Beauty in the Rain

I've been doing my best to find beauty in the rain in the last few weeks. Including dragging The Computer Man to a windy estuary. It's important to feel a little windblown and more alive, sometimes ;-).

Enjoy these-with my best wishes for a peaceful and prosperous 2013, too.

I made this ecard for Jim & I to send to everyone this year...and that includes everyone reading this blog. Have a happy and peaceful Christmas, and a wonderful new year.

The next post will be in January.

Update:  If you'd like to send your own version of this as a free ecard, here it is:

Feel Good Pic: Cute Cats

It was puppies earlier this week, so in the in interests of balance :-), these seriously cute cats are making their appearance today. Just follow the link and enjoy!


Funpic.hu - Vicces képek, vicces videók legnagyobb gyűjteménye

PS. After this week's experiment with posting every day, I've realised that this probably isn't a realistic goal and leaves me less time actually to create good stuff. Expect something good two or three times a week, instead.

Feel-Good Quote & Picture: Shoot for the Moon

This quote of Brian Littrell's probably says it all. But the picture is ours, proving that even a wintry London park can have magic, sparkle and atmosphere within it. Enjoy-and remember to shoot for the moon!

Feel Good Racoon Pic & Idea: Cuteness is Good For You...

Cute racoon photo adapted by me from original picture by, "irishbrewer74," on Morguefile.

Couldn't resist this cute little racoon, but today there's an idea to go along with him. Scientists in Japan have discovered that cuteness really is good for you. In their experiment, participants who watched particularly cute videos perfomed better straight afterwards on tasks needing concentration than those who had watched less cute animal videos...

(I'd love to have been there beforehand, when they "had" to watch lots of animal videos to decide which was cutest, wouldn't you?)

Anyway, the upshot of this is clear. There's no need to feel guilty (if you ever did!) about spending some time each day watching cuteness: it's officially good for you, too.

Feel-Good Video: Cute Puppies

Today's feel-good stuff involves off-the-scale cuteness. And golden retriever puppies, courtesy of HeatherGRPuppies on YouTube.

Of course, the Dogs' Trust is absolutely right that a dog is for life, not just for Christmas. But with that in mind, just let any tensions melt away as you watch this gem...

Feel-Good Freebie: Free Squirrel Wallpaper

OK, I know. Not everyone is nuts about squirrels. But if you are (and we are, obviously, hence the name of this blog) then squirrel wallpaper is something likely to help you feel great.

Just right-click on the image and save as to grab this little cutey and use him as a wallpaper or background on any gadget of your choice, as a little present from BoundingSquirrel, and a thankyou for reading.

"I want to be your squirrel wallpaper...Please download me!"

PS. If you like him, please comment and/or share the link to this post. Thanks!

Update October 2014: Click here to grab a whole slew of free Nature Art Wallpapers..

Feel-Good Idea: Be the Gift...

I'm posting this gingerly as digital painting's still pretty new for me...and only something I ever thought I could attempt thanks to a course run by the wonderful Jane Davenport.

What would the world be like if we all concentrated on being the gift this Christmas, as well as, or even instead of, giving them?

Feel-Good Pic: Light in the Dusk

From today, I'm going to do my best to post something each day that has a feel good element to it. You can never add too much cheerfulness, right?

We took this first offering last Saturday. The Computer Man and I don't normally spend much time photographing landmarks in our own city...(tut tut, because it's beautiful, really).

But there we were, walking down the South Bank of the Thames. From where we came across an unusual view of St Pauls, which put light and warmth into the winter twilight...

Be Inspired By Nature Screensaver is Here!

At last, the "Be Inspired by Nature" Screensaver is ready.

Take a peek at this video to view 9 of its 33 pictures (and turn up your speakers to listen to the gorgeous music, (used with the permission of the wonderfully-talented Jamie Sims)

Then, to experience this fully, buy your full screensaver by clicking here.

First feel-good screensaver is coming soon...

Yay! There's real progress here at BoundingSquirrel, in the shape of our first product...a screensaver full of natural photos and inspiring suggestions, to help you feel good every time your screensaver springs into action.

The picture above is a sneak peak of just one of the images. We're just working out how best to get the finished versions to you, and then it'll be up for grabs.

A Digitally Creative Experiment

I'm setting up an experiment  to answer two simple questions. Is it possible to earn a living as a digital creative 100% online, and if so, how? If you love writing, creating digital art, sounds, video, or other gizmos, but are wondering how the heck any of this enormous fun can give out to the world *and* support a decent lifestyle for its creator, then please follow this blog.

Why online? There are many reasons, which I'm bound to share over the course of time. First up is our plan to move. This is no mean feat in London. And it's funny how greater online income suddenly makes a lot of  sense when your home base needs to change.

My promise to you with this experiment, though,  is that I will hold nothing back, good or bad, inner or outer. Everything that happens will be here, recorded as faithfully and honestly as possible.

Spotted this pink clematis flower in the neighbourhood this week and feel a bit like it...Frayed at the edges after the last few months, but still ready to put some verve into the world.

Why now?

If you've been following BoundingSquirrel for any length of time you'll know that digital art came as a shock to me.

But in truth,  I'd been putting out other creative ideas (albeit timidly) for years. I'd even kept my old name long after I was married, because of the book and meditations I'd created. Running a coaching and meditation business for 14 years was fabulous, and I got great feedback. During that time though, creativity (plus time with my patient husband, The Computer Man who also keeps my digital life running) got squeezed.


So the economic clouds have a silver lining. It's the perfect time for each of us to use *all* of our talents to the max, and to share anything that works with everyone who may need it.


So, most of all, I'm writing this because something in my gut tells me that digital creativity is the way forward for many of us. The internet is the ultimate environmentally friendly equal-access meeting place and marketplace. So let's get this party started! Please leave me a comment-tell me what you think about digital creativity and whether (or not) you think this crazy idea will work.

Romeo and Juliet, Anyone?

 Romeo and Juliet Digital Art

(A much more formal theme than I'd intended!)

Terrified, I've decided to post a piece of digital art "proper" here. The kind of thing I've never shown to anyone. And even more terrifyingly, the file size turned out so huge, I've had to put it on Redbubble (ie technically up for sale), so that it can display well and still get stored. Aaargh.

BTW, I didn't set out to do a high-flown theme. This piece is pure photomanipulation of four photos I took on four totally separate occasions...They just merged into this somehow.

Whatever you think is fine. (The Computer Man just said, "Well I hate all art...don't ask me...:-)". So really-anything goes...



Update in 2020: It turns out lots of people like it. And the Computer Man has changed his views on art *a lot* in the last few years ;-). These days, you can buy this design as a greeting card on Zazzle.

Romeo & Juliet Holiday Card
by BoundingSquirrel

 

The Strangest Journey into Art?

Hello and welcome the strangest art and graphics journey that either of us might ever take.

Until a few months ago, I would have laughed at anyone who even suggested this site would ever be born.

 Art of any kind was something that other people did...Even though I'd been doing graphics for friends since first sitting down at a Mac 20 years ago, somehow, that didn't count.

Then  a friend asked me to do her leaflets, and a whole world opened up. In some ways a new one, but in others, one that feels more familiar than anything else.


This blog is the ongoing story of my exploration of digital art, and of trying to pluck up the courage to show anyone...

Welcome.

Photos of Summer 2012

An entire summer without blogging...Aaagh. Sorry! Still, there are plenty of summer pics to choose from...

If I'm honest, it's because I'm *still* having huge problems showing anything I do to anyone, and still too prone to press the "delete" button...(Things have moved on since the days when only The Computer Man got to see my stuff, but not as much as I'd like...)

So I've signed up with a course to put things right.


Anyway...Onto the pics!

It was a great year for roses (possibly because it rained solidly from April to late July!). The photo is mine, but these beautiful roses were grown by much more talented gardeners, in London's Holland Park. They also grew this lovely poppy...

What else about London in 2012? Ah, yes, the Olympics.

Well, the atmosphere was fun, and I'd have the Olympics back any day, just for the clean streets and friendly people. Yay!

But we're not the sportiest of people.

 So, The Computer Man and I did the obvious thing for non-sporty people to do during such a time...and went on a tall ship voyage along the Thames.

(Actually, the ships were Dutch, and only in London at all because of the Olympics, so kudos to the organisers for thinking of *everything*).

Anyway, tall ships made for some interesting pictures...even on a camera phone.

As did Olympic rings,

sights that turned me all touristy in my own city...

And it's easy to see how Royal Greenwich was built to impress people arriving in tall ships...

Finally a sunny trip to Devon...

After that, the dreaded 40th birthday turned out OK-and shots from a camera with a zoom lens (which lessened the birthday pain quite a bit!) will turn up soon!

Driving me to chocolate...

It's enough to drive a woman to chocolate.

Let me explain. London has finally gone 100% digital with its TV. "No big deal," you may say. None at all, except if you happen to be married to The Computer Man.

He got all fired up by the challenge of building a multi-media system for the bedroom similar to the (very swish) one he rigged up months ago in the sitting room. Which was a brilliant idea, until it entailed him balancing on the bed at 1am last Sunday morning, after six hours of work,  explaining, "It's nearly there, I've almost got it all tuned in."

He assures me that small teething troubles will be ironed out soon. In the meantime, The Computer Man's project means I have had more time for graphics, and specifically, some chance to mess around with typography, which I haven't done for ages. Making it chocolate-related just seemed to fit the mood of the week.

Enjoy.

Update: Not chocolate-related, but given the comments here, if this post strikes a chord with you, there's more on life with The Computer Man here.

Ducklings!

Not so much time for experimentation this week, but time enough to notice these little ducklings, swimming in a family group during our on-off spring...It's amazing how much the "high pass filter" in Photoshop Elements can sharpen up a mobile phone clip...

Stolen time in the sunshine and a new digital art experiment

The Computer Man's latest excitement this Bank Holiday is a new accounting program. However, I'm not complaining. It's given me chance to finish a new digital art experiment.

And this pic was inspired anyway by a stolen midweek afternoon visit to Kenwood House in Hampstead, complete with spring sunshine. We ambled through the magnolias. And I got to wondering, "What were the original owners like?..."

(For comparison, the actual gatepost, these days , looks like this:

As this took longer than I thought, it looks like all my creative time will only yield about one completed project per week. But hey, it's a start. And, like London buses, there'll be another one along soon.

Saved by Cupcakes, Creativity, and a Challenge

OK, I know. It's been a looong time since the last post. But now an uninspiring winter is past, I'm clear that this space is for fun, play and creative connections...and the magic of cupcakes, creativity and someone else's great idea has me back on track.

First, the creativity. The Computer Man  repeatedly tells me that I am creative. I look at everyone else's stunning creativity online, and am immediately terrified to show anyone anything, lest they start laughing (in the wrong way). Nonetheless, he keeps telling me this. So, my recent efforts include:

1) Attempting to turn back time for a statue:

Or, put very much less grandly, using digital overpainting to re-create this girl....from the face of the statue in the background at Waterlow Park here in London:

And...

2) Gaining inspiration from a cupcake without actually having to eat it (a first in itself).

There was a request for an illustration of a cupcake over at FotoKoi. I screwed up my courage. After all, my stomach has expert knowledge of cupcakes. Surely my eyes had taken in enough of them over the years to be able to re-create one too?

So I did this digital painting of a cupcake (well, like this, but without the background, for web use) in response to the request:

Update: this picture is now available at Cafepress as part of the "Keep Calm and Carry Cupcakes" design.

After this gentle bout of "putting-it-out-there", the question is how to keep up the momentum. Enter at stage right, the Creative Every Day challenge.

I'm already late for this, as this year's challenge started, like 2012 itself, in January. But it seems a fun way to keep creating all kinds of things. Luckily, the time you join doesn't seem so crucial as approaching it as a source of fun, friendship, inspiration and camaraderie.

But don't worry. Even if I actually manage to create something every day, I won't inflict every result upon you. Unless they happen to involve cupcakes.

And if you have any thoughts about creativity, the "Creative Every Day" challenge, or cupcakes, please do leave a comment. Many thanks!

Image courtesy of Creative Every Day.Com