Calming Forest

_{Featured in: news.deviantart.com/article/12… & patrick2006.deviantart.com/jou… & news.deviantart.com/article/12…}

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Calming Forest, an artwork I dedicate to my father. For 9 hours I have been working on this piece to manage to get it done in time for his birthday. (Look further down for credits. The original image is huge; this is the resized version. Heavily inspired by the very talented cosmosue.)


I feel that it's important to write down why this photo manipulation was made. If you don't feel like reading a wall of text, skip it. But I have poured my heart and soul into the manip and the reason why it was made.


My father has been suffering from a heart condition for quite some time. He was told last year that November 2009 would be his final month that he would be with his family. He used to be a strong man, a strong man who had a healthy amount of pride and who always put his family first, no matter what.


Things had to change. Thanks to the help of his loving wife, my beautiful mother that I consider is an angel, he began meditating and today, July 25th 2010, my father is still alive. His heart is too old for his body, but he is trying to fight the bad condition. Every day he goes to the hospital, sometimes twice a day, to get a shot in his chest. Everytime he goes, his family aren't sure that he'll come back home again. Each time he goes to the hospital, I say goodbye and pray that it's not my last words to him.


I write this with tears in my eyes. Not only did I make this manip for his birthday in August, but I made it for when he meditates. For his birthday I have planned on spending the little bit of money I have in my savings (I'm currently an unemployed social worker) to make a print out of this photo manipulation, frame it in and give it to him so that he can hang it on his wall and whenever he feels worried, sad or happy, he can look at this magical forest and think of the beautiful things in life.


Much love for you, Dad. We love you so much.


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Some of the elements were painted by me, such as a few waterdrops and sparkle/glow effects. I repainted the cat in the front of the picture but I had to cover her up with black at the end. On my monitor(s) this manip looks alright - let me know if I have missed to erase some parts that you might see on yours!

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Credits:
redheadstock : redheadstock.deviantart.com/ar…, redheadstock.deviantart.com/ar… & redheadstock.deviantart.com/ar…

frozenstocks : fav.me/d2cghki

AnitaJoy-Stock : pandoralore-stock.deviantart.c…?

PhantasmaStock : phantasmastock.deviantart.com/…

gild-a-stock : fav.me/dy1t1q

ladykraut : ladykraut.deviantart.com/art/S…


Thank you so much for making this photo manipulation possible. Please please please let me know if I missed a resource so that I can give the proper credit!

Edit: I added direct links to the images/resources that were used in this photo manipulation, so that others can find them easier.

Thanks for all the favourites and kind comments.