Of course the reason I began growing chrysanthemums in the first place is so I could put them in a matching teacup! I found several that I loved, one was a Limoges cup and saucer from 1895 with fabulous gold orbs bordered in black, the other (c. 1900) a handpainted Bavarian cup and saucer signed by Helen (HKaub) Grossart. Even if I didn’t have the exact mums on hand I …
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What a tangle of mums I have growing in my pots – quite literally, I had to be very delicate as I separated the spider mums from each other in order to shoot each flower on it’s own to really appreciate it’s individual form. Here are some of my favorites…
This is the first year I’ve tried growing Buddha’s Hands and its just now starting to turn a lovely shade of yellow. If you’re not familiar with this fruit, it’s a citrus that perfectly echos the mudras of the Buddha. Mudras are spiritual gestures in Hinduism and Buddhism that convey or direct specific meaning and energy. The closed position, namaskaramudra imitates prayer. The open hand, or varadamudra symbolizes charity and …
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The thirty year old camellia tree in my neighbor’s front yard may be the only thing blooming this time of year. It’s quite a show stopper and is attracting a lot of birds – even in the rain! I had to go over with my camera and see if I could get lucky – I did get a few shots of some birds but what I found myself enjoying even …
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Wet day at the studio with my Yume camellia….
Islamic artist Nabeela Sajjad hosted an Interfaith Dialogue over tea last week with an inspiring group of women. We hope to work collaboratively on art that will reflect the cultural diversity of our community, break down some prejudice and bridge some divides. It’s so important to come together as a community at a time when ignorance, fear and misinformation is running rampant. I can’t wait ti see what will unfold! …
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In my life’s garden my wealth has been of the shadows and lights that are never gathered and stored. Tagore So beautiful and true. The moments that touch us the deepest or shatter us to the core are not the fabric of selfies and blogs. Even wedding photographs and announcements of births and deaths that attempt to evoke our happiness and sadness can only hint at the vast truth of it …
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My camellia Yume (which means dream in Japanese) just came into bloom. How lovely to have a flower that just gets going when the temperature dips! The pink camellia symbolizes longing in both Victorian and Japanese cultures, seems right to me!
Black Friday will now be known to me as Bioluminescent Friday! Making a point not to shop, I went out hiking with family and friends. I didn’t even have my proper camera with me but I did have my little iPhone 4 and I just could’t resist taking pictures every now and then, like these shots of the sun setting over a hillside of ferns. I could barely see what …
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The dogwood outside my studio is glowing red now, by March it should be covered in lovely white blooms ….and of course I’ll be waiting with my teacup!!
So……this was happening above my studio today…..so nothing much was happening within it. I knew this chainsaw vs oak day was coming after the crown of this massive oak toppled recently. Even though the arborist said it was best to take it all the way down, that it would never be a healthy tree again, I was still sorry to see it go. The sadness was mixed with fear …
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My friend Elizabeth introduced me to Flora Grubb Gardens in San Francisco. Located in Dog Patch, this urban garden design store is a drought tolerant jungle of inspiration! It has even been claimed that they pioneered the vertical garden… I wonder if anyone can vouch for that? I loved these oversized floral sculptures in metal. I felt the size on an insect crawling beneath! Wall covered with these red passion …
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For those of you who have been following my Birds & Teacups series, you must know my process by now: antique teacup ✔ matching bouquet ✔ combine above and wait for a bird (or two) to fly in and pose while I shoot with dramatic lighting ✘ combine above and shoot with dramatic lighting ✔ take pictures of local birds ✔ add birds (in a naturalistic way) into the still …
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This golden dragonfly (Wandering Glider) I found dying in my foxglove from a wasp attack is a perfect example of a common decorative motif in the Aesthetic Movement. Dragonflies figured prominently in the jewelry and metalwork of the period not only as this insect was so successfully rendered in these mediums but also because it was a favorite motif in Japanese art which was having a strong influence in Western culture …
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Today I tried to save a dragonfly from a wasp in what turned out to be a mortal encounter. After shooing the wasp away, I picked it up from under the foxglove and took it to my studio. The dragonfly did not recover like I hoped it might. There were a few other arrivals to my studio today too. I had won a few little religious books with a forget-me-not …
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A little present left near my doorstep this morning reminds me that inspiration is everywhere. I wonder if it’s from the breast of a hawk? There’s one that frequents the ravine that drives the crows nuts. It could be A red shouldered hawk, or a cooper’s hawk, both are found in our area.
I just want to preface this post by letting you know that my gorgeous model has been safely released into the woods far away and no one was in danger of being bitten or hurt during this process. Having said that, I can now go on about how thrilling and captivating it was to shoot this elegant, deadly spider with my delicate antique china and petals from my favorite rose. …
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Oh my, look who’s come for tea!
My Bachelor’s Buttons have just come into bloom – and I’m too impatient to wait for a whole bouquet – so I snipped the ones that were available and popped them into this vintage Japanese teacup, pulling a dress from my closet to use as a backdrop. Bachelor’s buttons are also known as cornflowers but the Victorian meanings for each are very different. Bachelor’s Buttons indicate single blessedness and celibacy while …
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