DOWN UNDER
Penny de Jong - Bushfire
Andrew Haysom - Sol
FRONT COVER by MAUREEN
MAXWELL
- Modern Woman No.1
DOWN UNDERartists
Australia and New Zealand
Welcome everyone to our May edition of Artists Down Under.
Another month has come by so quickly which makes me so excited as I get to share another months worth of art with you all, and this month is no disappointment. Every month our artists are certainly outdoing their last month with their talent, so I hope you all enjoy what I have to share with you.
We have quite a few Collaborations of artists getting together now, sharing one topic and producing a totally different birds eye view of the same topic, it is amazing to see, so take your time to browse througn the Art Buddies monthly challenge, Coffee and Pixels, monthly challenge and also our ever favourite, Chinese Whispers.
We have a very handy tip in our popular Photoshop Tips from Andrew Haysom, this month it is on Layer Locks, very interesting & something we all should read up on.
Maureen Maxwell has put together an interview with one of our very talented artists - Penny de Jong, a must read for all.
And finally we have Two very special segments of our “Art By” series, this month it is with Maureen Maxwell and Ilona Abou-Zolof. These two special and very talented ladies are two of our long term artists and have grown so much over the years. I am very proud to display their work for you all to see, I hope you enjoy their art.
Well that’s it from me, stay safe, enjoy life and look out for one another.
Backgrounds: Foxy Squirrel Laitha’s Designs - Jai Johnson - White Lane Studio Copyright 2017 ©
Pam Henderson
Rosa Perry - Happy Kids
Christina Brunton - Water Rest
https://www.juliepowellphoto.com/ https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/julie-powell/
ROSE STUDY IV
https://colincampbell.myportfolio.com
https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/colin-campbell/
INTEGRAL
VII
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88165766@N05/ https://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/karen-waalwyk/
https://trish-hoskin.myportfolio.com/ http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-4/trish-hoskin/
https://rosa-perry.myportfolio.com/artwork https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-4/rosa-perry/
MADAME ROSETTE
artists Achievements monthly down under
artists down under facebook page
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. exhibitions, 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!
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.oscraps.com/shop/Foxeysquirrel
One artist will receive a Foxey Squirrel Kit
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 MAY.
Two artists will receive a Diane kit each. Diane Stafford can be found at https://whitelanestudio.co.uk/biolinks
The MAY lucky winners are
Foxey Squirrell Textures
- Kaylene Helliwell
Diane Stafford (WhiteLaneStudio) Texture & Overlay Kit
- Louise Smith
- Lyn Darlington
https://shiftart.com/shift-art-photoshop-challenge-results-april-2025/
de Jong
Kaleidoscope
Bev Terawyskj - Gullpie
Karen Waalwyk
Kaleidoscope
Prue Wright - Kaleidoscope
LIVING THE PHOTO ARTISTIC LIFE
ttps://issuu.com/thephotoartisticlife/docs/living_the_photo_artistic_life_-_issue_no._122?fr=sMGIzZTg0NDE1MDQ
Congratulations to the following artists for having their images chosen to appear in the International magazine “Living The Photo Artistic Life”.
Christina Brunton
- Along The Path
- Golden Mask
Helen McLeod
- Hare’s Another CatBeagle Creations
- Up, Up, And A Cuppa
- New Beginnings
Maureen Maxwell
- Loving Memories
Meaghan Pryor
- Earth’s Echo
Rosa Perry
- Lady Easterbloom
Kim Ricci
- The Gift
- Maddie’s Retreat
Sandra Dann
- In The Depths Of My Mind
- Midnight Dreams
-
Sandra Dann - Midnight Dreams
Sandra Dann
In The Depths Of My Mind
Meaghan Pryor - Earths Echo
Helen McLeod - Hare’s Another
CatBeagle Creations - Up, Up, And A Cuppa
CatBeagle Creations - New Beginnings
LIVING THE PHOTO ARTISTIC LIFE
Christina Brunton - Along The Path
Christina Brunton - Golden Mask
Kim Ricci - The Gift
Kim Ricci - Maddie’s Retreat
Maureen Maxwell - Loving Memories
Rosa Perry - Lady Easterbloom
LIVING THE PHOTO ARTISTIC LIFE
featured artist
Ilona Abou-Zolof
Floral Essence
Devout Reflection
Gentle Daisy
Tranquil Lotus
Graceful Peony
Imagine Autumn Resilience
http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/george-koncz/ http://georgekonczphotography.com/
MARINA HOBBS ( AUSTRALIA )
FAIRIES IN THE GARDEN
TWILIGHT FAIRY
https://www.facebook.com/snapnshootdesigns/ http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-4/pam-henderson/
THE GATHERING
artists
DOWN UNDER
Australia and New Zealand
SOME PHOTOSHOP INSPIRATION
LAYER LOCKS
By Andrew Haysom
The Layer Lock icons can be found at the top of the Layers panel just underneath the Blend mode drop-down (see Figure 1).
They are possibly a “not often used” Photoshop feature, but one that can be very useful for protecting yourself against editing errors.
[Figure 1 – Layer Lock icons]
SOME PHOTOSHOP INSPIRATION
There are five Layer Lock icons that allow you to lock different attributes of a layer.
To lock a layer, first select the layer (or layers, you can lock multiple layers at once) then click one of the Layer Lock icons. The Layer Lock icons are toggles, so to unlock the layer you can just click the icon again.
When any of the layer attributes are locked, a padlock icon will appear on the right-hand side of the layer, you can also unlock the layer by clicking this icon.
The five Layer Lock icons have these functions (see figure 1);
Lock Transparent Pixels
When this attribute is locked you cannot alter transparent pixels on the layer, for example when using the Brush tool or Clone Stamp tool, only opaque pixels will be affected.
When an area of the image is partially transparent, the transparency (or opacity) of the area will be maintained.
Lock Image Pixels
When this attribute is locked you cannot update any of the pixels on the layer, for example with the Brush tool or Clone Stamp tool.
You can still move the layer; you just cannot change any of the pixels.
This might be useful for example when compositing elements into an image, where you don’t want to edit pixels accidentally, but do want to move the elements around.
Lock Position
When this attribute is locked you cannot move or transform the layer, but you can still edit the pixels.
Some examples of when this might be useful is if you have created blank layers for cloning or healing, or dodging and burning, or retouching. Accidentally moving one of these layers can have disastrous effects.
Another example is if you are blending layers together with masks and you don’t want to move them relative to each other.
Prevent Auto-Nesting of Artboards & Frames
This option is relevant only when using artboards and frames and is outside the scope of this article.
Lock All Attributes
This will lock all the above attributes. Using this Lock All Attributes option also prevents you from updating the Blend Mode or Transparency of the layer.
If you try an operation on a locked layer that is not allowed, you will notice the mouse cursor changes to a circle with a diagonal slash through it, and that if you click the mouse you’ll get an error dialog box similar to the one shown in Figure 2.
Note that these lock options do not prevent you from selecting the layer in the Layer panel, or from moving the layer up and down in the layer stack.
The shortcut key Cmd+/ (Mac) or Ctrl+/ (Windows) can also be used to toggle on and off the Lock All Attributes for the active layer(s).
Judicious use of the lock icons is a good habit to develop and protects you from making accidental errors when editing.
Andrew Haysom
[Figure 2 – Layer Lock error dialog]
art by maureen maxwell modern woman
MODERN WOMAN NO.2
MODERN WOMAN NO.3
WOMAN NO.4
MODERN
WOMAN NO.7
MODERN
MODERN WOMAN NO.8
https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/dennis-rickard/
STAND OF EUCALYPT
https://photos.kogekar.com/ https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/hemant-kogekar/
WINDOW’S WITHIN
https://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/christina-brunton/ https://chrisbrunton.com/
https://andrewhaysom.myportfolio.com/ https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/andrew-haysom/
CIRCLES OF CONFUSION
DOWN artistsUNDER
Australia and New Zealand
DIGITAL ARTISTS GROUP
A COLLABORATIVE GROUP OF PHOTO ARTISTS
CHINESE WHISPERS #90
“She’s So Beautiful”
STAGE 1 STAGE 2
SHE’S SO BEAUTIFUL
Pam enabled me to have a lot of fun with this one. I tried many backgrounds, but ended up with a spring image of daffodils and blossom trees I photographed at an arboretum in the USA. And then played with all sorts of Photoshop techniques to get the final image.
We hope you ENJOY!
Maureen Maxwell
Maureen Maxwell
Pam Henderson
art by ILONA ABOU-ZOLOF
SOFT AND GENTLE
BLUSHING DAHLIA
GENTLE DAISY
GRACEFUL PEONY
ORCHID ELEGANCE
SERENE POPPY
TIMELESS ROSE
TRANQUIL LOTUS
https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-4/sharon-rankmore/
DENISE CAUCHI ( AUSTRALIA )
COUNTRY SKETCH
https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-4/sue-masterson/
FOREST
DREAM II
http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-4/penny-de-jong/
‘COFFEE
and PIXELS’
by Maureen Maxwell
THIS MONTHS CHALLENGE THEME IS GREED
The Coffee and Pixels Group has been very successful and our members are so keen and inspiring.
As a result, we love to set stimulating challenges. So, we decided to mix things up by giving them three options. Julie Powell donated another of her portraits, and we added the word GREED. Our members could use either the portrait, or the word, or combine both.
We hope you enjoy this month’s challenge images.
Christina Brunton - Genie
Maureen Maxwell - You Can’t Take It With You
Andrew Haysom - Greed Destroys
Penny de Jong - Be Careful What You Wish For
Ilona Abou-Zolof - The Price Of Greed
Prue Wright - I Can’t Fix Greed
Bev Terawskyj - Greed
Denise Hunter Logan - Loco For Cocoa
Mike Boyd-Clark - Birds Of A Feather
Rosa Perry - The Weight Of Greed
Karen Waalwyk - Flying Above The Rooftops
https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/meaghan-pryor/
https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/kim-ricci/
https://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/mick-rooney/
HANOI
PRUE WRIGHT ( AUSTRALIA )
TORII GATES, JAPAN
https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/bev-terawskyj/
artists
Australia and New Zealand
INTERVIEW WITH PENNY DE JONG DOWN UNDER
By Maureen Maxwell
Penny, thank you for doing this interview. You’ve been a member of Artists Down Under since 2018. Since then we’ve seen many of your wonderful images in our monthly magazine and on our Facebook page.
In 2024 you were a Featured Artist in the international magazine called Living the Photo Artistic Life. This is the link to the magazine for our readers. https://issuu.com/thephotoartisticlife/docs/issue109-final
In addition to your participation in the ADU and our recent ‘Coffee and Pixels’ initiative, plus the international Awake and Kaizen groups, you’ve been a regular participant in the international Shift Art monthly competitions. You’ve regularly taken out awards in Shift Art, and often, as the winner.
You obviously love your art and involvement in all these groups. One of the reasons for doing a series of interviews for our magazine is to enable our members to get to know each other a little better. I also think our general readers will be interested to hear more about your creative journey.
YOU ARE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN MANY DIGITAL ART AND PHOTOGRAPHIC BASED GROUPS. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT THIS INVOLVEMENT?
I love the sense of community and being around others who share my passion for digital art & photography. It’s terrific to meet people with diverse experiences and perspectives. Developing friendships and the sharing of knowledge is priceless.
WHEN I LOOK BACK AT YOUR ART OVER RECENT YEARS, IT SO CREATIVE AND VARIED. IT IS OFTEN QUIRKY, FUN, ABSTRACT, SOMETIMES SURREAL, BUT YOU ALWAYS CREATE A STORY TELLING IMAGE. DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE GENRE? AND WHY?
I don’t have one favourite genre when it comes to digital art. I’m drawn to so many different styles. The artists I admire are all so unique and I think that has influenced my own art. That said, in the broader world of visual art, I’ve always been especially inspired by surrealism, impressionism and cubism. Each style offers a powerful way of telling stories through emotion and abstraction in such unexpected and expressive ways.
INTERVIEW WITH PENNY DE JONG (CONT....)
WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION AND IDEAS FOR YOUR CREATIVE COMPOSITIONS?
Since diving into digital art, I now mostly see the world through a creative lens. I notice visual details everywhere; colours, patterns, textures and shapes to name a few. Inspiration comes from so many places. A quote, an artwork, a comment, a tutorial or experimenting with a technique can create the spark for a piece.
YOUR ART IS USUALLY COMPLEX TECHNICALLY. CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR PROCESS?
I’m very much a trial and error kind of artist. I usually begin with an idea or something that catch es my imagination; maybe a portrait, quote, tutorial an artwork or technique. I look for elements to use and then I experiment with layering and blending, adding textures and tweaking lighting. I rework compositions until something starts to click. My process is not linear. I end up with lots of layers and many revisions. I rarely know what the final image will look like from the start and I find that part of the fun.
A fellow artist recently used the term “accidentalism” as an art style which I love and which seems to fit in with many of my pieces. So many possibilities of unpredictable outcomes!
Elegance
So Many Thoughts
Ghouls At Play
INTERVIEW WITH PENNY DE JONG (CONT....)
THE PHOTO ARTISTRY ENVIRONMENT WE ARE INVOLVED WITH IS A NEVER-ENDING JOURNEY WITH COUNTLESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNING. DO YOU ENJOY THE LEARNING?
I absolutely love learning. It is one of my favourite aspects of the digital art world. I think that the ability to acquire an endless amount of knowledge is a gift. I am fortunate to belong to a few groups which facilitate this; Artists Down Under, Awake, Kaizen, Shift Art and my local photography group. There is also the generosity of so many masters of Photoshop who share their knowledge via online tutorials. There’s always something new to discover.
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOUR CREATIVE JOURNEY TAKING YOU IN THE FUTURE? AND ARE THERE SPECIFIC PROJECTS INCLUDED IN YOUR PLANS?
I liken my creative journey to an adventure whilst travelling along an unfolding path which stretches into the distance with no clear end point. This path reveals lovely surprises along the way. I would love to explore working in a series; creating images connected by a theme. One of my challenges is to be more intentional in my approach to art.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR PEOPLE WHO MAY BE CONSIDERING INVOLVEMENT IN DIGITAL PHOTO ARTISTRY?
Practice, practice and practice. Learn from tutorials, take courses, read art books and visit galleries. Look at art from all eras and mediums. Watch what others are creating and let them inspire you.
Don’t be afraid to try new techniques and styles that catch your eye. Experiment freely. Allow yourself to make mistakes and step out of your comfort zone from time to time. Don’t give up. Most of all enjoy!
PLEASE TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF, YOUR BACKGROUND AND YOUR OTHER INTERESTS.
I was born in Western Australia and spent my early childhood on farms before moving to Perth. I’ve always loved arts and crafts. Before retiring, I worked as a Registered Nurse, a career that gave me many rich and rewarding experiences. My interests are wide and varied and for the last few years digital art has consumed most of my time. I also enjoy photography, reading, music, movies, travel, visiting art galleries and museums and a good jigsaw puzzle. My husband and I have three grown children who live elsewhere but we see them often. We also have a couple of classic cars and love going on short getaways with friends who share that interest.
INTERVIEW WITH PENNY DE JONG (CONT....)
Happiness
ANN ALCOCK ( AUSTRALIA )
INTO THE BLUE
JANE TOVEY ( AUSTRALIA )
https://www.sandradimagery.com/
IN THE DEPTHS OF MY MIND
DOWN artistsUNDER
Australia and New Zealand
A COLLABORATIVE GROUP OF PHOTO ARTISTS
QUOTE CHALLENGE by the Art Buddies
A bit of background first:
We are a diverse group of ADU members from around Australia, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Our members are Christina Brunton, Denise Cauchi, Ilona Abou-Zolof, Marie Helyar, Marina Hobbs, and Robyn McLauchlan. We come together regularly via Zoom, taking turns to set our challenges.
Our Art pieces:
We’ve all created diverse art pieces inspired by the exact quote. We hope our work inspires you to try it and share your interpretation on the Artists Down Under Facebook page. Your art is valuable to us, and we can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Quote:
This month, Ilona Abou-Zolof chose the quote:
Movie Quote:
“Here’s looking at you, kid.” Casablanca (1942)
Three Poster Design Ideas:
Ilona suggested creating a movie poster and gave three different ideas.
1. Vintage Elegance:
Embrace the classic era with a retro, film noir style. Use a monochrome or sepia palette, artful grain effects, and vintage typography reminiscent of 1940s movie posters. Incorporate subtle imagery like a shadowy silhouette or a fedora to evoke the film’s iconic ambience.
2. Minimalist Focus:
Could you create a clean design that highlights the quote? Utilise bold, modern typography against a simple background, perhaps with a single, striking graphic element (like an eye or a classic camera lens) that hints at the cinematic theme without overwhelming the space.
3. Dynamic Collage:
Assemble a mixed-media collage that includes old film reels, handwritten notes, vintage maps, and faded photographs. Arrange these components around the quote in a way that tells a story of timeless allure, merging the past with a creative, modern twist.
Christina Brunton - Casablanca
Denise Cauchi - Casablanca Poster
Ilona Abou-Zolof - He Is Looking
Marie Helyar - Here’s Looking At You Kid
Robyn McLauchlan - Casablanca Poster
Marina Hobbs - Cassablanca
https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-3/lynsey-stirland-mitchell/
DENISE HUNTER LOGAN ( AUSTRALIA )
CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE
https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/al-bamass/
JAFFA LOOKING AT YOU LOOKING AT ME
artists photographic challenge theme: monthly artistic down under the ant hill
Bev Terawskyj - The Anthill
Prue Wright - Chocolate Ant Hill
Ilona Abou-Zolof - Ant Hill
Rosa Perry - Silent Architects
Christina Brunton - Giant Ant Versus The Grandkids
Pam Henderson - Ant’s Day Off
Denise Hunter Logan - A Hill Romance
Maureen Maxwell - The Ant Protest
Karen Waalwyk - The Ant Hill
Marina Hobbs - Ant Hill
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