Country Corner

What I Did on My Summer Vacation - at the Zanesville Museum of Art

2011-09-29T21:40:00.006-04:00

What else? Created an environment befitting of Narnia's perpetual winter, of course!

The day I delivered this fine art photo "Winter Birdhouse" to the Zanesville Museum of Art, my car thermometer was showing 101 degrees F. It was an absolutely sweltering summer day. But two people at the museum, a son of Adam and a daughter of Eve, smiled and said looking at the photo made them feel cold.

The Ohio Show ran from July 23rd to September 8th, 2011. It was an awesome experience being able to participate in this exhibit as an artist.

As autumn begins and the temperatures start falling my way, I look forward to catching up with everyone I know in the blogosphere to see how your summers fared, as well as to meet new adventurers, like minds, and kindred spirits along the way in seasons to come.

Autumn Kaleidoscope

2011-09-05T22:10:00.005-04:00

Autumn scenery featuring the fall foliage in a Southern Ohio woodland as seen through the looking glass of imagination. A long way down into the gorge so that you could almost get dizzy by just looking. A drenching downpour of rain gave everything that day a soft and indistinct dreamy watercolor feel. This photo was taken way back in October of 2004. A special effect has been added in Photoshop to further convey the mood.

My reappearance on this blog signals the changing seasons with their pleasantly falling temperatures. As we move into autumn's beauty, winter can't be too far away.

And this blog existing as it does within Narnia, that's just fine by me ...

Treasures from the Winter Realm of Narnia

2011-02-26T15:45:00.009-05:00

* Disclaimer: Those sons of Adam or daughters of Eve awaiting the arrival of spring will not find it here in this realm. This is a flower-free zone. Lion-free as well, for it's not March just yet, at any rate! *

Due to a recent ice storm, all the trees in Narnia remained frozen solid and encased in ice or snow for two straight days. The ice took on a pleasing appearance of glittering silvery crystal.

The sun rose as though lighting a giant ice sparkler.

Another view of that same dawn from farther back.

Feathery snow-laden branches under a noonday sky of refreshing blue.

Enjoy the beauty of the season!

Go Light Your World

2011-02-22T21:34:00.009-05:00

"I hope you like your present this year. It's really not much." So said a dear friend of mine this past Christmas. Seems many of us find ourselves on a budget these days.

I assured my friend that in fact I loved the candle. It was green. It was vegan. It smelled good ... like " fir, pine, and an earthy smokiness from the fireplace" according to the description. So I kept my Christmas Hearth candle from AuntieDis Etsy shop right by the computer along with a lighter.

Good thing. The power went out this past Sunday night just after I'd taken dinner out of the oven, and my flashlight batteries didn't work. Ah, the simple pleasure of enjoying chicken, rice, and rosé wine by comforting candlelight rather than in the unsettling pitch darkness of a blackened apartment complex.

Better to light one candle than curse the darkness. And even better to give light and joy to a friend.

This candle came from an Etsy shop called AuntieDis, which you can visit at the following link:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AuntieDis

The photo below was taken by AuntieDis and shows the listing for the Christmas Hearth Candle:

Blocking Off Time ...

2011-02-21T00:59:00.011-05:00

.. as a chip off the old ice block, of course! Above is another icy abstract, a moment frozen in time transformed into an iridescent panel of art.

Have you blocked off time to be creative this week? Would you like to? How so? What would you do? Or do you find yourself frozen up against a creative block? If so, you may wish to take a little time off and think outside the blocks.

Here's the original icy pond soaking in the winter sun:

Enjoy the seasonal beauty!

Chickadee Abstract in Blue and Brown

2011-02-19T19:37:00.002-05:00

The above is my entry for this month’s Wilderness Art Challenge on a blog of the same name hosted by the esteemed painter Gary Keimig. Here’s a link to his blog:

http://wildernessartchallenge.blogspot.com/

While this challenge is mainly geared to painters, I enter fine art photos on occasion. I do my best to either make my photo entry look painterly, or at least very different from the original photo that Gary posts to inspire our creativity. In this case, “Chickadee Abstract in Blue and Brown” comes from a photo he posted of a Mountain Chickadee.

Participating in the Wilderness Art Challenge is fun. Anyone interested go check it out. I’m sure you’ll be welcome to join in!

Spring Cleaning Giveaway Winners for February

2011-02-17T21:19:00.005-05:00

Congratulations to the two winners:

Nancy -- you have won Springtime Vision!

Allison -- you have won Farmer's View!

Please e-mail me with your addresses, Nancy and Allison, so that I can send out your prizes. My e-mail address is:

the_phoenix_42@yahoo.com

Here's how the winners were selected:

It was a case of "pick a card, any card," doubled. Since there were only eleven entrants, I decided to choose the two winners by drawing two playing cards from eleven playing cards, with the ace being number one and the jack being number eleven. The first card I selected was an ace, and Nancy being the first entrant and first winner won first choice of photos. The second card I selected was a five, and Allison being the fifth entrant and second winner won second choice of photos.

Because this giveaway was fun and my studio still needs some spring cleaning, I'll be planning another giveaway. Stay tuned!

Happy St. Valentine’s Day

2011-02-14T00:33:00.003-05:00

Sending you greetings inspired by Mother Teresa of Calcutta. All the quotes below are taken from a book of her daily meditations called “Love: A Fruit Always in Season,” edited by Dorothy S. Hunt.

“Love is a fruit in season at all times and within the reach of every hand. Anyone may gather it and no limit is set. Everyone can reach this love through meditation, prayer, sacrifice and an intense inner life.”

“Let us learn to love in our family. In our own family we may have very poor people and we do not notice them. We have no time to smile, no time to talk to each other. Let us bring that love, that tenderness into our own home and you will see the difference.”

“Let us not love in words but let us love until it hurts. It hurt Jesus to love us: He died for us. And today it is your turn and my turn to love one another as Jesus loved us. Do not be afraid to say yes to Jesus.”

“Let us become real branches, filled with fruit, on Jesus’ vine. Let us welcome Him into our lives whenever He wants to come in. He comes as Truth which must be spoken, as Life which must be lived, as Light which must be reflected, as Love which must be loved, as the Way which we must take, as Happiness which we must spread, as Peace which we must plant, as Sacrifice which we must offer in our families and with our neighbors – whether near or far.”

Winter Stream on Exhibit at the Market Street Art Center in Lockport, New York

2011-02-11T19:32:00.014-05:00

Last Saturday, I had an opening reception to attend at a local art gallery … two states away, in Lockport, NY with snow forecast. My photo shown above, "Winter Stream," is currently on display there until March 18, 2011. Normally there are huge obstacles in my path whenever I take on a major venture related to art, spiritual battles like a last-minute illness or car trouble. This time there was simply a sense of not wanting to travel.

Good thing I went. Sometimes, it’s not about the art after all.

My photo was hung on the second floor. But it was the first floor painting exhibit I was meant to see.

My dad died some months ago. Just a couple weeks ago, dad showed up in a dream asking me if I was going to watch the stars. We had gone stargazing and watched shooting stars for many years, in the town of Lockport where both the dream and then the art show took place. The first floor paintings … many were titled with “Dream” or "Vision" and contained shooting stars. The more I walked through Andy Russell's exhibit, the more shooting stars I saw.

Below is a link to an example of Andy Russell's work. It happens to be called "Heaven's Window." And yes, it contains a shooting star ...

http://www.andyrussell.com/hwindow.htm

As Requested by Allison ... Heeeeeere's a Cleveland University Skyline!

2011-02-09T21:08:00.004-05:00

In the comments for my last post, "Skywatch Whenever," Allison asked, "How about a sky shot of the Cleveland skyline? Or the sky above the buildings?"

Well now. As a rule, I hate cities.

So this photo from January 30, 2006 is a real rarity. It's a shot of a sunset over Cleveland State University in downtown Cleveland, Ohio.

If you look real close, you can see the silhouette of a seagull ...

Skywatch Whenever

2011-02-08T22:58:00.004-05:00

There's a reason why I don't participate in the Skywatch Friday meme.

It's because I live in Cleveland. Which means, there's no guarantee you'll get a sky to watch on Friday. Better to just grab one whenever ... * grin *

So here's a sky from earlier this evening. Enjoy!

A Dance of Winter Sun

2011-02-07T01:46:00.006-05:00

Ice is filled with creative possibilities.

The painterly photo above shows just one way in which nature can be transformed into abstract art.

Here's the original icy pond, which has a pretty cool pattern in its own right as the sunlight dashes across its slippery surface:

Enjoy the seasonal beauty!

Groundhog Day in Narnia

2011-02-02T06:48:00.009-05:00

Dear Punxsutawney Phil,

You may have noticed the sounds of Dwarvish construction last night while you slept. Lots of shovels, axes, hammers ...

My Dwarves have hewn out a marvelously long staircase which you must climb in order to discover whether or not you can see your shadow to make your prediction about the six more weeks of winter or an early spring. Well as you know, it’s cold out there, and those stairs are snow-laden and treacherously slippery.

So if it were me, I simply wouldn’t bother. It’s not really worth the trouble, is it? Much better to enjoy a nice piece of Turkish Delight with a cup of tea, go back to bed, snuggle up under the covers, and carry on with hibernation.

Most sincerely and as ever with your own best interests at heart,

I remain,

Jadis

Queen of Narnia

Spring Cleaning Giveaway – This or That, Part I

2011-02-01T06:49:00.011-05:00

Two lucky blog readers will have a chance to win a 5x7 fine art photo matted to 8x10.

With tomorrow being Groundhog Day, many of you will be looking forward to things like flowers and warm weather, and envisioning scenes thereof. While the good news is that here in the realm of Narnia on my blog, winter with its lovely ice and snow will continue, at least I can get into the spirit of things by taking this opportunity to do some early “spring cleaning” in my studio.

How the giveaway works:

You can win either a matted 5x7 print of Springtime Vision, which is the photo shown above at the top of this blog entry, or you can choose a matted 5x7 print of one of the other following photos from this list:

Fall Reflection
Farmer’s View
Leaf Harvest Road
Road to the Shire
Springtime Vision

To see what the photos in the list look like, you may visit my Etsy shop at the following link:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/CountryDreaming

Then simply leave a comment below letting me know which photo you’d like to win. Two winners will be randomly selected two weeks from now. The winners can then e-mail me their home addresses so I can send out the prizes.

All sons of Adam and daughters of Eve are eligible to participate in this giveaway.

Ice Orchard in Pale Blue

2011-01-30T17:46:00.005-05:00

Mapleside Farms in Brunswick, Ohio has been a landmark for nearly a hundred years. For the past several, I've wondered what would become of this place with its apple orchard, reflecting pond, and wide open spaces. It was rumored that the land would be sold off to housing developers. In fact, some of it was.

This has always been my favorite spot to go for sunset photos. It's like stepping away from the overly-technological world for a few moments into a timeless realm filled with the quiet and beauty of nature.

The latest news is that Mapleside Farms has a new owner, who plans to both preserve it for people to enjoy as well as to open it up more for people to enjoy. I will simply hope that this place continues on as a superb haven for photography.

Paintbrush Dream

2011-01-26T06:45:00.004-05:00

The above is my entry for this month’s Wilderness Art Challenge on a blog of the same name hosted by the esteemed painter Gary Keimig. Here’s a link to his blog:

http://wildernessartchallenge.blogspot.com/

While this challenge is mainly geared to painters, I enter fine art photos on occasion. I do my best to either make my photo entry look painterly, or at least very different from the original photo that Gary posts to inspire our creativity. In this case, “Paintbrush Dream” comes from a photo he posted of the Wyoming state flower known as Indian Paintbrush.

Participating in the Wilderness Art Challenge is fun. Anyone interested go check it out. I’m sure you’ll be welcome to join in!

Team Turkey or Team Deer?

2011-01-24T00:31:00.007-05:00

Once upon a winter in the Hocking Hills of Ohio ...

Swooping on in, these turkeys are on a mission, fixing to look for some breakfast feed scattered around like hidden treasure. You've heard of turkey in the straw, this is turkey in the snow!

Not so fast, I’m a little bit bigger than you, even if I’m just a cute and oh-so-innocent fawn. Now skedaddle!

If looks could kill? No, actually I heard that this one poor turkey always has trouble flying in awkwardly and falling down when landing. Watch your step!

Throw Another Log on the Fire

2011-01-22T21:07:00.005-05:00

It's c-c-cold out there! Why, it's cold in here, too! A mite drafty at that, ain't it? But you can't beat the scenery when it comes to providing crisp, clear, snow-covered, evergreen-adorned fine winter atmosphere.

Took this photo down in the Hocking Hills region of Southern Ohio while staying at Painted Valley Farm bed and breakfast in February 2007. This unfinished cabin was setting in part of the innkeepers' (or should I say farmkeepers'?) driveway. I looked through one of the windows (there was no glass in the window, just a square hole in the logs) with my camera to get this shot.

Rustic life is surely the life for me!

How about you?

Tie Dye Twilight and the Wide Open Abstract Realm of Possibility

2011-01-20T07:10:00.003-05:00

A surreal white sun reflects into the waters of the Dreamkeeper Pond at evening twilight. The sky comes alive, glowing fantastically with the sheen of precious copper and gold metals enhanced by shades of electric turquoise blue stone.

There's so much possibility in landscapes like this!

Sunrise Surprise of a Bookish Nature

2010-11-04T22:31:00.010-04:00

Spent part of today listing items in my new ArtFire studio to try and broaden my internet presence as an online artist. The above photo, Dawn Kindling, was the one I chose to focus on and upload to ArtFire. This photo was taken on Kelleys Island looking out across Lake Erie.

Soon after I finished uploading the photo, a coincidence two years in the making happened. Back in the fall of 2008, a lady from a publishing house contacted me to ask permission to use Dawn Kindling in a textbook meant for young adults. As my payment I would receive a free copy of the book with my name listed on the Photo Credits page.

The book arrived in the mail today. It's called "La Salle - French Explorer of the Mississippi" by David Aretha. It's part of a series called Great Explorers of the World. My photo Dawn Kindling is spread across two pages and in the lower right corner of the image is an old-fashioned-looking paper scroll with the caption: "La Salle was the first European to cross the Great Lakes by ship. The first of the lakes that the Griffon crossed was Lake Erie."

Here's a link to the book on Amazon.com:

La Salle - French Explorer of the Mississippi

And so I'm published! Life is full of surprises!

Anyone else have a nice surprise that makes you smile? You're very welcome to comment and share ...

Following the Yellow Brick Road

2010-10-31T19:08:00.004-04:00

This photo, Wooden Fence in Munchkinland, was taken on my journey through the Land of Oz a year ago.

Adventurers who follow the yellow brick road towards their dreams are seen as bucking the system. Most people who go through the educational system are pretty much asked to set their entire career path "in stone" with their guidance counselor in middle school or junior high. This leads to things like concrete jungles and paving paradise to put up a parking lot. Students are rewarded for pursuing paths that lead to the typically corporate American Dream of climbing the ladder, and looked down on for specializing in things like industrial arts.

Meanwhile, rumors about budget cuts in schools always seem to appear, threatening to axe art classes altogether. As if art should be considered an expendable extra just because it's "fun." True enough, art has a colorful reputation for daring to be different, breaking established rules, and not always being profitable or utilitarian in the same way as cranking out consumer goods in a factory.

As an artist, the dreams that I have cannot remain contained simply in my imagination. There's that human need for self expression and communication along with my best attempts at the creation of beauty.

"Art for art's sake," as they say.

I only came to discover that I'm an artist just when the economy started to tank. But I was meant to be born and live in these times. Which means I'm meant to use my talents to their fullest in these times. Not "someday." Now!

My recommendation to you as an artist is to go out and chase a few rainbows. Follow the yellow brick road. After all, if you're a photographer like me, the trip through Oz should make for some great photo opportunities! :-)

On a Wing and a Prayer

2010-09-07T00:08:00.017-04:00

The above photo was on exhibit at the Butler Institute of American Art as part of the 74th National Midyear Show from June 27 through August 22, 2010.

This summer has been so absolutely crazy that I was not even able to manage a post about being one of the artists participating in the 74th National Midyear Show at the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio. Until now that the exhibit is over. In any case, I was extraordinarily grateful to be included in this national juried event, and hope to return next year too.

Being the Queen of Narnia means finding summers harsh and best left forgotten in anticipation of autumn and finally winter. The dropping temperatures seem to help bring improved health and a better mood. Yes, I'm already thinking snow! :-)

I say, though, this past Sunday I had an experience worthy of note involving a son of Adam and a daughter of Eve.

Sunday I found myself in a fancy Italian restaurant, mulling over life with its most recent summer adventures, waiting to order Veal Tosca with Spaghetti. Long story short, an anonymous couple paid for my meal.

Not in Kansas Anymore - Wizard of Oz Coincidence Alert

2010-08-17T22:37:00.010-04:00

This photo was taken on my journey through Oz last August.

This past Saturday I attended a "Meet the Artists" reception at the Westlake Porter Public Library sponsored by the Westlake Westshore Arts Council as part of the 11th Annual Community of Fine Arts Juried Exhibition.

The above photo was on exhibit at the Porter Public Library.

Before the show, I made sure to dab on some Emerald City perfume that my best friend had bought for me several months ago. Simply because for some time now, it seems that Wizard of Oz coincidences tend to happen along with art happenings that I'm involved in.

The above photo was on exhibit at the Porter Public Library.

And I have another small instance of this to document here in my blog. In the library we assembled in a room where you could partake of refreshments, enjoy a Powerpoint slide presentation of the artwork if you had trouble getting around or wanted to save yourself from a lot of walking, watch a portrait painter and a watercolorist at work, and listen to a piano player.

Well of course, one of the piano player's songs turned out to be "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." It was a personally touching moment. Just wanted to share ...

The above photo was on exhibit at the Porter Public Library.

As the weather turns cooler, I expect to be hanging around my blog ... and your blogs, more. It's been a real crazy summer. I'm looking forward to autumn ... and of course, winter.

It will be good to visit everybody's blogs again.

Splish

2010-06-04T00:13:00.003-04:00

There's some small furry water animal that lives in the Dreamkeeper Pond. I think it may be a muskrat. It likes to play hide and seek with me at sunset, surfacing, diving, sending up bubbles from underwater. The Dreamkeeper Pond is one of my favorite haunts in Northeast Ohio. Apparently, this elusive little critter feels the same.

I've been doing a lot of running around lately, from the Wiegand's Lake Park Memorial Day Open House and Market to visiting the Cleveland Metroparks to dropping off artwork at a gallery for a show that will open later this month. This weekend I'll be on the road yet again, planning to visit relatives.

But don't worry ... Just like the muskrat, I'll be around. :-)

Climbing

2010-05-17T23:26:00.012-04:00

Part of Psalm 84 from today's Liturgy of the Hours:

"Blessed the man whose help comes from you,

who has set his heart on climbing to you.

They pass through the valley of thirst

and make a spring there:

the morning rain will cover it with blessings.

They will go from strength to strength:

they will see the God of gods, in Zion."

http://www.universalis.com/-400/lauds.htm

The above photo is called "Upward Bound." It was taken on my nature walk yesterday at the Rocky River Reservation, one of the Cleveland Metroparks in Northeast Ohio. And on the celebration of the Feast of the Ascension, which seems fitting.

The one tree in front looks like it's about to awaken and start walking, just like an Ent going to an Entmoot in Fangorn Forest of Middle Earth, or mayhap searching for an Entwife, since it's springtime.

Climbing towards beauty, truth, and goodness is the adventure of a lifetime ... and beyond.

Hocking Hills Joyride with an Innkeeper

2010-05-13T13:50:00.010-04:00

Well, the search for the perfect redbud tree didn't happen, as the flowering trees were all leafed out and ready to get down to summer business. However, life in the Hocking Hills held other treasures fit for discovery. The first one being this Fallen Cabin in Spring Green.

On my arrival at Painted Valley Farm Bed & Breakfast, the innkeeper Luanne invited me to join her for dinner in town and then to go out for a country joyride in her van. Her husband was going bowling that night and she had always been curious as to how exactly I went about getting photos. I was happy for the company, especially as Luanne pointed out valuable scenery that I would have otherwise missed. The cabin and root cellar, for instance. I would have driven right by both!

First thing Luanne learned was that I do not just take one shot and leave. I stand there and snap away, a dozen, two dozen shots of the same subject, from slightly different angles, hoping that one of the shots will turn out decent. She was patient and also graciously volunteered to stop the van whenever I saw something worthy of a picture.

Root Cellar on Narrows Road -- This was Luanne's favorite find. Thanks to her, I learned what a root cellar looks like. It had been filled in so neighborhood children wouldn't fall in and get hurt.

After our stop along the roadside woods, we continued on our adventurous journey. Stopped in briefly to chat with Luanne's Amish neighbors. It was nice visiting a place where the music was provided by the family parakeet rather than radio or TV, and the conversation was quiet, simple, and friendly. I would just love to live in surroundings like this.

Wild Mustard along Macedonia Road -- Had been at this spot before a couple years back, but preferred the lighting on this particular evening.

'56 Chevy -- "Oh, CountryDreaming? Here's a sight that means something to me, but may not to you. It's a '56 Chevy." Luanne glanced nostalgically out the window.

"Turn around, there are people who really like old cars parked up on lawns."

"But look at everything else there on the lawn ... "

"That just adds to the atmosphere." Watching and listening for pit bulls or other watch dogs, I got out of the van and snapped a memory.

Windshield Wonderment -- After getting back in the van from photographing the Chevy, I swung my camera around to see the results but discovered to my amazement that I'd left it on in Landscape mode. This sight above greeted me through the camera aimed through the windshield and I gasped. Luanne started the engine and was just starting to move when I yelled out, "STOP THE CAR ... STOP THE CAR !!!"

"What, right here?"

"YES!"

"Don't you want to get out?"

"NO!"

Luanne stopped, bemused at the method to my madness, while I was grateful for her patience. She wondered why I was taking pictures of treetops through dusty glass, but fully understood once I showed her the results.

While I still miss the wondrous redbuds of yesteryear, I guess there are other things to see ...

Wizard of Oz Coincidence Alert -- The Eye of an Artist

2010-04-26T22:14:00.007-04:00

A fellow vendor at the North Coast Nature Festival this past Saturday strolled up to my table to chat for a minute, and I showed him a matted 8x10 of "Over the Rainbow." I explained that the day this photo was taken, August 25th, happened to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the Wizard of Oz movie release. Sure looked like Munchkinland in the Land of Oz to me!

The vendor, an old hippie with a white beard and a long gray ponytail who sold metal lawn ornaments such as buzzards, sharks, and wine holders, laughed a loud geezerly laugh. "That's Jerusalem Artichoke!"

"Um, what's that? Is there any special meaning behind Jerusalem Artichoke?"

The vendor got a strange expression on his face like he didn't want to hurt my feelings. Seeing that my curiosity wasn't going to just go away, he almost blushed. "They're weeds."

As he walked away I thought to myself how amazing it was that the eye of an artist could transform what others saw as a weed into a magnificently wondrous flower from a realm existing over the rainbow.

Then it was time to close down for the night, to start all over again on Sunday morning. And here I was, needing to get to Mass. I had tracked down a church in a nearby city and went there Saturday evening. Posted on the bulletin board was a display featuring the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. One of the posters was marked "Awe and Wonder" and featured a picture of Niagrara Falls, ... complete with a rainbow. Another poster was marked "Courage" and featured, of all things, a picture of the Cowardly Lion receiving a medal. Looked like I had found the right church!

Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny, and I was walking to the Rocky River Nature Center for the second day of the art show sponsored by the Cleveland Metroparks. I first heard singing and then saw ... a happy little bluebird fly ... for real. So of course that got me thinking of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

The matted photo of Oz, since it had now become slightly embarrassing, was left to sit at the very bottom of the stack, hidden and out of sight. Until Sunday afternoon, when an art major sifted through each and every picture until she came face to face with Munchkinland in all its glory with the Jerusalem Artichoke in full bloom. I described to this kind and smiling lady about how the photo had been taken on the 70th anniversary of the Wizard of Oz, and she replied, "Yes, I see it. Isn't the eye of an artist amazing?"

After the show, I looked up "Jerusalem Artichoke" on Google. According to Wikipedia, it's a species of sunflower with an edible tuber that can be used as a root vegetable. It was also part of a pyramid scheme in the Midwest in the 1980's when speculators encouraged farmers to plant it, promising that this vegetable would soon become one of America's favorites.

What can I say? Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain ...

In Search of the Perfect Redbud Tree

2010-04-19T02:07:00.009-04:00

The name of this photo, taken in 2005, is "Turning Home." It looks very much like being on a road that might lead to Hobbiton in the Shire of Middle Earth.

Every spring since I first started going down to the Hocking Hills of Southern Ohio, I've gone in search of the perfect redbud tree. And every spring is different. Even the same trees look different from year to year. And the feel of the air, whether it be a misty pastel oil painting or a joyously crisp warm sunshine blue. And the touch of light or shadow.

Then you realize that you are actually on a quest to dream the impossible dream, because what you are after is the memory of a moment in time whose proof physically exists only in the photos you took back then. That the road goes ever on and on ... and not back, because even though you try to go back, you are going forward in time. Such that past memory clashes with future vision in the present to form a double exposure of things as they currently are against a backdrop of things as you wanted them to be.

Last year my search led me to a dogwood tree instead.

This year is leading so far to questions. Should I drive allll the way down to the Hocking Hills on a round trip hundreds of miles long just to return to my favorite haunts where I know the redbud trees will appear however unfamiliarly? Should I even return to my beloved bed and breakfast for the occasion? (In any case, I would love to go any time of year even without an occasion just to visit the innkeepers who really do treat me like family after all these years.) Should I return to the region but purposely avoid the beckoning "tried and true" for a random roll of the dice on unknown roads? Or travel somewhere I have yet to have an inkling of?

Questions for Readers: Do you prefer vacation trips to the same well-loved places every year, or to explore something completely new? Wherever you go, do you have traditions you like to keep or things you like to see? Where would you go again wishing to find it the same as you left it before?

Unexplainable Discoveries

2010-04-13T22:44:00.004-04:00

Several years ago in Southern Ohio, I visited a place called 7 Caves. It was an awesomely eerie experience seeing a sudden burst of sun illuminate a giant "X" formed by two crossed logs hanging in mid-air with such an unearthly glow ... Especially given the fitting color scheme of green and black. "The Truth Is Out There ... "

Came across an engraved brass cigarette lighter, too.

Awaiting Easter

2010-04-01T10:24:00.006-04:00

This vision of April Soft Redbud appeared on a journey some years ago to the Hocking Hills of Ohio, on a painterly day veiled in diaphanous morning mist. I turned off the highway onto a small back road which led to a hidden world of beauty. So close to civilization, and yet my own discovery. You could hear the peacefulness in the drops of dew.

Horses grazed in a nearby pasture. One in particular came and stood patiently for me to get a picture. Needing to be brushed and dried with a towel, but still so cute. I simply named this one "Friend."

May everyone here have a Happy and Blessed Easter!

Terraform I, 2010

2010-03-15T01:19:00.011-04:00

This study in transformative otherworldly geography is a new fine art photograph of mine that I'm working on together with a series of similar images. The abstract closely resembles what you would see if you were a space alien hovering above a planet to be explored for the purpose of colonization.

"I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
'Cause everything is never as it seems."

~~ Fireflies lyrics, Owl City
by Songwriter Adam Young

Winter Birdhouse on Exhibit at BAYarts Annual Juried Show

2010-03-10T22:06:00.008-05:00

First posted this photo with its painterly look in early January to gauge viewer reaction ... Spurred on by the encouraging comments of many blog friends, I decided to enter it in the BAYarts Annual Juried Show with its theme "I Am There: Works that address the issue of place." The place here being a birdhouse both nostalgic and expectant at the Rocky River Nature Center in North Olmsted, Ohio during a snowstorm.

Interesting tidbit to keep in mind about following your heart when you create, and creating what you love. Artists were allowed to submit two works to this show. So I submitted this winter scene out of sentimentality for my favorite season, as befitting a self-proclaimed Queen of Narnia. And then I submitted another piece which was a more modern abstract that I hoped would impress the gallery. Funny thing ... BAYarts chose the one I love and rejected the one I thought they might like.

The art show runs from March 12 through April 3, 2010. Opening reception is March 12 from 7 - 9 pm. Normally I would post a link to the gallery, however the website is undergoing renovation as far as I know. So instead I'll post the address:

BAYarts
28795 Lake Road
Bay Village, Ohio 44140

Volcanic Onion Rings, Lottery, and Life in a Japanese Restaurant

2010-03-08T00:42:00.010-05:00

Okay, now this actually happened early in March five years ago. Going through my archives brought back memories, which led to a new piece of art as well, as you will see. Went to a Japanese restaurant and ordered a delicious filet mignon steak grilled up on the hibachi. Was amazed to see the chef create a volcano of onion rings, complete with smoke and flames rising with a steaming sizzle upwards across the restaurant.

The heat from the rising fire was so intense I thought my camera would melt. It sort of jumped around in my hands trying to focus on the light.

A wisp of hibachi smoke in jade green curled its way through the air, rich with the smell of delicious cooking. While this photo was taken years ago, I just came up with this particular rendering of it days ago. In reality, the atmosphere was smoky gray.

Now when you have hibachi cooking in a Japanese restaurant, they like to seat large groups at each table. Singles like me they simply add to an already-formed group of people.

The unknown man next to me was friendly so we struck up a conversation. Never would have guessed, but he was a lottery winner ... of quite a large sum of money. Told me he'd been in a lottery pool of nine people at work and had split the money. Out of the nine, only one had retired from his job to live off his winnings. The other eight kept the normal rhythm of their day jobs and quietly continued going about their regular daily lives.

It might have been that everyone seated around the hibachi grill with me was a lottery winner or somehow connected except for me. That said, the fiery feast with flames leaping up was what attracted the most attention on the surface, and everyone liked it that way. To merely enjoy the simple things of life.

Blue Bridge by JR Sell

2010-03-03T03:04:00.010-05:00

J.R. Sell is the artist who masterfully painted the image above called "Blue Bridge." He had seen my photo of the Hemlock Creek Bridge and I was happy to give him permission to transform the snowy winter scene into a brand new work of art in a different medium. He has the finished painting on sale at his Etsy store, and is also offering prints of the Blue Bridge. You are invited to visit J.R. Sell's shop at the following link:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/jrsell

J.R. Sell also has a blog over at http://www.jrsell.com/blog/ ...
feel free to take a look at all his fine artwork.

The Blue Bridge is just fabulous. I was comparing it with my original photo and the secondary painterly version I came up with in Photoshop. I just love J.R. Sell's version with its tints and spaciousness, and the way he was able to see beneath the surface of the snow to the rocks below. Having been there in the springtime and seen those rocks in person, I know he did an amazing job of getting them how they look. The true sense of the waterfall really comes through too.

For comparison, here's the original Hemlock Creek Bridge photo:

I've really appreciated having the opportunity to work together with J.R. Sell and hope to do so again someday in the future.

Memories in Bronze

2010-03-01T10:20:00.004-05:00

One of my earliest images of the Dreamkeeper Pond at Mapleside Farms in Brunswick, Ohio. This mirror of many moods reflects the nostaglic passage of time fleetingly on its icy surface even as a transformative thaw sets in. Change comes to the larger world too as snow melts along Dreamkeeper's banks and twilight dips its brush down to add a bold stroke of light to well-hidden hints of shadowy trees silhouetted within the pond.

They say March comes in like a lion. So today I will bronze what winter remains, to keep as a treasure.

Winter Crossing

2010-02-26T11:47:00.005-05:00

One reason I love winter as a photographer is that a world of white makes an excellent blank canvas. You are free to fill the wondrous snowy white with a dash of imagination and colors of your own choosing, or indulge in serendipitous discovery.

In the midst of this whirling snowstorm, glowing background trees hint at things beyond my realm, with perhaps change to come. One never quite knows, with Aslan moving about. This pool of water near the Wood Between the Worlds holds in its waters the colors of Earth. The bridge beckons to other adventures, in whichever direction you go.

Meanwhile, I will enjoy this moment while it's still winter ...

Barn Hibernation in Late Winter

2010-02-24T11:43:00.007-05:00

Another seasonal scene from Mapleside Farms in Brunswick, Ohio. When I'm actually out taking pictures with overcast skies, it's hard to tell what the result will be. So much depends on the weather and lighting conditions to set the day's mood. It's a matter of working with an image like a sculptor works in stone or wood ... bringing out the form hidden beneath the exterior.

Even in the deepest darkest winter, there are hints of light and beauty. These glinting hints reflect in the sky, from snow-covered rooftops, from finely-curving snowdrifts covering a sleeping land. An invitation to dream ...

Cape of Forochel

2010-02-23T00:19:00.003-05:00

Traveled all the way to J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth for my latest winter landscape scene. Found a fierce beauty in the twilight there.

From the Encyclopedia of Arda:

"In the distant north of Middle-earth, between the far reaches of the Blue and the Misty Mountains, lay a wide icy bay of the Great Sea. This was the mighty Icebay of Forochel (the name Forochel means 'northern ice'), which extended far into the coldest regions of the north of Arda. To the north and west, the bay was sheltered from the Sea by the curve of the Cape of Forochel."

http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/i/icebayofforochel.html

"The hardy and secretive Men who lived among the snow and ice that surrounded the Icebay of Forochel. They were said to have been descended from the ancient Forodwaith, and had habits that seemed strange and mysterious to those who lived in warmer climes. The igloos, skates and sleds they used were incomprehensible to the Hobbits, so that the authors of the Red Book's¹commentaries could only say of the Snowmen that they, '...house in the snow, and it is said that they can run on the ice with bones on their feet, and have carts without wheels.' ^"http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/s/snowmen.html

Winter Evening at Mapleside Farms

2010-02-20T23:45:00.006-05:00

Mapleside Farms in Brunswick, Ohio is home to an apple orchard, gift shoppe, and restaurant. It's also one of the best sunset spots in Northeast Ohio.

During the summer months, you get all kinds of people hanging out to enjoy the sunset. People who:

have just come from a good meal inside,
are driving by who stop their cars and sit in the parking lot,
bring a blanket to lounge on the sloping hill,
bring their kids to look at the pond at the bottom of the hill,
play golf and make life challenging for those of us at the pond trying to take pictures while golf balls go whizzing past our heads (okay, so far that's only happened to me on one memorable day),
take pictures when no golfers are about,
enjoy an ice cream cone ... although I'm not sure if ice cream will be sold this summer or not. Here's hoping!

Come the winter months, there's only one person fool enough to venture forth into the great outdoors to enjoy the beauty of nature. That would be me, the self-proclaimed Queen of Narnia. Any sons of Adam and daughters of Eve who travel here after the leaves have gone and before the apple blossoms spring forth all head quickly inside to warm themselves. I say, they're missing out.

Now that night has fully fallen, I'm home enjoying the quiet with a cup of green jasmine tea and a peaceful and appropriately-scented candle of apple and cinnamon.

Wishing all a cozy winter weekend ...

My Business Card Background

2010-02-18T13:58:00.005-05:00

The above photo, Winter Trees in Orange, offers a vivid glimpse of a snowstorm several years ago at Mapleside Farms in Brunswick, Ohio.

It was suggested that a softer version of this image would make a nice design for a business card background, so I had some professionally made. It's thanks to this business card that I've ended up as a featured artist at the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center in Niagara Falls, NY. I had left a supply of business cards in a display rack at the Market Street Art Center in neighboring Lockport, NY. Someone from Niagara Falls picked up a business card in Lockport so I'm now happily affiliated with both galleries!

One cool thing I've noticed is how different people perceive color based on how they react to the card. One person called it pink, another called it blue, and to me it looks mostly orange. I wonder what that says about the personality of each beholder? In the softer version not shown here, I can agree that much of the orange is faded down into shades of pink. But what fascinates me even more than the color issue itself is how people can look at the same thing and reach very different conclusions.

Anyone else have a business card success story to share? Or maybe a story of how you created your art seeing one thing, only to have other people tell you they saw something else? Please feel welcome to share your insights, adventures, and experiences.

Nobody Expects the Ruby Slippers!

2010-02-15T12:52:00.012-05:00

Amazing! Yet another Wizard of Oz coincidence!

On Friday, February 12th I drove up to the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center in Niagara Falls, NY. The Niagara Arts and Cultural Center is hosting a Women in the Arts Exhibition: Celebrating Women’s History Month "When All the Artists are Women" from February 12, 2010 through March 21, 2010. Four of my photos are on display at this exhibit.

Seeing the ruby slippers was so stunning I was stopped in my tracks. The slippers, by the way, are the work of Dawn Exton and bear the title, "It's Miss Oz to You." For the tidy sum of $1,000, they can be yours. They're made from leather pumps, steel, silicone, and paint. Methinks I'll pass, if only for the reason that my handmade wool green Emerald City Socks are far more comfortable than these spiny slippers look!

For the record, here's a link to the Emerald City Socks.

http://countrydreaming-countrycorner.blogspot.com/2010/01/wizard-of-oz-coincidence-alert-emerald.html

You know, I'm glad I've started documenting these Wizard of Oz coincidences in my blog. Otherwise, who'd believe it? And who knew this kind of zany X-Files experience would happen so frequently? And who knows where it all may lead, and what new adventure is just ahead along the yellow brick road?

Forget the Cowardly Lion and the Tin Man. I want Mulder and Scully on the case. Now!

Flown South

2010-02-10T10:51:00.008-05:00

This fine art photo, taken several years ago, shows a heron rookery in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Brecksville, Ohio. The Great Blue Herons have flown south for the winter, leaving behind a scene of still beauty in glimmering metallic tones of gold and aqua.

Nearby Cleveland, Ohio, just a hop, a skip, and a jump away was recently ranked number one by Forbes magazine on its list of America's Worst Winter Weather Cities?!?

Personally, I think there's some mistake, as a Cleveland winter is normally absolutely gorgeous. What the editors of Forbes * really * meant to say was that Cleveland is absolutely at the top when it comes to the best winter weather ever!

The crazy thing to me about the Forbes list is that Buffalo, NY of Blizzard of '77 fame didn't even make the top ten. Wow. I grew up in the Buffalo area, which more than likely gave me a lifelong fondness for snow.

So how do you feel about the Forbes "America's Worst Winter Weather Cities" list? Is your city there? Does it deserve to be? Do you like the weather where you live?

Enquiring minds wanna know ...

Hemlock Creek Bridge, Painterly Version

2010-02-08T12:52:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to see how a winter photo I posted earlier would look if I fancied it up a bit. The Hemlock Creek Bridge is located at the Bedford Reservation in the Cleveland Metroparks. Another reason why I love living in Northeast Ohio. Hope everyone is enjoying this glorious beautiful season today.

March for Life January 2010, The Showdown

2010-02-06T21:13:00.003-05:00

Notre Dame's appearance at the March for Life was itself newsworthy. The two banners in the photo above tell the story.

First you have the official Notre Dame Right to Life banner complete with the university logo and the phrase "fightin' for life." Approaching in the background you have a banner that reads, "Father Jenkins: Free the Notre Dame 88."

Who are the Notre Dame 88? A group of pro-lifers arrested on the Notre Dame University campus for peacefully protesting President Obama's presence at last year's commencement. Among those arrested was an elderly Catholic priest named Father Norman Weslin.

Who is Father Jenkins? Father Jenkins is himself a Catholic priest and the President of Notre Dame who bestowed an award on pro-choice President Obama at the commencement. Father Jenkins will not drop the charges against the Notre Dame 88. And Father Jenkins attended the March for Life!

Those interested in more information on Father Jenkins and the Notre Dame 88 may read the latest article on LifeSiteNews at the link below.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/jan/10012505.html

March for Life January 2010, College Roll Call

2010-02-04T21:46:00.017-05:00

The following colleges and universities deserve to be on the honor roll for their attendance and participation in the March for Life. What a wonderful witness from the young adults of America. We've already seen in a previous blog post a banner for Franciscan University, and have noted the presence of Notre Dame . Here were some other schools that I came across on January 22:

Princeton University.

Yale University.

Rutgers University.

Northeastern University.

Christendom College.

Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Thomas More College of Liberal Arts.

The final installment of this March for Life series will be the next post, on Notre Dame.

March for Life January 2010, Signs and Banners

2010-01-31T21:59:00.011-05:00

Members of the Ohio Right to Life contingent all decked out with signs. Love all the youthful energy!

Sometimes, unspoken words speak the loudest.

Waiting in the streets of Washington, DC for the march to get underway. The Washington Monument is visible way in the background.

Another powerful witness.

This sign showing Sarah Palin and her son Trig was carried by a member of Team Sarah. Their website can be found at the following link:

http://www.teamsarah.org/

Also pictured in the same photo above is a banner from Saint Francis University. The colleges did themselves proud ... there was quite a good turnout of students. My next blog post will feature a bunch of other colleges and universities in attendance at the March for Life. Notre Dame will not be included in the next blog post but will instead be featured separately.

March for Life January 2010, Catholic Presence

2010-01-29T23:32:00.013-05:00

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC rises in the pre-dawn hours on January 22. The Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, Archbishop for the Military Services USA, celebrated Mass here.

Three nuns representing Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate, Monroe NY carry a sign showing Pope Benedict with some children and the words "Hope and Trust in Life."

Images of the Divine Mercy and Our Lady of Guadalupe are carried during the march.

The Knights of Columbus from Chantilly, VA were in attendance.

Members of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property carry a statue of Our Lady of Fatima.

Next up in this series of blog entries on the March for Life January 2010 will be a feature on outstanding signs and banners. There were definitely a lot to choose from.

March for Life January 2010, Media Presence

2010-01-26T23:10:00.005-05:00

A C-SPAN cameraman attended the 2010 March for Life.

FOX News attended the 2010 March for Life.

EWTN attended the 2010 March for Life.

As for the rest of the mainstream media? Well, I did overhear someone in the crowd mention ABC News, but personally, I didn't see any evidence that ABC was present.

March for Life January 2010, We the People

2010-01-24T01:47:00.021-05:00

The view outside the window of the Upper Level of the East Building of the Smithsonian National Gallery of Art several hours before the March for Life parade began in Washington, DC on January 22, 2010.

This blog post begins a series of photo journalism articles that I am self-publishing dedicated to this year's March for Life. All of the photos were personally taken by me. The particular theme here is "We the People," based on the human interest angle of who attended the pro-life rally and parade.

This beautifully inspirational young lady and her father carried the message that along with saving the lives of the unborn, the elderly and the handicapped also need protection when it comes to respecting their right to life. Her sign was furnished by The Climb Organization, which you can visit at the following website:

http://www.theclimborganization.com/

A representative of the Eastern Orthodox faith carries a traditional icon. It was announced during the rally that in times past the Orthodox really had not gotten involved in the March for Life, however, they had decided to participate and make themselves known as a presence this year.

An Anarchist Agnostic against Abortion was happy to discuss his views with any and all comers during the parade.

These bagpipers lining the street during the march belong to an orgnization called The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property.

This man was hanging off the Russell Senate Office Building. As participants in the March for Life passed in the street below, he would sometimes bless them with the large wooden crucifix. As I was taking pictures, a priest stopped next to me with a cell phone and made a call to someone to basically report "Cross Man's" presence atop the building and ask what was going on. Sounds like mystery and intrigue to me.

Upcoming blog entries in this series will discuss such topics as media presence, Catholic participation and influence, outstanding signs and banners, and college representation, with a special focus on Notre Dame.

Winter Trees Sing to the Skies

2010-01-21T18:51:00.004-05:00

Trees adorned with snow and hoarfrost, blue sky adorned with puffy clouds, sing together in a glorious celebration of winter sunshine.

This was the scene two weeks ago on a Saturday afternoon at Mapleside Farms in Brunswick, Ohio. Such a magical spot there, always offering new surprises whenever you go.

Will be travelling out of town and look forward to catching up with all of your blogs again starting Saturday.

Wizard of Oz Coincidence Alert -- Emerald City Socks

2010-01-19T22:37:00.005-05:00

Several weeks ago, I went shopping on Etsy for handmade wool socks. I figured that rather than spend the money on several cheap pair at Walmart, I'd prefer to treat myself to one good pair that were high quality and made with loving care by a real person right here in America rather than by some big impersonal corporation.

Came across Mumma's Comfy Socks in a shop called BellaBlueKnits. Here's a link to her shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/BellaBlueKnits (The photos in this blog entry come from the BellaBlueKnits Etsy shop.)

The name of the socks sounded a bit strange, but the important thing is they were just what I was looking for. Or so I thought. Actually, they turned out to be even MORE than what I was looking for. Part of the description read: "This pair was knit with a color called Emerald City; a lovely shade of brilliant green."

Well, that settled that! With all the crazy Wizard of Oz coincidences going on in my life, I just HAD to have these socks!

But that's not the end of the story. I wrote the shop owner a little note telling her how the socks were personally meant for me. She wrote back telling me that indeed they were, because she had just gotten through knitting them and had listed them as available in her shop right that very day.

Wow.

Creek with Winterglow

2010-01-16T23:06:00.005-05:00

A cold beauty runs its watery course through the ice and snow of wintry banks. This is another fine art photo look at Hemlock Creek in Walton Hills, Ohio.

EcoRover wanted to know where the hemlocks are ... that I cannot say. Maybe they left the forest, like the Ents of Fangorn on the move. EcoRover, meanwhile, can be found here:

http://ecorover.blogspot.com

Winter Walk at Hemlock Creek

2010-01-14T20:35:00.009-05:00

A one-lane bridge spans a crisp passage of water through banks soft with snowfall. This was the scene last Friday at the Bedford Reservation, a Cleveland Metropark in Walton Hills, Ohio.

The magic of a winter creek decorated by a fresh-fallen snow.

Hemlock Creek winds its meandering way through the surrounding woods.

The grand finale: A memory of autumn brightens a winter creekside.

Birdhouse

2010-01-11T02:19:00.002-05:00

Remembering warmer days at the Rocky River Nature Center in North Olmsted, Ohio during a snowstorm. Decided to give this photo a painterly look.

The Queen of Narnia Hereby Bans Global Warming

2010-01-09T12:44:00.011-05:00

From atop this high precipice be it decreed that in order to save the planet, winter must reign. Global warming is banished. Let there be cold, snow, ice, blizzards, and all manner of freezing! Trust that these measures are for your own good, sons of Adam and daughters of Eve. Sooner or later you'll come to appreciate the finer things of winter.

Look here, it's duck weather!

Author's Note: Photos taken at the Rocky River Reservation in North Olmsted, Ohio.

An Epiphany of Ruby Slippers

2010-01-06T11:13:00.010-05:00

As today is the Feast of the Epiphany, it's the last official day for mentioning Christmas in my blog.

"Epiphany" can be defined as a manifestation. Wizard of Oz coincidences have been cropping up everywhere for me this past year. Finally, thanks to a dear friend who sent me a Christmas present in the mail, I had something physical to show for it ... well, besides some photos I took on August 25th, 2009 which happened to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the Wizard of Oz movie release. I'm still working on that batch of photos, and you've already seen "Over the Rainbow" and "Morning Pasture in Deep Emerald Fog," which are on display in Niagara Falls.

Before getting to the main action, the more memorable Wizard of Oz coincidences include:

1) Having a street person at Tower City look at my photos (which didn't include any Oz-themed ones at the time), stare straight at me, and sing "We're off to see the Wizard ... "

2) A few weeks later when I DID have Oz-themed photos, selling my first 4x6 matted print of "Over the Rainbow" at Tower City and then hearing the song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" as piped-in mall music an hour later.

3) Actually watching the pastor in a church do an impression of the Wicked Witch of the West!

So anyways. Back to the main action:

One day driving home from work in early December 2009, a Cleveland radio announcer on a classical station was holding one of those contests where they play a movie song and you're supposed to guess the movie it came from. An instrumental version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" came on and everyone was getting it wrong and guessing Bing Crosby. Finally, as I pulled into my apartment parking lot, the announcer told us that the correct answer was the movie "Meet Me in St. Louis" ... and then added that Judy Garland had starred in it. (Yes, the witch's Dorothy!)

Minutes later inside the apartment, I opened a package containing a set of the blank note cards shown above with the ruby slippers and yellow brick road!

The Cafe Press receipt read, "Wizard of Oz Greeting Cards, judy_garland."

Adventure awaits ...

On the Road Again

2010-01-02T18:38:00.025-05:00

As Dierks Bentley would sing,

"Pair of boots and a sack of clothes

Free and easy down the road I go ... "

Then again, maybe not. We’re under a Lake Effect Snow advisory all weekend! So I was wearing the boots and had a spare set of clothes just in case I got stranded in a snowdrift. Don’t worry, the photo is from two years ago.

Today I journeyed from Cleveland, Ohio to Lockport, NY because it was the last day of the holiday art exhibit at the Market Street Art Center. Starting Monday the art gallery will be closed during January for renovations. So it was now or never to pick up my artwork.

All the way there, I was picturing the framed photo “Mineral Water” and my plans to possibly enter it in another show or two this year.

Plans change. Walked into the gallery to claim the photo … to discover an empty space on the wall! Well, almost empty. Looked for my name, didn’t see it. What I saw was a placard bearing some OTHER artist’s name, and one of those little bright red “sold” stickers! Good news is, it turns out that my “Mineral Water” had indeed sold!

“Welcome to Narnia” was still there to pick up and take home, which I did. But you know, even if both photos had sold and I had driven all that way through patches of challenging winter weather (as in … Hey, What Are Those Purty Blinkin-Lights ... AAAAIIIIIIEEEEE, IT’S A SNOW PLOW ….. good thing the brakes are working!) … it still would have been worth the whirlwind out-of-state trip "there and back again" to pick up nothing, just to find out the news in person that Something had sold.

From here?

"Ain't no tellin' where the wind might blow

Free and easy down the road I go ... "

Say Cheese

2009-12-31T20:45:00.007-05:00

Simply delicious comfort food on a cold, snowy, icy New Year's Eve. Just right for a photographer's dinner. Spending this year quietly at home eating a grilled cheese sandwich, just because.

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy New Year and all the best in 2010.

Funny thing I noticed at the grocery store while shopping after Christmas. Apparently, the world has become so PC that some people are apparently afraid of offending anyone who doesn't celebrate New Year's Day. I was actually wished a "Happy Holiday."

Offhand, I can't imagine anyone who'd prefer an Unhappy New Year to a Happy one. So to you who celebrate, enjoy a glass of champagne, or maybe a shot of Kentucky bourbon, or a glass of your favorite non-alcoholic beverage. To you who don't celebrate ... do you even exist? ... I dunno, life is just getting too strange these days! I suppose as long as there's no "whine" with the cheese it's all good. * lol *

BTW ... Yes, the style of this blog entry is a tad different. I tried being a serious blogger all last year. Tried my hardest. Ended up getting too intimidated to write, a lot of times. In 2010 I resolve to have a lot more fun blogging. :-)

Who knows what new direction this blog may take? Life is an adventure ...

Christmas Quiz

2009-12-22T23:50:00.006-05:00

The above photo is called "Christmas Tree Dream" and was taken last year in my apartment lobby.

Picked up this neat meme idea from Jane who runs the blog called "I'm Downtown" at http://imdowntown.blogspot.com/

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?

Both. That said ... the gift bag sure makes life easier. Went to an anonymous gift swap where we exchanged unmarked packages. Someone picked up mine and asked, "Who brought this Charlie Brown gift?" Yes, the wrapping paper looked that bad! *lol*

2. Real tree or Artificial?

An artificial tree that I once set on fire unintentionally by lighting a purple rain candle underneath it on the coffee table to set the mood while I read "Moby Dick." The tree was only slightly scathed ... I trimmed off a blackened branch and a bit of tinsel.

3. When do you put up the tree?

Used to do it the first Sunday in Advent. Now I don't put up a tree as I travel at holiday time.

4. When do you take the tree down?
Used to do it on the Feast of the Epiphany.

5. Do you like eggnog?

Ick! No way! For several years I tried to force myself to like it. What's the point? Better to go with what you really do like.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?

A set of plastic Native American figures in action poses, back in the days when they were still called Indians.

7. Hardest person to buy for?

If they seem hard, they get a gift card.

8. Easiest person to buy for?

A dear friend of mine.

9. Do You have a nativity scene?

In fact I have two of them, a traditional one where the moss falls off the roof of the stable and a modern one with white porcelain figures. Maybe someday I'll use one ... Hopefully next year.

10.Mail or email Christmas cards?

Mail.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?

I'm always happy when someone thinks enough of me to give me a gift.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?

A Charlie Brown Christmas Special. Okay, so it's a tv show.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?

Whenever I see something somebody might like, provided I don't give it to them for their birthday first.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?

Probably, if it's never been used.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?

Sponge candy. If you never had any, you haven't lived. If you want to try some, get it from Buffalo, NY / Western New York. That's the very best.

16. Lights on the tree?

Electricity and I have a weird relationship, and I already burned one tree with fire. No thanks!

17.Travel at Christmas or stay home?

Travel to the Buffalo, NY area / surrounding region of Western New York.

18. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?

Yes! :-)

MERRY CHRISTMAS, and may God bless us, every one!

One Christmas Season, Two Holiday Art Shows ... Or From Narnia to Oz, and Back Again

2009-12-20T21:40:00.016-05:00

The day this photo "Over the Rainbow" was taken, August 25th, happened to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the Wizard of Oz movie release.

What a long, strange trip it's been. Ohio, New York, Narnia, and the Land of Oz. Haven't been blogging due to life being so darn adventurous lately, but in a real good way! Sure have missed everybody meanwhile, and I look forward to being around more ... it'll have to be a New Year's resolution!

Two of my photos are once again on display at one of my favorite haunts, the Market Street Art Center in Lockport, New York. These featured photos are "Mineral Water" and "Welcome to Narnia." The "Deck the Halls" Holiday Show runs from November 21st, 2009 through January 3rd, 2010. Been so busy decking my own halls, writing cards, and wrapping gifts for Christmas that just now do I have time to share this happy news!

You've seen "Mineral Water" before. An abstract image of my favorite frozen pond named Dreamkeeper.

Another one you've seen before, "Welcome to Narnia." Well of course as the self-proclaimed Queen of Narnia I must share winter's finest with the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve in the form of a cold and snowy scene ...

The other big news is, my work is also currently being featured at the Niagara Arts & Cultural Center in Niagara Falls, NY. There I have three photos on display. Namely, "Over the Rainbow," "Morning Pasture in Deep Emerald Fog," and "Stairway to Winter." The NACC Artists & Friends Exhibition runs from November 21st, 2009 through January 9th, 2010.

Somehow in the weird weather combination of strange wind that moved only the British flag while leaving the American flag untouched along with the dense fog on a fateful morning I began blogging about earlier, I apparently was transported to ... could it be the Land of Oz? Perhaps this is where the Horse of a Different Color lives ... in a field not too far from the Emerald City. Thought I heard at least one horse through the heavy fog. Didn't see any Yellow Brick Road, but something felt like a familiar adventure, so I followed that instead. And called what I saw "Morning Pasture in Deep Emerald Fog."

My very favorite season, as shown in "Stairway to Winter." Stone steps hewn out of weathered rock at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Northeast Ohio. The sedimentary glacier-carved rock formations along the Ledges Trail date back 320 million years to the Paleozoic Era.

It's Autumn in Narnia

2009-10-11T11:03:00.018-04:00

... and you know what that means ... Winter is on its way! Finally! Yay!

But wait, I'm getting a little ahead of myself.

The best fall foliage in Ohio yesterday was an hour’s drive north at an ominous-sounding Lake County Metropark called “Penitentiary Glen.” On the way, I looked for the entrance I’d found to Narnia three years ago last February … But there was a wedding party nearby, so I went on by.

Having no clue where the trails were, I wandered into the Nature Center to ask. The ladies behind the counter gave me a map. Someone remarked that this was a long way to travel since I was used to hanging out in the Cuyahoga Valley. I answered that I’d come up here before to go to the Holden Arboretum, and Narnia which you could get to from around here.

The mention of Narnia brought an “always be good-humored towards Metropark guests” laugh which was sunny, bright, and cheerful along with being skeptical. I was content with not trying to convince anyone. To their minds I was probably one of “those eccentric artist people” with maybe a touch of the proverbial absent-minded professor thrown in. Carrying a camera with a long dangling broken strap didn't help.

The trail worked out very nicely.

Driving home, the entrance to Narnia was open and empty. Two minutes later, a couple pulled up to see if I was having car trouble. They drove off when they saw me peering intently into the woods with a camera.

Mission accomplished, I got in the car again and turned on the radio. By coincidence, after changing the station several times, a song inspired by The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe came on called “Remembering You” by Steven Curtis Chapman.

And of course, I love the fact that it’s autumn in Narnia, because that heralds winter! Bring on the Snow!! Okay, let’s enjoy the autumn leaves first … But as soon as the last leaf’s fallen … Let it SNOW !!!

The Queen of Narnia has spoken …

For anyone new to this blog, here’s a link to an earlier entry that may help explain things:

http://countrydreaming-countrycorner.blogspot.com/2009/03/okay-i-admit-it-i-am-queen-of-narnia.html

Friday with the Artist

2009-09-29T01:00:00.011-04:00

Tower City in downtown Cleveland, Ohio plays host to an event called "Friday with the Artist" every Friday between 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. from May through October. Last Friday I had the pleasure to participate.

The nice thing is the people who sponsor and promote "Friday with the Artist" provide the display table and chairs. All you have to do is show up with your art, craft, or baked good ... the culinary arts count. Browsing at all the tables is quite popular with both the office workers and shoppers of Tower City, especially over the lunch hour.

You get to people watch all day long and meet lots of friendly mall walkers.

Tables are set up all around a wishing fountain whose water streams in time to the mall music. Mall music includes anything and everything from Yankee Doodle to Phantom of the Opera to jazz to the Skater's Waltz to Pachelbel's Canon.

I plan to return this coming Friday.

It's England in America

2009-09-23T23:52:00.012-04:00

It was a surreal morning surrounded by fog with just enough of a breath of wind to lift the British Union Jack but not the American Stars and Stripes. I was staying at a British-themed bed and breakfast at the end of August, the Blacksmith Inn located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Very eerie start to the day.

Off the beaten path, and on the path to mystery, a spider web gleamed in the faint light of morning.

The house through the fog seemed to make reality itself shimmer in and out enveloped in intangibility. Here is a link to the Blacksmith Inn's website:

http://www.blacksmithinn-lexington.com/

Looking out across the lawn into the realm of dreams, the mind conjures up a whole host of possibilities to wonder about. Beyond, adventure awaits ...

The Charlie Brown Craft Show Tent – Of Good Samaritans and Your Tax Dollars at Work

2009-09-21T08:54:00.004-04:00

To qualify for the vast majority of outdoor craft shows, you need a 10-foot by 10-foot white canopy tent. I called my friendly neighborhood Pat Catan’s to see what they might have. Turns out they had just one left … the floor model display, and the cost was a whopping … * drumroll please * … ten dollars! An awesome find, since many of these tents cost hundreds of dollars. “Hold it for me, I’m getting in the car right now and will be there as fast as I can drive!”

On entering the store, I heard far-off clinking metallic sounds. I made a manager aware of my presence and mission. Off we walked towards the metallic sounds. Surprise! A couple of employees were dismantling the craft show tent. “Hold it right there,” the manager said, “You can’t take this home free for yourselves. We’ve got a paying customer.”

The tent went into a box with no cover and no set of instructions. At least I was able to carry it to the car myself. I’m small-built, so if I hadn’t have been able to lift it, this saga would have ended right there.

This summer I applied for the Rocky River Fall Arts Festival. Kinda nervous, I called a couple friends to ask if I could borrow their backyard and could they help me practice setting up the tent? I brought them a cherry strudel for their trouble. But between the three of us, there was no earthly way we could stand the crazy contraption up!

The big day arrived. I showed up and explained my predicament. Someone suggested I could live without a tent since it was a nice day. Only, the mayor hosting the arts festival would not like that.

And so it took SEVEN PEOPLE working AN ENTIRE HOUR to help set up the craft show tent! Come to find out, these Good Samaritans included at least one financial tycoon of Northeast Ohio and several high-ranking officials in the local city government! I asked the most helpful one who he was so I could thank him properly, but he preferred to remain anonymous. In fact, nobody gave me their names. Anyway, I am SO IMMENSELY GRATEFUL to everyone who helped me at the first annual Rocky River Fall Arts Festival. Thank you! You know who you are!

Later on, my friends from the backyard came to help me take down the tent … which of course was no problem at all.

As for the fate of the tent, I’m planning to drop it off at the Goodwill store. The good news is, at least it served its purpose on the day I really needed it!

What If You Held a Butterfly Festival, and No Butterflies Came?

2009-09-16T22:05:00.008-04:00

In the photo above, a Wood Nymph butterfly focuses intently on a delicious meal of autumn aster. Picture taken in October of 2005 at the Holden Arboretum in Northeast Ohio.

Well anyways, the burning question was answered this past Saturday, September 12th. The Monarch Butterfly tagging portion of the Butterfly Festival on Kelleys Island had to be cancelled due to lack of attendance on the part of the butterflies! Apparently they didn't receive their invitation. It was also being said that as a matter of fact, the butterflies weren't migrating normally in general. There were also no Monarchs in either Mexico or California. Maybe it's this crazy weather we've been having.

Having looked in on friends elsewhere in the blog world and the Flickr photography website, it seems the butterflies are hanging out in places like Indiana (hi Mary at Faith, Fabric, and Photos!) and Georgia (hi ruthalice43 on Flickr!)

Link to Mary's blog post:

http://faithfabricandphotos.blogspot.com/2009/09/henderson-slough-part-1.html

Link to ruthalice43's photo:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ruthalice43/3912376500/

Anyways, it was a beautiful day to sit out on the porch of the new Kelleys Island Historical Association building and sell landscape photos while right next to me sat an author who lives on Kelleys Island and just published a book on the island's colorful residents from earlier times in history.

A friendly slobbering Golden Retriever named Zeus who was very old and allegedly had a "delicate stomach" spent the day following around with big, sad, begging, hungry, puppy-dog eyes anyone who bought a hot dog. It's almost too bad we couldn't have tagged Zeus and sent him airmail on down to Mexico or California, but that pesky ole dog was just too doggone nice and provided a bit of entertainment.

Market Street Art Center Members Exhibition

2009-09-10T21:29:00.006-04:00

Two of my photos are currently on display at the Market Street Art Center in Lockport, New York as part of the annual Members Exhibition. The show runs from September 5th - October 4th. The reception will be held this Saturday, September 12th from 5 pm to 8 pm. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to attend because I have a different event going on that day, the Butterfly Festival on Kelleys Island. That will be a whole 'nother adventure, and is always a good time.

Here's a link to the Market Street Art Center current show information:

http://www.marketstreetartcenter.org/shows.html

The first photo, Lockport Cave Raceway, shows the entrance to one of Lockport's best-kept secrets when it comes to underground caves beneath the city streets. Tours are now held there.

Here's a link for more information on the Lockport Cave and its Underground Boat Ride:

http://www.lockportcave.com/

Another one of my photos, Skeleton Barn, is also on display: A dark wooden frame framed itself by the bright glow of autumn woods in the Hocking Hills of Ohio.

Dream of Freedom

2009-09-08T20:30:00.004-04:00

Stirred by a wind coming down from the mountain and bathed in the last rays of quiet sunset majesty, a horse lifts its head. Soon the sheltering fences will find themselves enclosed within the folds of night that will turn even the blue ridge to a sleeping black. The horse will remain awake, to graze, and to dream of freedom.

This photo was taken two weeks ago on a quick trip to a Bed & Breakfast in Virginia, and to my mind made the whole journey worthwhile all by itself.

In the Middle of Lake Erie Grows a Flower

2009-08-02T16:52:00.008-04:00

Above is a photo called "Lake Erie Daisy" that I presented to the innkeeper of the House on Huntington Lane in gratitude for all her help with getting started in the art world.

A year ago today was the first time I ever participated in an art show. It happened kind of like the way things happened to Forrest Gump. You see, I had called up my friendly neighborhood innkeeper at the House on Huntington Lane Bed and Breakfast on Kelleys Island to ask whether she had a room available so I could stay overnight, take pictures, and look into selling some prints on the island. A link to the House on Huntington Lane appears below:

http://www.houseonhuntington.com/index.htm

Since I had stayed there before, the innkeeper knew me and suggested, “Why don’t you call up the Kelleys Island Historical Association? They’re having an art show. All you have to do is come set up a card table.” A link to the Kelleys Island Historical Association appears below:

http://www.kelleysislandhistorical.org/

Having absolutely no experience, I happily agreed. Long story short, I sold a decent amount of photos featuring Kelleys Island landscape and nature scenes last year. The most touching moment came when a six-year-old boy stepped forward and introduced himself to me because he wanted to meet a “real artist” and his mom had just bought him a picture I was selling of the glacial grooves so that he could hang up the famous Kelleys Island rock formation in his bedroom. A link to an earlier post on the glacial groove photo appears below:

http://countrydreaming-countrycorner.blogspot.com/2009/02/kelleys-island-photo-published-in.html

The event ended on a humorous note when my card table totally collapsed right at the end of the show. Some guy volunteered that he could fix up my table enough so that the Kelleys Island Historical Association might pay me $10 for it. At that point, I simply donated the table for free and was real happy they didn’t charge me anything to haul it away as junk that was messing up their beautiful island! You might say my art career began with a bang …

Anyway. This spring, the same innkeeper from the House on Huntington Lane gave me another good suggestion: The Lake Erie daisies were in bloom along the North Shore Loop trail. I was so grateful that I gave her a 5x7 copy of the daisy in an 8x10 mat as a gift at this year’s island art show.

Back for Some Splashing Cool Conversation at Ye Olde Summer Watering Hole

2009-07-17T22:08:00.010-04:00

This photo is called "Keeping Cool." These two horses were happily splashing around in their watering hole just like little kids. Photo taken at the Southern Cross Ranch in Madison, Georgia back in May, 2007.

What a long, strange trip it’s been … and the journey continues.

So what’ve I been up to?

Driving back and forth like a mad woman between Ohio and New York to participate in not one, but two art shows at the same time. Right now I have two photos on display: “Memories of Ellen” is up at the Market Street Art Center in Lockport, New York. “Intergalactic Scenic Overlook” … the photo that won first place back in February up in New York … is up at the Zanesville Art Center in Zanesville, Ohio.

“Memories of Ellen” is named after a childhood friend who grew up and moved away. In fact, this is the playhouse in her backyard. Link to the Market Street Art Center: http://www.marketstreetartcenter.org/

“Intergalactic Scenic Overlook” … as mentioned in an earlier blog entry … here’s a link to that blog entry:

http://countrydreaming-countrycorner.blogspot.com/2009/02/sky-is-not-limit.html

And here’s a link to the Zanesville Art Center: http://www.zanesvilleartcenter.org/

Worked on a short-term, time-sensitive technical writing contract assignment during the month of June. Long hours, but so rewarding to work with manuals in foreign languages from Spanish to Japanese as well as with excellent supervisors.

Feeling a bit under the weather with one thing or another, just now feeling like my old self again.

Attended a 4th of July picnic at a relative’s house. Most memorable moment was hearing from across a smoke-filled backyard, “Mom, he’s got one of the sparklers in his mouth …” Don’t try this at home. Even though someone else actually did.

So that’s what’s been up with me. I look forward to visiting blogs now that I’m here … Wow I’ve missed you guys! :-)

Question for Readers: So, how have you been spending YOUR summer vacation?

I Hate Snakes

2009-05-11T19:53:00.011-04:00

I love my Indiana Jones hat. I love wearing it on intrepid adventures, nature trails, and bird walks.

Magee Marsh located at Oak Harbor, Ohio, is famous for unusual finds during spring warbler migration season. As of May 8, 2009, I was happy to see four "lifers" (birds seen for the first time that I can now proudly add to my life list of observed birds): Little Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Nashville Warbler, and Least Bittern. As for photographic evidence, forget about it. My camera's only good for landscapes. And, as luck would have it ... snakes!

Something else I have in common with Indiana Jones besides the hat. I hate snakes! Now this little guy happened to be contentedly sunning himself along the boardwalk trail, close enough to reach out and touch. (Perish the thought!) Turns out I had encountered a "species of concern" called the Eastern Fox Snake.

The Eastern Fox Snake, Latin name "Elaphe Vulpina Gloydi," is relatively tame. Hence the concern is that its population is thinning, though it remains at this point an unprotected species.

As the Eastern Fox Snake slithers off into the sunset, here are a few websites for more information:

http://www.ohiodnr.com/Home/species_a_to_z/SpeciesGuideIndex/easternfoxsnake/tabid/6607/Default.aspx

http://www.snakeestate.com/cornsnakes/eastern-fox-snake.html

http://www.oplin.lib.oh.us/snake/fact%20pages/fox_snake/fox_snake.html

This adventure demonstrates yet another instance of going off in search of one thing and finding something completely unexpected. Sure keeps life interesting!

Questions for Readers: What's the most interesting non-bird that you've come across during a bird walk? And what's your most exciting or memorable life bird?

Flowering Dogwood in a Blue Clear Sky

2009-05-07T00:47:00.012-04:00

My first trip down to the Hocking Hills this spring was stormy and gothic as you've seen before. My beloved redbud trees were in bloom, but looking like pale ghostly laughter amid scraggly bare brown branches all around.

I asked the innkeeper to send me an e-mail to let me know when the trees were just starting to turn spring green, so that I could plan to get up at 4:30 a.m. the next morning, jump in the car, and make a one-day whirlwind trip back down there. Well, the day I received the e-mail was just gorgeous, but by the time I would have traveled to the Hocking Hills at least half the day would have been gone. Couldn't go the next day due to a business-related phone call. Got rained out the day after that, at least according to the weather radar at my favorite weather website, Weather Underground.

http://www.wunderground.com/

As each precious day went by, I knew it was less and less likely to achieve the perfect combination of redbud trees blooming together with flowering dogwood trees together with just the right amount of spring green new leaves on the hillside trees. But anyways, I started out Saturday morning, and in my previous blog entry you can see plenty of clouds ... or weird Photoshopped skies to mask the clouds ... along with the spring green and red barns.

Then suddenly, out of a blue clear sky, emerged the one safe parking lot to pull off in and take pictures from on Thompson Ridge Road in Laurelville, Ohio. Now Thompson Ridge is a beautiful stretch of a scenic route. Only trouble is it's narrow, winding, steep in places, and doesn't have much of a safe shoulder alongside to stop anywhere even when the beauty gets real tempting.

But the one gravel parking lot was enough. And it provided access to the flowering dogwood against the sky. The redbud blossoms were long gone, had long since leafed out as the flowers camouflaged themselves by turning like chameleons into the common spring green. But the dogwood was a more than worthy consolation prize.

What the Hocking Hills have taught me over the years is that you never go down the same road twice. If you try to go back looking for that perfect spot where everything came together last time for an especially-pleasing photo, what you'll find are memories of an ideal moment in the past alongside of a jarring present that doesn't quite compare because it's not the same. So the alternatives are to travel different roads, or travel familiar roads as if they're new.

Because life can still hold wondrous surprises and God-given gifts if you remain open for them. Like in Forrest Gump's world, life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get ... and unexpected hoped-for events can seem to come "out of the blue clear sky." Fascinatingly enough, while driving this past Saturday through the Hocking Hills, I heard a radio advertisement with a local actor pretending to be Forrest Gump. I like to think this fits a theme in my life, as is also apparent from this earlier blog entry:

http://countrydreaming-countrycorner.blogspot.com/2009/02/forrest-gumps-feather.html

Anyways, I went out hoping for redbud, came up instead with dogwood, and was not disappointed.

Question for Readers: Have you ever embarked on a quest looking for one thing, and found something else, a surprise maybe, just as good or even better?

Red Barns and Spring Green

2009-05-04T17:40:00.008-04:00

I made this first sky black the better to accent the colors and textures of new growth and well-tended farm buildings and fences. This pretty little barn surprises me with its beauty every time I see it coming up just around the bend of a winding road meandering through the hills. Photo taken at Laurelville in Hocking County, Ohio.

This particular hill at Ratcliffburg in Vinton County always reminds me of a gumdrop.

A grandeur of sky hovers over the hills of Vinton County, Ohio. The sky has been dramatized in Photoshop so I can better communicate how looking at the clouds made me feel.

I call this guy “Big Red.” Almost looks like a face with one eye patched, a loose nose, and a wide gaping mouth. Photo taken on Big Pine Road at Laurelville.

A quilt barn with matching wooly quilt sheep. The evergreen design on the side of the barn lets you know you’ve arrived at the Weaver Christmas Tree Farm. Photo taken at Creola in Vinton County.

Ash Cave Waterfall on the Rocks

2009-04-30T20:04:00.006-04:00

A primal view of the Ash Cave Waterfall in the Hocking Hills of Ohio. Amazingly enough, this photo was taken on the same day as the Gothic Spring images in the preceding blog entry. It turned out after driving around a stormy countryside for six hours that the spring rains eventually poured themselves out into a pretty waterfall. More amazingly, I had this waterfall all to myself. And the sun came out just long enough to give the day a happy ending.

Gothic Spring

2009-04-25T21:55:00.013-04:00

Disclaimer: I am only a humble blogger. I only report the weather. I do not create it. Having observed bare branches in Northeast Ohio, I traveled to Southeast Ohio, all with the noble goal of seeking out and bringing to you the loveliness of flowering trees and the gentleness of spring green. Here follow the results of my quest based on what I found on April 21, 2009:

This photo is called “Haunting Stormy Ohio Day.” It depicts intensely-changeable weather conditions on a back road in Vinton County, Ohio. All day long scattered rain storms would alternate with small bursts of sunshine. No Photoshop was used on this image. I know it's very dark, but I wanted to keep it as is to preserve the mood.

This photo is called “Spring Gothic.” In it, a majestic stand of trees loom in an eerie stormy light at Lake Hope State Park in Vinton County, Ohio.

This photo is called “There is Beauty in a Dogwood Bush.” When skies are grey, trees are spooky, and that roof over your head doesn’t look entirely comforting, you can still count on the dogwood bush to provide beauty. So remember, when life hands you a dogwood bush, take a picture of it. Okay, so the dogwood bush is pretty spooky too. But in a good way, I think.

To end on a small note of hopeful color, at least the “Ghostly Pink Redbud” trees were in bloom!

A Spring Bird Walk in Northeast Ohio as Seen by a Landscape Photographer

2009-04-20T00:31:00.033-04:00

The birds must’ve taken one look at the sun dramatically trying to burst its way through the haunting clouds and simply went back to bed. It was mighty quiet when we started out on the Sunday morning bird walk in Brecksville, Ohio. Ah yes, what a gorgeous spring morning ...

Every week you can choose a group to go with based on which direction they’re going. Today I chose the group going South on the tracks. You literally have to walk on the train tracks to cross a rocky stream ten feet below. If a train came, you’d have to jump off the train tracks to avoid being hit. This thought came to me while I was searching for Red-headed Woodpeckers one night after work. I was halfway over the water in the middle of the tracks and suddenly realized I had no idea what the train schedule was. So now my philosophy is that there’s safety in numbers.

Aha! Waterfowl! This being a bird walk, here’s the obligatory bird photo. Two Canada Geese, each with a watery mirror image.

The bird photo out of the way, I can get back to concentrating on landscapes. I had lots of fun with this marsh in Photoshop to give this image a surreal painterly look. The dark blue-black background helps bring out the detail of the golden marsh grasses.

And here’s a shot in which no Photoshop was used called "Bare Trees in a Foreboding Sky." Still waiting for the leaves … Wonderful spring mood, huh?

Another painterly version of the wetlands at the Brecksville Reservation in the Cleveland Metroparks.

Woohoo! Flowers at last. Okay, so the daffodils are set against a spooky Northeast Ohio April hillside. But they’re still flowers. Bright and cheerful, aren’t they?

And to end on a birdwatching-related note, here’s a tree with a lived-in look. I call it "Woodpecker Totem Pole." Many a woodpecker appears to have called this place home.

Please Note: I will be away until late Wednesday night or Thursday morning. I look forward to visiting your blogs on my return!

Endurance

2009-04-17T00:01:00.007-04:00

"Endurance is nobler than strength and patience than beauty." -- John Ruskin

Having lasted through the winter atop this rugged peak of the Grayson Highlands, this blueberry bush will grow fruit again come summer. Photo taken near Mt. Rogers in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia in May of 2007.

In fact, this image comes from the same adventure-laden day filled with rascally wild horses and eccentric married couples with dogs as described in an earlier blog entry.

Yet there's a different mood here. Of climbing. Of overcoming. Of getting near the top and still not quite seeing hoped-for results just yet, and of wondering. What exactly would the blueberry bush look like all decked out in its finery of leaf and fruit? What would the taste of these wild berries be? Would it be possible to take some back down to the more comfortable life of home, to make jam and pie? Has the climb been worth it, for a glimpse of bare branches? Do they in fact hold a beauty and message of their own?

And would there be any wild horses on the return trip hoping for a handout?

Does your life sometimes feel like this?

Let It Snow!

2009-04-06T22:40:00.005-04:00

You are invited in this photo to walk the path of silent, majestic fresh-fallen snow leading to a realm of winter wonder. Enjoy the peacefulness of fresh-fallen snow at Tinkers Creek Gorge Scenic Overlook in the Cleveland Metroparks of Northeast Ohio. This photo, called "Snowfall Symmetry," was on display this past December 2008 at the Market Street Art Center in Lockport, NY as part of their "Off the Walls" exhibit.

I, Queen of Narnia, do hereby decree that winter is once again back in session!

At least in the realm surrounding Cleveland, Ohio. It's snowing, and I'm loving it!

Last night I drifted off to sleep happily to the sound of hail, for that meant ice. Today I awoke even more pleasantly to actual snowflakes drifting down, and the longer the day wore on, the heavier the snowfall became and the stormier it got. Beautiful bracing invigorating weather, cold and refreshing ...

In honor of the weather, I decided to feature some winter photos today in my Etsy shop. While many no doubt are all intent on spring and flowers, there had to be SOMEONE else out there who appreciates the finer points of glorious white winter, regardless of whatever the calendar may say. In any case, I knew I would enjoy seeing snow-laden images again.

And the good news is, one of my winter wonderland photos sold today.

Here's hoping for more snow tomorrow. And the next day ...

Why I’m a Photographer, Not a Painter

2009-03-31T00:40:00.018-04:00

My first acrylic abstract painting, or attempt at one. A work in progress, maybe?

Remind me to think twice before attending an acrylic abstract painting workshop when I'm feeling under the weather. My first painting to my mind ended up looking like lavender almost-floral wallpaper with a dash of blackberry jam thrown in!

Okay, so it was totally exciting when a checklist of art supplies came in the mail beforehand listing everything I’d need from canvas to paint tubes to some weird substance called “gesso” to a spray bottle to paint brushes to pallet to pallet knives to rags. The glistening white canvas sparkled with creative freedom in all its glorious possibilities …

Then came the big day, this past Saturday. The instructor was a personable professional artist named Mel Grunau who assured us that we could paint however we liked, that there was no right or wrong. Well, that was before he saw me in action, creating what passed in my opinion for attempted art … as opposed to actual, real art.

Anyways, Mr. Grunau gave a demonstration of laying down colors and water on canvas. What fascinated me was that you didn’t even need a brush to start painting. As long as paint hit the white target somehow or other, it was all good. So I carefully picked out my three favorite colors of Brilliant Purple, Chromium Oxide Green, and Cobalt Blue, and was all set to make a masterpiece!

Meanwhile, there were several other acrylic abstract students at the workshop, all female. Most had previous painting experience. One shy soul coyly claimed that this was her first time, but once she got going, I was skeptical. Either she had beginner’s luck or massive raw talent, but this particular lady in my estimation already looked to be professional enough to exhibit and win awards right now. Maybe she had drawn or painted in other mediums like oil or watercolor and meant that she was only new to acrylic paints. Anyways …

Here’s how I wound up being different from the other workshop attendees:

Everyone else used paint brushes. I used torn up pieces of cardboard with a flat edge. Apparently, everyone else was afraid of getting their hands dirty. Me, I was afraid of getting my brushes dirty. My hands were covered in paint to the point that I might have almost been doing finger painting.
Everyone else felt the need to put recognizable representational objects or at least easily-guessable symbols into their work, such as flowers in a vase, a clearly-defined beach horizon, or a dreamy image showing what some called koi fish and I called red parrots. Me, I was happy to stick with colors I liked and primitive hints of geometric shapes.

When I thought I was done, I let myself be talked into adding violet splotches to my painting. Personally, now that I look at it, I'm not sure I like them. Maybe I'll paint over them.

Questions for Readers: Have you ever attended a workshop, art or otherwise, and found yourself different somehow from everybody else there? How did this affect your learning? Or on the other hand, have you ever attended a workshop, fit right in, and taken to learning the skill as easily as a duck to water? Do you enjoy hobbies best in formal groups, with friends or family, or on your own?

Borders

2009-03-20T23:04:00.004-04:00

Between winter and spring, day and night, water and land, dead plants and new growth, shadows and light ... there are borders all along the edges of the Dreamkeeper Pond in Northeast Ohio.

Spring is here. What new adventures await?

Erin Go Bragh

2009-03-17T00:16:00.003-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! This is a photo of Ilnacullin, also called Garinish Island, located in County Cork, Ireland. I visited here on my birthday years ago. Photo taken in 1991.

Wild Horses Couldn’t Keep Me from the Top of the World, But One Bit Me on the Way

2009-03-13T00:12:00.022-04:00

A herd of wild horses lives at Massie Gap in Grayson Highlands State Park near Mount Rogers in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

May 6, 2007. There had been signs, of course. “Do not feed or harass the ponies.” Good enough. I was content to take pictures from a distance. So it was entirely thrilling and every little girl’s dream when the ponies caught sight of me and came trotting right up. Wow … I must be special, they must really like me, I thought. My mistake!

A real cutie representing the wild horses welcoming committee moved in close and grabbed my jacket pocket with his teeth. Nothing in there but camera batteries. Apparently, he was looking for an apple. Apparently, many people disregarded the signs and brought snacks for the ponies. So the horses were not only used to handouts, but demanded them.

Perhaps thinking I was hiding a treat, the horse began tugging at my jacket as though trying to take it off me and steal it, the better to rummage through my pockets at his leisure. Eventually he gave up. I took a picture of him, as shown below. Maybe not the best angle, but then, I was trying to avoid the business end of his teeth.

“Careful … I bite!”

I decided to saunter back down the trail the way I’d come and head to the safety of the parking lot, even though this meant I wouldn’t get anywhere near the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

It was then that I met a feisty little old German lady, her American husband, and their dog. They looked safe enough, so I decided to walk with them. “The horses been giving you trouble?” The woman bent down, picked up a piece of wood in one hand, and tapped it meaningfully against the palm of her other hand. “Here … If they come close again, I’ll drive them away with this stick!” Her pronunciation of the final word came out sounding like “shtick.”

She then proceeded to walk at lightning-fast speed along the trail, with her husband, dog, and me struggling to keep up. I admired her excellent physical shape. Her husband was having trouble keeping the pace because he was hobbling along on a broken foot. The dog had a tough time due to being a small little thing whom the horses had a habit of chasing around. I had trouble because the elevation was about 6,000 feet, and I don’t breathe well at any hint whatsoever of high altitude.

The injured husband, by the way, was going all out to prove how manly he was. When the wife would ask whether the hike was getting to be too much and should we turn back, he would gruffly insist that we all keep going. Plus, he made sure to choose the hardest, rockiest portion of the trail, on purpose! When I discovered that this couple’s plan was, along with “climbing two or three mountains that day,” climbing a very steep forbidding one right in front of me, I told them I’d wait for them down at the bottom.

Waiting all alone down at the bottom started to feel scary, even if I was on a well-traveled portion of the Appalachian Trail. So fortunately, another couple with a dog came to my rescue … Or so I thought.

This second couple was just as quirky and unusual as the first. They were younger. The man was a lawyer, the woman some sort of accounting type, and the dog was a certified bloodhound. They explained that they had lived right in the area for many years. So I found it quite surprising when the man disappeared on up the trail and his wife started acting like she was lost. It was then up to me, who had never been on the trail in my life, to point out the trail marker and encourage her so we wouldn’t get lost.

Eventually though, we reached some sort of summit at Massie Gap near Mt. Rogers. Here’s a picture of me sitting on top of the world.

The above photo of me was taken by some guy I met on the Appalachian Trail along with his wife and their bloodhound named Birddog. He was kind enough to welcome me to North Carolina even though we were in Virginia. :-)

Colors of Nature’s Winter Drama When There Is No Snow

2009-03-10T23:17:00.008-04:00

The above photo taken last week at Mapleside Farms in Brunswick, Ohio is called “Cattails and Maples at the Apple Orchard” and carries on another wintertime tradition of mine involving adding color to the season in the absence of snow.

Small scraggly magenta apple trees and looming dark maples reach into a blue ethereal evening while cattails stand softly attentive like spun gold straw in a fairy tale awaiting the arrival of a hero.

Below is the original photo.

This version is rather ghostly, a washed-out web of lines of twilight time.

Okay, I Admit It – I Am the Queen of Narnia!

2009-03-07T00:06:00.014-05:00

There is a whole lot of blogging going on by sons of Adam and daughters of Eve about how they simply cannot wait for the arrival of spring. The first day of spring for 2009 is March 20th. Currently, it is only March 7th. That gives us a lucky 13 days to enjoy the continuing majesty of winter!

I mean, how can you not love the barrenness of this tree??

All right, so maybe some of the natives are getting restless. These deer are really battling it out ... over a tiny pile of breakfast feed!

Now we all know the warning about March, how it comes in like a lion. We also know how dangerous lions can be. I say, we should all just enjoy the snow, live happily ever after in our never-ending winter, and have a nice piece of Turkish Delight.

Feel welcome to leave a comment in my winter realm. Keep in mind that anyone mentioning spring, flowers, or lions just may find themselves turned into a statue of ice!

Twilight Tranquility

2009-03-05T01:48:00.008-05:00

Snow and ice are very much in evidence here still covering up the pond, though it's pretty much melted off the grass in Northeast Ohio, at least for now.

A couple of contemplative cattails salute the setting sun.

Of the many moods of the Dreamkeeper Pond at Mapleside Farms, peacefulness ranks high and comes in a variety of colors. Yesterday evening featured a wintry blending of peach-orange, brown, and grey.

Landscape Photography Tip for Free Spirits -- Go Somewhere You Never Thought of Before

2009-03-02T23:53:00.010-05:00

People visiting the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee tend to head straight for Cades Cove. Sure is a beautiful place with grand majestic scenery, and so deemed a popular must-see according to the locals as well as many internet travel websites.

That said, I prefer going off the beaten track to areas about as far away from the main highways and byways as you can get. Reason being?

Well, at Cades Cove, if you’re “lucky,” you might catch sight of a black dot that’s really a bear a mile away across the field. Just about then all the cars stop to experience the excitement. Doors open. Little kids come piling out. Big kids (otherwise known as adults) come piling out. There are cameras and binoculars galore. There is much rejoicing. You’re happy to see everybody else happy. And there’s absolutely no way you can continue your driving tour around the Cove until the first car in this parade finally decides to try and spot another black dot farther down the road.

Note: I haven’t quite yet made up my mind as to whether it would be a good thing or a bad thing to meet up with a bear at closer-than-black-dot range. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

But anyways. If you stick to Cades Cove, you won’t see the cattle stampede that surprised the heck out of me one sizzling June day in wonderfully quiet Walland, TN.

This was a completely lucky shot, which means, the quality was also pot luck. While I was calmly shooting barn scenes, all at once I heard the ground to my right start thundering. I swung my camera around, blinded by the noonday sun, and took my best guesses at shooting. As for the focus, keep in mind that these are cattle in motion running down a hill and kicking up clouds of dust.

That’s why I prefer the small back roads of Blount County, Tennessee.

Summer stretches out the challenge of an open, untraveled road to adventure. Please note that I added the effect of storm clouds in Photoshop. Originally, it was a hazily gorgeous blue-sky day with no clouds in sight.

No matter where you live, there are bound to be possible places of inspiration and interest with something to offer for everyone. The ideas I’m listing below come largely based on my photo expeditions in and around Northeast Ohio, and any links I offer will reflect as much. That said, I’ll bet you can find similar opportunities for whatever area you live in. If not, you’re more than welcome to visit Ohio – it’s really a pretty cool place.

Arboretum http://www.holdenarb.org/home/HoldenCrossbills.asp

Beach

Bird Walk

Botanical Gardens http://www.cbgarden.org/

Horseback Riding http://www.heartlandcountryresort.com/thestables.html

Group Hiking Event

Local Farm Open to the Public http://www.mapleside.com/

Historical Reenactment Activity http://www.wrhs.org/index.php/hale

Local Park

Railroad Station

Out for a Drive in the Country

Your Own Backyard

The Zoo http://www.clemetzoo.com/

Now then. If curiosity gets the better of you or you simply just feel like it, go right on ahead to Cades Cove, Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, or whatever other tourist spot strikes your fancy. As a free spirit, you’re entitled!

Question for Readers: Do you have a favorite spot off the beaten path, a road less traveled, that you’d like to share? Feel free to leave a comment.

Kelleys Island Photo Published in Lakeland Boating Magazine

2009-02-26T21:55:00.009-05:00

As February ends, I just received in the mail some copies of this month’s issue of Lakeland Boating Magazine. Page 41 contains a photo I took on Kelleys Island called “Glacial Grooves."

The original photo was taken in May of 2005. What amazed me was how the striped pattern in the clouds matched the rock formation directly below.

Getting the shot was a matter of timing where I had to hold my breath. Reason being, when I first saw the cloud formation hovering over the rock formation, a family with small children was just starting to make its way around …allll the way around … verrrrrrry slowllllly around … the entire walkway surrounding the glacial grooves. Now that rock formation had been around for 30,000 years since the ice age that carved it, but cloud formations vanish into thin air instantly and without warning. So patiently I waited, at least outwardly. Inwardly I was thinking, “Come on, comeon, comeon, comeon, hurry, hurry hurry, please, please, please!”

The family finally reached the end of their groovy tour. No sooner had they stepped down and past me that I snapped my camera shutter and caught the shot. Good thing too. The cloud formation changed shape and floated away within ten seconds.

For more information on the Glacial Grooves of Kelleys Island, here are two websites you can visit:

http://www.hollianneholmes.com/glacialgrooves/

http://www.kelleysislandhistorical.org/island_places/glacial_grooves.htm

And for more information on Lakeland Boating Magazine, please follow the link below:

http://www.lakelandboating.com/

Question for Readers: Do you have any photos that you snapped just in the nick of time? Where everything came together perfectly? Have you had any photos published in a magazine, or do you plan to? Please feel welcome to leave a comment and share your experiences.

Ash Wednesday Abstract

2009-02-25T06:55:00.005-05:00

This photo, taken in March of 2005, is called "A Wisp of Hibachi Smoke." In this image, a lingering trail of cooking smoke curls its way across a Japanese restaurant.

Winter Sunset at the Dreamkeeper Pond

2009-02-20T18:28:00.011-05:00

Cattails like paint brushes reach up through evening glimpses of muted light and cold color towards a charcoal watercolor sky.

Cattails along the ice-covered Dreamkeeper Pond bask in the last falling rays of an evenstar.

A magnificent ending.

These three photos were all taken on the same day at Mapleside Farms in Brunswick, Ohio.

Being a landscape photographer in Northeast Ohio can mean standing for a whole hour in mud that cakes around your boots up to your ankles, wind that keeps blowing the hood back on your winter jacket, and cold that seeps through your gloves to numb your fingers. Meanwhile, your heart and mind are alive with the surrounding beauty.

What sort of challenging weather do you come across when you go out to take nature or landscape photos? Do you make any special preparations for weather conditions? Do you enjoy the many moods of the great outdoors? What are your favorite weather conditions for enjoying nature?

You are welcome to comment and share your feelings.

Transforming Ice, Water, Mud, Sunlight, and a Twig into Modern Art

2009-02-18T19:40:00.007-05:00

The above photo taken yesterday at Mapleside Farms in Brunswick, Ohio is called “Mineral Water” and carries on a wintertime tradition of mine involving the creation of abstract art by using an ice-covered pond for inspiration.

It can be quite a challenge in Northeast Ohio to get decent sunset photos during the winter. The weather tends to be so overcast that there’s even a local folk song the gist of which describes Cleveland as the land of “a hundred shades of gray.”

Yesterday, when the sun finally came out and the clouds were magnificent dramatic billows in the sky, was a cause for celebration. So what caught the attention of my camera? The humble muddy edge of an ice-covered pond with an embedded twig and weak sunlight playing across the surface. Awesome!

Below is the original photo.

With the help of Photoshop, nature can become surreal to the point of unrecognizability and abstract to the point of one’s own imagination.

Question for Readers: Have you ever used nature photography as a starting point to create fantastic, otherworldly, surreal, or abstract effects? Please feel welcome to describe your venture from nature photography into art, or alternatively, your preference for realistic nature scenes.

Etsy Artisan Product Feature: Adelaides and Her Soap Extraordinaire

2009-02-16T01:20:00.013-05:00

Link to Adelaides’s Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6129950

My very first purchase on Etsy consisted of two Black Coffee kitchen soaps from Adelaides’s shop. The chance to do housework with bars of soap “made with real brewed coffee, coffee grinds and scented with coffee fragrance oil” sounded like a lot of fun. Especially since I’ve been joking for years about how somebody should invent a line of caffeine-inspired perfumes like chocolate and coffee.

(Sample photo taken by Adelaides of her attractive Jasmine soaps.)

After using the Black Coffee kitchen soap, I can say that it really does make washing the dishes a more special and unique experience verging on a treat. As you might expect from my name “CountryDreaming,” I am not the kind of person who uses a dishwasher … even though my apartment does in fact have one. I prefer hand washing my dishes, so I found using handmade Etsy soap made with natural ingredients really cool.

Adelaides would agree. In her words, “I only use homemade natural products at home too. Vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, salt and old fashioned soap can clean anything. I make my own liquid laundry soap and have a great recipe we use on our wood...let me know if you want the recipes, I'll gladly pass them on. My thoughts are that the more people going back to basics and using non toxic cleaners, the better we will all be. What can I tell you...I'm a tree hugger at heart!”

One thing I should mention is that shipping from Canada to the US does take time (it took me about two weeks to receive the Black Coffee kitchen soap), but that the soap is definitely worth waiting for.

Bottom line, I plan on being a return customer.

Forrest Gump's Feather

2009-02-12T21:22:00.003-05:00

Photo taken in September, 2005 in Northeast Ohio.

Mrs. Gump: I happen to believe you make your own destiny. You have to do the best with what God gave you.

Forrest Gump: What's my destiny, Mama?

Mrs. Gump: You're gonna have to figure that out for yourself. Life is a box of chocolates, Forrest. You never know what you're gonna get.

-- Paramount Pictures, 1994

The Sky Is Not the Limit

2009-02-09T23:31:00.007-05:00

Out of the three photos I submitted to the juried photography exhibit “Observations” currently underway this month at the Market Street Art Center in Lockport, New York, it’s fitting that “Intergalactic Scenic Overlook” should get a special mention in this blog. I live in Northeast Ohio now. But when I lived in Lockport and went to junior and senior high school there, I lived surrounded by outer space. I carried science fiction books … or written notes for weaving my own tales of otherworldly adventure … from class to class along with books for math, science, English, Spanish, Latin, and social studies.

I’m happy to report that “Intergalactic Scenic Overlook” won first place in the photography exhibit.

For information on “Observations,” here’s a link to the Market Street Art Center’s website:

http://www.marketstreetartcenter.org/shows.html

Question for Readers: Have you maintained a lifelong hobby or interest? How has it developed over the years? Please feel welcome to leave a comment and share your experiences.

In a Peaceful Valley

2009-02-05T22:05:00.007-05:00

The above photo titled "Five Deer in February" shows a peaceful Sunday breakfast in the Hocking Hills of Ohio. This was taken in 2008.

One of my favorite places in the world is a Bed & Breakfast called Painted Valley Farm. Every year I try to visit. Every season is a good season. In the spring and fall, it feels like you are actually walking around inside of ... and in fact are part of ... a living breathing oil painting. Winter brings a peaceful hush of snow, or a haunted hush of the past, or a day of staying inside surrounded by quilts and cozy cats for company. Summer is filled with friends, neighbors, and kinfolk around a birthday bonfire / hot dog roast with homemade vanilla goat's milk ice cream, laughs, and tall tales. All seasons are filled with photographers and birdwatchers.

This view of the feeding deer was what I woke up to just outside my window a year ago.

For anyone planning to travel to Southern Ohio, here's a link to Painted Valley Farm:

http://www.hockinghills.com/paintedvalley/

Question for Readers: Where is your favorite place of peace or inspiration or exhilaration out in nature? A restful retreat? A well-beloved Bed and Breakfast? Please feel welcome to post a comment and share a place where treasured memories and dreams are to be had.

Second Chances

2009-02-03T22:37:00.013-05:00

A Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad train rests in a snow globe world of winter wonderland fascination. Photo taken at Brecksville, Ohio on January 24, 2009.

New to photography years ago, I found myself stopped at a railroad crossing with a train just about to pass right in front of me. All excited, I got my camera into position. The train zoomed by looking just right in the swirling snow. But on seeing the resulting picture in Photoshop … I discovered that I had forgotten to roll down the window, and the train was obscured by steamy raindrops! I deleted the image, only to realize I had made yet another mistake. The imperfect train shot actually had artistic possibilities since the streaky wet window made for a uniquely surreal dimensional effect. But now it was too late. I’d made an impatient decision, and that captured moment of possibility was all gone except for its memory.

A couple of weekends ago, it was a chill 15 degrees outside on a Saturday after a long week, and just relaxing inside seemed mighty tempting. But the temperature had actually crept above zero, and the work week would start again all too soon. So I ventured forth from apartment hibernation into the unknown, knowing only that I would drive South on Riverview Road in search of something scenic.

That’s when the Alco RS2 train engine came into view. Apparently, the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad train was in hibernation outside, awaiting tourist season. And I was in luck. There was a nearby parking lot offering a halfway decent view. Snow flurries kicked up at my discovery, and lasted just long enough for me to grab this shot. Some would say it was a case of being in the right place at the right time. I credit Divine Providence.

It’s good to know that sometimes in life, even when you mess up, there are second chances.

Question for Readers: Any similar experiences? Any cases of serendipity or just plain “happy accidents” when you had a camera handy? Please feel welcome to leave a comment and share.

How to Get Started in Landscape Photography – The Journey from Tourist to Artist

2009-01-28T13:54:00.020-05:00

One of my very first landscape photos, "Hay There, Sunshine!" taken in the Hocking Hills of Ohio on October 16, 2004. I was all excited by the hay bales off in the distance ... which ended up looking like tiny little dots you can barely see! That's why the word "Hay" is in the photo's title, even though the fence post came out much nicer.

I was afraid to take my first digital camera out of the box for three months. Like most people, I had the photographic skills of a tourist taking snapshots without any awareness of the thought and care that should go into producing a finely-crafted artistic photo. But my enthusiasm for this new hobby meant having to start somewhere. So I surfed the web for all the info I could get my hands on dealing with:

1) Landscape photography tips
2) Nature photography tips
3) Artistic composition tips

Here’s a link to an awesomely helpful website for landscape photography hints that really helped me:

http://www.photographytips.com/page.cfm/77

While my personal focus tends to be more on autumn or winter trees, sunset ponds, and roadside scenery, I also checked out websites on nature photography. The site below gives some decent insight on interacting with wildlife and being aware of your surroundings using cues such as bird language:

http://www.outdooreyes.com/photo14.php3

To see through the camera with the eye of an artist, here are three links on artistic composition … Yes, three links. Composition is that important! (More important, even.)

http://www.colorpilot.com/comp_rules.html

http://digital-photography-school.com/digital-photography-composition-tips

http://photoinf.com/General/Theresa_Husarik/Photography_Tips_-_Composition_Refresher.htm

Finally, for all those on a quest to take their photography to the next level, don’t be afraid of breaking the rules if inspiration leads you to see a better way. But first learn the rules -- the better to know how, and when, it might benefit you to break them.

Stay tuned … I plan to add my own list of favorite tips for free-spirited photographers in a short future blog entry, then expand on each tip in upcoming posts.

Question for Readers: How did you take the plunge to improve your photography skills? Please feel free to comment and share your favorite technique on landscape, nature, or artistic composition.

Welcome to Country Corner

2009-01-26T21:49:00.020-05:00

The above photograph is called "Valley Barn" and was taken in the Hocking Hills of Ohio on a gorgeous May morning.

I'm a photographer who loves the landscapes and nature of Ohio. Amish Country, the Hocking Hills, and Kelleys Island draw me to visit again and again. I also love creating fine art effects in Photoshop with an abstract or surreal flair.

The above paragraph doubles as both my blog introduction and my artist’s statement. At least for now.

This past August, I had a lot of fun participating in the Kelleys Island Art Show. (Even when the card table I had lugged from the mainland fell apart!)

Three of my photographs were on display in December of 2008 at the Market Street Art Center in Lockport, New York as part of an exhibit called "Off the Walls."

In this blog I look forward to featuring Flickr photographers and Etsy artisans who handcraft everything from soap to jewelry. I’ll be sharing my own thoughts, feelings, and sometimes zany adventures … along with a special focus on landscape, nature, and fine art photography. I’ll share links that I’ve found helpful or enjoyable. And I’ll invite you to share your opinions.

See y’all next time.

Living in the suburbs, dreaming of the country,

~~ CountryDreaming