Animal - Neon Trees

Here we go again ... I've had this song bouncing around in my head this week. Everybody gets something different from a song and from a band. I was surprised when I saw what the musicians looked like. I guess I didn't expect the classic punk look. Can I have that military jacket the female singer is wearing?



Thank you, Nicole, for finding the owners of this song!

What's Going on Here?

So. I was walking around the neighborhood, taking a break from getting caught up (I'm SO behind in everything!), when I saw this. On one hand, you know what the creative intent was. I've painted on glass before. It's a curious thing, painting backwards. It must have hung above the mantle, or near the door, don't you think?

I'm working on a creative project of my own; transforming last week's furtive street shots into an art piece. It's rather involved, I'll admit, but I'm almost done. And I'm rather excited about it, if I can say that ... just a hint: everyone should have wings. Visit again soon and I'll give you some music to listen to and reveal my little art piece.

October is Purple

I'm a bit reticent to admit it's already October. I've not yet committed to putting away my summer things. I realize I'm behind a bit, but I've decided that October is purple. Or plum. Or eggplant. I don't know how much purple I'll be able to deliver as I really don't see that much of it around me.

You have to realize, I come to assigning a color to each month by a very scientific method. I give a numerological value to each letter in the spelling of the month (a=1, b=2, etc.), and then add up the numbers. I then multiply that by the number the month falls under (October=10). I use the Gregorian calendar, though we all know that the Julian calendar had it right giving about five days to August. I then refer to the Pantone color chart to determine that month's color. Pantone 780C (I prefer coated over uncoated).

Okay, so I lied. Everybody knows that Pantone 780C doesn't exist.

Have you seen some nice purples lately?

The Panera Project

I mentioned the other day that I had to go out and sit in one place for one hour and just shoot, right? Well, I don't particularly enjoy shooting people. For one thing, they tend to move around a lot, so getting your subject in focus is a bit of a challenge. They also don't like it when the person holding the camera is a total stranger. That being said, you can find some interesting people if you just hang out at a café with the camera on the table. This may help me get over my squeamishness in shooting people.

While my instructor cautions against lamenting the 'missed shot,' I still regret that I didn't capture the young girl wearing elf ears, and the cheerleader in high heels.

As we were leaving, I whispered to my husband, "Watch out, there's a chick in that window taking pictures of people's butts."

Lily Allen - LDN

Hi friends, how's your week been? It's been a sprinty kind of week for me. Have you ever had a week when the mere idea of an honest-to-god weekend is so tantalizing you can hardly stand it? Even if it just means doing laundry, restoring order, and running errands without heels on ...
I have a fun photo assignment though; to find a place to sit for one hour and just shoot, letting the images come to me rather than hunting them down. Where would you go?



I've been listening to the latest British invasion a lot, and this is the only family-friendly Lily Allen video I could share. Enjoy!

Absence

My new photography class presents numerous challenges. First is to find fifteen minutes a day to meditate, or think about nothing. I admitted to the instructor that I don't have a quiet mind, and to date, I've failed that assignment outright. Another is to create a journal of sorts; not one that records the minutia of my days, but records those fleeting moments of interest or inspiration. Again, failed.

My first photography assignment includes (but is not limited to) the challenge of responding to a Pablo Neruda poem, Absence. I happen to be quite fond of Neruda's poetry, particularly his Ode to Common Things, not just because of the poems themselves, but also because of the exquisite drawings that accompany each poem. But I wasn't sure how to approach Absence.

Absence

I have scarcely left you
When you go in me, crystalline,
Or trembling,
Or uneasy, wounded by me
Or overwhelmed with love, as
when your eyes
Close upon the gift of life
That without cease I give you.

My love,
We have found each other
Thirsty and we have
Drunk up all the water and the
Blood,
We found each other
Hungry
And we bit each other
As fire bites,
Leaving wounds in us.

But wait for me,
Keep for me your sweetness.
I will give you too
A rose.

Michelle Featherstone - Coffee and Cigarettes

How's your week going, folks? I'll be honest; this has been One. Wild. Ride. For Me. So I thought I'd find something a cathartic for you (and me) to watch. I hope to see you back here next week. Have a lovely weekend!

Worthington Mansion

"Let's go for a short drive." my husband said to me Sunday morning. (Music to my ears!) So, we ambled down State Route 23, looking for inspiration until we came to Thomas Worthington's 1807 mansion in Adena, Ohio. Well, it's more than a mansion; actually, it's more of a sprawling estate with servants quarters, a farm, a spring house, a tenant house, and flower and kitchen gardens. We took the requisite tour of the mansion itself and then began wandering about the extensive property. When we came to the barn, I noticed goats and mules. I made my way to them with my camera and began shooting. This 'short drive' had become a day's commitment and I knew my time was running out.

"Hey look, a kitten," my husband said. Yeah right, I wasn't going to fall for that one again. "Liar." I said, without turning around. "No, really." he insisted. So I turned around and there was this black kitten trotting towards me. I picked him and he began purring. And purring. Interrupted by purring. I put him down after a while, but he only followed me everywhere I went.

You know that if I'd had my big tote bag, he would have totally come home with me ...

White Springs, West Virginia

 

Those of you who know me well, know that I went to this place a few years
ago, and I had the distinct pleasure of visiting it again for a few days' stay.
Actually, we stayed with some lovely people who own a home perched atop
a mountain at the foothills of the Alleghenies. And oh, it is such a stunning place!
I won't bore you with the details of my peach-infused milk bath, my radiance
facial or my strawberry salt massage, but rest assured, I came home polished
and rejuvenated. If you are not in the habit of taking special care of yourself,
I recommend you start making a habit of it. You can't be beautiful to others if
you don't treat yourself beautifully first!