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Showing posts from May, 2013

Exploring Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Preserve...

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Yesterday, my good friend, James, treated me to a new place to hike in. The late May day couldn't have been more perfect. Abundant sun. Cooling breezes. Vistas to every horizon. The sounds of happy birds and the wind rustling the dried, tall grasses and old oaks. We didn't cross the path of too many people on the trails but those we did were friendly and some enjoyed chatting up a bit. A great place to let your mind clear or enjoy time outside with friends and family. They even have horse and bike trails and areas to let Fido stretch his legs, too, though they keep those trails separate from the walking trails. A very well orchestrated preserve. Kudos to Riverside County for setting aside this little jewel of a place. This 9000 acre preserve sits surrounded by citrus ranches and vineyards and suburban sprawl, but you wouldn't know once you are engaged on one of 36 miles of trails. It's a bit of a drive from me (about an hour and a half) but totally worth it. I am pret

A window of time...

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13 days. 13 days and a big window of time will open for me - enough to dive into some creative projects I am chomping at the bit to work on for the next couple of months - one of which is playing with different means of presenting some of my favorite images. It takes me awhile to figure out how they want to be. What kind of paper to use. Do I even want to use paper? Maybe fabric. Maybe wood. Maybe metal. Maybe a little of everything. Here is one of many images I am looking forward to seeing off my computer screen. I was walking down a street in Little Italy near downtown San Diego when I looked up and saw this. The tree was thinking about breaking out in blossoms. Late winter / early spring. I particularly like the starkness of bare branch against rough, weathered stucco and a simple, startling blue window frame with a hint of a chair. Who lives up there? Where they watching me watching the window? What scenes have been witnessed from above? I think this one wants to be on fine matt

Motherhood

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Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers, mommies, moeders, makuahine, and mutters out there. When I looked up 'Mother' in different languages, 'Mama' or something very much like it dominated the field - even in an obscure language like Quechua...Mama. A rather universal word. There are so many quotes out there surrounding motherhood. These are some of my favorites and pretty much sum up my own personal experience: “Motherhood is a choice you make everyday, to put someone else's happiness and well-being ahead of your own, to teach the hard lessons, to do the right thing even when you're not sure what the right thing is...and to forgive yourself, over and over again, for doing everything wrong.”  ~Anonymus And then, there is: “There's no bitch on earth like a mother frightened for her kids.”   ― Stephen King And finally, one I am sure my own kids would wholeheartedly agree with: “Mothers are all slightly insane.”   ― J.D. Salinge

Full Circle

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My heart is heavy today. Our community lost a beloved friend and artist early this morning. Fly with the angels, Mike. You've left a mark on many with your infectious laughter, warm bear hugs, and soulful art.  Never an unkind word escaped from your lips (not that I ever heard....). Your beloved Betty and family will be encircled in healing light  As only this desert community can do. How grateful we are  To have crossed paths with you. FIrst Rays of Morning Light

Altered Art Books...

This weekend has found me finishing up projects and perusing old files. I was ecstatic when I discovered the first ever photo shoot/slide show of a group of women I was privileged to photograph a few years back. The dozen artists spent a year creating altered art books.  Each woman designed her own altered art book with a unique theme and then circulated the book among the others in the course of a year. Each artist added her own perspective to one another's theme so all the books actually were complied efforts of the entire group of women. I spent one afternoon, the one before their creations were to go on display at the Palm Springs Museum of Art, photographing them in action. Inspirational. Camaraderie. Sisterhood. What a wonderful experience just to be there... (Please click on the link below to see the production.) Altered Art Books: A Collective Journey