Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary Walk & Photography

I hope you had an enjoyable break if you took one. When we recently took time off to meet relatives and gather. We found time to take a wonderful walk by a nature preserve in Alameda, Ca. at the Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary.

If it hadn't of been so hazy with a layer of fog I would of taken more pics of the SF view.We walked all the way down from where we stayed and followed this path to the sanctuary.

I managed to see some wildlife in many forms on the water, logs and land. 

A blue heron on a log sitting in solitude.

A grey spotted squirrel hiding among the ice plants.

There were so many birds around this preserve. There were so many little plovers along the shore, they are so fast I only got a few good shots.

A plover on Crown Beach.

And some of them seemed to just pose for me, like this regal brown seagull, at least that is what I call him.

I just loved the way the sun light hit and the one strand of hair blew into Sammie's face. She loves nature and loved our outing at the beach. I can't wait to share a few more fall photographs and soon some new art! 

Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary Alameda, CA

Birding-Oakland Magazine

EBBA on Flickr 

Shoreline Park 

Happiness flutters in the air whilst we rest among the breaths of nature. Kelly Scheaffer

What did you do over the holiday? Have you taken a moment to enjoy nature before the storms hit? 

One on One with Nature- Still Life Stand Outs

I was remembering our trip to South Lake Tahoe and  thought I would share this photograph I am going to link up to a little Still Life Photo Challenge that Branson runs. This makes me wish we had a full week to venture back up for a visit. I love being in the woods and the lake there is so beautiful. The snow was still on the mountains yet it was quite warm.

 

There is something to be said to being one with nature or maybe two in this case! 

I hope you all have some time to get outdoors this long Labor Day weekend and if you are traveling may it be safe! Maybe we can make our way to the beach or woods for some much needed inspiration after a week of back to school and computer stuff. If  you want to check out some wonderful photography just visit the link I have added. I refrained from adding my flower shots this time, maybe another day I will enter one of them! 

Happy Labor Day Weekend! What plans do you have?

Mother Earth & Pledge To Our Environment

I finished my mother nature painting and I decided to make a pledge for future generations. So I digitally journaled on my painting a pledge; To care for our earth and think about the daily changes I  can do to ensure she is here for future generations.

  Original Painting

 

My Pledge 

I will always do my part to keep you healthy for future generations.

You can help our planet too!

From the simple everyday things such as recycling, using cloth napkins, using cloth bags for grocery shopping, composting, planting trees & plants and more .......

Thank you Mother Earth for all you do for us! 
& if you are interested I shared wip photos in previous posts.

Here is a small round-up of some articles, tips, pdfs:

pdf - 100 ways to save the environment -article

10 things you can do to save the earth- article 

Zoom Action Help The Environment - PBS Kids-article 

Organizations: 

National Wildlife Federation

who I partner with

Friends of the Trees

OurEarth.org

Greenpeace 

National Audubon Society

The best for last a list of Environmental Organizations from around the world!  - Wikipedia

I hope you take the time to think about, make changes, join organizations, help in the community and help in your everyday life while caring for our planet and Mother Nature. 

Look deep into nature, and  then you will  understand everything better. Albert Einstein 

PS. if you are interested in seeing other people's art today check out Paint Party Friday the linky is in resources! & don't forget to follow along with GFC. I would love to see you here & visit your blog too. 
Leave me a comment and let me know you stopped by. See you soon~

What are a few of your favorite tips for helping our planet?

Mother Nature

Hello, I finally have  some beginnings of art to show you.  I thought I would practice a little on some faces and then inspired from my trip to Tahoe I just added in some nature elements. Yes, I am a nature lover! When I was a teen I wanted to work with various organizations, I was very passionate. Then life takes you on different journeys but I always like paying homage to my love of nature via my art.

This is just a pencil sketch with humble beginnings with my thoughts.

I love layering, gesso and painting and although I may start out with a sketch I always seem to travel on.

Thus the morphing continues. She is made with scrapbook  papers, pencil, color pencil, acrylic paint, gesso, matte medium on Canson mixed medium paper. I am longing for a trip to the beach, it has been intensely hot inland and I am a coastal girl at heart. I need breezes, cool air, pine trees and the ocean, destination Cambria. So I hope we make our way there this weekend prior to Sammie's start of school! I promise some photography from the coast and sharing mother nature when she is done!

What are your favorite places of nature?

Nature Photography

I thought I would share some photography I took when visiting Healdsburg, CA. The fields are lush green, rocks covered in moss, roses frozen but on the vine and the air was crisp. How could you not be inspired?
Below is a collage of images that I took. 

 Then I thought I might take one of the  snapshots and alter it a few times to get some different looks and these are the photographs with some changes & what I used to achieve them.

This is almost true to the original image but I lightened the exposure.

This photograph I added contrast and adjusted the color a bit, fixed exposure and put a cinema scope frame on it.

This last one here has textures over laid and then I played with the exposure to give it a more forest feel.

Honestly I think I have just fallen in love with textures. I might have to take some other images and alter them now. Have you ever altered your photography? Played with textures? How does nature inspire you?

Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing the grass I can appreciate persistence. ~Hal Borland

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. ~Ralph Waldo Emmerson

Mixed Media Fairy Painting

I have been taking an Organic Dimensions Class.
This is the latest that I have been working on.
I wanted her to look as though she was gazing in the water. I used colors related to nature. The collage paper I used had flowers and I muted them by painting over it. I found a few fairy quotes but don't know that I will add them. Haven't quite decided if I am done.
Spread your wings and let the fairy in you fly!
Fairies are invisible and inaudible like angels. But their magic sparkles like nature.