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!
Brewing up some mushroom magic in the studio! It started with that gorgeous barn owl, “Owlivia” from the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center. I knew I wanted to include her in my birds & teacups series so I took lots of pictures when I had the chance. Then I had to scout out a perfect teacup. I thought should be a in a woodland theme, maybe ferns or branches but …
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Still fooling around with teacups! This time I have a group of red transferware pieces with birds already adorning them, a red bird floral by Coalport, a swan with rushes, also by Coalport, and a tiny a child’s cup with a bird on the inside is (also from England). Transferware first came onto the scene by the mid 18th century as a quick (and more affordable) alternative to hand painted …
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Each week that passes brings on a glorious new wave of blooms – this week it’s the dogwood that’s caught my eye. I’m amazed by the variety in my very own neighborhood (sadly the white one I planted next to my studio isn’t blooming this year as it’s still struggling to get enough sun). Of course I do have a vintage teacup that had been begging for little dogwood bouquet, …
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I’ve been wanting to make a nosegay of violets for as long as I can remember (the violet is February’s flower and that’s the month I was born in)! A nosegay is just what it sounds like – a happy nose. These miniature bouquets were made of fragrant flowers (as early as medieval times) to be worn close enough to smell them, on a broach or in the hair. And …
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To be honest, when contemplating a call to entry, location is a bit of a factor. I have to consider whether or not the exhibition is worth the shipping expense or if I can drop it off, how far am I willing to drive? After all, it does take away from valuable studio time. So slowly and carefully, I am expanding into new frontiers. Today, for example, I dropped off …
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There’s something so magical about living in California. It was only a matter of hours between basking in the sun of my Los Gatos back yard, watching the plum blossom petals drift off the tree like lazy flurries and being caught in a two and a half hour (real) snow induced traffic jam in the road to Truckee! These flakes were not delicate little flower petals either – they were …
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I can’t decide whether the stylized flower on this English Deco teacup by Royal Grafton is meant to be a narcissus or a daffodil but I think there is some wiggle room. I will shoot it both ways. My favorite flower shop, Bunches, had nosegays of narcissus on two for one so that was the perfect place to start. Even as I write this post I am surrounded by the …
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The bluebird carries the sky on his back – Henry David Thoreau, Journal, April 3, 1852 So a little persistence and patience and I got my full color bluebird shots! This flock had been feeding off a pepperberry tree near Saint Luke’s, downtown Los Gatos but the light hadn’t been great when I photographed them earlier. So when the morning broke bright and sunny I took off for the parking lot and …
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Some days get filled up all those other things artists end up doing, but no matter how busy you are, there always seems to be something worth pointing your camera at. Photography – instant gratification!
I was mesmerized when the television transmission I had been watching broke up into colorful pixelations of abstract patterns before my eyes. Not only was it more beautiful and engaging than the program I had been watching but I was also fascinated by how the human mind likes imagine recognizable forms in the chaos. I quickly took a number of photographs, appreciating the transcendence of this moment of technological breakdown. …
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