July photo contest: Red sheds

We'll be updating this gallery throughout the month with each day's photo pick. You'll be able to check out all this month's submissions at once!

July 25

Today's photo of the day was uploaded by Michelle Pickering of Airdrie, Alta.

"I grew up in Saskatchewan," she explained, adding that she loves the red sheds and barns of her home province.

"My kids are 2.5 and 7 and I thought it would be fun to create some Saskatchewan memories in my backyard in Alberta."

Our team certainly appreciates a touch of nostalgia in any garden, where memories are meant to blossom. Thanks for the entry, Michelle!

July 24

Today's photo pick was sent to us by Susan Dixon of Charlottetown. Titled "Take me away," the picture frames a breathtaking verdant landscape.

"While travelling down a dirt road, the road forked. We took the overgrown path and found the most amazing place," writes Susan.

We agree with Susan's description of the scene, which looks as though it comes straight from a painting. The shades of green overwhelm the senses, and the plants remind us of the brushstrokes in an impressionist painting by Claude Monet. We were absolutely floored by this shot. Congratulations!

July 23

Art can take the most unexpected of forms, as evidenced by today's photo pick courtesy of Surrey, B.C.'s Laura Mayer. Titled "Seattle's gum," the picture is exactly that - a wall covered in gobs of gum resembling a once-edible Jackson Pollock.

Laura calls the Market Theatre Gum Wall "an artistic centerpiece...that is constantly changing."

Thanks for the submission, Laura. You've given the CBC Community Team something to chew on.

July 20

Today's pick of the day comes to us from Jan Wilson of Lillooet, B.C.

"I used the Super Macro setting on my Canon Power Shot camera to take this photo of a slice of Banded Agate," she wrote.

"My husband and I found the agate on a rockhounding trip in the hills of central B.C., took it home and sliced it up with our rock saw. The patterns are simply amazing."

Thanks for sharing that slice of life, Jan! Nature really is a fantastic artist.

July 19

Today's photo of the day comes to us from Ric Hornsby of Manitoba.

"This is the beginning of the Gimli Seawall Gallery. It covers almost 1,000 feet of the Gimli pier," he said, adding that Gimli Art Club members spent "thousands of hours" covering a large barrier with over 72 images of local life.

"By the way, those who spend their precious time looking after this art are all volunteers!" he added.

"The people who do this, and the myriad displays of such historical and cultural memories of our Canadian heritage, all around our great country, are the true artists to whom we should offer our appreciation."

Thank you for offering us a glimpse, Ric!

July 18

Today's chilly photo pick was sent to us by Estella Bai from Edmonton.It shows an ice sculpture of what appears to be a majestic bird from the Ice on Whyte Festival.

"Each winter, the Old Strathcona Business Association hosts the festival to showcase ice carving in McIntyre Park. It brings the community working together," writes Estella.

The picture is a refreshing change of pace while a heat wave cuts a swath over much of Western Canada. The CBC Community Team misses the winter weather now, but of course we can't speak for all our readers.

July 17

Our photo of the day comes from Sandy Maxted. Her shot, titled "Art in the Park," shows a large pair of hands placed against a cloudy background, resembling the work of a painter's brush straight onto the sky.

"Upon visiting Glenhyrst Gardens in Brantford Ont., I was mesmerized by the starkness of these hands silhouetted against the greyish sky," writes Sandy. "What a pleasant surprise to see such magnificent artwork in a park."

A pleasant surprise, indeed. Thanks for the shot!

July 16

Today's photo comes from Jan Wilson of Lillooet, B.C. and is titled "Beaded Artwork." It depicts an ornate necklace she found for sale "at a vendor's table at the Lillooet Farmer's Market on July 6.

"Can you imagine sewing all these tiny beads into place to make a pretty necklace?" writes Jan. The wintry coloured jewels - white, black and dark purple - certainly make an impression without being too bright to look at despite the impressive number of jewels.

Thanks for the submission and for shining a light on your local farmer's market!

July 13

Today's photo pick was sent to us by Sheila Poorman of Saskatoon. It's titled "Bike break" and seems to show the painted-on shadow of a cyclist leaning on a rail next to a real-life bicycle.

It's a clever optical illusion at first glance, but also echoes the calm and contemplative nature of a quiet evening at sunset. We especially love the warm colours on the concrete in the background. Thanks for the submission!

July 12

Today's photo comes from Isabelle Marozzo of Norland, ON and is titled "The art of a maple leaf."

Our art in public places theme takes a different turn today, as the sky appears through a natural web formed by the veins of a dried-out maple leaf. It's an absolutely beautiful shot that reminds us that art can be found in many places, and on many different scales.

Thanks for the photo!

July 11

Today's photo pick comes from Garett Wolhberg of Calgary AB, and is titled "Singing for their supper." In it, Garrett explains, "blue swallow baby birds wait for Mom or Dad to return with their supper."

It's cool to see art imitate life in such a whimsical manner - in this case the image of a trailer taking on the role of an actual bird house! The muted colours form a cohesive character and mood, but the image of the baby birds with their mouths open makes this a near-perfect cross between art and nature. Thanks for the submission!

July 10

Ric Hornsby of sends us this photo of a Manitoba tree bearing an... unusual-looking fruit.

"Ah, yes, The Winnipeg Folk Festival was wonderful, again!" wrote Ric when submitting his entry. "This shot shows only a small part of the impromptu art that grew around the site all weekend.  Not quite what I would consider a tie-dyed exhibit, but it does give an idea of the attitude of mellowness that pervaded the entire site."

Awesome photo, Ric! We love a little bit of whimsy around here :)

July 9

CBC Community member Kristina Parchomchuk sent us this photo of a Taiwanese street dancer.

Kristina captured this action shot quite recently in Taipei.

We love the desaturated colour scheme and motion in this photograph. It serves as a great reminder that outdoor art, and art in general, comes in many forms. In this instance, it's movement.

Well done, Kristina!

July 6

Today's photo pick was sent to us by Ron Proudfoot, and is titled "Art Everywhere." This striking painting was found "Tucked away in an alley in Kensington Market," Toronto, according to Ron.

This painting is truly expressive, filled with characters, colours and expression. It goes to show that art can be found in the most unexpected places such as an alleyway as well as an art gallery. Thanks, Ron!

July 5

Today's photo comes from the Kaleido Family Arts Festival in Edmonton, and was sent to us by Rebecca Lippiatt. If your perspective looks a little off, don't worry - you're looking at one of the performers known as the Firefly Gargoyles at Firefly Theatre.

"The gargoyles walk down the building (it's a performance theatre), and I lied down on the ground to get the shot," explains Rebecca.

Thanks for the submission!

July 4

Today's photo comes from Thunder Bay, Ont. and was sent to us by CBC Community member Lynda J. Henshell.

"A Canada Day display of art included this painting of a dolphin and swimmer done by a student," writes Lynda.

The Community Team especially likes the transition of shades from the sky blue in one corner of the piece to the darker, green-blue of the sea in the opposite corner. And while we likely won't see any dolphins nearby the coast of Lake Superior in Thunder Bay, we love this submission. Thanks, Lynda!

July 3

Our first pick of the day for the July photo contest features a massive community art project from Airdrie, AB.

"This mural on Main Street in Airdrie makes me smile every time I drive by it because it took the work of more than 1,200 artists and volunteers from dog walkers to parents to triplets to school children to make it happen," wrote Sherry Shaw-Froggart, who sent the picture. "There are more than 30 panels joined together by a 'pathway' that floats through each board representing how Airdrie is connected by its vast pathway system."

You can read more about the Airdrie Creative Society here. Thanks for the submission, Sherry!

How to enter

We'll be posting your best shots each day in July. At the end of the month, we'll select five finalists and ask you to vote for your favourite.

The contest winner will receive a DVD of Being Erica: The Complete Fourth Season courtesy of the CBC Shop!

Instructions

Upload your images using the form below, or visit our CBC Your News Community page to upload them directly to the "July photo contest" category. If you haven't joined, it's easy to do so. And if you are a member, well, you already know what to do.

If all else fails, you can also submit images to yournews@cbc.ca.

Please note: Only Canadian residents will be eligible for the final prize.



Related links

• Tips and guidelines for taking a good photo
• CBC Community photo contest rules