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.

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?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

Thanks for the visit.

040617: Busy Days

Several friends and regular viewers of this blog have written, asking about its seeming “disappearance.” “Where’s my Thursday fix Art?” Well, as I had written previously, output would be sporadic for a while as I proceed to move to my new studio. I’m happy to report that that time is near. But the process has left me without any fresh work to share.

I did, though, recently wade through many of my previous posts over the past several years looking for common threads. And one that I could clearly see had to do with design elements that unite the various projects of mine, however disparate the subject matter.

So, with all that in mind, and a strong desire to nudge myself back into the habit of a Thursday schedule, here is today’s selection. The first two images are different views of the rocks on the Maine shore, followed by a recent image of ice on a local creek bed.

Maine Beach

Lichen

Loose Geometry

Abstract/Concrete 1

Crinoid with Lichen

Old Wallpaper

Abstract/Concrete 2

Abstract/Concrete 3

Brachiopod

Quarry Rocks

Kaaterakill Creek Bed

Two new ones here – on top is from a pile of props ( tree bough, wooden table legs, and the face of an old gas pump) in the back of my car on the way to their new home. Artist as hoarder? Someday I’ll use them again!

I’ll be back again soon.

Thanks for the visit,

121516: Year End 2016

The heat is cranked high in my studio right now. Snow is coming down so thick that it obliterates any view out the windows. And, like a substantial portion of the country, we are bracing for a “deep freeze.” Not unusual, given that its the final days of the year.

As I normally do at this time, my post includes a selection of images from the entire year past – a sort of review, if you will. In this case they are a variety that reflect on experiences encountered and hints at directions to come.

The first three images are products of the Maine coast. The shells (above), washed ashore last Summer, made me think of all the many fossils (seen below and 6 to 20 million years old) I encountered earlier at the Museum of Natural History in Florence, Italy.

Perhaps one of the most exciting experiences of my career was the interaction with that museum and its staff. I could never fully or properly express my gratitude for the opportunity to access many of their vast collections and to meet such an amazing group of dedicated professionals.

“Captured” is the title of the above image, shot in the storage rooms of the Mammals Section. It is also currently on display for the remainder of the month at the Hyde Collection in Glens Falls, NY as part of the 80th Annual Mohawk-Hudson Regional Exhibition.

From the Ornithology Collection

Florence street scene (with shrine)

In the rear of the Basilica di Santa Croce in Florence sits this funerary monument of Galileo Galilei. Directly across, on the opposite wall, sits the burial monument of Michelangelo, who died the day that Galileo was born.

I have always been fascinated with Galileo and the role he played in both world history and the history of science. This fascination has led to the image above, part of my ongoing  “Galileo” series.

Fossils and lichen share the spotlight in this image where these deeply grounded objects combine to suggest the astronomical.

Some fossils.

Some lichen.                                                                                                                   (currently on view through December at the Woodstock Artist Assocciation and Museum)

And a trifecta – fossils, lichen, and moss all rolled into one.

These last two favorites – tree remains.

With the holidays upon us, I’ll be taking a break and will be back in January. Best wishes to all of you for the upcoming year.

 

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.

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

_______________

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.

072116: Returning Home

Back from my trip to Vermont – the show looks good and will be up for a while. My studio, on the other hand, was a bit of a mess – something that always happens when preparing for a show.

During the course of the cleanup I ran across a small pile of flat rocks I pulled from the creek a long time ago. These rocks were pancake-like slivers that sat on a low shelf like a stack of magazines.

I kept them originally to use eventually as backdrops or as a ground upon which I could set other objects to shoot. But the more I examined them the more I saw them as worthy subjects on their own.

So here is a small suite of images that resulted from my discovery. Perhaps I should do a bit more cleaning – never know what I might find!

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

_______________

It was a pleasure to return to Isle La Motte this past weekend for the opening of my show. The opening went well. We got to see many friendly, familiar faces and spend relaxing time sitting on the shores of Lake Champlain.

I took only a small number of pictures this trip. These first few are regular subjects for me. I’m always amazed when I see these trees that wrap around the the rock outcrops.

*****

Sunday Tea before the crowds arrived.

I have to throw this image into today’s mix. On the way to Isle La Motte we sought out this wonderful little shack. Prompted by a PBS show about the country’s best pies (what can I say – it was a very late night when I found the show). Poorhouse Pies in Underhill, Vermont, was spotlighted. Self serve, 24 hours a day, in a small town on the road to nowhere in particular – on the honor system! What a wonderful thought and idea in a world so twisted and jaded. And the pie was great!!

Thanks for your visit today.

060916: Testing Equipment

That’s a partial crinoid ossicle sitting on a lichen covered rock that starts off this week’s selection of images. All the images today are the result of testing some new equipment. It used to be that all you needed to know was aperture and shutter speed on a mechanical device. Everything today calls for maneuvering digital menus – all of which vary from system to system. It’s not rocket science. It just takes a bit more time to become familiar. And so I immediately began shooting all that was handy.

One of the first subjects I approached was my newest collection – gnarled old trunks and knotty boughs that I drag out of the woods.

Seems the more I wander through nature the more I find objects that both fascinate and intrigue me.

Of course, the piles of fossil laden rocks that surround my studio provided me with endless opportunities to test out my new camera as well as a new lens for one of my other cameras.

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

Even without fossils, some rocks prove to be worthy subjects on their own.

*****

I even had a good bit of luck as a luna moth made its annual appearance amid my testing. I think I’m getting a handle on this new equipment!

Thanks for the visit.

0820: Maine Rocks

I’m just back from a week on the Maine coast, an absolutely stunning setting. Point the camera or, better yet, point your gaze in any direction and it’s instant visual nirvana.

My camera focused on the rocks – all the rocks from paving stones…

…to art on the beach…

…even to an abandoned granite quarry.

But it was the shore rocks, the rock formations that meet the ocean, that left me awestruck!

I’m not the first person to have discovered their beauty.

I certainly won’t be the last.

But I do find them compelling.

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

Many more to come in the weeks ahead.

_______________

And the trees often grow over and around the rock bluffs creating amazing root systems.

Thanks for the visit.