gallery 10...daffodils...spring flowering bulbs...yellow flowers...hosta
"Dewey Daffodils" [2004]
Artist's Journal... I have a lot of daffodils. I plant them in different areas in my yard. The soil in the back is cooler, so the daffs bloom later. In 2004 a few hosta leaves had already sprung up nearing the end of April...I also have a lot of hosta, including a huge "Sum and Substance" (which is unfortunately waaaaaaaaaay too huge to get all of one leaf on my big scanner)! I have some unusually mysterious scans of hosta and hosta lily...ah, so many leaves, so little time! Perhaps this summer I will get some cleaned up for the gallery...
Every year I try to keep a few daffodils blooming while the early tulips arise. I have a particularly lovely combination of the coral painted tulips with the coral 'Salome' hued daffodils. I know those scans are around somewhere! Trouble is...somewhere is a very big place!
Most early springs bring a heavy rain and if not that, a crust of snow or even ice. To scan icy or drenched specimens care must be taken to not allow the water to seep under the platen. A sheet of museum glass or thin acetate can be placed over the platen to act as a protective barrier. Water and liquids in contact with the glass scan as "blobs" and a couple of them can be banished with the clone tool. The specimen must be carefully suspended and scanned quickly before total meltdown. On warmer days a specimen may be misted. In all honesty, luck is the most important ingredient. Although I'm always planning out compositions, all of my more successful work was something that just happened along the way. I also get weary, and often just plain bored with what I did, so I am apt to entertain myself by goofing around. A good example is "Psychedelic Tulips". After scanning that damn yellow and red thing for a couple hours I started tinkering with the scanner's color modifications. I just got carried away with the trippin' effect. Hmmmm...
Here is a close-up of the dew in the "dewey"...yes, you can scan water droplets, ice and snow if you are clever and careful!
