Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged autumn, beauty, color, Inspiration, leaves, nature, Photography, photos, pictures on November 13, 2011| Leave a Comment »
When I first saw the leaf in the landlord’s garden, I thought that it was fake. Such vibrant colors in a single leaf nestled in the dying grass of a fading garden. Especially when I noticed the hole at the top.
I just knew it had to be a store bought item — like a nature-inspired gift tag — dropped by the landlord or perhaps blown in by the autumn winds.
But then I picked it up. Wow!
Posted in Guest Contributor, Inspiration, tagged beauty, collage, illustration, Inspiration, lyrics, paper crafts, Photography, photos, pictures, UForge Gallery, visual art, Zoe Langosy on November 12, 2011| 2 Comments »
I love showing collage artist Zoe Langosy my photography. She is the only person who has ever viewed my work and said, “Wow, that’s beautiful. I can’t wait to cut it up!” And I, quite frankly, can’t wait to see what she does with the deconstructed images. As I’ve said before, she is an inspiration to me as an artist who follows her passion with paper and at the same time is so guiding to other artists, young and old. I’m honored that her latest work includes a bit of my photography, the sunlit branches.
Last time these branches helped garb a geisha of autumn and winter. This time around the scene is decidely different in the piece she’s created for show at the UForge Gallery’s Visual Lyrics Exhibit. For this exhibit, artists were challenged to pay homage to the lyrics of their favorite song. Find out for yourself what song inspired Zoe. The show will be on view starting tonight through November 27th. More information available here: Visual Lyrics Exhibit at UForge Gallery, Jamaica Plain, MA.
Posted in Inspiration, Music, Nature Notes, tagged art, beauty, butterflies, design, Inspiration, leaves, life, moon, paper craft, Photography, reflections, relationships, travel on November 10, 2011| Leave a Comment »
The Dublin Moon Series … that’s what I’ve decided to call this week’s creations of papery moons and butterflies and tiny poetry-laced leaves. The lunar inspiration is clear. Dublin is in reference to that certain scientist fellow I write about on occasion. In our time together he has been an unexpected source of creative inspiration. He’s certainly expanded my thinking about light and angles and even about getting grubby to get the best shot. Earlier this week he traveled to Dublin for business. As I helped him pack, we came across a small notebook not much bigger than a matchbook. It lay at the bottom of a bag he’d taken on a previous trip fishing on the high seas.
I remembered giving him that notebook because on that trip we wouldn’t have much phone contact. And because I love a good story, I told him to take notes so that he could tell me later about all of his adventures with appropriate detail. Well, upon his return he managed to tell me a very good story without ever pulling that notebook from his bag. So nearly a year later we flipped through the pages, chuckling as he deciphered his notes. Then he came to a phrase that made him pause. Imagining that he had recorded seeing a mermaid, I laughed and shouted, “What is it? What is it? What did you write?”
Well, what he had written was this: “Let me try to see the world through her eyes.” Now, over the years, I had gathered that as he traveled he sometimes took pictures of things for me like rose clouds in the sky and trees reflected in blue waters. Once he had texted from a different boating adventure, “As I look out over the ocean, I see a lone butterfly and it makes me think of you.”
I did not create all of these paper works for this fellow, but I do recognize that this form provided a creative outlet for me to engage with him. I was compelled to imagine what it was like for him to be out on that boat and seeing the butterfly over the ocean, and when he’s traveling in Japan, how he sees the red sun. Anyway …
I think my paper period is done. He shall be home soon, and I’ve got a backlog of writing, photography and exhibit-related tasks to focus on. Though, I must admit this morning I did find myself humming Blue Moon. 😉 And I do have a lot of blue paper left.
We’ll see …
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged art, beauty, butterflies, design, full moon, paper cutting, Photography, photos, pictures, Robert Frost on November 9, 2011| 1 Comment »
It was not until I spoke with my brother last night that I realized the moon was full. I begin to wonder if all my work with paper this week is lunar-inspired, especially this image of a full moon releasing translucent leaves upon the autumn landscape. Originally I had conceived of placing a small bench upon this hill, with a person staring up at a rainbow around the moon, an attempt to visualize this old post. But as I worked, I found myself appreciating the simplicity of just leaves raining down on the ground.
A full moon created from an old calendar of Tiffany stained glass seemed apropos given the enjoyment I’ve had this year in photographing stained glass windows at Trinity Church in Copley Square and elsewhere.
Perhaps the strangest work created this week (so far) is a watercolor moon rising above a landscape of Frost in leaves. What do I mean? Well …
… the leaves clustered at the bottom of this painting, like the ones you can kick about beneath a tree that has loosed all of its foliage … those leaves were created from the beautiful words of Robert Frost in poems I copied from a book. I simply wanted to see “frost on leaves.” We’ll see what the rest of the week has to hold as the moon wanes. 😉
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged autumn, beauty, colors, foliage, leaves, light, Photography, photos, pictures on November 9, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged autumn, beauty, Branches, colors, leaves, Photography, photos, pictures, seasons, yellow on November 8, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged art, beauty, colors, crafts, design, Inspiration, paper, Photography, photos, pictures on November 7, 2011| 1 Comment »
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. 😉
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged art, beauty, butterfly, colors, Inspiration, nature, Photography, photos, pictures, watercolor on November 5, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Posted in Inspiration, tagged beauty, inspirationi, light, Photography, photos, pictures, water on November 2, 2011| Leave a Comment »
As I raced around this morning, I noticed the early morning light shining through windows still covered with condensation.
To view the water, to stare into the tiny pools imbued with color from the world outside … it was a wonderful moment of pause in the day.
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged beauty, Charles River, colors, Inspiration, leaves, nature, Photography, photos, pictures, trees on October 30, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Words + Images 