Save on the filters now!

When you check out be sure to put in the coupon code:  msholin

Here is a portrait as a finished original file:

Next I started playing with the filters in Photoshop. I did NOT change any blend modes or opacity even though I did work on a layer. So what you are seeing is the full effect unaltered in Topaz Adjust4. First Topaz4 filter is CLARITY next is CRISP.

Last is SPICIFY (one of my favorites!) to play with especially controlling the settings and use this on a layer and try out the blend modes.

This gives a good idea of what the Topaz Filters can do for images. When you watch the video, you will learn how FAST they are! Especially watch the close ups in the video of the little girls curly hair and the amazing results for details that Topaz4 filters give in controlling how much details are visibile.

Next sample is one of my paintings. When I finish a digital painting it’s never done until I play with it and see what other effects I can get. This is just an idea of the versatility the filters provide. From one painting I can get many paintings and all with different choices of what to emphasize.

Here is my original of Chinatown Rain and to the right using  Topaz4 COLOR BLAST next is PORTRAIT DRAMA and last SPICIFY

It’s easy to see why I love these so much. The interface is incredibly easy to use. I am all about EASY! Below is a screen shot to show more details on the interface.

The Topaz BUNDLE will give complete control over your images.  Take a closer look to see how all the filters can help your photography and paintings quickly and easily.

Save on the filters now!

Check out with the coupon code: msholin

If you plan things right you will be one of 12 lucky winners to receive FREE “Marilyn’s Marketing CD” and as an extra thank you one of her original art posters printed by Millers Lab. See and feel the color quality yourself!

ONE TIME ONLY PRESENTATION!

Only at the Millers Lab Booth!

FREE:  MILLERS BOOTH #601

Tradeshow Monday 1:30pm

FIRST 12 SEATED FOR ENTIRE PROGRAM RECEIVE FREE “Marilyns Marketing CD” and one of Marilyns original poster paintings! We want the Millers Booth to be ROCKING! After the seats are filled, standing room only!

Rules to get your cool free stuff: Be seated in the limited seating before program starts. Be sure Michael has your name on the list. At the end of the program don’t get up until Michael validates your name and get your free gift!

There are so many new photographers coming to WPPI and we know you are concentrating on learning your lighting and posing and the new equipment available. Don’t miss this free opportunity to learn from a Master Craftsman CPP and award winning artist, author and Corel Painter Master. If you miss this 30 minutes in Vegas, you may regret it for the next year as  your competitor was there in the seats listening! Follow us all on Twitter! @millerslab @msholin @digitalpaint

Hope to see some of you at the upcoming events and looking forward to this exciting year!

I have successfully avoided having my first baseline colonoscopy for the last two years since we moved to Asheville.
In Miami my primary doctor never sent me for one. (Still don’t know why that was. He sent me for mammograms and pap smears, why not the colonosopy) As soon as we got to Asheville my primary sent me for one that I ignored and canceled the appointment. Then at my checkup in October my primary really put it to me that it’s time to bite the bullet and do it. Since I had met my deductible for the year it seemed like I should. But even the day before I almost canceled again, but nope, I went.

So the details were that they found two tiny polyps. So that is good, right? That was Dec 9th and my doctor said he would send it to pathology and all looked good and I should hear in a week or two on the pathology.

Two days later on Friday at 4pm the phone rang and my doctor was on the other end…Not Good! Pathology called him because they found that one of the tiny polyps was cancer and a particularly nasty kind of carcinoma. He gave me a referral to a surgeon to be seen asap on the following Tuesday morning. I go see the surgeon and he schedules me for surgery the following week on December 23rd. He actually was going on his holiday vacation that day, but instead he wanted to come in that morning and do my surgery before he left on vacation. He thought it was that important.

So now the questions you are all asking in your heads will be answered. The carcinoma they found was so early it actually was not even a “stage”. The surgery was called a Right Colectomy which is the complete removal of the right ascending colon and then the large colon is reattached. The colon lymph nodes in that area are also all removed to be tested by pathology. This does NOT involve a colostomy which is when an external bag is required for waste. What I had is a completely contained surgery and there was no external bag needed. The surgery was all done laproscopic and staples closed my belly up.

I was in the hospital from Dec 23 to Dec 29th. Without going in more details, to be brief…ouch, ugh and tired. Soooo glad when I got to go home and two days after getting home my appetite returned. I was released on a regular diet and anything I want to eat, go ahead. (YAY!!)

Right before I was released from the hospital we got the awesome news that the pathology report from surgery was back and it’s GONE! No more colon cancer. All gone and after full recovery, move on with my life. No chemo needed! ( MORE YAY!)

The only bad part is that I had to cancel any events that involved travel or being away from home for at least a minimum of four weeks home recovery to let my insides heal despite my feeling good on the outside. Saw my surgeon and had the staples out and am recovering quite nicely Had to cancel our trip to Nashville for PPA convention and my trip to London, England to speak at SWPP. There was no way I could make either of those trips. Not a problem. We did not have anything planned for February and by March I will be perfect!

So the good side is that I do NOT have colon cancer now and I did not cancel my colonoscopy appointment. I get to spend weeks now putting together new tutorials, catching up my old work I am behind on, doing new paintings, updating the forum and my websites and I look at this as a gift that I was given to stay home and enjoy the enforced relaxed time to be the best I can be for the future and to put together an amazing kick ass program for WPPI Master Class!

I kept this quiet because it was the holidays and above all, it is very important that there are no rumors about my health that are not accurate. Today I am fantastic and am strong and thankful that this was all caught so early. So you know….I had ZERO symptoms, am in great health otherwise. Low cholesterol, low blood pressure and take no medications other than for sinus and thyroid. Doctors always comment on my good health and I always credit good red wine with being the secret to my success!

So here is to your good health in the New Year! Go for your checkups. Listen to your doctors! They already told me that if I had waited six months longer to get my colonoscopy the results would have been drastically different. Think about that!

My good wishes for you all to have even more success in the coming year than ever before and I am glad I will be here to see it all happen for you and to share my future plans and the steps I am taking to get my art out there more and also selling online, We have a lot of good things to look forward to and I am grateful for my online family and all our friends both online and in Asheville who have been incredibly helpful and supportive to Michael and I. The love and support of my family goes without saying and to those who I asked to keep this quiet over the holidays, thank you for honoring my wishes.  My thanks to the fabulous nurses at Mission Hospital who really do listen and care about their patients and don’t cut corners on their care.

So that is the truth about where I have been! Let’s move on and enjoy the year! I am ready to ROCK it!!

Marilyn

Straight out of the iPhone 3G

After resizing it and cropping it I used Nik ColorEfex Pro Complete using the PRO CONTRAST filter which is awesome and lightning fast to fix color on any photos.

Nik Color Efex PROCONTRAST filter

Next I tweaked the color with NIK BICOLOR filter. I love this set of filters and usually scroll through all the colors until I see the “AHA!” moment where it hits me.

Nik BICOLOR filter to tweak color

Next I switched to the TOPAZ Filters to add some more details and tweak it further. This is the TOPAZ DETAILS filter set and I chose the CREATIVE DETAIL setting.

Topaz DETAIL filters using CREATIVE

Next I switched to the TOPAZ ADJUST filter set and chose SIMPLIFY. This filter set adjust Exposure, Details and Color.

TOPAZ ADJUST filter using SIMPLIFY

Now that I had the image prepped in Photoshop I opened it in COREL PAINTER 11 and painted it using mostly a brush I created from the standard Sargent Brush using adjustments to it to my taste to create the Mar SOFT SARG brush for myself. It’s a tricky brush to use but I get great results with it.

Painted in COREL PAINTER 11 with MAR SOFT SARG Brush

After I finished painting, just to be sure I was happy with it I opened again in Photoshop and opened the NIK FILTERS again. I ended up playing and checked the PRO CONTRAST setting again and I loved it. So the final painting was adjusted with that filter and here is the finished painting.

Final Painting final adjusment with Pro Contrast Nik filter

I really like the colors in this one and the details versus the soft background gave real separation to the entire painting. I love using the filters to change my original reference images to make something special out of them. Both of these filters are incredibly easy to use and the best part is you can SAVE MONEY on buying Nik and Topaz filters by using the codes I have for them. Go to TOPAZ FILTERS and when you check out put in the coupon code: msholin

Go to NIK FILTERS and put in same discount code when you check out:  msholin

These codes work for ALL the filters they both sell. To find more of my discount codes and more info on resources check out my blog page RESOURCES for ARTISTS and PHOTOGRAPHERS

Last night was the opening of the new show at the Asheville Airport Art Gallery. Here is a shot of my 30×40 pigment and acrylics on canvas painting hanging there. A good time was had by all and there is a great group of artists represented there! I am honored to be among them!