Sharing Brian Loflin’s feature article in Bird Watcher’s Digest

Fellow photographers (especially the bird-loving ones), just wanted to share my former boss / mentor / lifelong friend Brian Loflin’s latest project—a feature article in the current issue of Bird Watcher’s Digest highlighting South Texas photography ranches and bird photography. Brian writes, “These photography ranches earn a secondary revenue stream from this type of activity instead of / in addition to the traditional consumptive activity of hunting. In my wildlife photography course, I try to instill the benefit of participation in, support of and aid in building these activities.”

You can check out Brian’s photography and learn more about this wildlife photography workshops here.

I hope you enjoy the article, which begins on page 58 of the pdf. Click here to download: Loflin-birdwatchersdigestJul-2019

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iPhoneography: Springfield Farmer’s Market

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© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Mark your calendars for Garden Muse 2016 photography exhibit at Green Spring Gardens!

I’ll be having my second solo photography exhibit at the Green Spring Gardens Horticulture Center in Alexandria, VA from August 30 to October 23, 2016.

The reception is Sunday, October 9, 1-3 p.m. I’ll have some new images as well as old favorites. All images are for sale and a percentage of sales goes to FROGS (Friends of Green Spring Gardens). During the reception I will have a store set up with lots of inventory: matted prints, framed prints, greeting cards, gallery wrap canvases and photo jewelry. And of course, there will be ample food and beverages! The Horticulture Center is open Monday-Saturday, 9-4:30 and Sunday, noon-4:30. Green Spring Gardens is located at 4603 Green Spring Road in Alexandria, just off Little River Turnpike. There is ample free parking and entrance is free as well. The show will be up for two months, so you have plenty of time to see it!

 

National Park Service commemorative Forever stamps unveiled in NYC

Here’s the official photo for the National Park Service commemorative stamp panel unveiling (June 2, 2016 in NYC at the World Stamp Show). Left to right: Karina Helmuth, granddaughter of artist Helmuth Naumer; John Funderburk photographer of the Gulf Islands Seashore Heron Stamp; Matt Dieterich, photographer of Mount Rainier National Park Stamp; Peggy O’Dell, Deputy Director for Operations, National Parks Service. Megan Brennan, Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer, USPS; Richard Uluski, VP, Area Operations Northeast Area, USPS; Ethel Kessler, Art Director;  and Cindy Dyer, Photographer of Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens Stamp.

NEW YORK — Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan helped the National Park Service celebrate its 100th anniversary with the dedication of the pane of 16 National Parks Forever stamps on June 2, 2016. The first-day-of-issue ceremony took place in New York City at the World Stamp Show NY 2016, which is the world’s largest stamp show and is only held once a decade in the United States. “The men and women of the National Park Service preserve public treasures that extend beyond the stunning vistas and habitat for wildlife that we associate with our National Parks. They provide public places for recreation, they manage museums and historical estates, and they maintain our most famous monuments,” said Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan in dedicating the stamps. “The National Park Service exemplifies our collective desire to preserve our connection to the land, nature and our heritage, and to maintain what we find beautiful in our world for the benefit of future generations. And the US Postal Service is honored to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service through the issuance of 16 stamps commemorating America’s National Park System.” “This beautiful stamp series showcases the variety of national parks available for all to enjoy,” said National Park Service Deputy Director Peggy O’Dell who joined Brennan in the dedication ceremony. “From a small oasis in the nation’s capital to the wild splendor of Alaska, with beaches and historic sites and natural wonders in between, the stamps represent parks of all shapes and sizes. We hope the stamps encourage everyone to Find Your Park during the centennial.” National Parks Stamps As part of the ceremony, a live satellite broadcast of the simultaneous special dedication ceremony taking place at Assateague Island National Seashore’s Barrier Island visitor’s center in Berlin, MD, was viewed by the crowd of 500 witnessing the New York City event.

Just in time for spring…

RE-POST: In spring 2012, I had my first botanical photography exhibit, “Garden Muse: A Botanical Portfolio,” at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA. Barbara Kelley of Kelley Hospitality (who is also the editor-in-chief and my partner with Celebrate Home Magazine), did a phenomenal job of catering the reception in mid-April. There wasn’t a crumb left of anything when the event was over!

Barbara shares her yummy recipes and party tips in “Inspired by the Garden: Garden Muse Tea Reception,” in the summer issue of Celebrate Home Magazine. Barbara and I published four issues of Celebrate Home Magazine as a personal project in 2012-2013.

I am forever grateful to her for all her hard work and very major contributions to that very special day! Special thanks to Hollace Goodman, who served as catering assistant, for her work as well. Special thanks Ed Fagan of Columbia Photography and Margot Juliette Storch for photographing the event for us. I recapped the event on this blog in the links below:

http://cindydyer.wordpress.com/2012/04/18/scenes-from-an-exhibit-reception-part-1/

http://cindydyer.wordpress.com/2012/04/18/scenes-from-an-exhibit-reception-part-2/

http://cindydyer.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/more-scenes-from-a-reception-for-garden-muse-a-botanical-portfolio/

View the issue as reader spreads (my favorite!):

CHM Summer 2013 Spreads

View the issue as single pages (suitable for printing out the recipes):

CHM Summer 2013 Single Pages

Splurge and purchase a beautiful print copy on magcloud.com (no markup; at cost + shipping):

http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/600404

Help us spread the word! Share Celebrate Home Magazine with your family and friends.

 

Celebrate Home Magazine: Spring!

It’s almost spring and I thought I’d share the spring issue of Celebrate Home Magazine again. Barbara Kelley and I created this magazine in 2012-2013 as a personal project and had so much fun doing it! Click on either of the links below to download your FREE pdf copy of this issue.

This issue is jam-packed (and there’s even a jam-making feature with my friend Sophia Stadnyk!), so download today and get started reading.

Single pages version: Celebrate Home Spring 2013

Reader spreads version (my favorite!): Celebrate Home Spring 2013 Spreads

Order a print copy (at cost, plus shipping): http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/540569

You can also view it on issuu.com here.

On the cover: What says “spring” more than colorful tulips? I was photographing this bed of flowers and was standing on the edge of the wall when this little girl, clad in a princess skirt with sparkly shoes, came running around the corner. I got this one shot and she was gone. Serendipity!

A burst of color on this very gray day…

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Lovely skies of Texasp

iPhone 6, processed with Snapseed app © Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Waterlily stamps featured on Jeopardy!

Thanks to the eagle eyes of my friend Barbara Kelley for catching this screen grab on Jeopardy (Sept. 21). I also got an email from Mark Saunders (USPS PR guy) alerting me to this fun thing!

Answer: What are water lilies?

Another fun thing—the ferns were featured in Jeopardy last year! How cool is that?

The Traveling Water Lilies Forever Stamps Project, Installment #13

For Installment #13, my friend Betty Ferguson has ramped up her contributions big-time by hitting the road in search of stamp lovers! Determined to win that gallery wrap canvas, she is currently the frontrunner with 41 recruits!

First up is Betty’s friend Candace Meinders (Arlington, VA), whom I met several years ago at one of our first Chocoholic Parties (Hi Candace!); Brandon (Dallas, TX); Dallas & Kim (TX); Debbie (Frisco, TX); Evan (Richardson, TX); Hugo (MN); Irene (MN); Julian (all the way from Austria!), and Kathryn (Grapevine, TX).

Next, we have my friend Carmen Mezzacappa with her friend Colleen, followed by the Mahaffey Plantation Bunco Babes (Carmen’s note on this entry says, “We were well into our drinks by this time…note the stamps on our foreheads!”).

Next, my friend Laurie Pullins (Maryville, TN) with her audiologist Beth Humphrey (Knoxville, TN); Laurie’s dancing feet (she is a competitive ballroom dancer!); Laurie with her friends Jennifer Nelson and John Tourtellote at Let’s Dance Ballroom Dance Studio (Maryville, TN), and finally, Laurie with her husband Steve Pullins at a Christmas in July celebration.

Next, we’re back on the road again with Betty Ferguson in a Japanese Garden in Adare, Ireland (where she accidentally left behind her traveling stamps!); and in front of a sign advertising “Big Bad Bob” at the National Stud Farm in Ireland, followed by Pat (Oklahoma). Our next entry is my friend Barbara Kelley, who found pre-stamped envelopes at her local post office (didn’t even know they were selling these!) and sent in proof. Betty Ferguson comes in again with her last-minute entries to Installment #13—Sherry (Georgia), Polly (Georgia), Mona (Louisiana) and Janet (Georgia).

THE ONES TO BEAT TO WIN A FREE GALLERY-WRAP CANVAS: Betty Ferguson (41) and Sue Cummings Titterington (27) are the top two recruiters. Thanks to my friends Steve Stroupe (14), Kathy Muchemore (7), Judy Schefcick Martin (10), Martha Biz (7), and James F. Williams (5) for recruiting friends and family as well for the project. The contest ends at midnight on December 31, 2015, so start recruiting those stamp selfies!

Itsy bitsy frog

The teeniest of frogs—barely a 1/4″—in one of the ponds at Lilypons this morning

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

The Traveling Water Lilies Forever Stamps Project / Installment #12

For Installment #12, in the top two rows we have Bailey Lojek Oliveria (Haleiwa, HI); my sunny friend and HLAA member Carol Halla (Charleston, SC); new friend Jeff Kleinrock (Kensington, MD), son of my friend and HLAA member Joan Kleinrock (he is a landscaper and grew water lilies; he had just bought the stamps and at his mother’s 80th birthday party a few weeks ago, he learned I was the photographer so he came over and introduced himself!); and my high school friend (actually her bed!) Cynthia Cruz Badilla (Alamo, TX).

Next we have my dear friend, HLAA member, and fellow member of H.A.R.P.S. (Honorary Association of the Red Pen Society) Judy Schefcick Martin (Jacksonville, FL) and Laura Pinaud Terrbonne (Jacksonville, FL)—they used the water lilies stamps for their Walk4Hearing kick-off announcements!

Next is my friend and uber-talented musician/singer/songwriter Katy Kinard (Nashville, TN). I met Katy online several years ago when she asked permission to use a landscape photo I shot of my friend Tom Hedstrom’s farm in Orange, VA. She wanted to use it for Lullaby Hymns CD. She later sent me copies of her CDs and I fell in love with her music! You will too—-http://www.katykinard.com. I hope to meet her in person some day soon, photograph her, and interview her for my blog and for my soon-to-debut creativity podcast (stay tuned!).

To Katy’s right is Pat Calelly (Spring, TX), who purchased the framed water lilies special issue. Pat is one great example of how blogging has allowed me to connect with people from all walks of life. When I was just 12 years old, I began studying oil painting with artist Lila Prater in Weslaco, TX. I was the youngest student she had in her studio at the time. I actually reconnected with Lila sometime in the 90s and she was about 92 years old then. She was in an assisted living home and had lost her eyesight. She remembered me and some of the images I painted under her guidance. It was such a treasure to be able to talk to her all those years later and thank her for everything she taught me. After blogging in 2012 about my time painting in her studio, her grandson Pat contacted me! (He commented on the post: Cindy, my name is Pat Calelly. I am Lila Prater’s grandson. I preached her funeral when she passed away but my remarks included recognition of her work as an art teacher and artist in her Weslaco, Texas home. My home is decorated with many of her oils and water colors and I have the sign for her studio as well. Both her daughters were artists as well and although my mother has passed away I have some of her work as well as that of her sister Phyllis Fleming, who is retired in Kerrville, Texas where she is a nationally recognized water color artist.) Pat is now a Facebook friend! You can read about “The Painting Years” here: https://cindydyer.wordpress.com/2011/12/29/the-painting-years-first-florals/

Next, my friend Betty Ferguson recruited yet another stamp collector out in a lovely field of sunflowers—Tammy (Denton, TX). My former roommate and longtime friend Wendy Soloway Paris sent her photo from her home in Shepherdstown, WV. I met Kashan Choy (Alexandria, VA) at the Kenilworth Water Lily & Lotus Festival earlier this month. She purchased stamps and stopped by my table to pose for me. Louise Clarke and Cathie Leighton came to the festival all the way from Median, PA, and had already used many of their stamps! And finally, Jeff & Sue posed with the special dedication poster at the festival.

THE ONES TO BEAT TO WIN A FREE GALLERY-WRAP CANVAS: Sue Cummings Titterington (27), Betty Ferguson (25), Steve Stroupe (14), Kathy Muchemore (7), Judy Schefcick Martin (8), Martha Biz (7), and James F. Williams (5). The contest ends at midnight on December 31, 2015, so start recruiting those stamp selfies!

Special dedication ceremony for Water Lilies Forever Stamps

The Water Lilies Forever stamps were unveiled in a special dedication ceremony on Saturday at Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens. In this photo shot by Mark Saunders (USPS PR Dept.), Dr. Wendy Mcilwain (USPS Southern MD Processing and Distribution Center Manager) and I unveil the stamps before the kick off of the Lotus and Water Lily Festival. It started out rainy and very overcast that morning, but about an hour before showtime, it began to clear. The weather was downright pleasant—not the usual ghastly hot temps of a typical D.C. July day! Thanks to my “entourage” for their physical, emotional and moral support—Debbie Dyer Talbert, Michael Schwehr, Greg Carlton, Michael Powell and Heather Callin.

Insert really cool fact here: The Postal Service typically prints between 20 million and 40 million stamps of an individual subject. Half a billion Water Lilies Forever stamps were printed in anticipation of extreme customer demand. (They usually only print holiday stamps in that large amount.) Mark told me that nearly HALF of the half billion have sold to date! How cool is THAT? So special thanks to all of you who have bought them—makes me look extra good!

Please join me in the next installment of the Traveling Water Lilies Forever Stamps Project by purchasing some stamps, photographing yourself with them, then emailing me at dyerdesign@aol.com with your name, city and state. Recruit the most participants and win a 20×30 gallery wrap canvas of your choice. Contest closes at midnight on December 31, 2015!

Photo © Mark Saunders

A very special thanks to Michael Powell for serving as my co-host during my 20-minute photo presentation! In this photo below, he’s holding a photo of a Lotus seed pod and I’m explaining how I learned that there is an unofficial phobia name for people who have a fear of holes—trypophobia. It is derived from the Greek word trypo, which means having holes that are punched, drilled or bored. It is considered an intense, irrational and often overwhelming fear of clusters of holes.

Michael has a really great nature-photography-related blog; check it out here.

Photo © Debbie Talbert

Closeup of immature Common Whitetail dragonfly

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Water Lilies Forever Stamps seen on CBS This Morning!

Thanks to my eagle-eyed cousin, Deanna, who just shared that my water lilies stamps made an appearance on CBS This Morning in a philatelic-themed feature! I missed it the first time I viewed the video (click on the link below). See the former Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe signing a page with the stamps at 3:32! Thanks for sharing, Deanna!

http://www.cbsnews.com/common/video/cbsnews_video.swf

The Traveling Water Lilies Forever Stamps Project / Installment #11

For Installment #11, at the top we have my friends Gay White (Little Rock, AR) and her sister Wanda Titterington (O’Fallon, IL), and friend/fellow photographer Ruth Ann Lowery (Arlington, VA).

My friend Betty Ferguson continues to recruit stamp collectors, beginning with Joanne, Joey, Leonard, Mary, Sue #1 and Sue #2, and Tom (all from Denton, TX).

THE ONES TO BEAT TO WIN A FREE GALLERY-WRAP CANVAS: Sue Cummings Titterington (27), Betty Ferguson (24), Steve Stroupe (14), Kathy Muchemore (7), Judy Schefcick Martin (7), Martha Biz (7), and James F. Williams (5).

Big Contest Announcement!

DRUMROLL, PLEASE! The person who collects the most stamp-selfie photos for The Traveling Water Lilies Forever Stamps Project will win a free gallery wrap canvas (from 12×16 up to 20×30) of an image of their choice from my zenfolio.com site.

FIRST RUNNER-UP receives a set of my beautiful greeting cards (more than 40 to date!).

http://cindydyer.zenfolio.com/p270076135

HOW DO YOU WIN? Tell your friends to buy some water lilies stamps at their local post office, then shoot a selfie with the stamps (or have someone else shoot the photo of them) and send you the image, which you forward to me via email at dyerdesign@aol.com or through FB. Be sure to give me the full name, city and state of each person photographed.

If their local post office is out, check out another post office or ask your clerk to order more. They can also be ordered online here: http://uspsstamps.com/stamps/water-lilies

THE ONES TO BEAT: Sue Cummings Titterington (27), Kaarvand Ferguson Betty (17), Steve Stroupe (14), Kathy Muchemore (7), Judy Schefcick Martin (7), Martha Biz (7), and James F. Williams (5).

CONTEST ENDS: December 31, 2015 (so that gives you plenty of time to encourage friends and family to BUY THOSE STAMPS–the USPS printed half a BILLION of them, so let’s move some stamps, folks! (FYI: Normal run of stamps is 20-40 million; holiday stamps run half a billion. They expect these to sell well so they upped the quantity!).

Save the date—Saturday, July 11

DC/VA/MD FRIENDS! Mark your calendars for the annual Lotus Asian Cultural Festival at Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens on Saturday, July 11.

http://www.nps.gov/keaq/planyourvisit/directions.htm

FOR MY PHOTOGRAPHER FRIENDS: the gardens open at 7:00 a.m. (yes, that’s early but it’s also most likely to be less crowded AND a tiny bit cooler temp-wise). Parking gets very tight during the festival so come early.

JOIN ME FOR SOME PHOTO TIPS! I’ll be giving a brief photo workshop/tips & tricks session from 9:00-9:30ish.

THE FESTIVAL officially kicks off at 10:00, followed by a Water Lilies Stamp Dedication Ceremony at about 10:20.

BUY SOME STAMPS! The USPS will have a mobile postal store by the curb at the entrance to the park where they will be selling the Water Lilies Forever Stamps (in case your local post office doesn’t have them available). Be sure to buy some, take a selfie holding them and send them to me via email or FB so you can be part of my ever-growing Traveling Water Lily Forever Stamps Project!

A HEAD’S UP: Water lilies and Lotus like to bloom during the HOTTEST period of summer, so dress cool, wear a hat, bring water, cover yourself in sunscreen and stay cool!

Water lily stamp on tv!

A recent USPS tv commercial features one of my water lily stamps (and it’s the only stamp shown!). Take a look (don’t blink or you’ll miss it)! It’s at the very beginning at .04 seconds.

The Traveling Water Lily Forever Stamps Project / Installment #7

Thanks to all the participants who continue to submit to my “Traveling Water Lily Forever Stamps Project.”

For Installment #7, we have (hairy) Harry White (Little Rock, AR); friend Betty Ferguson (Denton, TX); Ashley Polk-Sutherlin (owner/artist at Stephano’s Fine Art Gallery, Little Rock, AR); Dolly Parton (Pigeon Forge, TN), new FB friend Paula Biles, owner of About the Lotus, http://www.aboutthelotus.com/ (Bradenton, FL); owner/artist Stephano Sutherlin of Stephano’s Fine Art Gallery (Little Rock, AR); Eual (Hoquiam, WA); Harry & his mother, Gay White​—my friend Sue Cummings‘ aunt and Former First Lady of Arkansas—(Little Rock, AR); friend Debbi and her brother Paul (South Pittsburg, TN); friends Joe and Karen Wyatt (Alexandria, VA); friend and fellow Emmylou Harris fan Jim Slattery​ (Washington, D.C.); garden and lifestyle TV personality/author P. Allen Smith at his Moss Mountain Farm outside Little Rock, AR; Lori (Tacoma, WA); Marge (Hoquiam, WA); friends Pam, Nancy and Ft Eyre​ (Hot Springs Village, AR) at Moss Mountain Farm this past week; friend and fellow photographer Alex Solla (Trumansburg, NY); Teddy (at Moss Mountain Farm in AR); friend and HLAA member Molly Corum​ (Tampa, FL); and finally—during his whirlwind trip around the world in Great Britain, Paris and Italy (without even leaving Vegas!)—my longtime friend (met him in the first days of AOL a gazillion years ago!) Bret Keisling​ (Harrisburg, PA)

If you’d like to participate, head to your post office and request the Water Lily Forever Stamps, then photograph yourself (or your dog/kids/significant other) with the stamps and email me at dyerdesign@aol.com or post on my FB page!

Flying lessons soon…

I photographed Mama Dove and her big babies again on Tuesday of last week. I checked yesterday and everyone has left the nest, but Mama and Papa are in view, behaving like sentinels, so I know the babies are now in their “flying lessons” phase and probably resting safely somewhere in my garden!

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

The Traveling Water Lily Forever Stamp Project / Installment #4

Thanks to all the participants who continue to submit to my “Traveling Water Lily Forever Stamps Project.”

For Installment #4, we have some very happy women on Beale Street in Memphis (Tennessee), friend-through-HLAA Dot (Nevada), friend and fellow photographer Ed (Maryland), FB friend Carolyn (Nebraska), FB friend Mary (Texas), friend-through-HLAA Tom (Florida), my friend Sue’s dear friend Susan (Missouri), my friend Zenna (Virginia), my niece Lauren (Texas) and FB friend Mary (DC). Thanks for purchasing my water lily FOREVER stamps and sharing your mugs with me!

The Traveling Water Lily Forever Stamps Project / Installment #2

Thanks to all the participants who continue to submit to my “Traveling Water Lily Forever Stamps Project.”

For this collage, we have a slew of Texans—Luis, James, Sandra, Tracey, Martha, William, and Laney, followed by Juliette from Wisconsin and Ginny from New York. Thanks for purchasing my water lily FOREVER stamps and sharing your mugs with me!

The Traveling Water Lily Forever Stamps Project / Installment #1

Thanks to all the participants who continue to submit to my “Traveling Water Lily Forever Stamps Project.”

For this collage, we have Dave (Missouri), Glenn (Oregon), Addison (Texas), Melody (Texas), Gary & Cindy (Ohio), Daniel (Pennsylvania), Elise (Texas), Irma (Texas), Nick (Illinois), Kathy (Maryland), Michael (Virginia) and Katherine (New York). Thanks for purchasing my water lily FOREVER stamps and sharing your mugs with me!

Check out my store on Society6!

Trying my hand at an online store called Society6 to sell my photos on a variety of fun products! All images are available as unframed and framed prints as well as canvases, too, in a variety of different sizes.

I’ll be uploading more later, but there’s plenty to choose from now—prints (unframed, framed and canvas), iPhone/iPad/iPod cases, laptop skins, pillows, tote bags, and greeting cards.

I’m learning as I go and should be able to offer other products such as small area rugs, t-shirts, mugs and even shower curtains. I will be uploading more photos this week so check back often!

Check it out (and support a starving artist while you’re there)! Click on the link below and be sure to look at the list of other products on the left side of the screen.

http://society6.com/cindydyer

Waterlily stamps features in Washington Post gardening column today!

(Reposting due to glitch in link!)

Author Adrian Higgins writes about his pond and references the waterlily stamps in today’s gardening column in the Washington Post! Click on the link below to read the entire column.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/is-having-a-fish-pond-worth-the-effort-yes/2015/04/07/3726c5b8-d8b5-11e4-8103-fa84725dbf9d_story.html

It’s that time again! Revisiting “How to Grow Your Garden Photography Skills”

It’s that time again! Time to get out your camera (and your macro lens, if you’re fortunate to have one!) and get out in the garden to start capturing images of early spring flowers. (And if you don’t have a tripod, please get one. As much as you may not like toting one around, they are instrumental in capturing really sharp macro images; trust me on this!)

In my front yard garden, I already have purple crocus in bloom and the Hellebores have been blooming since February (hardy and eager plants, those Hellebores!). The tulips will probably be in bloom in a couple of weeks.

In September 2011 I was interviewed and featured on the Nikonusa.com website about photographing gardens. Since the weather is getting warmer every day and early spring flowers are making their appearance in our part of the country, I thought I’d share the article and accompanying photos with you again! Click on the link below:

http://www.nikonusa.com/Learn-And-Explore/Photography-Techniques/gr35ffdt/all/How-To-Grow-Your-Garden-Photography-Skills.html

On Assignment: Family tree mural

One project I assisted on while working in Texas over the holidays was this large tree mural (you’ve seen them on Pinterest with framed photos hanging over the branches like a “family tree.”). Last fall, my friend William painted a mural for Color Clay Studio in Schertz, TX. A customer saw it and William got a gig painting this larger one in a house outside San Antonio. I played assistant artist and it was a lot of fun to create. This mural was considerably bigger than the Color Clay one (the wall was 20 ft. wide x 12 ft. high!), but since it was one solid color (and no birds on the branches, etc.), the task was a little bit easier.

When drawing out the initial sketch with conté chalk, we only had a small printout of a family tree for reference. William went left and I went right and within what seemed about 20 minutes or less, we had the tree roughly drawn in! The little leaves sketched out in the center of the trunk were practice sketches to determine shape and size of the leaves. The remainder of the day was spent going up and down the ladder to paint in branches and leaves. The homeowner was thrilled with the results and said she didn’t even want to put frames over it. Yes, he’s available for murals in the San Antonio area and I’m for hire on the east coast, too. Inquire within! 😉

Photos © Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Images available on Iconella Arts

David Von Metz’s site, Iconella Arts, has four of my botanical images for sale. I’ve seen them printed and they are stunning (if I do say so myself). From the site: “Our archival pigment print is produced on heavyweight (300 gsm) fine-textured watercolor paper, made from 100% cotton fiber, archival-certified for 100+ years, acid and lignin free.” Check them out here:

http://www.iconella.com/collectio…/artist/Artist:-Cindy-Dyer

Re-post: Photographs? Well, not technically…

Originally posted 1.28.2010

A few years ago I dabbled in scanning flowers on my Epson flatbed scanner and got some pretty good results. The technique works best if you can cover the flower arrangement with a dark piece of fabric or black cardboard. While the original images were nice “record” shots of my flowers, I wanted to do something more with them. I ran the scanned images through some artsy Photoshop filters to give them a romantic, soft-focus glowy look. So there you have it…photographs without a camera!

Not long after I toyed with the process, I saw an exhibit of photographer Robert Creamer’s images at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. These large-scale works were amazing! He scanned all sorts of things—dead birds, flowers, fruit, bones, and more. You can read more about his Smithsonian exhibit here and see more of his work on his website here. Watch the video here for a demonstration of his setup.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Drumroll, please—more USPS stamps coming!

The USPS just posted a sneak preview today of my waterlily stamps on their Facebook page! The stamps will be available in booklet form at post offices country-wide sometime in 2015. Read more about the waterlily stamps here:

http://uspsstamps.com/stamps/water-lilies

Water lily

Water lily photographed at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, TX

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

My FOREVER fern stamps are featured on the USPS Facebook page!

Just in time for spring, the latest issue of USA Philatelic is now available! An essential resource for all stamp enthusiasts, this 42-page, full-color catalog can be found at Post Offices™ nationwide. Or subscribe for free and never miss an issue. Just visit http://www.uspsstamps.com/ and click “Join” at the top of the page.

Published in the USA Philatelic catalog!

I haven’t received my copy of the Philatelic catalog yet, but my friend Ed just shared the debut of my Fern stamp series in the latest issue of the catalog. The accompanying text reads: “Celebrating the elegance of a prehistoric plant, each of these five stamps depicts a different fern species—autumn fern, Goldie’s wood fern, soft shield fern, Fortune’s holly fern, and painted fern—captured in naturally diffused sunlight by photographer Cindy Dyer.”

Pretty awesome!

Fern stamps available in smaller quantities!

FINALLY! I have info for those of you who want to order SMALLER amounts of my fern stamp series from the USPS.

Call this number: 800-STAMP-24 (wade through the prompts until you get to the point where you can say “OTHER”). You can order the following:

Strip of 25 stamps: $12.25 (order # 790003)

Strip of 100 stamps: $49.00 (order # 790005)

Orders under $50 have a $1.30 shipping/handling fee.
Orders over $50 have a $1.85 shipping/handling fee.

First day cancels/covers aren’t available yet (from what the agent told me).

The agent will set you up with a free account and will mail a copy of their free Philatelic catalog as well!

Oh, Ginkgo tree, oh, Ginkgo tree…

…how lovely are thy branches

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Re-post: Fall in Virginia

We’ll be heading out to Boyce, Virginia to the Blandy Experimental Farm to check out the Ginkgo grove this coming Saturday, so maybe I’ll have new fall photos to post!

Originally posted in October, 2010

Since I haven’t been able to get my bounty of fall photos this year, I’ve made a collage of my favorite images from the past three years. These were all shot in various parts of Virginia, including my own neighborhood. Enjoy!

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Tuesday sky

Beautiful sky outside my studio tonight

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Don’t miss Art on the Avenue, Saturday, October 5, 10-6

The event is this coming Saturday, October 5, 2013, from 10-6. This festival was voted “Best Art Event in Northern Virginia” by readers of Virginia Living Magazine. More than 300 artisans will be exhibiting and selling their creations and there is music and food as well. I’ve been to two of these events and the weather was nice both years—a great time to be outdoors (and supporting the arts!). Visit www.artontheavenue.org for more information as well as a list of vendors.

You’ll find me at Booth E104, which will be located between Oxford and Uhler, down from Cheestique (love that place!) and across from Taqueria Poblano and Yoga in Daily Life. Look for a black and green banner that reads “Garden Muse.”

I will be selling gallery wrap photo canvases (variety of sizes), matted and framed photographs, matted photographs, lots of different greeting cards and colorful photo necklaces.

Directions by Metro: Your best bet to the festival—Braddock Road is the Metro stop nearest Art on the Avenue. Each half hour, starting at 10:00 am until 6:00 pm, there will be a FREE DASH bus going to and from the corner of Bellefonte/Mt. Vernon Avenue and the Braddock Road Metro Station. Look for the sign that says “Ride Me to Art on the Avenue.” Or you can walk — it is a 15 minute walk to the Festival from the Metro stop. Simply exit the station and turn right to Braddock Road. Follow Braddock Road under the underpass to the next light and turn right onto Mt. Vernon Avenue.

Driving Directions: Click on this link for a map to Mt. Vernon Avenue: http://artontheavenue.org/?page_id=39

If you’re in the area and can make it, stop by to say howdy or if we’ve never met in person, introduce yourself!

Pick up a free bookmark and register to win a FREE 20×30 gallery wrap canvas (your choice) from my existing inventory!

Below are just some of the images I have available in 5.5 x 8.5 greeting cards.

Come join me at “Art on the Avenue” on October 5!

I’m having my very first art fair show at the annual “Art on the Avenue” is a regional multicultural arts and music festival on Mt. Vernon Avenue in Del Ray (Alexandria), Virginia. (No RSVPs are needed!)

The event is Saturday, October 5, 2013, from 10-6. This festival was voted “Best Art Event in Northern Virginia” by readers of Virginia Living Magazine. More than 300 artisans will be exhibiting and selling their creations and there is music and food as well. I’ve been to two of these events and the weather was nice both years—a great time to be outdoors (and supporting the arts!). Visit www.artontheavenue.org for more information as well as a list of vendors.

You’ll find me at Booth E104, which will be located between Oxford and Uhler, down from Cheestique (love that place!) and across from Taqueria Poblano and Yoga in Daily Life. Look for a black and green banner that reads “Garden Muse.”

I will be selling both new and older botanical images in:
Gallery wrap photo canvases (variety of sizes)
Matted & framed photographs
Matted photographs
Greeting cards
Photo necklaces

Directions by Metro: Your best bet to the festival! Braddock Road is the Metro stop nearest Art on the Avenue. Each half hour, starting at 10:00 am until 6:00 pm, there will be a FREE DASH bus going to and from the corner of Bellefonte/Mt. Vernon Avenue and the Braddock Road Metro Station. Look for the sign that says “Ride Me to Art on the Avenue.” Or you can walk — it is a 15 minute walk to the Festival from the Metro stop. Simply exit the station and turn right to Braddock Road. Follow Braddock Road under the underpass to the next light and turn right onto Mt. Vernon Avenue.

Driving Directions: Click on this link for a map to Mt. Vernon Avenue: http://artontheavenue.org/?page_id=39

If you’re in the area and can make it, stop by to say howdy or introduce yourself (and pick up a free bookmark, too)!

While you’re there, register to win a free 20×30 gallery wrap canvas (your choice) from my existing inventory!

From Celebration Home Magazine, Summer 2013: How to Plan a Photography Exhibit Reception

In spring 2012, I had my first botanical photography exhibit, “Garden Muse: A Botanical Portfolio,” at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA. Barbara Kelley of Kelley Hospitality (who is also the editor-in-chief and my partner with Celebrate Home Magazine), did a phenomenal job of catering the reception in mid-April. There wasn‘t a crumb left of anything when the event was over!

Barbara shares her recipes and party tips in “Inspired by the Garden: Garden Muse Tea Reception,” in the summer issue of Celebrate Home Magazine. I am forever grateful to her for all her hard work and very major contributions to that very special day! Special thanks to Hollace Goodman, who served as catering assistant, for her work as well. Special thanks Ed Fagan of Columbia Photography and Margot Juliette Storch for photographing the event for us. I recapped the event on this blog in the links below:

http://cindydyer.wordpress.com/2012/04/18/scenes-from-an-exhibit-reception-part-1/

http://cindydyer.wordpress.com/2012/04/18/scenes-from-an-exhibit-reception-part-2/

http://cindydyer.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/more-scenes-from-a-reception-for-garden-muse-a-botanical-portfolio/

View the issue as reader spreads (my favorite!):

CHM Summer 2013 Spreads

View the issue as single pages (suitable for printing out the recipes):

CHM Summer 2013 Single Pages

Splurge and purchase a beautiful print copy on magcloud.com (no markup; at cost + shipping):

http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/600404

Help us spread the word! Share Celebrate Home Magazine with your family and friends.

 

Celebrate Home Magazine, Summer 2013: Ready to download!

The summer 2013 issue of Celebrate Home Magazine is ready for FREE download! It may be my most favorite issue yet! We’ll have it available on our website as well at http://www.celebratehomemagazine.com, or you can download it in the links below. Please feel free to pass on the link to your family and friends. The more “clicks” we get, the better!

Here’s what you’ll find in this issue:

HOME
Up a Creek with Lots of Memories—The Havermann family finds a place to play in a vacation 
home on St. Leonard’s Creek in southern Maryland.

FOOD & ENTERTAINING
Light and Lively Summer Fare—Chef Emily Doermann whips up a tasty summer meal.

Not-a-Burger—Everyone loves a burger on the grill during summer. If you’re not a meat-eater, here is an alternative that can’t be beat!

Six Summer Sips—Mixologist Karen Covey shares sizzling summer drinks to beat the heat.

Space Cake—Put down that Moon Pie and try this heirloom cake without-of-the-world taste.

Inspired by the Garden: Garden Muse Tea Reception—Barbara Kelley caters a photography exhibit reception to remember.

Summer Tablescapes—Usher in summer with cool summer-inspired tablescapes.

THE ARTIST
Shoe-la-la, Ooh-la-la!—A popular children’s book is the inspiration for a mural in 
a shoe-loving little girl’s room.

HOME
That 80s House—A bathroom gets a new lease on life.

Rest for the Weary—Create a welcoming guestroom for your visitors.

GARDENING
Ode to a Chicken—Becka Davis pays homage to a beloved feathered friend.

Suburban Agriculture: Confessions of a Brown Thumb—Maria Hufnagel shares her experience as a first-time gardener.

Fashioning a Fairy Garden—Kristin Clem connects with her inner child and creates 
a miniature fairy paradise.

HOW-TO
Photographing Your Garden Through the Seasons—Photographer Cindy Dyer shares her tips for creating captivating images in the garden.

THE COLLECTOR
Rampant Biblioholism—Marisa Sarto interviews CHM’s art director/photographer, Cindy Dyer, 
and discovers how a love of books has shaped her collection.

So Charming—Ginger Garneau shares her lifelong passion for charm bracelets.

CRAFT
Fit to Tied (and Dyed): Fun and Easy Wearables Made with T-shirts—Achieve amazing results with inexpensive t-shirts, colorful dyes, simple 
knotting and a pair of scissors!

PERSPECTIVES
Living Spontaneously, Finding Roots by Martha Bizzell
Celebrating Life at the Table by Gina Waterfield
The Home of My Dreams by Stephanie Simpson
Home is… by Bo Mackison
Saying Goodbye by William Lee
Respect for Home by Birgitte Tarding
Always Growing by Lisa Westfall

View the issue as reader spreads (my favorite!):

CHM Summer 2013 Spreads

View the issue as single pages (suitable for printing):

CHM Summer 2013 Single Pages

Splurge and purchase a beautiful print copy on magcloud.com (no markup; at cost + shipping):

http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/600404

Help us spread the word! Share Celebrate Home Magazine with your family and friends.

Recycled Mosaics by Daniel Scott, Jr.

I interviewed fellow graphic designer, Daniel Scott, Jr., for our artist feature in the spring issue of Celebrate Home Magazine. I first interviewed Daniel on my blog two years ago. You can read that post here.

Daniel’s work is simply amazing! He creates these beautiful pop-art works of art with tiny slivers of product labels. Learn more about his work beginning on page 66 of the issue, which is free to download in the links below. He has beautiful prints available for purchase; see the store link on page 80.

The more clicks we get, the better we do with promoting and getting advertising! We thank you for your support.

Single pages version: Celebrate Home Spring 2013

Reader spreads version (my favorite!): Celebrate Home Spring 2013 Spreads

Order a print copy (at cost, plus shipping): http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/540569

You can also view it on issuu.com here.

 

Spring 2013 issue of Celebrate Home Magazine now ready for digital download!

The spring 2013 issue of Celebrate Home Magazine is now available for digital download. Click on either of the links below to download your FREE pdf copy of this issue.

This issue is jam-packed (and there’s even a jam-making feature!), so download today and get started reading.

The more clicks we get, the better we do with promoting and getting advertising! We thank you for your support.

Single pages version: Celebrate Home Spring 2013

Reader spreads version (my favorite!): Celebrate Home Spring 2013 Spreads

Order a print copy (at cost, plus shipping): http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/540569

You can also view it on issuu.com here.

On the cover: What says “spring” more than colorful tulips? I was photographing this bed of flowers and was standing on the edge of the wall when this little girl, clad in a princess skirt with sparkly shoes, came running around the corner. I got this one shot and she was gone. Serendipity!

P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home at Moss Mountain Farm, Part 7

Above the brown and white bedroom is the top floor, which houses the sleeping and lounge areas for P. Allen Smith’s nieces and nephews. A bright pink and white checkered runner welcomes you up to the sitting area (my apologies for that noisy image but it was all I got with my iPhone!). Across from the lounge are four twin beds and a full bath. Two dormer window nooks offer beautiful views of the Arkansas River Valley.

P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home at Moss Mountain Farm: Part 6

One of the most inviting spots in P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home was the screened sleeping porch at the back of the house. In his introduction before the tour, he mentioned one of the designers wanted to add a fourth bed to the porch, but he nixed that idea, saying, “We don’t want it to look like a tuberculosis ward!” Below is a shot of the three beds in the sleeping porch, which is the top level of the two-level porch.

Below: This room also has a gorgeous copper bathtub (not a lot of privacy, obviously!) and Sue just had to try it out (yes, she is tiny and yes, the tub is huge).

Below: On the same floor in the front of the house was a guest bedroom with two beds with a crisp color palette of brown, beige and white. I think the two paintings of clouds above the beds might have been done by P. Allen Smith.

Below: Corner desk area

P. Allen Smith and Heidi Berry of the Berry Family of Nurseries

Before we toured P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home outside of Little Rock, Arkansas on December 7, we had the pleasure of meeting Mimi San Pedro (top photo, middle), chief operating and marketing officer for Hortus, Ltd., the multimedia marketing company that oversees the P. Allen Smith brand. She introduced us to Heidi Berry, of the Berry Family of Nurseries, who has teamed up with P. Allen Smith to offer a special holiday collection of hand-harvested, hand-tied wreaths, door swags, table runners and garlands.

Heidi explained to us how she met P. Allen and invited him to visit the Berry Family of Nurseries in the Cascade Mountains in Oregon. She told us that their greenery boughs are harvested by hand from the lowest tree branches, which encourages trees to grow taller and stronger. No trees are cut down in the process. The products are made from Noble Fir, Western Red Cedar and Douglas Fir. Natural elements such as juniper berries, pine cones, incense cedar, canella berries and white pine boughs adorn the designs.

I shot the image of P. Allen and Heidi in front of a candy cane decoration outside the “tractor barn” before we began the tour of the house. Below the photo is a video of Smith touring the nursery where the greenery is assembled.

Speaking of the tractor barn, click here to see a slide show of how Smith took a standard metal building and refaced it to look like an old wood barn. Very clever!

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Yes, I’m going to Carolina (Beach) in my mind…

Yippee! After owning my iPhone for eight months, I finally figured out how to download all 1,514 images I’ve shot from April until this week onto my MacBook Pro. Now I can finally do something with them other than post them immediately on Facebook!

This first collage consists of photos that I took of Michael and my friend Karen on Carolina Beach (love those donuts from Britt’s!). I had a lot of fun using Snapseed, Hipstamatic and Instagram on my first iPhoneography efforts. Special thanks to Barbara for letting us stay in her adorable condo overlooking the beach!

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

From now until October 31, get your printed copy of our Celebrate Home Magazine for 25% off!

Magcloud.com is having a 25% off sale from now until October 31! Get the printed copy of the fall 2012 issue of Celebrate Home Magazine for $17.55 (reg. $23.40), plus shipping. The print copy is gorgeous, but you can also view it online free by signing up for a free magcloud.com account. Click on the link below to enjoy 25% off the print version!

http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/447668

A labor of love: Celebrate Home Magazine is born!

The Fall 2012 Celebrate Home Magazine debuts today on the first day of October with the mantra of “making the ordinary extraordinary.”

Published quarterly, Celebrate Home Magazine focuses on family, food, entertaining, gardening, art, crafts, hobbies, personal expression, hospitality, pets, decorating, communities and neighborhoods.

The time has come for a magazine like this—highlighting ordinary people doing extraordinary things. No matter your budget, your skills or the size of your space, we’ll enthusiastically share experiences of those who nurture the space they call home. Let us inspire you!

I’ve teamed up with the talented and renowned Barbara Kelley, whose editorial expertise has graced Hearing Loss Magazine for more than 20 years. She brings her passion for hospitality and her publishing experience to this brand new publication! We are both passionate about all things home and welcome you to open the door and come on in. We also welcome you to be contributors. This magazine is for you and about you.

Click the link below to download a two-page spread pdf of the magazine:

CelebrateHomeMagFall2012 Spreads

Click the link below to download a pdf designed for single page printing:

CelebrateHomeMagFall2012 Pages

Want to order a print copy of Celebrate Home Magazine? Click here, then sign up for a free magcloud.com account. You can download the FREE pdf or purchase a print copy on this link.

 

Would you like to be a contributing author or photographer? Please e-mail writing and/or photography samples and links to websites with your work tobkelley@celebratehomemag.com.

Do you have an original recipe you’d like to share? Please e-mail your recipes tobkelley@celebratehomemag.com.

We can come to you! Are you having a party or special event at your home or an activity that relates to the subject of home? Contact us to discuss your idea. If it fits the editorial scope of Celebrate Home Magazine, we may photograph your event and write the story.

Do you have a product or service? If you would like to advertise your product, service, or your city/town/region, contact advertising@celebratehomemag.com.

Check it out and celebrate home with us!