Posted in Inspiration, Kitchen Inspirations, Nature Notes, tagged african violets, beauty, colors, indoor gardening, Inspiration, nature, Photography, plants on December 14, 2014| 4 Comments »
It better be, to crawl around on the kitchen floor, photographing the undersides of African violets. It is certainly a pleasure to look up at what is so rarely seen. There are two plants, both needing to be repotted. A winter task I am looking forward to doing and then I hope to tuck the plants away into a warm winter spot where I won’t mess with them so much. One I’m definitely watering too much but the other has new buds forming. Perhaps it is of hardier stock. We’ll see …
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged abstract, autumn, Branches, Brooks Estate, colors, Inspiration, landscape, leaves, light, Medford, nature, Photography, reflection, shadow, walking on December 9, 2014| 1 Comment »
Cliche but that’s what it was. These images were taken in the dying of the light, as we exited the Brooks Estate.
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged autumn, beauty, Branches, Brooks Estate, colors, Inspiration, landscape, leaves, Medford, reflections, seasons, water on December 8, 2014| 5 Comments »
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged Brooks Estate, colors, hiking, Inspiration, landscape, light, nature, Photography, shadows, silhouette, walking on December 8, 2014| 6 Comments »
Posted in Inspiration, Music, Nature Notes, tagged abstract, colors, Inspiration, landscape, music, nature, negro spirituals, Photography, sacred music, Wade in the Water, water on December 3, 2014| 3 Comments »
Between fish in the previous post, the rain today and reading a book set in coastal South Carolina, well, I guess there’s plenty of reason why Wade in the Water came to mind as I worked with this image. If you’ve never heard the song, this is a pretty good link. Have a good evening, folks.
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged abstract, art, beauty, colors, drawing, family, fish, fun, Inspiration, life, musings, nature, personal, Photography, still life, storytelling on December 2, 2014| 6 Comments »
… mad at some things that had happened around me. Things that were kind of like bits of straw raining down upon a camel’s back. What I felt was certainly legit but I also felt myself getting angrier than I needed to be. I wanted to redirect that anger. A long walk, my method of choice, was out of the option because of the cold. Yet I was determined not to do what I remember my mom having penchant for doing which was to sit in a literal and figurative dark place. I was not ready to talk about what was bothering me. There were no words quite formed for me to write. What do do, what to do. I decided to follow the advice I sometimes give to others when they tell me that they are tired of talking or that they cannot write (“I don’t know how to write. You’re the writer!”). What do I suggest? Draw. So, I sat down to draw. Now I almost stopped myself. Why? Because I can’t draw. Yes, I’ve dabbled in this that and the other thing but really even with the help of a ruler, I can’t make a straight line! Then I took a deep breath and decided not to worry about straight lines. Curves can be cool.
As for what to draw … now I’ve been having this ongoing conversation with one of my little postcard penpals. He’s my four-year old nephew living down in Virginia. I’ve been sending him pictures of birds and squirrels and such. He’s tasked with drawing me a fish. Or a school of fish. Maybe a shark. As I sat at my desk in the bright sunlight, I drew fish for him and for myself, bright colored, imperfect, smiling fish. My anger did not disappear but it came into perspective. I have not sent the fishy bookmarks to the little guy. I want to give him time to draw his fish for me and for himself in whatever colors of the rainbow he decides.
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged abstract, beach, Inspiration, maps, nature, Photography, Revere, Revere Beach, shells, WalkBoston, walking, walking map, water on December 1, 2014| 5 Comments »
Earlier this year, the nonprofit WalkBoston produced a wonderful walking map of the historic city of Revere. If you’re ever in the neighborhood you can access the map online via this link or contact the organization for lovely paper maps. As with many a seaside town, Revere in summer is quite different than Revere in winter. In either season, my favorite walk is along the beach. This is what I saw this weekend before the chill drove me home.
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged abstract, beauty, city gardening, colors, gardening, glass, impressions, Inspiration, musings, nature, Photography, reflection, Somerville, storytelling, trees, urban landscape, windows on November 30, 2014| Leave a Comment »
The tree I photograph most often through the rippled window is dead. The greenery and blooms captured throughout the seasons are mostly from vines like forsythia, ivy and something holly-like. With each storm, more of the tree falls to the ground, whole branches and bits of bark.
For safety’s sake, at some point soon, whoever owns that particular piece of ground will have to chop that tree down. The woodpeckers will certainly miss their perch and the insects that they dine upon will miss their home. The vines I suspect will continue to thrive.
Even cut off at the base, they always seem to come back, finding new objects to drape upon. And the moss is ever present.
Adjacent is the neighbor’s garden. He did quite well his first season with a multi-tiered, lush affair of eggplant and kale, tomatoes and cauliflower.
I expect he grew potatoes, too, like me. And I know for sure I saw the green beans climbing up their strings.
As December looms, all that’s left are the relics of dark greens and tomatoes that I guess the city rabbits and city squirrels couldn’t figure out how to get.
There is the chain link fence but that doesn’t prevent his cat from getting out so I’d think that wouldn’t prevent other animals from getting in. If I do my local Open Studios next year, perhaps I will focus on prints of scenes through the rippled glass.
One window, many views. We’ll see. Ideas are easy. It is the follow-through that’s hard. FYI, these are untouched photos of views in this early morning’s light.
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged abstract, artwork, beauty, colors, glass, gray, Inspiration, monotype, nature, patterns, perspective, rippled, urban landscape on November 26, 2014| 3 Comments »
Through the rippled window in black and white.
Where’s the beauty?
I’m not sure.
I just know I find it all mesmerizing.
And I hope you enjoy.
Here’s the view in spring.
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged abstract, beauty, colors, Inspiration, nature, patterns, perspective, Photography, rain, trees, water, weather, windows on November 24, 2014| 3 Comments »
A steady rain falls this day and as the light shifts and the wind blows, beautiful patterns are created upon the kitchen windows. In the foreground are the raindrops and in the distance are the branches of the towering oak tree, its leaves now dark russet and falling to the ground.
Words + Images 