Experimenting with Turning Photos into Digital Watercolor Paintings

Junebug's watercolor rendition, derived from various methods. See original photo taken in 2003 at the Attica Potawatomi Festival Parade - "Sunshine Queen"

If you google the phrase "how-to turn photo into watercolor tutorial" you'll get about 1,700,000 million results (as of this writing). To date I have only tried out four or five of these (see list below), so this little post by no means represents a comprehensive survey of the literature. ;) But if (like me) you genuinely want to know more about this topic, you have to start somewhere.

I started years ago by simply applying Photoshop's filters to not-so-optimal photos just to play with the software or to experiment with preserving a beautiful memory. But I felt I could do better if I only knew more ...

Checking In

Wow, so much time has passed since my last post! I've had good intentions, but as they say, life keeps getting in the way and truth be known, social media like Facebook has somewhat replaced blogging.

Taking inventory of why I started this blog (job-hunting and hobbies), I reflect that I am now headed toward full time retirement (whether I can afford it or not) and loving it! I drew my first social security check last July. I have also worked about a year and a half as a part-time database editor for a start-up company named Schoolhouse Partners which publishes both print and online editions of grant opportunities. It has proved to be very interesting work - sort of a virtual opportunity to travel and immerse oneself through writing in different granting organizations in various areas of the country and the world, not to mention the great experience it's provided me in technical writing. Schoolhouse Partner's production office was initially located in a scenic prairie in Purdue Research Park. I enjoyed spotting various types of wildflowers, insects, and other wildlife through the seasons as I took my noon walk around the little lake across the street. Then when the weather got too cold, there was an exercise room with treadmills in front of big picture windows right around the corner and down the hall! However, last February we were given the opportunity to set up a home office and work for the company from home - which I also enjoyed immensely.

My coworkers and I were put in touch with Schoolhouse Partners through the Aging Workforce Initiative, a wonderfully worthwhile demonstration grant operated by our local WorkOne. The grant provided training and internship opportunities as well as various other services to job-seekers age 55 and older. Sadly, the grant's funding was cut in 2012. 

Now as I head toward retirement, I look forward to spending more time on hobbies and interests including learning CSS technologies and graphic-arts skills such as photo restoration (with an eye both toward volunteering and toward earning some extra income in my retirement years). I also want to get more involved in digital and physical scrap-booking, photography, writing, cooking, gardening, and walking with Ben to name a few things - and to just enjoy this old Indiana farmhouse Ben and I are so fortunate to live in with our cats, dog, chickens, and mules in this rural community of good friends and neighbors. :) One of my poems was featured in Lafayette CitiBus's Words on the Go in June - and in the past four years I've had two sweepstakes and one reserve placement in the photography display at the Tippecanoe County 4H Fair Home Show so I guess I'm off to a good start.

Ducks at Purdue Research Park

Blue Heron and Canadian Geese at Purdue Research Park

Baby Barn Swallows Perched on Sign at Purdue Research Park