One hundred and fifty-seven

 I was watching an old episode of Ghost Hunters that I somehow had never seen, I thought I had seen them all at this point. It was the one were they go to Ireland. In the second half they go to these ruins out in middle of a field somewhere and Grant sitts out there by himself. He starts seeing what to him looks like little figures running all around him and hearing lots of voices. Ireland has a long-standing history of fairy-folk and sometimes I think it might not be a myth. There are other dimensions in the world, science knows this, whose to say there aren’t other creatures in them too and from time to time our dimensions mingle. In my opinion that could even be our own afterlife. Anyway it got me thinking and I had a vision of this photo. I thought maybe I could pull it off. I took some photos of myself with my head tilted the way I had seen it in my vision. Then I went through and pulled up tons of old photos of nature, roots, leaves, flowers, plants, anything that could had nice texture to my photo. There are 5 or 6 bits and pieces taken from other photos that make up this portrait. I am very happy with it. It came out just how I wanted it to, I think making a sketch of it helped. I should do that more often. I didn’t get much feed back on this one and not nearly as much as I had thought. Sometimes making art is like that. You make something you love and no one cares, you make something you hate and 800 people think it’s awesome. Go figure.

“The fairies went from the world, dear, Because men’s hearts grew cold: And only the eyes of children see What is hidden from the old…” ~Kathleen Foyle

One hundred and fifty-six

Back in the stone ages when I was in some drawing class at VCU we had a live model and the teacher put a colorful slide projected onto the person. It was really neat how it played on the person’s form and became an abstraction. My mother-in-law bought the kids these night lights that project images, but we haven’t been able to use them because there aren’t any good plugs in their rooms that allow for the projection to shine onto the ceiling. This particular day I remembered them and thought it would be cool to try it out on myself. I went in my room, turned off the lights, plugged in the night light, set my camera on a very long shutter speed with the self-timer and took a few shots. It took a while to get myself in the frame, because it was so dark in there I could hardly see the camera. Anyhoo, I really love this shot, I think it’s lovely. This one is my son’s it is a projection of a space scene with planets and what not. My daughter has one that is of a princess and a castle. I might have to try that one out too.

 ”The mind, this globe of awareness, is a starry universe that when you push off with your foot, a thousand new roads become clear, as you yourself do at dawn, sailing through the light.” ~Rumi

Another neat shot from the same shoot.

One hundred and fifty-five

Shorts season starts early in Central Texas. By May it starts feeling like summer and the heat doesn’t leave until October. I was sitting at the computer with my legs up on my husband’s computer chair. The sun light was coming in from the window and creating a lovely effect. I grabbed my camera and took a few shots using available light. Making available indoor light photos black and white always yields a better result. I like the somewhat abstractness of this shot, the depth of field and the lighting.

 ”A woman is as young as her knees.” ~Mary Quant

One hundred and fifty-four

I have an Etsy shop and enjoy looking through all the wonderful art and items that others post for sale.  I also enjoy making treasury lists from time to time with themes that I like to look at. A while back I made one called “The Goddess Within”; I am always drawn to art that portrays the female form. One such piece I was totally in love with; “Goddess of the Black Sun” by corderart. I posted it to my Facebook and my Mom saw it. She bought it for me and surprised me with it as an early Mother’s Day gift. I had no idea what the package was when I got it out of the mail box. When I opened it and saw it I started to cry. I live in Texas and my Mom lives in Virginia and I miss her dearly. Seeing this great work of art and knowing that it was now mine and it was from my wonderful Mom for Mother’s Day was just too much. I immediately hung it up in my art studio space and took this photo. One of my favorite gifts of all time for sure! The photo itself is pretty bad, but what it symbolizes to me is worth more than I can say.

“The manner of giving is worth more than the gift.” ~Pierre Corneille

One hundred and fifty-three

My husband took a class at the Killeen Civic Art Guild about how to do spray paint art and was given this respirator. A couple of weekends later we set up all the materials outside and he taught me what he learned. It was so fun. My husband is a musician and not really an artist, so for him to get into making art just makes me giddy. It was great to create something together. This isn’t the greatest photo, but I think it’s fun.

“Better a thousand times careful than once dead.”  ~Proverb

This is one of the spray paint art pieces we did together that day.

One hundred and fifty-two

This was my husband and I’s 16 year anniversary together. We started dating on April 14, 1996; I was 14 and he was 15. We never split up and we ended up married with two children. I rarely ever get dressed up, but being a special occasion it called for such. We went to dinner with the kids and had a lovely time. Afterwards, before I took off all this mess, I took this photo. My legs are one of the few things on my body that I like most of the time. They look pretty good here too. I’m happy with this photo, although the focus is a bit off.

 ”Every girl should use what Mother Nature gave her before Father Time takes it away.”  ~Laurence J. Peter

One hundred and fifty-one

I don’t usually do this, but this photo was taken with my phone and I used some cheap-o effects from some crappy app that I have. It was also taken at my son’s baseball practice. I like how it turned out. I love the look of old photographs and that was one of the effects I used, also some lens flares and some scratches and dust. Those apps are fun to play with. If I had an iPhone I’m sure I would be an instagram fan as well; maybe one day, probably when it’s not cool anymore.

“We could never have loved the earth so well if we had had no childhood in it.”  ~George Eliot

One hundred and fifty

I took this one while sitting at my son’s baseball practice. It was a pretty boring shot, so I thought I would spruce it up a bit. The photo I layered over the top I also took at the baseball practice. It was of a young oak tree with the evening sun shining off the leaves. I love the pattern and texture that it created with the portrait. It helped remind me that I don’t always have to have a straight up shot, I can manipulate it any way that I want. This will be more apparent in some of the following photos, keep an eye out for them.

“April prepares her green traffic light and the world thinks Go.”  ~Christopher Morley

My favorite shot of my kiddo getting ready to hit from that day.

One hundred and forty-nine

This night was First Friday at Frames and Things in Copperas Cove, Texas. A super fun night with friends, wine, food and art! I had to stop at the gas station on the way home. I had my camera so I thought I would try to get a shot, something different. I opened the passenger door, set the camera on the door frame and put on the self-timer.  I took a couple of shots, but the first one was the best. Something mundane becomes more interesting when you see it from a different angle.

“People who look through keyholes are apt to get the idea that most things are keyhole shaped.”  ~Author Unknown

One hundred and forty-eight

 My son and I went to the BLORA Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt on Belton Lake in Belton, Texas. We had walked around and did some of the activities and as we were waiting for the sun to go down, so the egg hunt could start, we walked over to the lake. My son loves nothing more than throwing rocks in the water and it was a lovely evening other than the bugs. Here I am standing with the lake to my back, the sunset to my front and if you look closely you can see my son in the background looking for rocks. I like this photo, the sunset gave a lovely light on my face. I love being near the water, it is soothing and somehow always make me at peace.

  ”Every time we walk along a beach some ancient urge disturbs us so that we find ourselves shedding shoes and garments or scavenging among seaweed and whitened timbers like the homesick refugees of a long war.” ~Loren Eiseley