Copyright: All artwork/content protected under ©2007-2011 Lynne Ciacco

All content herein copyright © Lynne Ciacco


Saturday, November 2, 2013

Lavender's Blue, Dilly Dilly

My grandmother used to sing me that song, "Lavender's Blue," and  I awoke with it in my head this morning. It might be because I spent so much time playing with this old photograph in Photoshop last night.


My neighbour was going to throw out a collection of old photos a couple of years ago and I seized the opportunity to grab them for my hoard.  Recently, she requested them back for a project of her own, which prompted me to actually do something with the pictures before relinquishing them.

Many hours of scanning later, this young pair sitting on the grass caught my attention.  
Are they brother and sister?  
Cousins?  
Good friends? 
 Sweet hearts?  
The boy in particular looks so romantically, yet innocently, charming.

(Of course, we'll never know...but look how discreetly the girl's knees are tucked beneath the boy's bent legs...secretly touching.  For this reason, I'm including this picture in Bonnie's themed gallery this month, "Embrace" over at Pixel Dust Photo Art.)

 I zoomed in on them, scanned them and set to work in Photoshop, experimenting with tools I'd not tried before, such as the airbrush.  The result, I think, lends an impressionistic feeling to the picture: not quite photograph, far from painting...yet something in between.  


Here's the original photograph ( approx. 4 x 2 inches).
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"Lavender's blue, dilly dilly,
Lavender's green.
If I were queen, dilly dilly,
you'd be my king"...
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Meanwhile, it's back to bed for me--the scanning bed!

15 comments:

  1. so sad the photos were almost lost!! good you saved them! i'll bet you have a real goldmine scanned in!
    and i love what you've done pulling the 2 out and brushing...beautiful. can't wait to see more!

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  2. Yes, I have a bit of a treasure trove now...not sure what I will do with them but no way could I let them go! Perhaps a new direction for me to explore over the coming months. Funny how inspiration comes along and taps you on the shoulder when you're looking the other way. So happy to have you along to witness the explorations!

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  3. Lynne, I know you could create a book from these photos with your imagination... it would be a stunner! Poetry/prose and the complete artwork!!

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    1. Now that sounds a bit daunting, but thank you so much for the compliment and faith in my abilities!

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  4. I can hear this song now...

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    1. I hope that's a good thing! (dilly dilly..)

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  5. Hi Lynne! I've always imagined this song sung by someone slightly "away with the fairies". I remember it from childhood but don't know from where or when.
    I like the colours you've used,faded 1920s. Interesting car in the background,looks quite large and expensive. It's surprising how much information can be gleaned from one tiny image!

    Happy scanning,
    Ruby

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    1. Ruby, your powers of observation are quite extraordinary! In spite of all the time I spent with this picture, I didn't even notice the car until you mentioned it! Definitely adds another dimension to the stories one could spin about this family group.

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    2. I think what we notice says a lot about us too. I love old cars,especially ancient limousines!

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  6. What a lovely piece, Lynne. There is something very sweet about not knowing the subjects, the relationships, the history ... it allows us to play with possibilities and construct our own story. Your image reminds me of how folks would add watercolours to a b&w photo.

    Okay ... now my mind has latched on to that sweet ditty sung to dilly, dilly! :)

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    1. I'm so pleased that you made the connection between the old hand-coloured photographs and my digitally altered image it's just the look I was trying to conjure up!

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  7. Like you I just wonder what became of these people I adore old photos but I wish they could talk and tell us about themselves...pretty bizarre huh. Your picture is soft and inviting like a blanket and goes well with a gentle sweet song like Lavender Blue... a sweet trip to the past my friend.

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    1. Rather like tripping down someone else's Memory Lane, gazing at old photos and letting our imaginations wander... So many people want to toss out their old pictures because they don't know the people in them, but it's the stories that we can make up or that are provoked in our own memories that are of real interest...to say nothing of the details revealed about the styles of the time, the hardship or comfort of the people glimpsed.

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  8. Great images! I marvel at your ability to create and recreate with this medium. So many of these photos sit in attics without a clue as to who these people might be. Your transformation made an altogether new story of these two!

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    1. So glad you like what I did to the old photo. I had a certain sort of romanticized feeling in mind and wasn't sure how to get there so it's good to hear it succeeded in producing a new story from the unknown one of old. My own mother has pitched scads of photos because she didn't recognize people in them...I'm sorry I didn't get my hands on them!

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