12 Days of Valentine's Day: Day 11: Make Memories and Art with an App

It's the last day of the 12 Days of Valentine's Day 2020 and I was trying to think of a way to make this string of delightful days last a little longer. How can I encourage you to make the perishable permanent. Yes, I've said that before, but when we're talking about remembering all of the love you have in your life, it seems even more important. 

That's when it occurred to me that though I've told you about the app Waterlogue (this is not an ad; I'm just a fan), I haven't told you to convert a photo in relation to Valentine's Day. Waterlogue is an app that can change any photograph on your phone into a watercolor image in about 5 minutes. The image is stored as a jpeg and can be adjusted in style, brightness and color. It is amazing. I used Waterlogue to convert my photo of Valentine's chocolates in the beginning of this blog series.

Isn't it fantastic? My suggestion is you take a photo to commemorate something fun from this week and then convert it to a piece of watercolor art you can print and save. Isn't that a great idea? Your desk needs a little something extra to show that at Valentine's Day you were extra.

Tomorrow is the big day. May you wear red. Greet people with kindness and enjoy some sweet treats. Happy Day 11.

#12daysofvalentinesday #valentinesday #valentine #waterlogue #makingmemories #finddelight #beautyofeverydaylife #littlepiecesofart #makeart

Tulip Time: Computer Generated Watercolor

Magnifique! I took this photo at Pike Place Market and I converted it into a watercolor print with the Waterlogue app I bought. Waterlogue is a marvel that creates computer generated watercolors from your photographs on an iPhone or iPad. I have high hopes for finding an online printer that can print this as a note card. Wouldn't that be the best?

Traverse City: Mama Lu's Tacos

I love to get restaurant recommendations, however this was the first time I've gotten one from my 24 year old nephew. When did he get so old? I was looking for a fun place to have a date night dinner. William and his girlfriend raved about Mama Lu's Taco Shop in Traverse City and insisted we try the Street Corn appetizer. 

Everything that came out of the kitchen was fresh and picture-worthy. So much so that I turned our tablescape into a watercolor image (above) with one my Waterlogue phone app. Doesn't it look cool? 

The street corn was delicious! Roasted cob pieces are slathered with lime mayo and rolled in chile cotija cheese and I will certainly order it again. However, eating it was a mess! I wanted to be cute and lovely on our date and instead I was thankful that I was already married. Street Corn is not first date food.

***Update: Mama Lu's saw my post and let me know that they offer their delicious Street Corn cut off the cob! Just let your server know...

The tacos were small but mighty. I had one steak and one pork and they were really flavorful and satisfying.  Dan had 1 steak and 2 chicken and he was very happy.

Mama Lu's is a cute place that specializes in bright fresh flavors and the overall vibe was happy. The restaurant was full and everyone seemed very happy with their south-of-the-border selection. Try it!

Waterlogue: My Ideal Christmas Card

I want to remind you about my favorite app, Waterlogue. This magnificent piece of software can create a watercolor of your favorite image in minutes. There is really nothing more to say, except that I LOVE it and intend to use it to create custom Christmas cards next year. I want to take a pretty photo of our "new" living room with a decorated Christmas tree and use that as our card. We will be in a house again someday, right? For now I am enjoying this image immensely and wanted to share it with you.

Once your waterlogue watercolor is created, you can save it as a JPEG and then upload it to a holiday card printing site to create cards in volume.

This is the photograph I used to create watercolor above. I caved and bought a huge artificial tree at Home Depot (a Martha Stewart brand) and it is perfect. My husband loves Christmas too and I didn't want to be practical and buy a skinny nothing tree just because it would make sense.  This tree makes sense to us.

Merry Christmas! And order yourself the Waterlogue app! It is about $5 and you can use it over and over again to create "original" watercolors.  

Watercolor Painting: Worth Avenue in Palm Beach

Want an original way to remember your vacation? Make a Waterlogue "watercolor painting" of your best vacation picture, save it, print it and then hang it on the wall. 

Waterlogue is an iPhone and iPad app that quickly (and I mean in one minute or less) converts your photo into a watercolor painting that you can save and print.

And when I say an original way to remember your vacation, I really mean original.  No other painting will look quite like yours because the artwork is a computer rendering based on your original photograph. Plus there are stylized settings like "Mechanical" or "Vibrant" to make your watercolor images fit your aesthetic. I am in love with this app and could auto-magically turn my photographs into artwork all-day-long.  I know that this must have real watercolor artists reeling, but I can't help it. I love how my photos look as paintings and I will never have the skills to convert them myself with paint and a brush.

The location? Beautiful Worth Avenue with its palm trees and gorgeous shops in Palm Beach, Florida. We came here for lunch and an afternoon of window shopping and bougainvillea admiring. What a day.

Waterlogue: A Dreamy Christmas Card Can Be Personal Too

I am in love with this image. And why not? It is my very own living room all decorated for Christmas. Can I paint? Not this well! I used the iPad app called Waterlogue to transform one of my photographs into a convincing watercolor. It is very likely that I will make my Christmas cards this year or next from a custom watercolor image. The app allows you to choose brush stroke width, color depth etc. You make a few choices and then roll the dice to see how it translates into an image before your eyes. Don't love it? Just change a few settings and try again. I get lost in this app exploring the possibilities.

Because Waterlogue images can be saved as a JPEG (photo), I was able to save the image to my iPad and then print this image as an 8x10 and it hang on my refrigerator for inspiration. Every time I see it I think of other projects I want to try. Other images I want to convert into a watercolor. This technology is incredible and its a wonderful time to be creative. I highly recommend it.

Waterlogue: An Artist's Dream App

Would you believe that this is a computer-generated watercolor of one of my photographs? I am giddy as I think of all the possibilities.  I just purchased the $5 iPad app called "Waterlogue," because I have never seen any computer-effect that looks as fluid and convincing. My original photo is below.

The app is so easy to use - I simply uploaded/opened a photo from my iPad in Waterlogue and selected the "natural" effect. A minute later I had this original watercolor to share with you! Since the image can be saved "to your camera roll," it is a JPEG and therefore able to be sent to an online photo printer to make enlargements.  I want to make a few watercolors from my trip to England and then have them printed in 8x10.  I can frame them and hang these original pieces of art as if I water colored them myself - it is nothing short of revolutionary.  

Yes, real watercolors are incredible and I will still "paint for fun" in the garden, but my skills are far from stellar. I love being able to enjoy an "image" as I captured it with my camera...but in the whisper soft medium of watercolor paint.  Waterlogue, you are my hero!