Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged autumn, Branches, colors, Inspiration, light, Massachusetts, nature, Photography, poetry, sky, Somerville, trees on November 19, 2013| 7 Comments »
There is poetry among these branches of the oak tree, with their few remaining leaves that are quite red in the full light of noon but in the wee hours of morn they are dark shadows fluttering like the wings of moths or butterflies, and then there’s that backdrop of a sky transforming from rosy dawn to bluest day. Poetry, indeed. I’m just not sure where the words are hiding. In some nook or cranny perhaps just waiting to unfurl …
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged autumn, butterflies, colors, Inspiration, muse, nature, Photography, seasons, sunlight on November 18, 2013| 4 Comments »
I was quite focused this morning. Honest. I had my task list all prepared. Then the sun came out from behind her clouds, shining seductively warm light all around. What a problem to have on a Monday morning. And my response?
Well, but of course, I tossed aside pen and paper. I grabbed my camera and raced around the house to every window following that darn light until I settled upon the top most floor where from the ceiling hangs a butterfly mobile. A rainbow of winged creatures just waiting for the wind.
No windows were open (it was raining earlier), but perhaps from the wind I generated moving about so fast, the butterflies had begun to spin just a bit. And so I sat on the floor and photographed them in their habitat.
Not too long of a photoshoot. Just long enough to make one smile. Like I said … what a wonderful problem to have on a Monday morning.
Posted in Books I Love, Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged 21st Editions, arts, books, collaboration, fine art photography, Inspiration, leaves, nature, Photography, poetry, prose, visual arts on November 17, 2013| 4 Comments »
… but i am happy to be home. Plus we returned just in time to attend a book festival in Boston. No books were bought but I did have the pleasure of meeting some of the people behind 21st Editions, The Art of the Book. As a press that uniquely marries fine art photography with poetry, it is my dream publisher. They produce works primarily acquired by libraries and museums. As I told one of the staff, the newsletter they send out to subscribers is quite inspiring. I’ve been especially fascinated by the short videos produced to highlight upcoming titles. When asked what I liked about them, I shared that it was the audio element added to the mix of words and images. Below is one of my favorites — images of 21st Editions books with a poem read by poet John Wood. Enjoy.
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged autumn, colors, Inspiration, leaves, nature, nature photography, Oxfordshire, Photography, Steventon, The Causeway, walking, water on November 13, 2013| 13 Comments »
Leaves found while walking along along The Causeway in Steventon, Oxfordshire. You can read more about The Causeway here: http://www.steventon.info/Causeway.html
Posted in Guest Contributor, Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged autumn, children, family, fatherhood, guest post, happiness, Inspiration, joy, leaves, nature, parenting, Photography, play on November 12, 2013| 2 Comments »
Jordan Playing in the Leaves
My brother is not off the hook for his guest post about music and mountains, but I must admit that this photo he did share of his son at play in a field of leaves was quite an autumn treat. A 3-year old the size of a 5-year old with big brown eyes filled with wonder at the world. My brother wrote that it is an image that makes him want to sit and write “about the joy and emotions of Fall and Winter.” I hope he does put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and that Jordan keeps playing in the leaves. 😉
Posted in Inspiration, On the Road, tagged angels, architecture, Christ Church, churches, colors, Edward Burne-Jones, Inspiration, Oxford, Photography, saints, stained glass, the stained glass window, travel, William Morris on November 12, 2013| 4 Comments »
The angel above represents Victory and the angel below represents Sorrow.
In the stained glass window (1878), designed by William Morris and executed by Edward Burne-Jones, the figure centered between these blue-winged angels is St. Catherine of Alexandria. If you have a chance to research her story, you’ll understand why both sorrow and victory were paired.
The face of St. Catherine is that of Edith Liddell. Her sister was the inspiration for Alice in the book, Alice in Wonderland.
Posted in Inspiration, On the Road, tagged architecture, arts, churches, colors, Inspiration, Oxford, Photography, stained glass windows on November 11, 2013| 1 Comment »
… I step into stone buildings, like the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin.
I had only a few moments inside the building while racing to another location so I decided to focus (of course) on the stained glass windows.
The story of the windows I will have to research later but for now I am appreciative of viewing their artistry in the autumn light.
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged autumn, fun, gene kelly, humor, Inspiration, landscape, nature, Oxford, Parks, Photography, rain, singing in the rain, travel, trees, water, youtube video on November 11, 2013| Leave a Comment »
… for long spells of time I have been having much fun walking in the English rain. I even hummed a bit as I walked through Oxford University Parks yesterday. Until the rains became too heavy … 😉
As for the reference to Gene Kelly, here’s a short youtube video of him Singing in the Rain. Enjoy!
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged beauty, colors, landscape, nature, Oxford, Photography, travel, trees on November 10, 2013| 2 Comments »
This trip was unexpected, a work excursion for Steve and a whirlwind adventure for me. There was little time (or perhaps, energy) for research about what I might see and so around every bend in the road, I am treated to unexpected beauty. Like this tree winding its way up the side of a wall in Oxford.
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged birds, colors, dublin, feathers, Inspiration, ireland, myths, nature, Photography, st. stephen's green, storytelling, swans, travel, white, wildlife, William Butler Yeats on November 9, 2013| 3 Comments »
Okay, I have to admit, not only the mallards paused to let me snap a photo. As I watched the swans’ feathers rustling in the winds whipping through St. Stephen’s Green, I thought of the Greek myth Leda and the Swan. Only later as I walked through the National Library of Ireland’s exhibit on William Butler Yeats did I learn that Yeats had published a highly regarded sonnet on the subject in 1924.
Words + Images 