Specialty Papers

Paper and Art

 Yesterday, I searched for ways of decorating mat boards protecting my artwork.
I found a mat design article by artist Kathy Mann.
She shows several samples of artwork with deckle-edged mats.
It does make the framed art more attractive.

This sent me on a search for handmade paper, and I found a site called Mulberry Paper and More.
They have an attractive selection of papers made from unusual material.
I like the Thai Banana and the Nepalese Lokta papers.
You can browse by categories or by colour.
Every paper includes a description.

Creative Edge

Digital Library

Creative Edge is another example of digital reading.
I made good use of this service when I designed my own site.
A monthly fee gives you access to a huge selection of books on photography, web design, illustration, graphics and more.
From the main page, you can view book and video samples.
There is a lot to discover on Creative Edge.



 

Tablets for Artist

Handy Tool

I'm considering adding a tablet to my gadgets.
So far, I've looked at Apple iPad 2 , Acer Iconia and  ASUS Eee Pad Transformer .

A tablet would be handy to show my online portfolio.
I would also be able to accept orders for prints wherever I am.
I just need to pick the right one.

 

More Books

Kindle Editions

 I collect books, and this can get a little costly.
Getting a Kobo eReader saved me money and space.
However, sometimes I find the selection a bit limited.

Like most people today, when I look for a book the first place, I go to, is the Amazon website.
I read some of the ratings and if available I "Look Inside."
This morning I had a nice surprise, we can read Kindle editions on a PC.
Since I just bought my Kobo eReader, I'm not ready for a Kindle yet.

The best part, is that I can now get books for less.
Kindle edition prices are lower and there are no shipping charges.
And I don't have to buy new bookshelves.

About the Blogs

Reading

If you visited other parts of my site, you already know that I have different blogs.
I post updates of my artwork and photography on the Artwork and Photography Blog.

The Garden Journal is for comments on varieties I grow and places I visit.
New pages and changes to ArtistGarden.net are also posted in the Garden Journal.

That leaves my first blog, this one.
Here, I will now share my other interests.
For example, I love to read, and I recently purchased a Kobo Touch eReader.
Right now I am reading a Karin Fossum's Inspector Sejer Series.
The first book I've read in this format is The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen.
I'm looking forward to the next one.

Contessa Double Lavender

 Work in Progress


In early summer, I visited a local garden center for the first time.
There I found a Contessa Double Lavender trailing pelargonium.
I already had the Double Pink.
When the flowers start to open, they look like tiny roses.
This gives the pelargonium an old-fashioned and elegant look.
When the brushwork is finished and uploaded in the Portfolio, I will post it on the Blog.

P.S: I've done a bit of research and it turns out the label was wrong. My pelargonium is a Colorcade Lilac.

Free soil amendment

Autumn Leaves

The weather today is perfect for raking leaves.
Shredding them allows me to store more bags in the garage.
Some are set aside for protecting the roses and clematis.
I won't be using white cones this year because of the turkeys.
Garden blankets, and jute worked best last winter.
I do have to wrap the shrubs with flexible fencing material first to support the cover.
The blankets go on the shrubs only when the weather stays below zero.
Since my garden is surrounded by a forest, I need to be more creative.

Garden Chores

 End of the Season


Now the bulbs are all in the ground.
The only garden chores left are covering the roses and bagging the most leaves that I can.
This gives me more time to sort through all the photos I've taken since early spring.

My yearly visits to the Ottawa Experimental Farm begins when the magnolias are blooming.
This year, I remembered to photograph the name plates.
I did plant a magnolia in my own garden a few years ago.
It died after the first winter.

This year I am testing the hardiness of Blue Moon, a wisteria macrostachya.

Dahlia Brushwork

Water Lily Dahlia

Firepot is now finish.
The brushwork was done in Corel Painter.
The fireblend shade is unchanged.

See more in Portfolio

Work in Progress

Firepot

I still have lots to do in the garden.
This leaves me with less time for brushwork.

Firepot was a surprise find this year.
This waterlily dahlia got mixed with a decorative variety.
At the moment, I am working on the negative space.
I do this part in Photoshop.

When the underpainting is ready, I switch to Corel Painter.

Garden Journal

Link change

The link update is now complete.
I will now be able to start adding new pages again.
All updates to ArtistGarden.net will be posted in the Garden Journal, on StumbeUpon and Twitter

Garden Journal

Moved

The Garden Journal is now on ArtistGarden.net
Links to the Journal are still being updated.

ArtistGarden.net

Migration is now complete

Will Goodwin clematis is the last page to be updated and moved.
Changes will continue and more pages created.
All future additions will be prepared especially for fine art prints.
Backgrounds will be replaced or darken.
Noise removed and retouched with digital brushes.
Shade and distinctive markings will remain the same.
More changes will appear over time.

Delphiniums

Updates and moves

The migration is almost complete.
Today, I completed the updates of the delphiniums.
I've taken over one hundred photos since early spring and will start adding them soon.
The Journal will also be moving to ArtistGarden.net

Non Stop Mocca Scarlet Begonia

Encyclopedia

Mocca Scarlet is now featured in the Encyclopedia
A link to a female flower photo is included in the description.
So is a link for a seed source.

Rose de Rescht

Portland rose

Rose de Rescht completes the updates and move of the old garden roses.

When all of the Contensts is transferred, new pages will be created to introduced the new additions.

In the old garden rose section, I will be adding Louise Odier, a bourbon rose I found this year.

Rose Collection

Old Garden Roses

I am updating and moving the old garden rose pages.
The first is Alba Maxima, it may not repeat but the blooming period does last about a month.
I have enough English roses and grandiflora for the rest of the season.

ArtistGarden.net - William Baffin

Rose Collection

The move of the pelargonium pages is complete.
Now I will continue to update and move the roses.
Once complete, I will be creating pages for the new roses in my garden.
For a preview see ArtistGarden.net - William Baffin an excellent Explorer rose.

Indian Chief

Irises

Indian Chief is one of my oldest irises.
One of the first passalong plant I received after I moved to my present home.
I never featured it before even though I love this iris colours.

The shades are often described as deep red for the falls.
As an artist, I see the falls as dark fuchsia.
The standards, moderate crimson.
The two go very well together.

Late Lilac

Iris Germanica

Nice soft coloured tall bearded iris.
Photo shows white beard tipped orange.
Late Lilac now featured on ArtistGarden.net

If you'd like to see photos of all the irises in the collection,
just click on the Irises link.

ArtistGarden.net - Broad Petaled

Geraniums

Very easy to grow purple geranium.
Not invasive and hardy.
ArtistGarden.net - Broad Petaled

Elegance Purple Majesty

Regal

One of the lovely pelargonium that did not survive the dry heat of indoor air.
It may have been caused by my a wrong choice of pot.
Unlike the hortorum type, the domesticum is less tolerant of dry soil.
So a clay pot was a mistake, they dry too quickly.

See photo and description.
Elegance Purple Majesty

Elegance Burgundy

Regal

This one survived the dry indoor conditions of winter heating.
I've included lots of new information.
If you like this type of online reference, share with your gardening friends.
Regal pelargonium are well worth collecting.
This will keep them from being 'lost'.

ArtistGarden.net - Elegance Burgundy

Elegance Baroness

Regal

I will be adding a few more domesticum in the Pelargoniums
First the four existing pages will be updated and moved, and the first is:

Elegance Baroness

ArtistGarden.net - Global Merlot

Trailing pelargonium

Forgot to add this one in the previous index.
Took a few terminal cuttings for the season.
Not blooming yet but looks healthy.
ArtistGarden.net - Global Merlot

ArtistGarden.net - Royal Dark Burgundy

Trailing Pelargonium

This ivy survived the winter in a self watering hanging pot by a sunny window.
I did let the soil dry in between watering to avoid rot and blisters on the leaves.
ArtistGarden.net - Royal Dark Burgundy

ArtistGarden.net - Dark Red Blizzard

Pelargonium

The first of the collection.
The Blue and the white are also beautiful and worth collecting.

ArtistGarden.net - Dark Red Blizzard

Prints are available for all tree

ArtistGarden.net - Contessa Double Pink

Pelargoniums

New styled page will be easier to navigate, faster to download and fit in mobile devices screens.
Contessa Double Pink is no longer online.

New Season

Work in Progress

An update of the coming season
New Season

Wild Grey Turkeys at Feeder | Joanne McKinnon Garden Photography

Wild Life

Took this photo last year.
Now I feed them along a trail in the wooded area of my property.
Since then, they have been joined by Mallard ducks.

Wild Grey Turkeys at Feeder

Mallard Males | Joanne McKinnon Garden Photography

Latest photo

We've been having a few hot days and the ducks like to put the swimming pool to good use.
Check out the photo
Mallard Males in swimming pool

Joanne McKinnon's Garden - Rushlight Peony

New like button

First page to show Google's +1 button.

ArtistGarden.net Garden - Rushlight Peony

Serres Quenneville

Annual visit

First met the owner at the Ottawa, Byward market a few years ago.
The selection is huge and the plants are healthy.
Well worth a detour.
See photos of visit.
See photos of my visit

Joanne McKinnon Garden Photography

Spring bloom

Latest photo in gallery

Galanthus nivalis

Joanne McKinnon Garden Photography

Garden Visits

Update on my latest visits in Ottawa in the Journal.

Ottawa Tulip Festival Visit

Joanne McKinnon

Digital photo painting

Le Bouquet

Created in Photoshop and Topaz Clean

Red Covered Bridge

Digital Painting

My latest work
Red Covered Bridge

Winter Protection for Roses

Nu Vue vs Arbotex

Update in Garden Journal

Winter Protection for roses tested in zone 4b garden.

Sprekelia on Canvas

Gicée Print

First canvas print for first exhibition
Sprekelia

Patrochon.com - Accueil

Web designer

I'm proud to say that I had some influence on this web developer.
He created my logo and helps me out when I get stuck on coding.
The site is in French but you can still get an idea.
Pat is a web developer by trade.
Patrochon.com - Accueil

Joanne McKinnon's Garden - Blue Blizzard -

New Template

The new redesigned template is now live on one page.
Joanne McKinnon's Garden - Blue Blizzard -

It may take a while for me to apply this new style to this blog.

Aztec Lily

Digital Painting

A high resolution preview of the Aztec Lily painting is now ready.

purple Iris photo print 8x10 by CheyAnneSexton on Etsy

Purple Iris

I have an iris in a shade very similar to this one. I didn't keep the cultivar name. Bought it in my early gardening days. It still blooms great.
CheyAnne's photo is very good at showing an iris at its best.
purple Iris photo print 8x10 by CheyAnneSexton on Etsy

What the frack is going on in the Karoo? | Getaway Blog

Interesting read. If further damage can be prevented, that would be a step in the right direction.

What the frack is going on in the Karoo? | Getaway Blog

Joanne McKinnon

Fine Art Prints

This image was prepared to be printed on Ilford Premium Plus Pearl paper.
The image will registered and will include a certificat of authenticity.
Joanne McKinnon

Joanne McKinnon Garden Photography

Overwintering pelargoniums

A better success rates this spring.
Joanne McKinnon Garden Photography

Julia Child | Joanne McKinnon Garden Photography

Yellow Floribunda Rose

Originally, I bought this rose for a client.
She chose a Persian Jewel instead, it died.
The leaves of the floribunda were spotted, but this was caused by an overcrowded bench at the nursery.
I knew with care, I could keep this rose spot free.
For a yellow rose, the disease resistance is exceptional.
All it needed was good air circulation and mulch to protect the leaves from mud splashes during heavy rains.

I have 4 more roses waiting for the soil to warm and the temperature to stay about 12C (53F)
Visit the gallery to view those already in the garden.

Julia Child | Joanne McKinnon Garden Photography

Turkey Duty

Photo I took last spring. The two turkeys were so busy strutting that the hen got tired of waiting and went back to the rest of the flock.
Turkey Duty

Dennis Fast Photography

I've sent nearly a 100 postcards so far.
One of my most popular is of a polar bear in a field of fireweed.

The photo was taken by Dennis Fast
You can see the postcard photo on his site in the popular photo section.
It is the second from the end of the first row.

It is impossible to show you all of the photos.
Most of them have copyright symbols.

Red at Night

All collection pages updates are found in the Journal

New sharing buttons were added for your convenience.

This is the latest post.
Red at Night