Spring Blooms

I'm literally forcing spring to come faster! Well, maybe not spring itself, but I'm at least attempting to encourage some forsythia and pussy willow to bloom a bit early.



This is kind of sad, but I think the first time I heard of forcing blooms at home was on Martha Stewart, last year around this time. I honestly don't like her show very much, but I was watching because my best friend was on air! Her company prunes Martha's own apple trees, so her crew leader, herself, and another worker got to demonstrate. During the show, a bit before that brush with fame, Martha had a segment about forcing blooms. I watched it, thought "hm, that's cool", and promptly forgot all about it.

The idea of hurrying spring along is now back on my radar. Since starting my photography business in earnest, I've noticed I am much more impatient for winter to be over. I crave vibrant, living, GREEN things to photograph. And really nice cut flowers are just too pricey for me to purchase often.



I researched the methods online and started my attack:

- My boss donated the branches from his huge patch of forsythia and an ailing pussy willow that was destined for the chainsaw.

- Once I got home, I mixed up a batch of floral preservative (recipe #3 from here), sans bleach. I don't use bleach in cleaning for environmental reasons, so I didn't have any around the house. It's in the recipe to cut back on bacterial growth - apparently switching the water every couple of days works as well.

- I poured the mixture into my vases, then quickly snipped of the ends of the branches and stuck them into the water. This is cheating a bit - I had read that I should snip the ends while they're already in the water, but I didn't have a big enough bucket.

Now, to wait and see what happens! The pussy willow was already starting to peep out when I snipped it, so I should have a lovely photo subject soon!

Remnant of Industry

Metallic Waterfall

Love of Wilderness

You know what's a great word? Fey.

The Woods are Lovely


In the immortal words of Robert Frost...

"The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."

Hump Day Happiness

I've been fairly irregular with writing my "weekly" hump day happiness post... along with some other weekly posts I had intended to do. I'm chalking it up to my artistic mind... :-) I'm grateful even when I don't post my five things, I promise!

This week, I'm grateful for:
1) A very clean house
2) My husband, who just had his birthday
3) Creative friends who inspire me
4) Being able to enjoy pottery pieces I made myself in my wheelthrowing class
5) Bird song on warmer days

How about you?

Creative Environment

This is certainly not the first time it's been said, but I find the environment around me to be incredibly influential on my state of mind. When I'm at the day job, the clutter of paperwork, maps, and plant specimens feels right. Those are the tools I use to do my job.

At home, clutter really bothers me. (This is ironic, since I have forever been kind a messy kind of person.) It bothers me more now that I run my photography business out of my home. I like things neat, clean, and aesthetically pleasing while I'm doing creative work. We're making progress towards turning our new home into that lovely creative environment. I thought I'd share some glimpses with you.

Dining room, as seen from the living room


Dining room sideboard


Living room side table


Guest room window


Not sure if you can tell, but I'm a hippie at heart! I'm loving blending the budding stylish side of me with the earthy, "tree-hugging dirt worshiper" side. Turning this house into our distinctive home has been really rewarding, and it provides a nice creative project when I'm feeling burnt out on photography.

Do you have photos of your creative spaces? Feel free to post links!

Global Community

Today, I'm shipping a print off to Tasmania - perhaps the farthest one of my creations has ever gone. One of the things I like best about selling my work online is developing connections with people around the world.

I'm a map person. Part of my "day job" is spent creating maps from GIS Data, or sketching maps of wetland lines I have flagged in the field. I use maps constantly: when I'm trying to find a job site, when I'm navigating a vacation route...

My shipment to Tasmania today inspired me to create a quick map of all the places my photographs have found a home. (I used Where I've Been to create it.) The dark blue areas show the places around the world where my prints have been shipped.



It's neat to think of "Specimen 652" hanging on a wall on the other side of the Earth. I think I'll keep this map updated - and see what new blue areas will be filled in next.

Memories of Summer

I've been having fun with Poladroid today! I went back through the ol' photo archives and found some hidden gems to digitally turn into Polaroids. This one had some interesting results, I think (I often crop my images after "Poladroiding"):

Summer Glow


I'm also getting ready for a family birthday party: cooking food, wrapping gifts... Best get back to it! Happy weekend, everyone!

Pastoral Bliss

Today, among other things, I went to Little Compton. It's possibly the prettiest place in Rhode Island. Very pastoral, and right on the water.

Ice Water


My excuse to make the trip over there was to choose fabric for a custom sundress by PhriendlyK8's Threads. I LOVE her sundresses and I am thrilled to bits to be ordering one. I almost bought this one (it looks even nicer in person), but I decided to pick out custom colors/applique instead. She's also got some gorgeous bags and fabric paintings, so do check out her shop!

A Different Perspective

Feeling a bit of the old cabin fever today - restless but stagnant...

Power

Rocky Mountain High

I planned to blog about what I did for photo work today... but frankly it wasn't all that interesting. The "big" project I worked on was touching up some portraits I had taken for a bellydancer friend. Mostly that entailed: levels adjustment, curves adjustment, slight cloning, aaannnnd repeat... several times. I also did some filing, and ordered some prints. The life of a photographer isn't as romantic as it's cracked up to be, you know. :-)

So instead I'm going to blog about Montana. I've been out to Bozeman twice now, and yesterday booked the airfare for a third trip. Definitely have a good excuse this time around - friends are getting married! I can't wait, it will be a blast. The first time I was there, I attempted to climb a mountain, but didn't quite make it to the saddle. The second time, I made it to the peak. What will I do the third trip out? Well, we shall just have to wait and see. No matter what, there's bound to be something photogenic!

And now, to leave you with some eye candy. Enjoy!

View from Sacagawea

Instinct Experiment

Choose your 3 favorites - don't take too long, or try to analyze why, just go with your gut. (Vote below images)

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

6)

7)

Spring is in the AIR

At 8:20 a.m., it's already balmy out here in RI, and temps should be in the mid-fifties today! I'm excited, can you tell? I am gearing up to take a nice walk in the woods, mud or no!

The spring-like weather today has encouraged me to showcase some spring-y finds from my fellow Arts in RI (AIR) members.



Clockwise from upper left, we have:

Custom Nature Spirit Pendant or Ornament
by Elysian Fields

The Subtleties of Spring Three Trees Painting
by Julie Beck

Live Simply Vintage Skeleton Key Necklace
by The Venerable Bead

Green Grass Cufflinks
by a la mode

What's your favorite way to enjoy nice weather?

A Rewarding Evening

Yesterday evening, as you may recall, was the photography show opening at the Carriage Barn Arts Center in New Canaan. My husband and I went, met up with a college friend & her husband, and had a lovely time. I wasn't quite on my game, I do admit. There's a nasty cold going about and it did not opt to pass me by. I'm so looking forward to Spring and the opportunity to air out the house!

I often joke that I became a photographer so I could be behind the lens, not in front of it! But, despite my reluctance, my husband did grab a shot of me posing in front of my prize winning photograph! "Preserved Lady's Slipper" received 2nd place in the color category. I was tickled pink!



It was a very well attended event, and the show itself was very popular. 189 artists submitted 345 pieces! Of those, 74 artists and 80 pieces made it into the exhibit.

Here's what the juror, George Schaub of Shutterbug magazine, had to say about "Preserved Lady's Slipper":
"There is a nice feeling in the sections of color and particularly the sense of rubbing as if the image was physically worked. The color, texture and surface: I feel the planes like in a painting, a feeling of topography. There is a feeling of play throughout, with color and the sharpness and unsharpness."

Aw, shucks.

The show runs until March 15, so if you're in the New Canaan area I hope you'll stop by and see it. It's a wonderful space!

Pottering About

Hello all! I've been a bit out of it lately - nothing like a cold to set back your plans. But I'm feeling better and I'm ready to face my gallery show opening tomorrow evening! I must decide how to dress - any suggestions? I'm torn between a dressier, "arty", hippie-esque cocktail dress and a simpler ensemble of black slacks, a slate gray top, and some of the pretty jewelry pieces I have gotten from artist friends.

On a totally different note - today I picked up my finished pottery pieces! Not sure if you remember me posting earlier about the class I was taking. Most pieces are pretty rough around the edges - after all it was my first class. But some of them came out really well, I think! Here's a glimpse at my favorite (It's a small dish - about 4" in diameter):



And while I'm posting up random tidbits of information... I'm also excited to have 23 hearts so far in my papernstitch store! The seller with the most hearts at the end of the session gets a lovely prize, so I am striving toward that goal. I'm not there yet, but even if I don't "win", I am pleased to know that people are enjoying my work :-)

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend!