101019: The Local Quarry

On Tuesday I visited my local quarry. I usually stay away during the Summer months since hornets often make their homes on the undersides of loose rock. So, with Autumn now in residence, it was time. And, thanks to recent digging by the owner, new areas of exploration have opened up.

What I found was that a transitional layer of rock became available, leaving loose rocks that exhibit an interesting mix of the different layers.

The image above is a fine example. The shaley, brittle rocks of the lower level, often laced with colorful staining, seldom have much in the way of fossils.The surrounding rocks are from the upper layer, where the fossil “motherlode” usually resides.

The opening image, with a well delineated brachiopod sitting next to a yellow streak of chemical oxidization, exemplifies that mixing.

So, I was struck by colors and fossils, sometimes separately and sometimes together. I even found a couple of images (at the end of today’s grouping) that display the unintended handiwork of nature!

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Thanks for the visit.

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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.

121417: Year End 2017

Ever since I first began posting this blog six years ago I have closed out each year with a selection of images from the year gone by. With an annual production of 600 to 700 fresh images posted yearly I like to take this time to look back and choose one last grouping from the year gone by.

So today I present a mix of images, not necessarily the best, not necessarily my favorites, but rather images that struck a particular chord when I reviewed the year past – ones that I thought deserved another look. Of course, then, it would be a wide mix – some fossils, some drawings and mixed media works, and other assorted subjects.

Hopefully these disparate images flow smoothly and are pleasing to the eye!

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Best wishes to you and yours this holiday season. Here’s hoping for a safe and happy new year to all.

111617: Moss

This little sprig of moss snaking its way across a fossil cephalopod gave me the idea for this week’s post. I’ve been leaf blowing lately here in the woods, hoping to keep my fossils from disappearing from view. And, in doing so, I noticed how so much moss has already covered the surfaces of many rocks. The vibrant greens draw the eye.

The more I looked the more I appreciated the juxtaposition between the moss and the fossils themselves. Exploring that became my focus this week.

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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.