041420: Afternoon Light

Late afternoon rays of sun cutting through heavy wafting smoke in my studio. Seemed like a good opportunity to play and explore. These first five images are the result of that little exercise.

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This last one, upon completion, seemed to reflect the times – suggesting airborne toxin. And that got me thinking about my friends in Florence and the difficulties of their predicament (so similar now to our own).

So I couldn’t help but think about my times there, shooting the street shrines that always capture my attention as well as the many opportunities I have had to photograph the fossils in the Museum of Natural History.

A mollusk, a gastropod, an anemone, and lastly the skull of a whale.

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I’ll finish today’s post with a few of my favorite Florence sights – Galileo’s Tomb in the rear of Santa Croce…

The Duomo dwarfing the nearby side streets…

…and lastly the Sant’ Ambrogio Market where the best of everything can be found!

Thanks for the visit. Stay safe.

040720: A Little Diversion

A few days before the floor fell out from under the world (as we knew it) I got a call from a person interested in some of my prints. They were from a series I did a number of years ago on the old Burden Iron Works in Troy. Today’s first two images are part of that project. 

Not having viewed them in a while, I dug them up in my photo library. And that act took me down a photo “rabbit hole” that resulted in the contents of this post. It became a pleasant diversion for me. I don’t know if these images string together in any way, other than in my enjoyment reacquainting with them. So without thinking too much about it I thought I’d share them with you. We all deserve some little diversions these days. 

Ammonite

Barnacle Laden Bivalve

Gastropods in a Tortoise Shell

Brachiopod

Brachiopod in Hand

Butterflies, La Specola

Devonian Drawer: Gastropod

Abstract Concrete 1

Abstract Concrete 2

59th Street Bridge

Railroad Spur, Long Island City

Railroad Overpass, Long Island City

Triboro Bridge

Thanks for the visit.

033020: Staying Home

It’s hard to be enthusiastic these days about most things, at least that is what I’m often  finding. Fortunately, though, a rare glimpse of sunlight broke through the dreariness the other day, enough to get me out the door with my camera. Doing was what was important, not so much results.

So, today a mix of things out my studio door – fossils (of course), rocks, etc. Just some things I decided to focus on, to find some solace in such a strange time. Best wishes and stay well!

Mollusc With Brachiopod Tiara

Brachiopods with Lichen

Cephalopod

Rock Flame

Brachiopods

Another Brachiopod

Yet Another Brachiopod

Brachiopod Potpourri

( A note regarding brachiopods. There are over 12,000 fossil species recognized. These marine invertebrates have existed on this planet for roughly 550 million years. The ones seen here are 385-387 million years old)

Shale

Gnarled Wood

 Rough Skin

Grate

Industry

Thanks for the visit. Be well.

022720: My New Phone

Well, new to me at least. My old phone died a few weeks ago and, of course, it needed to be replaced immediately! (How could any of us survive without…!) While describing the new one to a friend I referred to it, not as a phone with a camera, but rather as a camera with a phone! It was a genuine slip of the tongue. It was also quite accurate. I suppose this is nothing new but I am continually amazed at the rates of advancement.

Today was my first opportunity to play a little with this new camera/phone – just a stroll around my studio on a foggy day.

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Never thought I’d ever post a cat picture – “Jack”

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I’ll close with a couple of paintings that are works in progress:

Untitled 1 (60″x36″)

Untitled 2 (80″x65″)

 

Thanks for the visit.

020620: Gastropods Part 3

A few weeks back I posted some images of  Devonian gastropods – all local, all approximately 387 million years old. Today’s images of gastropods are from a different place and a different time.

These go back a bit further to roughly 460 million years ago, during the Ordovician Period, and are found in the earliest reef system known today. The Chazy Fossil Reef is located on Isle La Motte, one of several  islands just below the Canadian border in Lake Champlain.

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Gastropods weren’t the only creatures inhabiting that reef. Crinoids, trilobites, cephalopods and other marine invertebrates rounded out the scene.

Since 1998 the Isle La Motte Preservation Trust  has worked to conserve significant sites of the Chazy Fossil Reef.

There are two preserves on the reef, Goodsell Ridge and Fisk Quarry. Specific information on visiting can be found here.

It’s a great place to visit any time of year.

Fisk Quarry during Autumn. Reach down for a fallen apple and find more gastropods. They do show up everywhere.

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Best wishes to all my ILM friends. I look forward to our next visit!

013020: Color

Dull, dreary days typical of winter. Seems like never enough sunlight. So I needed a dose of color. And some of my favorite color can be found in the many varied rocks I have photographed – some from the Maine coast, some from the local stream beds and quarries, etc. Here’s a sample that lifted my spirits on a recent gray day.

Fifteen images today – all rocks but one. Can you tell which one is not?

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Thanks for the visit.

011620: Gastropods Part 2

The response to last week’s selection of Devonian gastropods was such that I thought it worthwhile to present more gastropod images – some of the ones that did not make last week’s cut.

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Thanks for the visit.

010920: Gastropods

A good friend of mine is currently writing about gastropods, Devonian ones in particular, for a chapter in a book. He recently asked if I could provide some of my gastropod images to accompany his work and I happily agreed.

That got me to scour my libraries. I managed to come up with these ten (and many more). As they accumulated in a folder I began to create other categories – particular favorites being one of many.

So today here are ten different looks at the local 387 million year old gastropods.

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The remaining five images are from that other new category – personal favorites – a subject that I might dip into more and more as time goes by.

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Thanks for the visit.

121219: More Devonian Fossils

Another selection for you today – all local 385 million year old invertebrate fossils. I’m too busy today with the hearings to add any more to this post. I hope you enjoy today’s images.

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I’ll leave you with this pic of my latest painting. Not sure if it will stay this way. It seems like they never do!

Thanks for the visit.

120519: Trilobites and Others

This week’s post starts with three images containing trilobite parts. In this particular area it’s rather difficult to find entire, whole trilobites. So finding something like the impression of a trilobite eye (in the opening image) makes for a very good day in the field for me!

As is usually the case, the remainder of fossil images displayed today are local (Hudson Valley), all dug up by me, and all 385 million year old marine invertebrates.

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Snow finally arrived a few days ago and it looks like it will be around for a while. My first thought was to cut a path to my studio sitting down there in the woods. My second thought was to focus my camera briefly on the newly formed shapes that surrounded the studio.

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Thanks for the visit.