Mojave Light Musing

Time flies. When you are having fun. When you are busy. When you are standing still. Doesn't matter - it just flies.... I thought I'd have all this time once my last kiddo left the nest for college last August. No such thing. I'm busier than I've ever been even though I had cleared my plate of the many committees and obligations that consumed me; only to fill that time with something else for someone else. I think my problem is there's just too many interesting things to be part of. And I can't say no.  "As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being."  ~Carl Jung Today is another blustery, cold day. My favorite kind because it means I get to hunker down inside and dream and think and sort and sift through stuff in a mindless kind of way. Toby gets extra treats. And I can drink as much tea as I want because I don't have to wait for the bell to ring signaling a much nee...

Yes, I am alive! Thank you for the nudges. What have I been up to these past few months? Graduated the last little chicken from high school Welcomed home a daughter-sailor from an 8 month deployment Taught a 2 week image printing class at the local college for our gifted and talented students Helped newly graduated son settle on a college for the fall and attended an orientation in another state Quelled through and prepped photos from over 130 artists for our catalog for the Hwy 62 Open Studio Art Tours (happening in Oct/Nov) Hung out with the 2 older kiddos in their habitat of San Diego (Thank you for moving there!) Took on a consultant role with the California Desert Protection Act's 20th Anniversary (back to my conservationist roots!) Planned a week long trip through the mountains of Colorado with 2 of my 3 kiddos for early August (Can. Not. Wait to go.) Cleaned out closets (Step 1 of becoming an empty nester) Hung out with friends Was awarded the opportunity for on...

Just a short post for now. The desert is far from bland and boring. Spent a few hours recently wandering among a rather vibrant spring from a mild winter. (More images in another post.)  I see potential for some new transfers. Perhaps patterns for sun printed scarves. Maybe a collage of quintessential bits of my mojave. I'm excited about the upcoming Hwy. 62 Open Studio Tours this fall. November 1 - 2 to be exact. Querencia. Finding strength from the open spaces. A quiet walk provides a lot of inspiration.

Yesterday, these blooms weren't there. Today, the little shocks of color captured Toby's and my attention on our late morning walk. The wildflowers make us desert dwellers giddy with excitement. Hoards of visitors from all over the world plan their vacations with hopes of finding these tiny beauties in abundance. Some years we are disappointed. This isn't a "banner year" but the fields, trails, rocks, crannies, and roadsides are offering some lovely spots of color - some soft, some shockingly bright. There are some species rarely seen. These 3 (blurry from winds and the limits of an older smartphone camera) are common and expected signs of spring, and they were simply displaying their delicate splendor off the side of our road. Flowers. Tiny, perfect miracles of life. Later on, I will go deeper into the park and surrounds in search of more....with a better lens to capture the intricate details...the higher elevations are starting to show. I do believe I need to ...

I am having trouble picking up my camera lately. The spark of creativity is buried underneath a pallor of human unkindnesses. Can't watch the news or read the internet or walk through the staffroom without feeling personally assaulted in some way. The world outside is coming alive with wonderful spring light and peeps of color. The air is warm and alive with happy chirps and the whir of wings as life gets busy making more life. But I stare at it from inside. Unable to move. Tears spill over without warning. There's a sharpness to my speech. Breathing is shallow as it burns in my chest. I feel like a thousand elephants sit on top of me. The only solace is my walking buddy, Toby, who insists on his daily walk - which we do. Most of the time. And I always feel, a little, better. I turn off the tv. I limit the internet to communicating with friends and family on "good things",  researching fun lessons, or playing a mindless game (or 2) of (dare I say it), CandyCrush. Bu...

Happy 'almost' St. Paddy's Day! I am going to slightly veer from my quest to present my photographic findings of what Querencia is to do a bit of plugging for a friend of mine. Bear with me. I hope what I share is enlightening to you - and if not, pass it on to someone who would appreciate these bits of Americana.... I'm all for independent projects - people who have a passion to preserve and educate as they also entertain us. Candacy Taylor. Creator of Taylor Made Culture. An amazing, energetic, inspiring and gifted woman with a passion for preserving our Americana roots. From the waitresses of coffee shops and diners to Bingo Halls to inner workings of beauty shops to female bull fighters. Candacy unearths and brings to light the fine details of what many of us have taken for granted in our daily lives. If you are a baby boomer, you'll remember those vinyl padded turn stools on a Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning after church - sharing a meal with family or...

Happy New Year! Happy Valentine's Day! Yes, a little more than fashionably late but I was just not feeling compelled to write the usual things as the calendar changed over to a new set of digits. No resolutions. No over-the-shoulder reflections. No sappy promises for plans of a fabulous whatever. I'm trying a new approach. Just do it. Dream it. Live it. Stop talking. Just do..... 2014 saw me turn 55 and will see me become an empty nester as my last 'baby' steps out into the world and makes his way. There is a lot of restructuring energy going on these days with not a lot of time to sit and wonder about it all. Time is fleeting and feels even more so these days.  I'm trying to develop the fine art of slowing down and savoring the richness of the moments presented to me every day as I also take advantage of a multitude of opportunities crossing my path. Dream it. Live it. Just do it. Nothing is wrong. Everything is right. I've just resurfaced from a particular...

However you celebrate, or not, during this holiday season - let me wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and best wishes for good health and peace of mind this coming New year. For what else do we need to be happy? It's all really pretty simple. Underneath the facades, don't we all just want the same thing? I hope you are abundantly showered with all that brings your heart peace... Last year's photos but one with all of us home. There's an empty spot at our table this season. To all who are far away from "home", let the waves of love envelope you during your time away....

My 175th post! Ah, the official beginning of the winter season cycle. With it comes the dawning of longer days as we make that push toward the Sun again. A simple post this evening as I hunker down on this longest night to reflect upon the past year. The Winter Solstice is about turning within, making peace, expressing gratitude, and setting fresh intentions as the horizon grows ever brighter. Some Solstice reading for you: Understanding the December Solstice Yule Rituals: Feeding the Soul, not emptying the bank account... December Solstice Traditions   (<----I like this one the best.) Be well; stay grounded; and appreciate always. Here's to the light....

Oh dear readers....thanks to those of you reaching out, wondering where I have disappeared to. I am alive and thriving and quite well - thank you! It has been a lusciously busy few months with more offers to exhibit my works than I have had time to keep up creating anew. Family and work life seem to take precedence over creative life at the moment. All great and happy challenges to have. You'll hear no complaints from me (save not enough time in the day, of course....) There has been an interesting change of energy in my day to day place of late. Karma come due. An oppressive weight has been lifted and I didn't have to do anything but keep my distance - and my mouth shut (Well, sort of...). Never realized just how bad it has been until that source went away. I can breathe again. And smile. And, maybe, I won't have to begin my days crying in the parking lot before I even walk in the door... I will leave you with a photo (or two or five) of some of my latest portrait sessio...

November?!?! When did this happen? Seems I was just waving my daughter off to sea one warm end-of-summer day and now - time to think about the Thanksgiving gathering... Usually this time of year I am out and about all weekend on the desert trails in and around Joshua Tree National Park. The weather has been, for the most part, outstanding. Perfect, crisp mornings - cool to warmish days. Beautiful skies with the occasional clouds wafting overhead. But. Other than dog walks each evening, I've been in my cave, making creative messes. First it was to prepare for the Hwy. 62 Art Tours. Now, it is to prepare commissioned works requested during the Art Tours AND for THREE more exhibitions - one beginning next weekend! Wow. Talk about dreams manifesting into realtime. I'm overwhelmed with gratitude. It is finally happening. I am an artist. I've always believed that owning art and adorning one's spaces shouldn't just be for the "wealthy" and status oriented f...

Oh my! What a whirlwind few weeks... The Hwy. 62 Art Tours were a great success for me - and my friend I showed with. We had close to 200 people over the 2-day event. On Saturday, we literally had 10 minutes with no one in the studio. Just as I was about to make us some lunch, another wave came in. Sunday had a steady stream of visitors with a much more mellow, relaxed feel. There seemed to be time to visit with just about anyone who wanted to chat and find out our stories even though our sign in log had 80+ signatures on it by the end of the day. I had fully intended to photograph every person who came by. I never had a chance to even pick up my camera. Yes. We were that busy. My favorite part of the day was talking with those who graced my space. Lovely, interesting people. Fellow artists. Friends and family members out enjoying the day together. Neighbors. Couples seeking original art to adorn their newly built homes or the walls of their offices. Seekers of new ideas themselv...

Oh goodness - between work and the usual day to day things and trying to prepare for our 2013 Hwy. 62 Art Tours  in my desert basin - I barely remember to breathe...! I just wanted to share a few photos of what I've been up to. It's been difficult to choose a focus for the tours - this being my first time participating as an artist. I had grand plans of sun printed fabrics and fine art prints and a pop up portrait studio and and and ...... SO, I decided to keep it simple. More importantly, I went with what I love to produce - the things that cause me to lose track of time when I'm playing with images and surfaces to print them on;  the kinds of images that speak simply to me. After all, art has an essence of its own. I can feel it when an artist gets too commercial and begins to spit out a multitude of works focusing on the sale. It lacks that kind of energy, for me, that makes me want to loosen those already-too-tight purse strings. I don't want this venture to be ...

Whew! After returning from my blissful week up the coast of California, my car was catapulted down the roller coaster track. I think I'm finally coming back up to the starting gate.... The past 3 weeks: My daughter left for her scheduled deployment to the other side of the world. Tough saying "See you later..." but I'm excited that she's excited about this opportunity to experience and learn about all the intriguing cultures on this complex planet. It was an emotional parting that day...especially so when I heard tiny little voices around me saying, "Goodbye Mommy! Goodbye Daddy!". The ship was lined with Sailors and Marines as they 'manned the rails' upon departing the harbor. This is one shot I took as she came under the Coronado Bridge flanked by patrol boats and a helicopter for safe travels out to open waters. My daughter is one of those white uniforms - except she was dashing about on deck taking pictures also.... This event was c...

Oh my! Where, oh where, did my summer go? I start back into the throes of school preparations on Monday so this post will be a short one. The following are two images from my summer workshop with Ralph Nordstrom - a wonderful human being and outstanding landscape photographer. I am not one who likes to sit in front of a computer working on producing my images. However, I did learn the value of understanding the post processing tools in bringing out the best perspective in what my camera captures. I also learned the value of patience and perseverance and not giving up too soon....  It was the end of our 3rd day. Gray. Chilly. Been up since dawn, looking for the light. McWay Falls is in a spectacular cove tucked under the bluffs in the Pfeiffer Big Sur area along the famed California central coast. There were several photographers, all set up with tripods and such, waiting to see if the sun would give us illuminating rays to brighten up the falls and rock faces before its final...

This week, I had the privilege of spending a few days in Santa Barbara with an artist friend and her son. What brought us to share the adventure was the Sketchbook Tour, a mobile library of art books - coming from Brooklyn and landing in Santa Barbara for a couple of days as they toured the United States. My friend and I had both submitted art books we each made so we thought it would be cool to see our own touring books along with all the other creations, like over 27,000 of them, traveling the country in the mobile sketchbook library. (And, no, we didn't even scratch the surface of viewing the art books in this traveling library....) Here is the link to the project:  The Sketchbook Project  in case you want to know the origin of this fantastic opportunity and, perhaps, join in the fun and submit your own creation. Art books are usually due mid January in order to prep for their nationwide tour. After the tour, they are housed, permanently, in the Brooklyn Art Library . For...

Took a night hike last night with some new trekking pals. The weather was more than bearable. The horizons were lined with receding storm clouds after having deposited some much needed moisture on our parched landscape. Here is a bit of what we saw. At the beginning of the trail, this....... ....and later on, this..... I never get tired of the light in my desert. Breathing space.

Ah, summer time.... Yes, I know I mentioned my next post would be about the pros of hiring a professional photographer. But I am feeling semi-productively lazy today - I'm working on it! My windows are wide open. French Cafe is wafting around me from Pandora . Thunder is rumbling in the distance. The smell of wet desert permeates the house. Heaven..... I was playing around with some ideas, spawned from my recent respite up the coast with my son and our dog, today. This was our first vacay with the pooch - who is a very energetic 2 1/2 year shepherd mix - mostly Belgian Malinoise with something else with a floofy curled tail and strong herding/snuffling-for-small-varmits instincts, we think. And I am very happy to report that Toby did exceptionally well on this trip - which means that we had a great time, too. There is nothing like spending time away from home in a place that resonates to everyone and everyone has a great time - simultaneously. If you travel with family or close...