Photo Art Friday - An Artistic Rose

This is for Photo Art Friday.  I used Bonnie's "Artist" texture and my photo. I am really pleased with the way this turned out.  

Poetry Jam "A Recipe for "I'm Sorry" and Friday Flash 55 and "Rural Thursday"

For "Poetry Jam", "Friday Flash 55", "Friday Fences" & "Photo Art Friday" scroll to the bottom of page) 

Piglets

A gentle surge undulates
upon the straw,

pink cherub bodies
ride springtime's current

fall, ripple, sway,
roll forward

like a miniature wave train

gathering force
only to fall back again,

as squeals rise in pitch
against a warm shore
quivering snouts snuggle,
round elfin beach balls

bumpily bump about

tummies content
as spirits flourish,
faith-filled

life will forever be 

a safe harbor.

by Margaret Bednar, Art Happens 365, revised 2-9-2012 (original 1-2-11)

I have a linked Mama pig & piglets to "Rural Thursday #2" .  

This poem is one I blew the dust off and rearranged a bit.  When we lived in Michigan, the girls and I often went to Pond Hill Farm.  One day we went, we were luck enough to see new born piglets (above).  We went back several times just to watch them grow a bit and romp around the barnyard (below).

The photo below I will be linking to "Friday Fences #20"

* * * * *

I was honored when asked to host an interview over at Imaginary Garden with Real Toads.  Please hop on over and read about a fascinating woman, Mary Ann Potter.  She is a gifted writer, poet, and photographer!

Below is a poem for Poetry Jam - this week's challenge is to create a recipe!  Since it also turned out to be 55 words, I will link this to Mr. Know-it-Alls' "Friday Flash 55"(a story in 55 words, no more, no less!)

A Recipe for "I'm Sorry"

A dozen roses I offer
and a heart
filled with regret.

I'll throw away all excuses,
smash the sarcasm, the bitterness
and spread a more tolerant
state of mind all over my body,
top it off with a soft
lingering kiss of humbleness
seasoned to perfection
with passion and persistence

if you will forgive me.

by Margaret Bednar, Art Happens 365, February 9, 2012

And this beautiful textured photo I was able to create for "Photo Art Friday"  using Bonnie's texture "Goodness".  Click the link to see other entries and explore other free textures Bonnie offers.  She also has a plethora of others for sale at a reasonable price.

* * * * *

AND, earlier this week, my horse, Sebastian, wrote a Friday Flash 55!  I have reprinted it below and added the YouTube video of him as a colt of about 4 months old:

Tamed Passion

Passionately I prance

to my own rhythm

structure unacceptable.

A noble steed am I

breathing in untamed freedom,

all rules cast aside.

Intensity shines forth

from my poetic soul,

feet drumming

a mystical beat,

but I confess

I'll humble myself,

cast it all aside

for a tempting morsel

of apple, carrot, or grass.

By Sebastian, Art Happens 365, February 3, 2012

Barn Charm #71

This amazing barn is resides on Biltmore Estates.  This photo I took before I went trail riding and it sure was fun.  HERE is a bit more information on a historic barn, but it isn't this one, I don't think. I will be revisiting this topic one day and will go into more detail then.

I used "Kim Klaussen Cafe" textures here but I failed to keep track of which ones.  I believe they were "revolution" and the "paper collection".

Linking up with "Barn Charm #71".

Photo Art Friday "Surprise"

This is my first, true success with layering a texture over one of my photos.  This is supposed to be easy peasy, but it took me quite a while to figure it out using Photoshop.  I wouldn't have been able to do it at all if I hadn't used Kim Klaussen Cafe's free ten minute class (took me over an hour, but that is ME, I am not the average person when it comes to computers...)

I used Kim Klassen's "more magic" texture and a photo I took of a rose at Biltmore Estate last spring.

I have linked this to Bonnie's "Pixel Dust Photo Art Friday".  The theme was supposed to be to interpret the word "surprise".  So, Bonnie, my surprise is that I finally DID IT.  I know this is very, very basic, but it IS a beginning.