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Archive for the ‘Nature Notes’ Category

As you may have picked up by reading this blog over time, I am inspired by anything on any given day depending on which way the wind is blowing and how the stars are aligned.  Of late I have been inspired by autumn sun, of course, and also paper crafts.  In part, it has to do with my ongoing collaboration with collage artist Zoe Langosy, and through her and other artist friends learning of the craft of paper cutting — a craft that continues to evolve as artists find new ways to express their skill and imaginations.

As I explore the craft, I am having a lot of fun with layering papers of different colors and textures, and playing around with the concepts that I take for granted in my photography like illumination, the flow of water, and capturing winged creatures in flight.  In the above picture, I want to add a sail boat with billowing white sails.  There’s a reason why but I’ll share that reason later if I manage to make a passable sailing vessel. 😉

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in silhouette upon the wall

a butterfly’s four wings did fall

like blackest night

cut into lace —

a dear friend’s gift

in morning light

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I  have never seen an owl in the wild.  I have heard them though, that distinctive hoo, hoo, hoo.  They have been on my mind of late because of family and friends.   As I worked with a colleague on her daughter’s nursery one day, she shared her fondness for the winged creatures.  So ever since then, for her, I have kept an eye open for small owlish things that can be shared by mother and child.  Sometimes I keep the items for myself like the above postcard tucked in an alcove.  While my brother and I do not share a love of owls, we do share a love for the movie, The Secret of NIMH.

Secret of NIMH Theatrical Poster

I purchased the movie recently to share with a young friend.  I had not realized how much of the story I had forgotten.  As my friend and I perched on the couch, mesmerized by the story and the jewel-colored artwork, I was surprised with great joy — and my young friend with a bit of fear — as a magnificent Great Owl strode across the screen, his mammoth claws cracking the remains of past dinners, bones in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Such sights do make me wonder if this small bone I found in the woods was left by hawk or owl.

I’m not an especially nocturnal person which is probably why my path does not cross that of the owls and vice versa.   According to Massachusetts Audubon though they are everywhere across my state.  We’ll see what the future holds, especially as daylight saving time soon ends and I find myself out at dusk.  I just hope I have my camera ready so that I may eventually share some images with you.  Meanwhile, here are just a few of the many online sites that already contain wonderful images and information:

Massachusetts Audubon Owls

The Owl Pages

Cornell Lab of Ornithology:  Owls

Animal Planet: Owl Page

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I have a young friend whose favorite color is white.  I discovered this information one day as we sat on the floor with a basket full of crayons and I asked her, “What’s your favorite color?”  At first she said, “All of them,” but then she shook her head and said with great certainty, “White is my favorite!”

Now, many months later, even as we sit with a blank piece of paper and draw bright multicolored rainbows and she describes her favorite blue birds and we talk about the purple of Peep’s friend Quack and so on and so forth …  Well, if I should ask about her favorite color, she will look at me with a twinkle in her eyes and say, “White.”

So for the holidays I am putting together a custom book of white images for this young lady.  If you’re familiar with my style then you know I am mostly drawn toward illuminated colors but as I peruse my portfolio, I do see a few white images … of sorts.  Plus I am inspired to take some new pictures.    I’ve already started a list:  white feather, white rice, straight pasta, curly pasta, boiled eggs, crumpled paper, sugar, vanilla ice cream.  Other ideas of items that might visually interest a child? 😉

Every image I find, I won’t necessarily share with a four-year old, but so far it is a very fun project to review my work … and to create new work … inspired by such a young friend.

 

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In the hallway of the house with all the windows and the oak tree outside, there’s a wooden table covered by a paisley scarf.  On the scarf sit many planters filled with plants of course and also items like this turtle surrounded by sweet marjoram, and the dragonfly I found this past summer.

I have small bolts of cloth given by friends who know my love of orange, and a soft green mug also from a friend who knows, in the end, I love all colors.

And in silhouette on cream-colored walls … and both in silhouette and reflection on multiple panes of glass … there are the leaves and branches of the oak tree moving in the stiff autumn breeze making me pause and take a rest no matter what shenanigans I’m preparing to deal with that particular day.

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I am lucky enough to live in a house with many windows on all sides.  It is a Victorian house built in the early 1900s.  Light is constantly streaming into just about every room, even at night from the street lights.  Whenever and wherever possible, the owner has filled the window frames with old glass from the period and so the glass has ripples and little bubbles.  As I have written many times, arching over the house is a  mighty oak tree.  All that to say, that in my time in this house with a camera in my hand, I have come to love silhouettes and reflections, and all the scenes to be seen through — and in — the looking glass.

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