Wealie's World » image manipulation

Dark thoughts run deep

Ruth Weal — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 21:56:27 +0000

I don’t see darkness in quite the same way as many people. For me it isn’t quite so simple as black and white, or good and evil. For me the darkness is an equally valid part of our beings, the yin to the yang, bottom to the top, without it we are at best unbalanced and unfulfilled, at worst lacking in an essential knowledge and control of our more impulsive shadows.

Those who have never explored their darker self, nor tread the beat of their darker thoughts are only half the person they could be and therefore cannot truly claim to know themselves. Sometimes those who have only lived in the light are ill prepared for when life slips them into darkness. They sink beneath the rough waves, born away on a current of strong emotions which they are unable to understand or control.

In all things there must be balance, day has the night, the light, the darkness, man stands beside woman, youth becomes age and life becomes death. The secret is how we exist between the extremes and the quest for the balance that we find within them the greatest pursuit of life.

The picture and poem “Dark thoughts run deep” explores aspects of my darker side, my ability to get caught up in abstract thought, which can if I’m not careful lead me to abstraction. I have an ambivalent relationship with my Dark sister, my shadow muse, she is the well source of my art and inspiration, but she also has the power to pull me down into sorrow and depression if I listen too intently to her insidious whispers.

Embrace the darkness, but remember always to keep a hold of the light.

Wealie x

Dark thoughts run deep - Copyright R.Weal 2008

DARK THOUGHTS RUN DEEP

Dark thoughts run deep
They can steal us from the very day itself
Absorbing us in their ceaseless quest for answers
Immersing us in the emotional depths of our core
Removing us from the opportunities of living
Making us less even as we explore ourselves more
Dark thoughts run deep it’s true
But we must remember that we are here and to live is what we do!

Ruth Weal
27 April 2008 7.07 pm
Copyright R.Weal 2008 ©

Dusk’s Women

Ruth Weal — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 22:16:32 +0000

I may have mentioned before that I’m more likely to witness dusk than dawn. I feel a strange affinity with that time of the day, maybe it’s because I love the night so much and the dusk is always the herald of night’s arrival. However, I do feel there is a very mystical and visceral quality to the dusk that always draws me to capture it in images and try to convey some of the emotions it engenders in words.

Tonight I want to share with you two Photoshop creations using the same sunset shot in the background. The original sunset shot was heavily manipulated and then overlaid with stylised self portraits. The finished creations were called Lady Dusk and Dusk’s Daughter respectively and each had a short poem written to accompany the picture, to give a full artistic creation.

Of the two I think Lady Dusk is my favourite, it’s altogether darker in both the visual and poetic compositions, with the poetry exploring the mystical element of the dusk, the quickening between night and day. Dusk’s daughter is a much lighter, brighter and optimistic visual style, with a very short verse that is all about rebirth. Both the pictures and their verses are below, be sure to let me know which one’s your favourite!

Tread safely in the light and find me in the newborn night.

Wealie x

Lady Dusk - Copyright R.Weal 2008

LADY DUSK

Born of the twilight
Between the light & the dark
The bridge between the worlds
A sacred piece of ancient art
Daughter to one
Mother to the other
In the waxing & waning
A lady born wild and free
Everything you wish and wish not to be

Ruth Weal
11 Aug 2008 3.26 am
Copyright R.Weal 2008 ©

Dusk's Daughter - Copyright R.Weal 2008

DUSK’S DAUGHTER

As the sun fades my blood kindles
As the warmth wanes my soul awakens
As the dusk dawns I am reborn

They called her the gypsy

Ruth Weal — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 17:08:59 +0000

I took this picture when I got home after attending a fantastic Buena Vista Social Club Gig that I attended with my dancing friends back in 2008. We had an after show party and several of the band members joined us, which made for a very memorable end to a fantastic night.

When I got home I felt inspired to do a little photo shoot and this was one of the shots. I later found out that the band members refered to me as Bonita Gitano Bailarín, which translates as pretty gyspy dancer, hence the title of the photo - The Gypsy.

As you probably guessed the image has been manipulated, I played around in Photoshop with it and using layers converted to sepia and recoloured the shawl back to red to get the distinctive two tone feel. I spent quite a lot of time editing the pic, but I was definitely pleased with the end result.

When it came to uploading the photo to flickr I remembered a short poem I wrote “A Spell”, which just seemed to fit with the image.

A SPELL

Night & Day
Black & White
Powers of Earth, Water, Wind & Fire
Grant me Strength of Heart
Bless me Clarity of Vision
Let me be my Own Decision