Sunday, November 8, 2015

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

November Art Walk

November 20th is the date for the next Art Walk in downtown Concord. I am trying to ready the following artsy pics for possible presentation at this showing in the Piedmont Renaissance Center.  Perhaps you will be interested enough to drop by and pay your respects. The tree lighting is also scheduled for that night, so you will have a double treat--Me and the tree lighting.

















Thursday, June 4, 2015

Awesome


Awesome: Causing or inducing “awe”; inspiring an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, or fear.
I have always liked the term “awesome”.  It describes perfectly the feelings, both emotional and intellectual, one experiences when observing certain kinds of things. For example, in olden times, before we screwed up the atmosphere with pollution, it was possible to stand out at night, especially high in the mountains, and observe the Milky Way. Looking up was simply amazing.

Similarly, as I advanced through life’s various pathways, I encountered every now and again, that same special sense that I was witnessing something amazing—awe-inspiring . . . awesome.  Since I took up photography, I have been able to provide witness to at least a few of these special sightings, and they help to fill in my definition of this term, awesome. It is a shame that the term has been spoiled through inappropriate usage.  But it remains for me a special term that I illustrate below through some of my pictures. Note please, I do not suggest that the pictures are “awesome”. Rather they capture the sense of something I witnessed as awesome.


So, look on and help me to share with you my sense of this special term of art.

Beyond the stars and the Milky Way, seen above courtesy of the Hubble, I begin with scenes of the sun, either rising or setting. Some of these scenes are close, here in Concord, as in the one below, and some from far away. The sun setting on Kauai, for example, or monsoon sunsets in New Delhi. Sunrises, I have discovered, are every bit as magnificent as sunsets. Our daughter lives on the water in Montross, Virginia. She sees sunrises that are beyond amazing, as an almost daily occurrence.  And, when I stood on Tiger Hill, above Darjeeling at 9500 feet, to witness the sun rising over Mt. Kinchinjunga, it took my breath away.








 That grand place, called The Grand Canyon, is a wonderful sight that is hard to reduce to a photographic image. It is simply, too grand.




And once, while driving along the Columbia River Gorge, from Portland, to Mt. Hood, I came across one of the most beautiful 30 mile drives I have ever encountered.  The river, the waterfalls . . . all amazing.





A few man-made creations seem to qualify. Certainly, the Taj Mahal, seen at almost any time, but especially at first light and at full moon would qualify. The Daibutsu in Kamakura, Japan are wonderful, and when I came across the monument at Sanchi to the Buddha, I had to say, yes, this is awesome.






To conclude, perhaps one view of The Grand Tetons, that magnificent range in Jackson Hole seems appropriate.


How could I forget? This last illustrates perhaps best the special nature of this term. It is not reserved exclusively for the grand . . . meaning large. Yes, grand themes do indeed obtain much of the significance of the term awesome. But this last also qualifies perfectly.
A new life recently come into this world . . . a life with all its complexity, and its promise untouched yet by the rough and tumble of our lives on this planet . . . fresh, beautiful, still perfect . . .  in this case our youngest daughter, still very new to this world in 1966, with her Indian Godmother holding her closely. New lives . . . all new lives are precious, and . . . awesome.




Tuesday, May 5, 2015

August Art Walk

The Next Art Walk
I prepared a set of pictures for the August Art Walk. Here is the current set, a mix of abstracts and other formats.
First a couple from the Big Apple--or why people look up in New York.



Then, an abstract titled, The Creature, based on an actual tree.



Next, our crow, currently bedeviling all the other birdies in our garden.

A sunrise, sent to us by our daughter, but slightly altered by me.


Then one, I am calling Pond Art--or reflections on pond art.


Our pond, a perspective


The Big Ditch



Lastly, one from my Southwest collection--a tree near the Big Ditch.

One of my favorite abstract floral works.


And a shadows work, based on a picture i took in Boston.





And thaaaat's all folks ,. . .

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Wet & Dry

Wet & Dry

Ok, so the June Art Walk is coming soon to a Concord near you. So, if you missed the last one (naughty you) then you really must come to this one, to cheer on your friendly neighborhood artists and pseudo-artists, you know, folks like me.
I figure June is sort of summer, so a twin theme might be good--one to remind us of the heat that summer brings, and one that reminds us of its watery content, ergo, Wet & Dry. So, here goes.
First, the Dry part. Some lovely pictures from the West.





Next is some watery scenes . . . real summer








So, thaaat's all folks . . .oh, except for one little thing, I neglected to mention. I cannot attend the June Art Walk, as we will be in DC attending the wedding of a very close friend.  So, maybe August or September??? Remember, though, it's your job to attend the June Art Walk, so you can tell me all about it. TaTa