PATTERNS AND TONES

"Waterfront Park No. 1" 2017 from the Sun Shadow series Following the sun again after several weeks of much needed rain, I decided to capture a new set of images for my  Sun Shadow series . These studies were taken at San Diego's lovely Waterfront Park  playground. Working with the abstract shapes in Photoshop, I manipulated the depth of their shadows to give the two dimensional image more space. All scratches on the polls and debris on the ground were removed to focus on form instead of being distracted by their visual noise. I was delighted by the crack in the ground seen in  "Waterfront Park No. 5". This intrusion into the abstract forms drew the image back into reality. I think I may want to explore this idea further in subsequent entries in this series. In the meantime, I continue to enjoy capturing abstract forms that pop up in front of me while basking in the warm mid-winter sun. Julie Green February 25, 2017 "Waterfront Park No...

"Elvia Lahman" 2017 from Home as Hat series Continuing to create hats inspired by architectural styles, Elvia's chapeau was based on the famous  William G. Low House in Bristol, Rhode Island. It was known for its 140 foot long low single gable and was a prime example of Shingle-style architecture . It's continuous horizontal shape and lack of ornamentation was a backlash to the highly decorated patters of the previous generation's architectural style. Although Shingle-style architecture flourished between 1879 and 1890 primarily on the coast of New England, I believe it was one of the forerunners of modernism. It shunned the revivalism going on during this period and looked towards the future of functionalism with its open plan blurring the lines between interior and exterior space. The roof was in fact the home. Using cedar shingles to cover its monolithic facade, the architect Charle McKim built the William G. Low House in 1887 using a single massi...

"Robin Jackson" 2017 from Home as Hat series Fish scale shingles were the inspiration for this Home as Hat entry. The steep roof top Ms. Jackson posed in front of prompted me to think of the Victorian gables I frequently saw in San Francisco. The American Queen Anne Revival architecture seen by the Bay always reminded me of exquisitely decorated birthday cakes. Their turrets were usually covered in fish scale shingles with an inset bay window. Coupled with contrasting paint colors, these formidable ladies always appeared to be so regal yet comical at the same time, depending on the color combination. Often described as "fancy cuts", the fish scales were also practical with their pattern of staggered and overlapping shingles which helped shed water efficiently. This ornamental siding was not an easy to replicate in embroidery floss on paper. I had to improvise its rounded edges with a scalloped pattern but feel that the finished "Hat" gives a hi...

Four years ago today I started my weekly blog and haven't looked back since! It has provided me a platform to share my vision with you and I am grateful for the 500+ subscribers that allow me to drop a visual present into your box every Saturday morning.  If you would like to subscribe to Patterns and Tones, email me at  julievox@sbcglobal.net Every anniversary I like to look back at the top 10 most visited articles to see what you're most interested in. This year "Johnny Bartlett on the History of Wig Torture" and "When Hot Dogs and Records Collide" were the hits of the year! Scroll below to see all top 10 posts from 2016. I hope you continue to enjoy my little neck of the woods and that my visual perspective enhances how you look at life. Love, Julie Green February 4, 2017 TOP 5 BLOG ENTRIES IN THE PATTERNS DEPARTMENT #5   Home as Hat: Andrea Minton An early prototype from my Home as Hat series, this entry saw a LOT of viewers...