Brush Strokes and a Car Off the Road

I like this first one as it was just an impression left on the formica by the sink in my art room. These images abound when classes are working on painting assignments.








The second shot was taken in stopped traffic, which I rested in for about half an hour on the way home tonight... hey, what else to do but shoot a few pictures? I won't include the action (slow shutter speeds) ones, although they are always a lot of fun as they are unpredictable.

Stand By - Pencils Have Been Sharpened!

I had a fit with all the colored pencils in my "monkey box" and had to sharpen them. I'm so cheap with everything that I sharpen them with a knife so I don't lose all that precious colored center by sharpening with a regular sharpener. I like to leave the leads a little longer so I can draw more without having to put a new edge on them, and the knife cut lets me do that. So I'm looking at the chips I've shaved off into the lid of the "monkey box" and I find this picture.

Apple Gulls

The Bay gulls have discovered the apple tree in the edge of the field and they feasted there this morning for quite a while. I got a number of shots of them as they came in and were frightened away, but this one with them in flight was my favorite, with the implied motion and mixture of various shapes of their wings in flight. Lots of gulls!

Sunrise Over Taunton River

 This morning gave me a shot I had to stop for, and knowing that I was in the middle of the bridge and that there were likely going to be eighteen wheelers coming through at some point (there was only one, so that was good) didn't seem to matter. The sun was just reflecting off the clouds and the effect was beautiful. I think I would like to do a painting of this scene.

The Cactus Again

I think, after a closer look, I got a really good photo of the Christmas cactus today. Better than last Wednesday, eh?

Princess and the Pea

Jen and I went to the Fall Musical at MDI High School last night and thoroughly enjoyed the work by the kids. The lead (princess) was one of my advisees and she was great! The whole play was well cast, directed and designed and the final performance was to a sold out audience. Two photos I really liked I am posting.

Moon on the Way Home

I don't really understand why the moon has such a fascination for me, but it has for a while and I have made numerous posts with the moon as the center of focus. I was really struck on the way home from school tonight by the way the light of the moon played within the setting sun shining on the trees. Beauty is truly all around me.

Field Trip to Bangor and Orono

Dan and I took our Intermediate and Advanced Art students to the UM Museum of Art today and they were great! We saw some very cool work and the kids were entralled by what they saw, with some major artists. Here's a group shot! Below are several students examining a Picasso linocut.

The Cacti are Blooming...

... and a beautiful combination of complementary colors just in time for Thanksgiving (and Christmas). It appears as Jen has a green thumb as we also had peppers in our dinner last night from a plant that we brought in from the garden a couple of months ago. She does all the plant nurturing in the house and we have some nice ones!

 So these are photos I took after supper tonight, and I love the way the flash on my Sony Alpha compensates exposure.

The Oak Leaves are Hanging Tough

As the winds of the last few weeks flapped the fading leaves from the trees, I've watched the Oak leaves "hang tough" and still be among the last to drop. I've always liked oak leaves and feel that they are a beautiful arrangement in aesthetic design, and the wood can be gorgeous as well.

The Next Day

 We finished up sheathing the garage this morning, and then Dave helped me raise "the rock", an old well cover that looks pretty good standing on edge out in the field near the house. I didn't really get photos that hit me as anything that great, but I was in a hurry this afternoon as I wanted to take Matt to Bangor for our weekend outing.

Building a Garage

David and I went down to help Dave S. sheath and put a roof on his garage. Not a big one, but 22 by 20 or some such. We got the rafters up, shealthed one side and then went to Harbor Cafe for lunch. Dave and I came back and finished sheathing, and I'll likely go down tomorrow morning and help him get the rest of the roof sheathed. I was a good day made better by lobsters waiting when I got home as yet another "David" in our extended family went fishing this morning and saved us 10 for supper. PIctures are all below.

An Apple a Day Keeps My Head Clear

Or at least so it seems. I have been extremely productive lately, both with kids at school (long hours though) and at home, both around the house and in the studio. Brother David and I are going down to Gouldsboro to help one of my old high school buddies put up a garage tomorrow morning and the girls are going out to Isle Au Haut for Morgan's bridal shower. So I've been eating apples every day, along with my carrots and such and really feel that has been what is keeping me on top of things lately. Any way, here's the picture.

On the Water...

...in the kayak.

Long Day

With the time change I find myself wanting to head home from school about an hour early, but yesterday I had so much to catch up to for the end of the quarter that I went through my morning ritual as quickly as I could and got on the road by 5:30. Arriving at school that early allowed me to get twice as much done as I usually do in the morning, what with colleagues, kids needing help of all sorts, and other things.
The roads were busy that early, as I guess a lot of people get to work early or travel quite a ways to get to the job, but once I got to school things were rather deserted. This series of photos shows the sequence from being on the road to arriving at school and the empty parking lot. I got home tonight around 6:45. It was a long day.

Deep in Thought

I know they can think. They just can't talk so well.

Beauty at the End of the Day

I had to go down front and take a few shots when I got home today, it was such a beautiful day! Ahh, life goes on and although I haven't been as regular lately with this blog, I am finding beauty everywhere. Here are a couple of shot from this afternoon.