Ontario, Canada boasts claim to graphic artist Helen Grainge of Just Mousing Around Graphics.  Using Paint Shop Pro 5 and 6, Blade Pro, and Eye Candy, she has created original digital works almost entirely from scratch.  Winner of some of the most prestigious awards offered on the Internet today, the site has a fresh, clean feel about it.  Frames make navigating the pages a breeze.  Her delightful sense of humour shines through in the anecdotes accompanying the images and you'll come away from your visit feeling as though you have just spent the afternoon at a friend's house.  There is a particularly entertaining tale of her encounter with an exhaust fan over top of her kitchen stove last March.  The story can only be viewed from Site News, so don't skip that section in search of the artwork.

The Basement holds a collection of images that can be viewed either individually or in a slide show presentation.  Some of these pieces look remarkably like antique jewellery.  In fact, I almost had the sensation of viewing a catalogue at an antique auction.  Just incredibly elegant little images which prove that you do not need a fancy, expensive program to create interesting art.  If some jeweller could actually recreate Helen's Butterfly Pocket Watch, it would likely start a completely new fashion trend for women.

In the Gallery, there are some very unusual pictures.   Panhead Time is a 'wall clock' of sorts, but look carefully at the face on the clock and you're in for a surprise.  Sands of Time is an interesting concept on the passage of time and caused Helen to become the recipient of The Pegasus' Art Gallery "Artist Of The Week Award".  Alien Feline looks so incredibly simple, yet it took many hours to produce. The Collector is a must-see for both the graphic and idea behind it.

Paint Shop Pro can be particularly challenging for someone new to a graphics program.  Helen has taken the mystery out of a couple of processes.  Her pages hold the absolute, hands-down, BEST tutorial on how to use a mask - explained in language that even someone who has never used the program could understand.  And all done with that charming wit of hers.

Helen's talents are not limited to computer graphics.  She also works with stained glass and provides an on-line gallery highlighting some of her projects.  An avid photographer, she displays several wildlife photos taken over the years.  There is an incredible close-up of a tiny squirrel nibbling on a nut - an image so clear you can see the individual hairs standing up on the little animal's back.  She was a contributor to PspPOWER, a now-defunct newsletter with tips and tricks for using Paint Shop Pro and an active member of the PAINT SHOP PRO INTERACTIVE ZONE.

"Since discovering computers in general and graphics in particular, my domestic goddess crown has become a little tarnished."  Maybe so, Helen, but it has been replaced with an artist's crown.

Mouse over to Just Mousing Around Graphics by clicking on the image at the top of this page.

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