALAND )

ASLEEP

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( AUSTRALIA )

JULIE POWELL

S U N L I G H T A N D H A LO S

https://www.juliepowellphoto.com/ https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/julie-powell/

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( AUSTRALIA )

GEORGE KONCZ N E U S C H WA N S T E I N CA S T L E

http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/george-koncz/

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( AUSTRALIA )

MICHELLE BAKER

B A D H A I R DAY

https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/michelle-baker/

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( AUSTRALIA )

CHRISTINA BRUNTON BAND LEADER

https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/christina-brunton/

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( AUSTRALIA )

LOUISE SMITH

BROKEN

HANNAH

https://www.facebook.com/lksmithphotography/ https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/louise-smith/

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( AUSTRALIA )

BARBARA DUDZINSKA

PORTR AIT IN OR ANGE

PORTR AIT WITH ROSES

https:// www.SmartArtPlace.com

https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/barbara-dudzinska/

65

( AUSTRALIA )

ANN WEHNER https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/ann-wehner/

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T R I P T YC H O F O W L S

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a Dr t Oi sWt sN U N D E R Australia and New Zealand

INTERVIEW WITH

ANDREW HAYSOM

By Maureen Maxwell

It gives me great pleasure to interview one of our most active and hardworking members. I know his comments will be of considerable interest to our readers.

Our ADU Group has been very successful from the beginning in 2017. It is amazing that there are still 33 of us who remain members. There are also 12 members (including Andrew and myself) who have art in all 62 magazines to date.

Andrew, what really impresses me is you’ve also been writing a Photoshop Inspiration article each month for over 4 years. That shows true dedication to our group on your part.

On behalf all our members I want to say a sincere ‘thank you’ for such involvement in ADU.

Aladin Sane

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INTERVIEW - ANDREW HAYSOM (CONT....)

THE RANGE OF PHOTOSHOP TECHNICAL ASPECTS YOU COVER IS VERY BROAD. CONSIDERING THE WIDE SPECTRUM THAT IS PHOTOSHOP, HOW DO YOU SELECT YOUR TOPICS? Honestly, they are usually just topics that I find interesting, or think will be useful, so I just hope that others will too. Often, they will be new features, I’m always very keen to see what has changed in each new release. Often just things I’ve tried (and then researched), sometimes they will be from videos I’ve watched or articles I’ve read. I must admit though, that some months I do struggle to think of a topic so am always grateful for suggestions.

YOU SEEM TO ENJOY PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF PHOTOSHOP FROM BOTH A TECHNICAL AND CREATIVE ASPECT. 1) HOW DO YOU APPROACH THIS EXPLORATION? I really think of my exploration as “play” – I call it “futzing” in Photoshop. “Futzing” means to “waste time; idle or busy oneself aimlessly” and that really does describe a lot of my time in Photoshop perfectly. Most nights in front of the TV I’ll be playing in Photoshop, either editing photos or just “futzing” playing with colours, filters, brushes etc. Sometimes I create something I like, often I don’t – but that’s ok because I enjoy the play and always feel like I am learning.

2) HOW DO YOU USE YOUR FINDINGS CREATIVELY? I am a little bit of a perfectionist, and this is definitely true when I am processing photographs.

I am always looking for ways to make things cleaner, straighter and more precise, so I enjoy exploring all sorts of software solutions for things like colour correction, perspective correction, noise reduction etc. These sorts of things play a big part of my attempts to improve my work.

I’m also a person who loves patterns and textures and they will often play a big part in some of my art. The accompanying image “Red and Blue Abstract” is an example of something that eventuated from some of my recent Photoshop play.

Red And Blue Abstract

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INTERVIEW - ANDREW HAYSOM (CONT....)

HAVE THERE BEEN PHOTOSHOP GURUS WHO’VE INSPIRED YOU? Yes, there are many, but I’ll name three whose work I really love.

I talked about Scott Valentine in an article in the January 2022 magazine when I reviewed his latest book. He writes monthly for Photoshop User magazine that I have subscribed to for many years. He writes quite technical articles that I always enjoy, and I love one of his mantras which is “don’t let your tools get in the way of your art”.

Second is Greg Benz, who is a photographer and Photoshop trainer, and author of my favourite Photoshop add-in, the luminosity masking panel Lumenzia (I reviewed this in my article in the May 2018 magazine, and it has developed enormously since then). I use Lumenzia in every single photo I edit or art piece I create.

Thirdly, I’ll mention Brady from texturelabs.org which is a great site specialising in textures and Photoshop (and other graphics products) tutorials usually centred around design topics. He is always demonstrating interesting techniques for creating different styles of work, often (as his site name suggests) around the use of different textures.

The accompanying image “Aladin Sane” is based on a technique from one of Brady’s recent tutorials.

I think the thing I love about all three of these is the depth of their technical knowledge, and that they seem to have a great ability to get across the “why” and “how” of things, as opposed to some trainers/channels that just do the “Click here, then here ….” style of training. As an IT person of many years, I’ve always found that for me, understanding what is going on in the background always helps me understand and use a tool more effectively.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR OUR READERS WHO MAY WISH TO EXPLORE THE DEEPER NUANCES OF PHOTOSHOP? I think that many people are intimidated by Photoshop, by its depth and breadth.

I think firstly, if they were a beginner I’d suggest taking a course of some description to get a basic understanding of the tool. This could be an online course, or even better an instructor-led one, where there’s always someone to answer your questions.

Then once that is done my next advice would be “don’t be afraid of it” – just be prepared to try things – “just play”. That sounds quite trite, but I think that it’s good advice, you can learn so much just trying different things.

If you are someone, or you know someone, who often hits road-blocks in Photoshop, when things just don’t work, you (or they) may be interested in this month’s Photoshop article, “When Photoshop just isn’t working, it’s probably because …”. It highlights a lot of the “gotchas” that often stop people in their tracks in Photoshop.

Thirdly I would say, don’t be scared of asking for help, here at ADU we have the perfect community of people to ask for help, and I know that many (certainly myself) are always willing and happy to help.

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INTERVIEW - ANDREW HAYSOM (CONT....)

YOU’VE ALSO REGULARLY PRESENTED AT OUR MONTHLY ZOOM MEETINGS. I RECALL A RECENT ONE ABOUT USING PATHS AND STYLES IN A VERY CREATIVE WAY. SOME OF US BECAME QUITE ADDICTED TO CREATING ABSTRACTS USING THIS KNOWLEDGE. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT TEACHING AND SHARING YOUR KNOWLEDGE? I’ve always enjoyed teaching. I would always volunteer to run classes at work, on things like Excel, Word and Powerpoint.

I’ve also developed courseware for both Beginners Photography and Photoshop and delivered them numerous times for the camera club I am a member of.

I think when you are passionate about the topic, teaching it is easier, and also knowing that you have to teach a topic makes you learn it well. Preparing for the Photoshop courses I ran for the camera club was a great learning experience for me as I was constantly trying to anticipate questions, and then working out how to answer them.

Also, when you’re passionate about a topic or product, I think spreading the passion and sharing the knowledge is a huge part of the fun and joy of teaching, at least it is for me.

Disunion Jack

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INTERVIEW - ANDREW HAYSOM (CONT....)

PLEASE TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF, YOUR BACKGROUND AND YOUR OTHER INTERESTS. I am English by birth but have been in Australia since I was a young child. I’m married to Adrienne and we have two grown children, Chris and Kate. I graduated from Melbourne University in 1979 with a BSc in Computer Science and Mathematics. I then worked for a large multi-national company for 38 years in IT, across many disciplines from mainframe programming, systems analysis, personal computing and networking, and then for the last 10 years or so managing a global team of IT Security specialists. I retired in 2018.

My primary hobby is photography, which I took up in 2011. I think of myself primarily as a photographer, then as a Photoshop “junkie” and sometimes as a digital artist (although I still struggle sometimes thinking of myself as an artist). I love all genres of photography, and love finding new things to try. I spend far more of my time on photography than I do on the digital art side of things.

My main photographic interest is photographing wildlife and primarily birds, with my favourites being the smaller birds. It is probably one of the hardest photographic genres and I enjoy the challenge of finding, tracking and then taking a good photo of the often fast-moving little creatures. Of course, spending time out in nature feeds the soul too, and it’s never a bad day even if you don’t get any great photos.

My other big obsession is the wonderful street art that abounds in Melbourne, and I am in awe of the wonderful artists who fill our streets and laneways with their wonderful work. This work is often so transient though, so I enjoy creating a photographic record of this work before it disappears. I have over 5,300 photographs of Melbourne street art, and am currently working on volume eighteen of my street art photo-book series. Just like the nature photography, wandering the streets and laneways, and finding beautiful little pieces of art (which vary from the tiniest of stickers or stencils, through to huge murals that cover entire buildings) is particularly edifying.

As far as my photography goes, I do tend to be a pixel-peeping perfectionist, and this has certainly driven my interest in Photoshop and other post-processing software. I’m always interested in other related software, not just Photoshop, and the two I’ve recently purchased and am play ing with are Boris FX Optics and 3D LUT Creator, both very powerful, but very different.

CLOSING COMMENTS Thank you Andrew! I find your responses to be an absorbing read. I also know our readers will find this to be an interesting and motivating interview.

If Andrew has inspired you to delve deeper into Photoshop, all his Photoshop articles can be found on his website. https://andrewhaysom.myportfolio.com/articles

Maureen Maxwell

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( AUSTRALIA )

MAUREEN MAXWELL GOLDEN CIT Y

http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/maureen-maxwell/

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( AUSTRALIA )

MARY KNAGGS

S O L I TA RY S I N G E R

https://www.facebook.com/MaryK-Photographic-Art-145293185640662/ http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/mary-knaggs/

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( AUSTRALIA )

SUE MASTERSON UNDERGROUND RECORDING

https://www.facebook.com/Sue-Masterton-Digital-Artist-1662189864018110/ http://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-4/sue-masterson/

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( AUSTRALIA )

MEAGHAN PRYOR

F I R S T C O N TAC T

ROCK ON https://www.theartinspires.com/ http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/meaghan-pryor/

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( AUSTRALIA )

kye thompson A N A P P L E A DAY

https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/kye-thompson/

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( AUSTRALIA )

PAM HENDERSON

C R O S S I N G PAT H S

https://www.facebook.com/snapnshootdesigns/ http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-4/pam-henderson/

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( AUSTRALIA )

MARK PASSFIELD

SCORCHED

P E P P E R T R E E S WA M P

https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/mark-passfield/

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artists down under monthly artistic photographic challenge theme:

ghosts 80

Penny De Jong - Ghost Of Fortune

81

Kim Ricci - Ancestors

82

Elenor Gill - Past Midnight

Andrew Haysom - We Are Two

83

Christina Brunton - Ghost Dancer

Julie Powell - Cosmic Conjuring

84

Rosa Perry - Tunes Of A Ghost

Sonia Pusey - Ghost Rider

85

Colin Campbell - Ghost

Maureen Maxwell - A Gathering

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Pam Henderson - Welcome

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Carolyn Jenson - Haunted House

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artists DOWN UNDER Australia and New Zealand

adu artists s s e n i s u b s t n e m e s i t r e v d a 89

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Australia and New Zealand

FOREST & BIRD Online Store Bird Art by Judi Lapsley Miller

From Whence Cometh Evil

At What Cost Forever

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9292

Helping Women with Endometriosis

Art

by Margaret Kalms

50% of profit donated to endometriosis research When I first heard about endometriosis I felt a deep compassion and need to do what I could to help. Women with endometriosis suffer debilitating pain, disruptive symptoms and often endure multiple operations simply to function normally. Few people are patient when listening to descriptions of pain, symptoms or illness. This can have the effect of silencing people who are ill.

My compassion inspires my photoart which I show in presentations to raise awareness. I joined Awake to teach me advanced Photoshop skills, specifically to expand my photoartistic skills to create imaginative and dramatic images.

My photoart opens dialogue enabling freer expression of hidden feelings, experiences too private to mention in ordinary conversation.

I create photoart inspired by the concerns of women with endometriosis. Several women have said that the process of imaging their suffering has helped them to face their pain and illness.

There is immense strength in being heard. I want my photoart to become visual screams!!

26 women with endometriosis have told me about their experiences. They spoke to me about their concerns and collaborated during the photo session. We explored meanings of body, ideas of self and impacts of illness together, agreeing which ideas we would explore photographically. My photos are often carefully arranged, but that doesn’t mean they are fake. They represent the personal truth and experiences of 26 women with endometriosis. These women are remembering and acting out their OWN experiences. They choose their own stance and facial expression. Women with endometriosis are the only people who truly know what endometriosis FEELS like.

Unfortunately endometriosis is relatively common; an estimated 1 in 10 women living with endometriosis, being over 175,000,000 women worldwide! And an estimated 500,000 women in Australia! Their experiences are heart-breaking. Regular illness and debilitating pain result in missed education and poor career opportunities leaving them women vulnerable to poverty.

Share ‘EndoWomanArt’ with your friends on social media to raise awareness and money for women’s health!

We all need clothes & household goods. Buy yourself a treat or buy a special gift for your friends. Make your shopping count!

Remember 50% of profit goes to endometriosis research!

https://www.redbubble.com/ people/EndoWomanArt/shop Follow ‘Life with Endometriosis’:

https://www.facebook.com/ LifeWithEndometriosis See Margaret Kalms photoart, ‘Life with Endometriosis’:

http://www.endowomanart.com

Kalms

Margaret

Women with endometriosis need real medical progress to reduce their suffering.

I passionately desire to raise money for endometriosis research so that faster diagnoses are made and more effective treatments are found. To raise money for endometriosis research, I host events and sell products on Redbubble.

Recently I gave $3,000 to Canberra Endometriosis Centre!

Bunch Of Butterflies On Grevillea Sweatshirt

Butterflies False Colour Grey Stripes

Bunch Of Butterflies On Grevillea Pencil Case

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WEBSITE:

http://artistsdownunder.com.au/

http://tinyurl.com/artisitsdownunderpublic