102419: Fall Colors

I drove up on the mountaintop the other day to take in the fall colors. Ended up visiting friends and found myself more interested in their “local sights” than the leaves!

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First and foremost was the barn.

Two views of the same window – from the outside, and from the inside at the tool bench.

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A blurred treestump above and white birch with clothespins below.

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Back here outside my studio, falling leaves are hiding the many fossils that lay about. I did, though, find enough to occupy myself on a fine fall afternoon!

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Thanks for the visit.

111518: Late Autumn Color

First hint of snow appeared this morning. Out came the flannel jeans. Long sleeve t-shirts replaced the short sleeve tees. Life can be pretty simple!

This year I have been much more interested in the faded colors of late autumn.

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I’ll leave you with some rather playful, altered images that I have been working on. I hope you enjoy them.

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Thanks for the visit.

110217: A Good Autumn Day

I managed to spend some time this week back at my favorite quarry. I hadn’t been there in quite a while, so it was fun to dig around on familiar ground. Even though it might be familiar ground, that’s not to say that there are no surprises to be had. No new earth-shattering specimens perhaps but always a few that reach out of the rocks to create a little story of their own.

These two images of cephalopods were enough to already call it a good day. But there was more.

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The other reason for calling it a good day – the view from up top looking across at the eastern escarpment of the Catskills on a beautiful autumn day.

The remaining images are fossils from this quarry trip mixed in with the many piled up outside my studio (many of which came out of that same quarry).

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Thanks for the visit.

 

 

 

 

 

102617: The Season Changes

Today’s post seems to be an extension of last week’s subject – What’s near at hand. I hadn’t consciously intended it to be. So, perhaps that’s what my new mantra should be for now. No fossils today. Instead here are some Autumn related images of plant life past their expiration date.

A trip to the farm stand (Story Farms on Route 32 – the best in the world!) got me thinking about gourds – strange ornamental plants that make me smile every Autumn when they appear, And then I remembered that I had saved a number of them from ten years ago, never knowing when I might revisit them.

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I also saved a Summer’s worth of weekly bouquets to see how they would degrade over time. At first I saw dried up plant life drained of color – as these three images seem to show.

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But, as I looked closer, I could see color buried inside the bouquets – more than I had expected.

I had assumed that the images would deal with typical Autumn notions of decay, of “withering” and “dying.” That assumption was quickly and solidly dashed when I realized that a joyful riot of color was waiting to be exposed!

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Thanks for the visit!

101917: What’s Near at Hand

When I moved my studio months ago my biggest task was bringing my fossil rocks along. After all, I had amassed thousands over the years. At first the task seemed insurmountable. But, with much determination, I slogged on. If they were important enough to collect them in the first place, I thought, then they were important enough to bring along.

At some point in the process all I could do was drop many of them into piles all around the new studio – where they have sat ever since. Now that they are rapidly being covered by the falling leaves I decided to poke around to reacquaint myself. And in doing so I came to realize that they very naturally displayed their beauty despite their random placements.

Today’s images reflect that thought. No need for special attention or proper positioning. No need to look far and wide for new locations to explore. Everything I need seems to be right outside my door!

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Even my piles of props seemed to have some fresh appeal. Nothing earthshaking here but rather a creative exercise that made the day make sense for me!

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And when I was done I set my camera down on my desk, noticing how the late afternoon sun streamed through my window. This time the source of inspiration was my plastic water bottle. Inverting the image gave me this.

Thanks for the visit.

111716: Change is Coming

Well that’s pretty obvious. Who knows how all this change will play out. In the meantime, though, the idea of change is taking on personal significance. After nearly thirteen years I am preparing to move my studio – giving up this wonderful little cabin in the woods for another forest setting. The foundation was just finished and building will begin on my new studio in the woods across from our home.

It will take months to complete. When done, I’ll have much more space to work in – more than twice what I currently have. Needless to say, the slow migration of supplies and rocks to the new location will upend the current routine and orderliness (?) I currently operate under. So, for the next few months (and hopefully no more), my posts will be a bit more sporadic.

This week’s images are the result of some of the changes.

I’ve always maintained that one needn’t go far to find visually interesting opportunities.

Sometimes a fresh look at out immediate surroundings can open paths to explore.

In this case today I have focused on the excavated site of the new studio with its uncovered rocks and early stage foundation work.

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These last two are from the evening of the full moon. On top – a moody Autumn evening image along the Hudson. And below – the aforementioned full moon rising over the Rip Van Winkle Bridge.

I’l be away next week. So please have a happy and warm Thanksgiving holiday whatever you do.