Shortly after I arrived in Hawaii, I created this piece of digital art for the "Map of the Day" section in The Artella Day Muse, our innovative feature which features a new and creative map every day. (Click the image to see it in full size). I wanted to depict my feeling of happiness on the Island by taking a scan of a map of the Island, and then superimposing an image of myself onto the map, and then meshing the layers so they looked "as one". If you'd like to "digitally mesh yourself" with a place, or a thing, here are the steps to do it in Photoshop. (Note: While these commands are for Photoshop, they are similar to the commands used in Photoshop Elements and other imaging programs that have layering capacity.) You need two images -- an image of yourself, and a background image. Open both images in Photoshop. Use the rectangle selection tool to select the area of your photo that you want to copy onto the background image. You can select the whole area, or use the magnetic lasso tool to just select around your face, for example. When the area is selected, press CTRL + C. Select the background image to make it the active image, and then click Layer -> New -> Layer, and then click OK. This creates a new layer on the background. Press CTRL + V to paste your photo onto the background. At this point, you can adjust the placement of your photo by moving it; you can adjust the size or rotation by using Edit -> Transform, or you can delete parts you don't want with the eraser tool. To "blend" the two layers, go to the layers palette (if it isn't showing, click Windows -> Layers) and select Layer 1. Move the slide bar for Opacity to the left, until you have the effect that you want. That will make your photo more transparent, so the background image shows through. When you are finished, to reduce file size before saving, you can click Layer -> Flatten Image to merge all layers. However, be sure to save a version with the layers (either as a photoshop document, or a .tiff document) in case you want to work with the layers intact later. Note: If you save it as a JPEG, the layers will disappear. You can add as many layers as you want, and adjust them however you like…so have fun!

The Art Tip above shared step-by-step instructions for working with layers. Just for fun, here are some step-by-steps for writing a short story in layers: Write the narrative: the actual storyline, with a beginning, middle and end. Develop back stories and real-life details for the main characters, to make them more interesting and more "real". Add elements of symbolism and allegory -- things that may not be noticed by every reader, but will be picked up by more careful, clever, attuned readers. Add bits of foreshadowing, suspense, some plot surprises that you hadn't originally planned -- things that make the reader wonder and guess. A story doesn't have to be a mystery to keep the reader riveted, and then caught by surprise. Go back through the entire piece and be more descriptive to make the text sing (i.e., It's not a red door, it's a cabernet-colored door). Now that you've added all these layers, you can "reduce file size" by taking out the extraneous parts. Perhaps you added a sub-plot that didn't go anywhere, or a long description paragraph that isn't necessary. Even if you have a paragraph you love, it may not belong in this story. You may be able to recycle it, and use it elsewhere.