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DOWN UNDERartists
Australia and New Zealand
Welcome everyone to our August edition of Artists Down Under.
After all the excitement of our special 100th edition last month, this month we are back to business as usual with all our regular segments and some amazing images from our artists.
Andrew delights us with another of his Photoshop tutorials, the ladies from the Art Buddies comprise another of their quotes challenges, the Coffee and Pixel group have been busy with their challenge based on Kings and Queens and of course the Redlands Digital Group share another image from their Chinese Whispers series.
We have the very talented Meraki Artists announcing their next art exhibition in Balmain NSW in August, a must to go and see if you are in the area and of course all of the competition winners.
A busy, successful and enjoyable month was had by most.
Well I will keep it short this month, stay safe everyone & please take care of each other.
Pam Henderson
Rosa Perry - Stand Tall
Julie Powell - Black Swan
Backgrounds: Foxy Squirrel Laitha’s Designs - Jai Johnson - White Lane Studio
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88165766@N05/
https://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/karen-waalwyk/
https://www.juliepowellphoto.com/ https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/julie-powell/
https://colincampbell.myportfolio.com
https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/colin-campbell/
https://trish-hoskin.myportfolio.com/
http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-4/trish-hoskin/
https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/kim-ricci/
https://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/mick-rooney/
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 AUGUST.
Two artists will receive a Diane kit each. Diane Stafford can be found at https://whitelanestudio.co.uk/biolinks
The AUGUST lucky winners are
Foxey Squirrel Kit
- Maureen Maxwell
Diane Stafford (WhiteLaneStudio) Texture & Overlay Kit
- Ilona Abou-Zolof
- Jenny Davidson
https://shiftart.com/shift-art-photoshop-challenge-results-july-2025/
RUNNER-UP
LIVING THE PHOTO ARTISTIC LIFE
https://issuu.com/thephotoartisticlife/docs/living_the_photo_artistic_life_-_issue_no._121?fr=xKAE9_zU1NQ
Congratulations to the following artists for having their images chosen to appear in the International magazine “Living The Photo Artistic Life”.
Maureen Maxwell
- Appreciate Every Moment
- Kindred Spirits
Sue Masterson
- Dragon Watch
Rosa Perry
- Peek a Boo
Penny deJong
- Imagine If We Could Swing Amongst The Clouds
Sandra Dann
- Broken Dreams
Christina Brunton
- Fierce And Fabulous
Ilona Abou-Zolof
- Golden Hues
- Timeless Rose
Meaghan Pryor
- No Turning Back
Helen McLeod
- My Starry Night
- The Inner Sanctum
Denise Hunter Logan
- Waterway
- Love What You Feel
Meaghan Pryor - No Turning Back
Rosa Perry - Peek a Boo
Sandra Dann - Broken Dreams
Maureen Maxwell - Kindred Spirits
Denise Hunter Logan - Waterway
LIVING THE PHOTO ARTISTIC LIFE
Ilona Abou-Zolof - Golden Hues
Sue Masterson - Dragon Watch
Denise Hunter Logan - Love What You Feel
Ilona Abou-Zolof - Timeless Rose
Helen McLeod - The Inner Sanctum
Christina Brunton - Fierce And Fabulous
Maureen Maxwell - Appreciate Every Moment
Helen McLeod - My Starry Night
Penny
light space and time “Animals”
https://lightspacetime.art/animals-art-exhibition-july-2025/
Congratulations to the following Artists for their special achievements in the “Animals Art Exhibition” Light Space & Time competition.
Overall - 2nd Place
Lyn Darlington - “I Think I Can Reach”
Photography & Digital - 1st Place
Lyn Darlington - “I Think I Can Reach”
Special Merit
Lyn Darlington - “Chook”
Lyn Darlington - “Mighty Legs”
Lyn Darlington - I Think I Can Reach
Lyn Darlington - Mighty Legs
Lyn Darlington - Chook
Whats on ... Meraki Artists
http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/george-koncz/ http://georgekonczphotography.com/
MARINA HOBBS ( AUSTRALIA )
FOREST DANCE
TREE HUNT
https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/dennis-rickard/
BANANA BOATS
https://photos.kogekar.com/ https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/hemant-kogekar/
http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-4/pam-henderson/
art by AL BAMASS
LINES UNFOLDING
AMUSING FIGURE
https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-4/sharon-rankmore/
https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-3/lynsey-stirland-mitchell/
https://andrewhaysom.myportfolio.com/ https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/andrew-haysom/
artists
DOWN UNDER
Australia and New Zealand
SOME PHOTOSHOP INSPIRATION
ENHANCED HUE SATURATION ADJUSTMENT LAYERS
By Andrew Haysom
In the April 2025 release of Photoshop (version 26.6) Adobe announced some improvements to the Hue Saturation Adjustment Layer that increase its functionality and ease of use.
When a pixel layer is active, you’ll notice the first new feature in the Contextual Task Bar, the Adjust Colors button (see Figure 1a).
[Figure 1 – Hue Saturation Adjustment layer changes]
Pressing this button will cause Photoshop to analyse your image and identify the prominent colours, it will then create a Hue Saturation Adjustment layer in “Prominent Colors” mode (see Figure 1d) and the Contextual Task Bar will also show the six selected prominent colours (see Figure 1e).
SOME PHOTOSHOP INSPIRATION (CONT .....)
You can choose which colour you wish to adjust by clicking one of the six colour swatches in the Contextual Task Bar and when you do so you’ll get a drop-down dialog where you can adjust the Hue, Saturation and Lightness of the selected colour (see Figure 2).
[Figure 2 – Adjusting colours via the Contextual Task Bar]
The same Prominent Colors swatches are shown in the Properties panel for the Hue Saturation Adjustment Layer as well, and you can adjust the colours there as well if that is your preference.
When a Hue Saturation adjustment layer is created via the Layer / New Adjustment Layer menu, or via the icons at the bottom of the Layer Panel, it will be created in Default mode, showing the standard Red, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue and Magenta colours in the swatches (see Figure 1c) and these will also be shown in the Contextual Task Bar (see Figure 1e).
In the Properties Panel these colour swatches have replaced a drop-down list in the previous Photoshop versions.
You can switch a Hue Saturation Adjustment layer from Default to Prominent Colors mode using the Presets drop-down menu in the Properties Panel but be aware that when you do that all the sliders are reset to default (ie you will lose any colour adjustments made in that adjustment layer).
When you have adjusted colours using the sliders, the relevant colour swatch (in both the Contextual Task Bar and the Properties Panel) will show a white dot underneath the swatch, and the lower half of the swatch will change to show the adjusted colour (see Figure 2).
If the colour you want to adjust is not automatically chosen as one of the prominent colours you can choose a colour manually using the Contextual Task Bar. First, click one the colour swatches you are not using, then click the dropper and choose the required colour from your image (see Figure 3). The colour swatch will change to the selected colour, and you can now adjust it using the sliders.
SOME PHOTOSHOP INSPIRATION (CONT .....)
3 – Selecting a new prominent colour]
Another improvement is that the degree position on the Hue wheel of the selected and the adjusted colour has been added to the Properties Panel of the Hue Saturation adjustment layer (see Figure 4).
[Figure 4 – Hue wheel degree position]
You can fine-tune the selected colour using the slider between the Before / After colour bars near the bottom of the Properties panel. This has been made larger in this release making it easier to use (see Figure 5).
[Figure
[Figure 5 – Adjusting the selected colour]
The top colour bar shows the selected colour; the bottom colour bar shows the adjusted colour.
Once a colour has been selected you will see a grey area between the Before / After colour bars. The lighter grey area between the vertical bars shows the colour spectrum that is 100% selected, the darker grey area on either side of this, between the triangle and vertical bar shows the colour spectrum that fades off or is feathered to ensure a smooth transition from selected to not-selected colours.
To adjust the selected colours, you can;
- Drag the area between the vertical bars to move the range without resizing it
- Drag the area between the vertical bar and triangle to resize the centre range
- Drag either of the vertical bars or triangles to resize a particular part of the range.
You can also use the three droppers to select a new colour, add a colour to the selected range or remove a colour from the selected range (see Figure 5).
It is good to see Adobe improving legacy functionality as well as just concentrating on the new, largely AI-based functionality.
https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/bev-terawskyj/
http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-3/maureen-maxwell/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rosa_perry https://rosa-perry.myportfolio.com/artwork
DENISE CAUCHI ( AUSTRALIA )
SHADOW BOX
https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-4/sue-masterson/
‘COFFEE
and PIXELS’
by Maureen Maxwell
THIS MONTHS CHALLENGE THEME IS Kings & Queens
Our challenge this month was to create an image about ‘Kings and Queens’. We also provided a photo of Caelavarock Castle in Maxwelltown, Scotland to use if desired. We hope you enjoy the various interpretations our members created.
Maureen Maxwell - There Is No Choice
Penny deJong - The Uneasy King
Karen Waalwyk - Uneasy Lies The Head That Wears The Crown
Prue Wright - Kings And Queens
Denise Hunter Logan
Jenny Davidson - King Needs A Break
Ilona Abou-Zolof - King & Queen
Rosa Perry - Upon These Brows, The Tempest Broods
Christina Brunton - Dragon King Castle
JANE TOVEY ( AUSTRALIA )
THE BUTTERFLY QUEEN EMERGES
http://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-4/penny-de-jong/
https://www.instagram.com/lksmithphotography/ https://www.facebook.com/lksmithphotography/
DOWN artistsUNDER
Australia and New Zealand
DIGITAL ARTISTS GROUP
A COLLABORATIVE GROUP OF PHOTO ARTISTS
CHINESE WHISPERS #92
“Creativity Takes Courage”
STAGE 1 STAGE 2
Pam Henderson
After all the excitement and acclaim of publishing the 100th edition of our magazine last month, it is time for Pam and I to get back to our collaborations. It is also a wonderful feeling for us to know that this will be our 92nd collaboration to be published in the magazine.
We hope you enjoy this collab about Ladies Dressed in Crinoline dresses.
Maureen Maxwell
Maureen Maxwell
art by ILONA ABOU-ZOLOF
WHISPERS IN SILK
www.behance.net/colinkillick
https://www.artistsdownunder.com.au/artists-1/colin-killick/
DENISE HUNTER LOGAN ( AUSTRALIA )
https://www.sandradimagery.com/
DOWN artistsUNDER
Australia and New Zealand
A COLLABORATIVE GROUP OF PHOTO ARTISTS
QUOTE CHALLENGE by the Art Buddies
A bit of background first:
In our Art Buddies group, we’re a vibrant mix of ADU members from across Australia, each contributing individual talents and viewpoints. Our team includes Christina Brunton, Denise Cauchi, Ilona Abou-Zolof, Marie Helyar, Marina Hobbs, and Robyn McLauchlan. We gather regularly on Zoom, taking turns to set our creative challenges. Up until now we have used quotes but now that our ADU ‘Coffee and Pixels’ are using quotes we decided to take a different spin on our challenge for now and we felt we needed a change.
Quote:
This month, Christina Brunton chose three words for the challenge, and it was up to the participants whether they use AI to start their image or how they start their art piece.
The Three Words were: Ballerina, Whimsical and Penny Farthing
Our Art Creations:
We’ve each crafted a variety of art pieces inspired by the same three word above. We hope our creations motivate you to share your own interpretation on the Artists Down Under Facebook page. Your artistic expression matters to us, and we are excited to see what you create!
Christina Brunton - Penny Farthing Library
Denise Cauchi - My Dream House
Ilona Abou-Zolof - Grace In Motion
Marie Helyar - Midair Rehearsal
Robyn McLauchlan - Balancing Act
Marina Hobbs - Whimsical Ballerina Penny Farthing
artists photographic challenge theme: monthly artistic down under JukeBox
Bev Terawskyj - Jukebox
Christina Brunton - Jukebox Jive
Ilona Abou-Zolof - Swing Night
George Koncz - Jukebox Sixties
Rosa Perry - Rockin Robin
Karen Waalwyk - Jukebox
Maureen Maxwell - Let’s Rock Around The Clock
Penny de Jong - Jukebox Living
Pam Henderson - Jukebox Joy
artists
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