Simply beautiful in my humble opinion. Enjoy this just over 1 minute video from artist Angie Pickman. A tribute to the winter solstice. 😉
The Longest Night from Angie Pickman on Vimeo.
Posts Tagged ‘nature’
the longest night by angie pickman
Posted in Guest Contributor, Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged Angie Pickman, animation, art, beauty, creativity, cut paper, Inspiration, nature, Rural Pearl, winter, winter solstice on December 21, 2013| 3 Comments »
in a glass vase, a dried leaf found
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged decay, Inspiration, leaves, light, nature, Photography on December 20, 2013| 3 Comments »
winter’s light revisited
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged abstract, essays, ice, light, nature, Photography, seasons, Talking Writing, water, winter, winter's light on December 17, 2013| 7 Comments »
It has been almost two years since my photo essay Winter’s Light appeared in Talking Writing.
Of course I still love the light of this approaching season.
With that winter’s light in 2011, I focused on the illumination of “ordinary objects,” from condensation to old postcards hung on a wall.
With this morning’s near-winter light, I was struck by the illumination of branching fingers of ice.
To view such scenes at the start of the day feels magical. Feels cold, too, but still magical. 😉
dona nobis pacem, a series of sights and sounds
Posted in Inspiration, Music, Uncategorized, tagged beauty, home, Inspiration, landscape, life, music, musings, nature, peace, Peteris Vasks, Photography, sounds on December 15, 2013| 4 Comments »
And so the morning began with sounds. Laying in bed listening to snow slide from the roof. Over breakfast listening to Steve tell stories of his night. My brothers’ voices, one via voice mail, him singing a made up song about getting up and getting started with a cup of coffee. His words inspired me to pour some beans into a white cup and photograph a single image and hope it came out well.
I continued to take random shots about the kitchen, of lemons in bowls and of rosemary. I don’t think I’m supposed to let indoor herbs bloom but I couldn’t help myself. No sounds there, just lovely periwinkle silence.
During the midst of all this, something happened. Nothing serious but one of those incidents that can color a day, darken it … if you allow. I told myself to let the incident go. To help me do so, I pulled from my bag a list of desired tasks. One of them was to look up composer Peteris Vasks. I’d only learned of him yesterday at an organ recital. The organist had played one of his pieces, Te Deum. During my research I came across this piece, Dona Nobis Pacem.
A beautiful, calming piece.
As it played on repeat in the background, I wandered around taking other photos, indoors of items on tables
and through windows of ice melting beautifully.
What that music inspired exactly I can’t say. It did encourage me, remind me even, to be present, to appreciate the beauty before me that I could see, that I could hear, and that I could imagine. We all need reminders on occasion. 😉
letting the day go
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged home, Inspiration, landscape, light, nature, Photography, sunset, trees on December 12, 2013| 5 Comments »
if i could paint with light …
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged arts, Inspiration, landscape, light, nature, painting, Photography, urban landscape, urban nature on December 10, 2013| 3 Comments »
Snow began to fall this morning and so I went to the window to check on my so-called copper branches.
These branches drape over a crumbling concrete wall.
The wall is adjacent to a muffler shop. If I were to widen my shots you would see the mountain of tires, metal poles and big blue barrels.
The area is not easily accessible. It is cordoned off on three sides by a metal fence. It is only because I am next door and up high that I can see the beauty over the wall.
One day I may get up the nerve to talk with the manager and convince him to let me into the area, to climb over the tires, so that I can get up close to the tiny rambling woods.
But for now I am happy to shoot from a distance and later play with the images. As different details emerge out of the lovely chaos – a leaf still green, the illumination of paler twigs, and so forth – it feels a bit like painting with light.
revere – a picture and a promo
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged beach, charitable giving, Inspiration, kickstarter, maps, nature, Photography, Revere, Revere Walking Map, WalkBoston, walking on December 9, 2013| 2 Comments »
Thanks to friends and family from around the world, I’ve got quite a growing collection of shells. Most of the shells that I have collected myself I have done so along Revere Beach in Revere, MA. That beach has become a favorite haunt to walk for relaxation and exercise. I never know what I might find in the sand and along the water’s edge. Moving forward, I hope to venture further afield into the heart of the culturally rich and diverse community. That is in part why I love and support the idea of a Revere Walking Map being created. I do use them. Watch the video below to understand the behind the scenes making of such a map and/or visit this page to see the opportunities and levels for giving. A great cause especially if you live or travel out this way.
P.S. Here’s how I’ve used a similar walking map to help make my way around Somerville and its parks.
rain
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged Branches, Inspiration, landscape, nature, Photography, rain, reflections, trees, water on December 9, 2013| 9 Comments »
copper
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged Branches, colors, copper, Inspiration, nature, Photography on December 8, 2013| 4 Comments »
why keep putting off until tomorrow …
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged abstract, Branches, creative writing, creativity, Creativity Portal, Inspiration, landscape, nature, photo essay, Photography, trees on December 5, 2013| 2 Comments »
… what can be done today? That was one of the thoughts that inspired the photo essay, Branching Thoughts, now appearing on Creativity Portal. To what do I refer? Well, when you have a chance, please read the essay and then you’ll know what I mean. 😉
FYI, there are many other wonderful essays, articles and more to be found on the site. One of my favorite end of year items is a beautiful 2014 calendar designed by Creativity Portal founder Chris Dunmire and available for download month by month or all 12-months at once for “less than a cup of coffee.” Can’t beat that these days. Hope you have fun exploring all the different words and images on the site.
Words + Images 