Morning Sun on Cadillac

 

While I did get out some today, I spent most of it working on cleaning Matt's apartment for Jackson. I grabbed the camera first thing this morning and shot these two pictures, one a simple scene and the other the same scene framed by one of the living room windows. There was a moire pattern (which I thought was cool) on the second photo as I shot it through a screen on the window, but when I resized the image for the web, I could no longer see it. Weird and I'm disappointed.

Snow Bound

The snow was fun this morning as it was up to the windows and drifting everywhere, so it created many forms in the snow. The drift in front of the house was four feet high, but the shoveling was great because the snow was so light. There is something comforting about the snow surrounding the house and covering up the car, making a sort of sheltering softness around everything.

Jen and I have been working on Matt's apartment downstairs, cleaning and painting and making everything look like brand new, mostly for Jackson and his parents when they come next weekend. They will use the apartment for several days and it is a good excuse to clean things out and make it look nice. Here's a shot of the bedroom conversion, which is quite different from the black walls that Matt had in there. I took a bunch more photos out in the snow today, but these took preference for me to post.

Another Angel

Christmas is over for another year, and yet I always get this sort of post-season elation that defies explanation, but which puts me in a very spiritual place. I see things all about that have strange but meaningful connections and create within me a sense of peace and confidence in the "goodness" of humankind. The "Angel on the Little Tree" did that for me this morning!

Snow on the Apple Tree

I spent the whole day inside today and both the shots I'm going to post were taken out the window. I'm not anti-snow or anything like that, it's just that Jen and I were busy spackling, filling holes and painting Matthew's apartment downstairs. He has always been a big fan of posters, so there were holes everywhere after five years. We were also trying to cover black walls, so extra layers were needed. The closest I got to outdoors was sticking my head out the door. As my first real photo blog entry on this site was of the apple tree in the front (or is it back?) so are my posts today as I really think it is so cool when the snow sticks to the trees and makes that "coated" look on them. The play of darks and lights and the soft shadows of the sunlight filtered through lots of cloud cover really makes for very subtle values from place to place in the closeup photo especially.

A Wonderful Christmas Day!

We had family here, we had a great dinner, we saw our grandchild (virtually over FaceTime) and his parents, we finished a quilt for our nephew and we just took the time to enjoy each others company.

Matt has been so good lately and we are so thankful that he is in such a good place, always happy and finding humor in things and contagious in spirit to be around! I've included a shot of him.

The ceramic angel is on the top of our tree, balanced with her hands held out as though she was just learning to walk or is, in fact, balanced precariously at the top of our tree, knowing that a fall would certainly crack her ceramic head!

I want to thank all who are a force of good on this earth for their hard work and full spirit... I feel it and with it want to express my gratitude...

In the Manger

December 24th and the night before Christmas, this photo came from a manger scene that David's Mom had and we set it up each year, I think to remember her as much as anything.

Sunset, Sock Monkey & Space Alien

Yeah, I know, those three things in the title really can't be tied together in any real logical way, can they? And yet, here goes: the sunset got the camera in my hands, not that it was one of the most spectacular displays, but it was simple and sweet in terms of the water texture, the light and clouds in the sky, and the lights of Bar Harbor on the horizon.

 I shot a few of those and have posted the one I like the best, but then I got interested in the Christmas Tree and started fooling around with the shutter speed like I did last night with the "Sullivan Lights Search". Before I knew it I had over forty (mostly just sort of abstract line pieces) shots and had concentrated on a few of the ornaments as well as a few of the overall tree. Funny how a break from work and suddenly I have this time to "make" art...

Light Lines

So we all went out after supper tonight to see the Christmas decorations in town, first heading east to Morancy and Asheville. Nothing happening much in either of those two places, so we turned around and went to North Sullivan and hit the bonanza! All kinds of lights around the houses and yards and I took a ton of pictures with a one second shutter. Lines galore! The interesting thing was that the LED lights made kind of "spots" in the movement lines that were very different from the smooth lines of the regular bulbs. Very cool, and I'll post a few here!

On the Way Home

The days have been getting shorter to the point where I leave for school in the dark and get home in the dark, but tonight I had an appointment so I left school in time to "beat the darkness". I stopped at Long Cove by Sorrento and the water was so calm and the silhouettes of the trees  in front of the remnants of daylight in the west sky so beautiful that I had to post a couple of shots. Right place, right time, and the light was remarkable in this instance. Here are a couple of the shots I got.

Museum and Gallery

Dan & I brought some of our ART students to the University of Maine Museum of Art and to the Lord Hall Gallery in Orono today. It was an excellent trip, with students talking, laughing and really "getting into" the ARTS experience and showing a great deal of interest and enjoyment. Very worthwhile, here are some photos of our experience!

Embracing "Geekdom"

I'm posting here a photo I took yesterday of a young couple in our school. We do have a "Geek Club" here and I find it fascinating that the group has grown and flourished this first semester. Talk about tolerance and acceptance of people and who they are or want to be, it seems that we have a place for everyone! I'm not suggesting that things like bullying or discrimination don't ever take place, but for this blog entry I'm focusing on the positive! Here's the photo!

Saturday Walk

Sometimes contrast is the biggest "theme" I can see in my life. Whether it is over time or simply between two objects or two thoughts, it seems that symbolism and "signs" are all around me. I'm lucky and rich in many many ways.

Where Matt is living now he walks every day, something that he never did when he was here with us, so I offered to take a walk with him this morning. We went up across the street to the "Blueberry Road" and into the woods. It was cold, but good, and we got a nice look at Schoodic Mountain in the background. The barbed wire is contrast.

Staying with Jackson

I came to Portland yesterday for the Educate Maine conference, and so stayed with Jackson and his parents last night. I've had some great time with him and this morning I've been playing with him and his father through breakfast and having a ball!

Now we are going to make some music on the iPad... He is "talking" a blue streak!

12 - 12 - 12

Here's what I was up to at twelve minutes and twelve seconds past twelve today. I missed the first one this morning!

Thank you guys!!!

"On a Rant" Rant

Sometimes we just talk, letting one thing lead to another and another until we realize or maybe don't realize that our emotions concerning a particular subject have taken over and our mind somehow makes all these connections that reinforce the original idea or concept until we become more and more agitated or perhaps engrossed is a better word for becoming excited about a topic that fires our imaginations and causes us to just talk without worrying about sentence structure or even how we might come to a conclusion of our topic.

Here's a drawing I did last night that reminded me of or inspired me to the above!

A Good Day

I had a great afternoon with my son Matt today, and I felt that he had a very good day as well. I picked him up and we went to Bangor just to "play it by ear" and we had lunch at Denny's, cruised the Mall for a bit, and went over to Hermon and shot some pool for a few hours. He always beats me at pool and today was no exception. It didn't matter the game, 8 ball or 9 ball, he won every time.

This photo was taken with the "Hipstamatic" app on my iPhone.

Taunton River Sunrise

I know I've taken this shot before, and at least one from the old "singing" bridge, but the sun was just peeking up through the trees this morning so I had to stop (yes, right on the bridge, but with flashers going) and shoot a shot of the river. Here's one I didn't "miss" as I'm always telling my classes!

Holiday Gesture

I had a somewhat self-conscious Freshman come into my room this morning and offer me a plate full of cookies, saying that this was a gesture his family did for his teachers each year. It made my day on so many levels! Not that there was any kind of expectation, of course, and many students offer acts of kindness regularly, but this just seemed to touch and lift my spirit when it was sorely needed, and what a way to start the day.

I took a quick glance at the plate and appreciated immediately the variety of what seemed to "home-baked" goodies, but it wasn't until I got them home and unwrapped them at dinner with my family that I realized the care and beauty that was embedded in them. Each item was different, exquisitely designed and executed, and delicious! I had to photograph one and post it on the blog to make sure I remember this day! Thank you all very much!

A Couple More

Different light this afternoon, so another trip to the shore and another "splash" shot. The incidentals are also kind of neat, with the "seeded" dandelion making an appearance at the end of November.

Cold and Windy

The bay was so "busy" this morning with the wind from right out of the West that I felt obligated (and I love it when that happens) to go to the shore and make some photos. So I have and here are four of them from the great light that existed. I decided to take my telephoto (75-300 mm), and was thankful for the usual "intimacy" it provided with these shots. The driftwood still life was an afterthought on the way back to the house (I was under dressed and overexposed - no photo pun intended) but I liked that it shared the same light as the shots of the water. Maybe I'm getting old, but I never remember taking these shots before, they are always new to me.

I once read, and had a great discussion with a first year student about it, that the "true" photographer shows only his best work. The student asked me why I post so many of my pictures when some are obviously better than others, and why didn't I just use the "best". I explained to him that I am also a teacher/learner and that the more I share, the more I teach and learn. Mistakes are important to grow from, and as long as artists see themselves "in process", they will continue to grow and learn. I think he got it, he sends me photo links all the time, even though he is no longer in a class with me.

Thanksgiving Angel

I finished this yesterday afternoon, and was pleased with the result. We had a wonderful full week with Matthew (doing very well), Torrey & Katie here with Jackson, and a Thanksgiving Day with niece Morgan and her family. I had thought as I reflected upon this piece that it had ended up having to do with us being thankful for how well Matt was doing and the joy of having Jackson here to spread his innocent joy for life around the house, and while they might both be factors, I still must wonder at what spirits were visiting me after the sad news received this morning.

Thanksgiving Drawings

Two new I will post that I really haven't decided are finished yet, but have titles in mind as far as they have gone... my emotions around these sorts of holidays, when taken with the history of our lives and the experiences that are reminded by these "significant" days emerge in spite of my best efforts. SO, let it be, if the emotion of a piece of art is difficult to see, that's OK, because every drawing I do that comes straight out of my head is a revelation and makes me more human. Here are two brand new ones, about 12 by 18 inches, done with India ink and Prismacolor® pencil. Offer me some titles in the comments section, I'd give thanks (and a full sized photo file) for that.

November Paddle

A beautiful afternoon and I couldn't wait to get home and get out in the kayak and paddle around in the bay. I went up to the mouth of Flanders Stream and saw a flock of geese, but I was trying out one of the Fuji cameras I have for school and the light was kind of low. I wish I'd brought my Sony! Anyway, I think I got some good photos and there are always visions that are different so as to make it worthwhile. The mouth of the stream looking out into the bay, the lobster boat with Cadillac in the background, the "leafless" shore, the gull on the big rock and, of course, the sunset all were interesting... I left the "two spruce" reflection shot for later post. Again, equipment does make a difference!