Posted in Photography, Publication Updates, tagged Alive Now Magazine, Inspiration, meditation, nature, Photography, reflection on July 2, 2012 | 5 Comments »
For many people, including myself, it seems that this has been an especially chaotic year. And so it is a great honor to have one of my images appear in the pages of Alive Now in the July/August 2012 issue focused on rest. It is a small, lovely publication that I highly recommend. And get this, the editor paired my image next to the words of Maya Angelou. How cool is that? 
Have a good day, folks.
Posted in Inspiration, tagged bullying, Contributing Writer, dandelion, Ezra Keats, flowers, Inspiration, Mister Rogers, Photography, reflection on April 9, 2012 | 2 Comments »
Making me smile this morning …
The delightful essay Solitaire in Talking Writing Magazine, that brings to mind that conundrum I’m experiencing this month of balancing discipline and productivity with just a dash or two (or three) of what I call creative procrastination.
Making me reflect …
Bullying. No, I have not seen the new documentary just released, though I hope I have the courage to watch it when it comes to my area. I’m referring to comments made in the Ezra Keats biography mentioned in yesterday’s post, and stories told by Mister Rogers in a documentary now airing on PBS. How both men as young boys were bullied and how the experiences influenced the art of Mr. Keats (check out Goggles) and the life work of Mister Rogers (see Mister Rogers and Me).
Making me imagine …
Dandelions. Through the office window where I sit, I see a field of dandelions in a garden that my neighbor has yet to prepare for planting. I imagine going over to my neighbor, whom I have never met, and asking her if I might pick those “weeds” and turn them into wine as I once did as a child back in Virginia. She might hear me out and then slam the door. Or, in a month or so, I might be sharing pics of mason jars filled with citrus-infused homemade brew. Time will tell …
Posted in Guest Contributor, Inspiration, Music, Nature Notes, tagged art, beauty, Inspiration, interview, life, light, music, nature, reflection on March 22, 2012 | 1 Comment »
Speaking of light … just click on the picture to see more of the luminous work of Donald Langosy, and to learn how music … and the lack of it … influence his art.
Or click here. Enjoy!
Posted in Inspiration, tagged art, colors, Inspiration, light, Photography, rainbow, reflection, spectrum on January 26, 2012 | 2 Comments »
The morning began as planned. I warmed a cup of coffee. I sat down at my desk ready to tackle the writing projects that I knew would keep me at the computer most of the day. I just happened to look over my shoulder out the window. Just to pause, ever so briefly, in appreciation of the morning sun.
I did not expect to see sunlight playing upon the surface of a CD. Nor did I expect to see bright colors bouncing around the wall amidst an array of silhouettes, shadows and reflections. But I’m glad I did.
So began one of the most unexpected photography shoots I have experienced in a long time.
Just chasing the light across a thin silvery disc…
… and charting its expression in bands of color on a pale wall.
Posted in Inspiration, Kitchen Inspirations, tagged family, food, Inspiration, menus, Photography, reflection on January 10, 2012 | 4 Comments »
Of late when I have had an abundance of creative energy, I have found myself playing with paper and scissors. Steve, on the other hand, with his abundance of energy this past weekend, went to work in the kitchen. As we sat to eat each of his culinary creations (and in fact as happens when we sit to eat most meals), this fellow pointed out how lucky we were to have such food before us. Early in our relationship when I first heard him utter similar words, I’d smile, nod and keep reaching for whatever deliciousness he’d prepared.
Hindsight is 20-20, so I now know that back then I didn’t really appreciate fully what he was saying. Intellectually I did, but in the intervening years as I work more closely with people who have so little, now I more fully feel what he means. Whether its cheese on a cracker or a more wonderfully complex concoction, I have never been more grateful for the food I am able to eat and, yes, on occasion photograph as well. Mostly I am grateful that there’s someone in my life who gently reminds me to appreciate such bounty each day. His menus are below along with a few pics. Hope you’re having a good and tasty day.
Saturday Evening
4 Fried Oysters
6 Scallops
White Beans Seasoned with Sausage, Cuban Oregano and Rosemary
Sauteed Broccoli
Toasted French Bread Rubbed with Garlic
Sunday Morning
Eggs Over Easy
Bacon
Blueberry Pancakes with Maple Syrup
Coffee
Sunday Evening
“A Casserole in the Direction of a Cassoulet”
Homemade Cheesy Bread
Posted in Inspiration, Kitchen Inspirations, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged art, Inspiration, nature, Photography, reflection on January 8, 2012 | 4 Comments »
While I do not like talking about myself, I have developed quite the propensity for writing about myself. Good thing given the Kreative Blogger Award presented by Christy of the blog Poetic Parfait. An award presented to bloggers by bloggers, the rules of acceptance are:
(1) Thank the blogger who presented me with the award. (2) Post a photo of the award. (3) Share ten things about me that readers don’t know. (4) Choose six people to present this award to. (5) Let the six know that they have been awarded!
Thank you, Christy, for the award and mostly for reading my blog and giving comment. Your feedback is always welcome and helps me view my work in new ways. Hmmm, ten things many people don’t know about me …
1. In Thailand I rode an elephant and whitewater rafted barefoot.
2. In Costa Rica, I paid to go bungee jumping ( but the trip was cancelled due to heavy rains).
3. The best cup of coffee I have ever had was at Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. And there’s no need to even describe the beignets!
4. When I was less sensitive to cold, I traveled around Montana for work. There I saw my first buffalo near Yellowstone. Such beautiful brown eyes.
5. I once drank a cup of mint tea and had a sudden detailed memory of travels through the Sahara. But I’ve never been to the Sahara …
6. I’m on the lighter side in terms of weight. When I told my dad once how the winds were nearly knocking me down, he said quite calmly, “Put some bricks in your pockets.”
7. My favorite apple is Granny Smith but I will eat them all!
8. Orange and blue are my favorite colors … if I have to choose.
9. I have a mid-level belt in karate.
10. For some odd reason I perceive of myself as much taller than I actually am (probably because of my 6′ and taller brothers), so my friends will often gently remind me that I am only five foot three.
As for sites I recommend there are many, but here are six on my mind at the moment, all very different in terms of content but similar in simple visual beauty.
http://cookinginsens.wordpress.com/
http://www.danielsroka.com/blog/
http://toscanaturid.wordpress.com/
Posted in Contributing Writer, Inspiration, Photography, Publication Updates, tagged art, collage, Contributing Writer, Creativity Portal, Inspiration, paper cuts, Photography, reflection on December 29, 2011 | 2 Comments »
I’m pleased to share that I have a new article posted at Creativity Portal.com. Called “Beneath the Sun, Moon and Stars: Exploring New Worlds …,” it is the main feature on the home page this week. It’s a brief piece about having fun trying something new. I hope you have a chance to stop by and take a look. Have a good day, folks!
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged beauty, colors, Inspiration, nature, Photography, photos, pictures, reflection, sunlight on December 1, 2011 | 3 Comments »
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged frog, great blue heron, Inspiration, nature, perspective, Photography, photos, pictures, reflection, squirrel, travel, wildlife on October 11, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
As Steve and I walked through a wooded area this past Sunday, something rustled the dried leaves at my feet. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something move. A pale shape. Small. I followed. Soon I found myself kneeling in the mud inching closer to this little fellow, whose photo I took for a friend who loves frogs.
That same day, at an adjacent park, we walked around a pond and through the neighboring woods. In the middle of a bustling town the park was well-visited by local families. So, the animals were quite used to people. We walked through flocks of geese. Mallards looked up at us wondering if we had a treat. A chorus of gray squirrels chided Steve for not bringing them nuts. He promised to do so next time. But up high in a tree, more reluctant to be seen, sat a black squirrel.
Around grassy knolls we continued to walk. Then up a hill, past a little fort. Tucked here and there, in open spaces and sometimes beneath the largest trees, sat families. Some picnicked. I saw one man teaching his young daughter how to draw. Her little boy threw rocks into the pond and up high into the trees. I wonder if he noticed the beauty that lay at his feet?
The park was not large. And, truth be told, there were not that many trees, especially around the pond. Yet somehow, because it stood so still upon a dead branch, a great blue heron remained mostly obscured. Even as Steve and I stood there and stared at its quiet beauty, other people walked past us and muttered, “I wonder what they see?”
Posted in Branches, Guest Contributor, Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged horizontal symmetry, landscape, nature, perception, Photography, photos, pictures, reflection, vertical symmetry, water on July 5, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Recently Steve shared pictures from a trip abroad. Dreamy images of a Canadian landscape with narrow strips of land separating sky and water. Beautiful images to be sure, but what made them truly fascinating was Steve’s perspective as he shared them. He suggested in terms of their display the images should be rotated 90 degrees thus highlighting what he had been trying to capture — the reflection of the landscape in (often) still waters creating perfect symmetry, i.e. use the vertical line, not the horizontal, to heighten the viewer’s experience of the reflection. See what you think.
I must admit, as I viewed some of these images at their new orientation, I began to “see” complex and rich structures that had nothing to do with their actual subject matter (trees, water, sky). I especially thought of the green man in the woods figure with this one.
What do you see?
