Freshness

"I have always tried to hide my efforts and wished my works to have the light joyousness of springtime which never lets anyone suspect the labors it has cost."

~Henri Matisse

Lucky Duck!

 Since I got the new imac for Christmas (well, I should say, "we," because the whole family is sharing it)(and, I should, also, add, that I hope you're not sick of me mentioning it), I've been pretty steadily working away on my photographs. Now that I have the updated version of Lightroom 3, I've been pedaling fast to learn and to go through old photos that I had put on hold because I just didn't have the capabilities to finish editing them in the way I wanted. So, I've been 'stuck' in the office at 'my desk'. It's a temporary corner in our dining room - the only place that we could think of - a bit makeshift....

I feel no pain, though (except in my rear from sitting for too long, sometimes).

Actually, as you can see, I am one lucky ducky!

and, as I was downloading the photos, in the evening, I looked up and realized that I'd forgotten to mention the lovely view of my mother in law's home (aka 'Grandma's house') that is just a glance out the window to my right.

  

and, the last little bit of serendipity that I wanted to mention to you...

When Border's books was going out of business (I'm still in mourning), I picked up a daily calendar, on sale, from the Metropolitan Museum of art in New York City. I'd completely forgotten about it till a couple of days ago (which is why I'm only on January sixth*). What a wonderful source of inspiration, thought, study and just plain old edification. It's for all year long, of course, but the long winter months of hibernation are particularly the perfect time to add dashes of creative vision to the pot bubbling on the back burner of our brains!

 Oh, and I almost forgot to show you my perpetual cuppa**....geesh!
 (This was a quickly grabbed shot from where I was sitting. ;-))

So.... do you have any projects*** going during these long, cold, winter months?

*Jan. Sixth's painting is a detail of a painting entitled, The Musicians c.1595. Oil on canvas by Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi) (Italian, Lombard, 1571-1610)

**alright! I confess! I usually use a mug but the pretty teacup was right there and the tea made and I couldn't resist!

***Sure! Graveling the front yard counts. Although, not as cozy as I was thinking...;-)

Drifting

I'm still in the purple haze of the January funked dreaminess that I inevitably succumb to, every year.

I'm just a drifting...

and that reminded me of the dragon (played by the silly Ed Wynn) in Disney's short animation of 'The Reluctant Dragon'....

The Boy: Have you had any nice battles lately?
The Dragon: Battles? Oh, no, no, no battles. No.
The Boy: Oh. Oh, probably too busy scourging the countryside and devouring fair damsels, then.
The Dragon: Scourging? Devouring? Good heavens, no.
The Boy: But don't you ever do anything desperate?
The Dragon: Well, yes, I... I do make up poetry.
The Boy: Poetry?
The Dragon: Verses, you know? Care to hear my latest sonnet?
The Boy: Well, I...
The Dragon: Oh, you'll love this. I call it, "Just A-Drifting".
[sings]

The Dragon:

Just a-drifting o'er the leaves

Like a dewdrop, fancy free,

Playing with the gentle breezes,

Romping with the bumble beezes.

Oh, what fun! Joy never ceases,

Just a-drifting.

Now, for those of you who are mentors and friends with me as I grow with my photography, I do want to give you hope that I have the deep stirrings in me to get things in sharper focus and I, also, feel that I just might be over my f2.8 stage....

...er, maybe...

it's just that, at the moment, as I'm working through so many old photographs, I'm still...

Just a-drifting...

Januaryish

I am in my typical Januaryish dreamlike state.

I'm picking up the pieces from what went before with the dark and wonderful rush of the holidays and I've just been thinking...

How could we not help but feel the stirrings of newness and freshness with the light coming back to us a little bit more, every day? and as I think and feel this fresh sense of 'beginning again', I have a quote that is stuck in my mind that, I think, is so appropriate to think of as this new year is gaining momentum. (I'm sure that you'll be able to guess what it's from ;-)):

Alice: From the moment I fell down that rabbit hole I've been told what I must do and who I must be. I've been shrunk, stretched, scratched and stuffed into a teapot. I've been accused of being Alice and of not being Alice but this is my dream! I'll decide where it goes from here.

Bayard: If you diverge from the path...

Alice: I make the path!

 It just fits me in so many ways, these days. Perhaps, if you think about it for a moment, it fits you, too?

quite a day!

 I've been working all day on these glittery things. The new (to us=]) computer and beautiful new screen and updated versions of everything are making my life very, very happy. What a difference good tools can make! They are taking some getting used to, though. I need to settle in a wee bit. One challenge that I've been trying to adjust to is how bright my monitor is (actually, that's a long story shortened! ;-)) I've been fussing and fuddling with these glittery things all day.

In the meantime, while working on these, something on the bewildering side has been happening to me. An image that I've reworked - the icy window, in fact - has rocketed up to the first page of 500px and has been picked as an editor's choice. I cannot believe it! I just cannot believe it!!!

It's knocked any thoughts of what to say for this post completely out of my head.

Have you been to 500px? It's fun and a wonderful source of inspiration. (I, also, feel bound to say that it's not perfect but, then, nothing is, is it?)

If you want to visit me, there....

Jack Frost

So,.....well,.....hmmm! What do you know???

With all of the excitement, today, (WOW! Was I excited!!!!!!!) I feel like I need my pillow desperately!

I should say one more thing, though.

It is deeply clear to me that, at the end of the day, the warm words and praises from my friends and mentors means vastly more to me than any acknowledgement from 'the world'.

Goodnight, all!

=]