The Blog At Ainsworth Images

Monday, November 30, 2009

Here we are, the last day of November. Hardly seems possible. Today I bring you an urban image that captures the ancient and modern living together, at least in terms of architecture. The rounded surfaces and curves of the ancient contrast nicely with the strait lines of the modern. The colors work together nicely as well, the ivory stone of the Chinese tile roof is coated with just a slight layer of moss, giving the stone a soft, pale green patina to contrast with the copper color of the skyscraper. The dark grey threatening looking clouds are typical of the Pacific Northwest and help to highlight the buildings in the foreground.

A great image for home or office.

Enjoy,
Tom

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

I don’t have a Turkey image for Thanksgiving, but here is a nice image of some Sunflowers in a blue vase. As an interesting aside, I also created the blue vase in another lifetime when I was a potter. This shot was also taken on the same table with the same wall in the background as the Pear image, same great natural light streaming in the window. I can’t deny I was influenced a little by Van Gogh in creating this image, but I feel I was successful in making it my own.

Here is a great image to liven up most any space in your home.

Enjoy,
Tom

PS: Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, no more posts till Monday the 30th.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

This image was captured on the Oregon coast while the sun was setting. The majority of the gulls seem to be standing around, looking in the direction of the setting sun, as is the nature of gulls, however, a few are “doing their own thing.”

I added some “painterly” effects, taking it out of the realm of the completely realistic, making the image more dreamlike.The soft rose colors help create a sense of mystery as twilight falls upon the shoreline, enhancing the dreamlike feel to the piece.

Here is a gentle, quiet work for that space where you want to hang a soft, peaceful image to complement and heighten the mood.

Enjoy,
Tom

Monday, November 23, 2009

When one captures an image of an iconic landmark such as this, it requires a unique perspective an/or vision to make it one’s own and not just another image of a famous location, building, place, etc.

Here, with this image of the famous Seattle Space Needle, I feel I have succeeded in doing just that. The overall “painterly” effects have been carried to an extreme, while the tilt of the image adds a dynamic thrust to the composition, this along with the bold brushstrokes and lively shadows all help turn what could have been a very ordinary image into a powerful piece.

Hang this on any wall that could use a high powered composition to add a touch pizzazz.

Enjoy,
Tom

Friday, November 20, 2009

What to say about this image? It starts “in camera” at the local arboretum, however, it finishes in a place between reality and dreams, or….

In the deep dark forest some bright yellow leaves have caught a ray of sunlight, a simple scene, but now a picture that can grab your imagination. Dark, light, near, far; all exist here in many subtle layers of soft variations in color.

This is an image I took nearly all the way to abstraction, but left enough visual “clues” for the viewer’s mind to be able to fill in the details.

A strong image for any wall that needs that special image, this one really shines printed large on paper, matted and framed. It has a very nice “watercolor” effect.

Enjoy.

Tom

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Carrying forward yesterday’s theme of the beauty in ordinary things, here is a “Still Life” of a single Red Anjou pear. My wife picked up a half dozen of these at the market, and they were just beautiful. I was intending to snap a shot of them, but as I was leaving the house for a meeting, a little late at that, I realized there was only one left. There was some really lovely natural light coming in through the window, so I quickly set the pear on our breakfast table, near the wall, and snapped the shot. Here the gorgeous maroon red skin of the pear, as well as its interesting texture, in contrast to the soft neutral colors of the wall and table combine with the shadow fading deep into the table sheen and the textured wall behind to make a most compelling image. Of course, being me, I added a bit of a “painterly” effect. This image is superb printed on canvas. This is a lovely image for a breakfast nook, kitchen, etc.

Enjoy,

Tom

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Many great painters of the past, including Cézanne, Van Gogh and Monet delighted in taking every day scenes and revealing their hidden splendor to us. Today, I find delight in doing the same. This, on the surface is just an image of some Koi, common enough today, in many different settings, yet I feel there is a quiet, but subtle beauty to be found here. The reflections in the water of sky and ferns, the moss covered stones all help to add depth and interest. The bright fish coming into the picture on the left, and the cool underwater fish on the right help add drama to the scene. What room would not come more fully alive with an image like this gracing it wall?

Enjoy,

Tom

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Today’s image is one of pure joy, for me. I was spending a week in and around Bend, Oregon and decided to visit Benham Falls along the Deschutes river. I wanted to get a little better look at the falls and, lucky for me, quietly stepped between two trees, and there, at the very edge of the cliff, was this normally skittish little chipmunk, sitting totally still, overlooking the falls. One eye was turned in my direction, so it could certainly see me, as well as hear the “click” of my camera, and yet it sat there for at least another 5 minutes! Here is a magical image for anyone who loves nature and the wonderful creatures who inhabit this world. I know I will remember this moment for the rest of my life, and consider this image a precious gift.

Enjoy,

Tom

Monday, November 16, 2009

From rose garden to mountain top, today I share with you an image from the very top of Mt. Hood. This image was actually taken in the summertime, but the snowboarders were still enjoying their sport. The sky this day was a brilliant blue with some really nice clouds to spice up the image. I managed to snap a shot when just one snow boarder was in sight, creating a scene that captures a solitary moment atop the great mountain. I did add some “painterly” effects, which I feel enhance the image. The perfect image for the wall of a snowboarder, ski cabin, lodge, or someone who just loves mountains and sky. Hope you enjoy it.

Tom

Friday, November 13, 2009

OK, today I thought I would change direction a bit and do a post on “Florals.” I don’t do as many of these as I do other genres, not because I don’t appreciate flowers, but because there are countless wonderful representations of them.

Therefore, I limit myself to images that I feel are truly worthy of being hung on your wall. I hope you agree that I have succeeded with this “Rose” image and the others you can find here: Florals.

This particular image was captured at the world famous Portland Rose Garden. Portland is home to the oldest official continuously operated public rose test gardens in the United States. Each year hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world enjoy the sights and scents of the gardens. This image was lovely when I captured it, but I decided to take it a bit further and turn it into a work of art that would be a truly distinctive and original print.

Enjoy,

Tom