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Archive for the ‘Publication Updates’ Category

Monthly Updates: Japan and More

Posted in Guest Contributor, Inspiration, Kitchen Inspirations, On the Road, Photography, Photography Exhibits, Publication Updates, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 31, 2010| 1 Comment »

First up, Japan!  As mentioned in last month’s update, I had the unique opportunity to travel to Japan where I spent three days in Kobe and three days in Kyoto.  View images here. Food was a highlight.  While there, I was indeed introduced to takoyaki, also known as Octopus Balls.  While I admired the satisfied looks on peoples’ faces as they popped the delicacies into their mouths, I decided to abstain until my next trip.

I did indulge in some of the best and freshest sushi I have ever eaten.  Just before departing Japan, I saw a Michelin man dancing in front of a bookstore.  Here’s why. My favorite food discovery was the art of preparing food for display.

An unexpected visual treat was to stumble upon the Festival of Ages, and to trek to Kurama outside of Kyoto to attend the annual Fire Festival. More pictures forthcoming.

Special thanks to recent guest contributors, friends and family who shared their images, including Lorraine’s Rainbow, Keith’s Sunrise and Frank’s Rose (below).

Publication Updates

  • A Boston-based nonprofit serving the homeless has selected one of my photos for its walls, Harbor Rocks.
  • Steve’s Kitchen Window appears in the November/December issue of Orion Magazine, in bookstores now.
  • Monday, November 1st, visit the Evolving Critic for a guest blog about my photographic adventures along the Charles River.

 

Upcoming

  • Inspired by his years of traveling in Japan, guest contributor Steve will write about sake.
  • Photos of New England in autumn.
  • Updates on winter sales events, silent auction participation, and other upcoming exhibits before year’s end.

And that’s the scoop, folks.  Thanks for reading!

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New Article: In the Butterfly House

Posted in Contributing Writer, Inspiration, Nature Notes, Publication Updates, tagged , , , , , , , on October 7, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Butterfly Photo by Lorraine

Do butterflies live in houses?  They do in the mind of a young friend of mine.  And that’s the focus of an article I wrote posted today on Creativity Portal.com, about the unexpected places one finds inspiration.

In the Butterfly House

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Fall Update

Posted in Contributing Writer, Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, Publication Updates, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 5, 2010| 5 Comments »

Watching me from a nearby oak tree is a large male cardinal with bright black eyes.  My camera is across the room.  He will surely be gone before I can grab it and race back to the window.  What to do?  Just remain still and enjoy my unexpected encounter with a red-feathered friend.  Unexpected.  There is no better word to describe my life at present.  Since my last update, there have been lots of unexpected experiences.  Some have been as simple as spotting the cardinal at my window, or the above leaf as I walked to the grocery store.  Others instances have been more complex.  Their creative impact and outcomes remain to be seen.  Meanwhile, here are some brief highlights of experiences from the past month, with a focus on recent travels.  Enjoy! 😉

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Virginia

In September I traveled with Steve to Virginia and West Virginia.  Virginia is my  home state.  While there, I visited one of my favorite nature trails along the Blackwater Creek.  See the little fish at the bottom of the picture?  Other sights along the trail:

And in a neaby national park  …

 

West Virginia

In Virginia, I showed Steve my old haunts.  In West Virginia, we journeyed to one of his, Seneca Rocks.  There I had several unexpected and memorable experiences, first attempting to climb a mountain, and then riding a horse.  When I wasn’t afraid of tumbling, off the mountain or the horse, I managed to snap a few photos. 😉

 

On the Horizon

Well, one of the most unexpected opportunities is an upcoming trip to Japan.  I don’t expect to encounter any horses, but Steve is determined to introduce me to octopus in all its varied culinary forms.  We’ll see about that one!

Also, I’m pleased to share that I will be making a guest blog appearance November 1st on The Evolving Critic, A Metro Boston Blog for Art, Architectural, Urban Planning and Community Explorations.  I’ll be sharing words and images about one of my favorite Boston sites, the Charles River Esplanade.

That’s the quick scoop from me.  Wherever you are in the world today, I hope you are healthy, happy and feeling inspired!

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Monthly Update: As August Gives Way to September

Posted in Branches, Contributing Writer, Guest Contributor, Inspiration, Kitchen Inspirations, Nature Notes, Photography, Publication Updates, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 31, 2010| 2 Comments »

When I first spied these illuminated leaves in the Middlesex Fells, I was stopped in my tracks.  At first, I thought the leaves were monarch butterflies — they so resembled the pictures I’d seen of monarchs dripping orangely from the trees along their migration routes. There were many such sights in the Fells this past Sunday.  Such a journey, with the sunlight so golden and falling at that end-of-summer low angle … it was a definite highlight of the month. Following are a few other highlights of the month, as well as a some plans and prospects for September.

For those of you new to my blog, these more or less monthly updates are my attempt to regularly share with friends, family and colleagues my creative activities. These updates also help me put a public stake in the ground about what I am planning to do in the near future … so that (ahem) my friends, family and colleagues can help hold me accountable and keep me honest! Even if you regularly visit my blog, I think you might find a few new items of interest … especially if you like chocolate. 😉

Where Inspiration Found Me

Inspiration appeared in unexpected places in August. For both words and images, Steve’s Kitchen, was a source of inspiration. The images are below. As for the words, you can read the recent short that appears here in Orion Magazine’s online Places Where You Live. FYI, the picture you see in the online story will be appearing in the magazine’s November/December print issue.

And maybe being in Steve’s kitchen set the tone for the month, because food in general inspired me. I sent off poems about food. I’ve been reading books about food. Heck, I may even watch Babette’s Feast tonight. I do know that in August I spent a lot of time photographing food … first at the farmer’s market, and then … in Steve’s kitchen.

Additional images can be found here.

Though it is darn toasty now where I live, earlier this month there were heavy, steady rains and the air was so chill, people had pulled out sweaters and scarves. On my way into work one day I was captured by the pools that had formed on the sidewalks. And floating in the pools were fallen leaves.

More images like these can be found here.

Leaves in general have been inspiring me.

A leaf at the Middlesex Fells. You can view more Fells images here.

Okay, that’s a snapshot of the past month. What’s on tap for September?

* continuing to send off submissions for both the writing and the photography

* investigating what it would take to publish a book of my photos

* following up on some really cool story leads that people have been sending my way

* keeping better track of the arts events taking place in my area, especially those coming up for the holidays

* assessing and investing in the tools of my trade, from pen and paper to camera equipment

I think that’s it for now.  Here’s hoping we all have a good September! 😉


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Poem Appearing in the Somerville News

Posted in Contributing Writer, Publication Updates, tagged , , on August 30, 2010| 1 Comment »

When I first picked up my local newspaper, the Somerville News, one of the first things I noticed was Doug Holder’s Lyrical Somerville poetry column.  I don’t think you see poetry columns in print newspapers very often anymore.   I’ve enjoyed reading his selections over the years.  And, so it was an honor to have him select one of my poems to appear in last week’s issue.  If you’re interested in reading my poem, The Absence of Color, you can find it here:  http://www.thesomervillenews.com/archives/6286

To stay on top of the local poetry scene, follow Doug’s blog here:  Boston Area Small Press and Poetry Scene.

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A View Through a Somerville Window

Posted in Contributing Writer, Inspiration, Kitchen Inspirations, Photography, Publication Updates, tagged , , , on August 19, 2010| Leave a Comment »

A nice surprise today when I checked email today and saw the latest Orion Magazine newsletter.  At the bottom of the page, in the “Places Where You Live” area, there was a link to “a couple of our favorites.”  Well, one of the favorites was a link for Somerville, Massachusetts.  Since I live in Somerville, I clicked on the link and what did I see?  Well, you can see for yourself.  I hope you enjoy.

http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/place_where_you_live/view/somerville_ma_5820/

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Collect My Moo Cards

Posted in Nature Notes, Photography, Publication Updates, tagged , , on July 26, 2010| 1 Comment »

Six cards, six images.  I’ve been  having a lot of fun with Moo, producing unique and collectible business cards to promote my writing and photography. Below is Set 1.  Would you like to collect these six images taken in and around Boston?  I’ll drop a set in the mail to you, no charge, so long as supplies last.  Just email me at photographybycynthia[at]gmail.com.

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Stormy Weather

Posted in Contributing Writer, Inspiration, Nature Notes, Publication Updates, tagged , , on July 19, 2010| 1 Comment »

Dead Mule School of Southern Literature has posted a poem that I wrote about southern storms.  Thanks to the folks at Dead Mule.  You can check out my poem at the link below, and please do read some of the other wonderful poems, essays and stories you’ll find on the website.

Summer Storms –  Poem

And to learn more about how a southern upbringing influences this creative life, read the recent interview with Molly Anderson-Childers for Creativity Portal.com.

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Connection and Collaboration

Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, Photography Exhibits, Publication Updates on June 22, 2010| 1 Comment »

June has been a rather unexpected month of connection and collaboration with other writers, photographers and artists.  I’ve been sharing my words and my images without really knowing what would happen next.  In every case I have been wondrously surprised and humbled and appreciative of the skill, generosity and creativity of others.

A few years ago I worked for an afterschool writing program.  Kids, mostly middle school aged, would engage in an activity and then have to write about their experiences.  Usually the activities were very physical like basketball or a scavenger hunt.  However, on a rainy day or in winter, the staff would sometimes have the children select an image from a folder.  The images varied greatly from a dog licking an ice cream cone to a little boy bowled over with laughter.  The children would have to write something about what they were seeing.  For some of the children it was hard, but for others, it was a wonderful liberating experience.  It was an activity that I carried with me long after I left the program.  So when writer and photographer Hank Kellner contacted me recently to inquire about using some of my photos for his “English Education” blog I did not hesitate.  His blog focuses on using photographs to inspire writing.  In addition to his blog, he has a recurring online series on “Write What You See.”  As a photographer, I’m flattered that he asked to use some of my work.  As a writer, I am genuinely inspired by his writing prompts and the way he pairs images to spark creative thought.

I’m shy, believe it or not.  So when Molly Anderson-Childers contacted me inquiring if I’d be willing to be interviewed for her online interview series, I was both honored and a little scared.  But it was a pleasure to work with her and be guided by her.  The whole experience of answering her questions sparked both creative bursts of activity and moments of quiet reflection about what I do and why I do it.    Catch a sneak peek of the interview on her blog, Stealing Plums.

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An Update of Sorts …

Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, Photography Exhibits, Publication Updates, tagged , on June 8, 2010| 1 Comment »

It’s been a long while. What to share? Well, mostly I wanted to share the above picture of a dandelion gone to seed. Allergies have hit me hard this season leaving me a bit blurry-eyed and forcing me to be more creative in my photography. To be sure of what I am seeing, I find that I am getting up close and personal with my photographic subjects resulting in pictures like this dandelion. The little motes remind me of stars.

In Other News …

Because I keep walking into the webs, I ‘m getting a lot of nice spider shots.

Local Treks

Recent treks included familiar spots like the Boston Public Gardens, and along the Charles River. Lime Quarry Reservation (map) presented new vistas.  Future treks include the Arnold Arboretum and Boston Harbor.

At the Edges

While at work, where a park ended and a parking lot began, I found life on display from fresh beginning to untimely end.

At the edge where a stretch of farmland intersected with a stretch of city road, a friend and I found a farm stand with fresh picked produce.

Unexpected Opportunities

I’m being interviewed by Molly J. Anderson-Childers for the Creativity-Portal.com.  Imagine that! More information available in July.

Unexpected Inspirations

Inspired by Family Always!

My brother recently sent me this picture of his son. Brings a smile to my face every time.

And on the horizon?

Working to meet the deadlines for several upcoming art shows. Following up on leads from friends and family about various contests and publication opportunities (keep ’em coming!). Learning more about photographic techniques. Identifying the next photos to submit for donation to the Art Connection. And just trying to keep my eyes open to the beauty around me.


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