Ice Orchard in Pale Blue

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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! :-)