One of those early "Fall is in the Air" Late Summer Days

The sun is finally shining again so I thought you might enjoy taking a little walk around bits of my yard and we can chat while I snap a few pictures to remind me of summer. Hope you enjoy...

I didn't get much more gardening done this year
beyond the front of the house but a little lavendar
some tomatoes, cosmos, and lots of basil
at least it smells fantastic!

This plant was gorgeous with lovely orange flowers but
it didn't fair well this very hot and dry summer either *sigh*
It looked great at the beginning contrasting with the
beautiful deep orange Tiger Lilies and the dark purple plants
that for the life of me I can't think of the name right now LOL

And of course you cannot live in the country
without having wreaths - handmade of course-
for each season of the year!

My copper cat guarding my miniature pink rose
bush that is not fairing very well this summer

What would a country house-barn be without
a front door light fixture like this?

Another coveted item that I found in the farm
garbage dump at the back of the property - I still use
it for a light potted plant to sit on in early summer

One of my most prized posessions is this bell
that sound is the bouy in Bar Harbor, Maine -
my most favorite place on the planet

I have no idea what this old hook like apparatus
was once used for but I do like the look of the
rust against the white and the cedar shingles that
cover my barn/home

What would an old farm be without a rusting horseshoe or two?
I never used to think about it but I really have come to like
old rusty things that remind us of a time gone by

Only in the summer does the sun shine in through
the front door windows like this - I love the juxtaposition
 of shadow falling on the rugs

White Wednesday

My all time favorite bowl, ever! It was made in Italy and came
to me via TJ Maxx - oh how I love that store -
 my DH can tell you all about that LOL

Hi all, I apologize for not posting much this month I just can't seem to stop finding all these neat classes to take online and of course once I find them I grab them for fear they will disappear before I get back to them - where does that dumb feeling come from?

I just bought a new digital camera for taking better pictures for my Etsy shop and soon to be website and I am working on figuring it all out - I think I need some more neat props to add to the pictures.

I had planned on going outside today and taking pictures around the house but since it is pouring rain for the 5th straight day (we sure needed it so I am not complaining) I decided to do a "white" still life! I just love, love, love white don't you? This is my favorite bowl - I just love the diamond cut-outs all around the top. Ok, I digress, again, back to the photography - I was surprised with the difference between the two pictures below with just the use of the flash in one and not in the other!  Ok, my backlighting for the one that looks creamy was just a candle LOL so not sure why I was surprised...anyway, I am babbling again!  Hope you enjoy the white wednesday...

Talk to you soon,

Interesting effect, my all time favorite white, yes white,
bowl without my using a flash, hmmmm.

Daily Walks

My friend Robin in Kodiak Alaska just reminded me with her post today on her blog about the wealth found in a simple romp outside. Whether one is walking alone, with friends or spouse or both it helps to recenter our souls so we can get back to focusing on the important things in life. I kind of have lost site of well, my centered-ness and so tomorrow, weather permitting of course I am taking my "good" camera and tripod and going on a quest for some much needed fresh air and a commune with nature. If I am lucky my commune with nature will result in some great photographs as reminders of my day. There are already green buds on my huge lilac bush in front of my house and lots of little green sprouts sticking up out of the ground as well as swollen brooks and streams from the run-off from all the rain recently and the melting snow. All in all plenty to make for some great shots - if my photography muse is looking over my shoulder that is...we will see.
In case you are wondering that is DH sitting on a rock contemplating the great day we had just had last summer when we were in the Adironack Mountains in upstate New York. Now that is a place I would love to move back to if only we could afford it...*sigh*


Ciao for now,
Beth

Why Do We Create Art II

Continuing on the theme of why we make art the question also begs another question that tends to haunt many of us,"are we any good at our art?" I wander in and out of working with different mediums but then I see someone's work and think "now this is a real artist"! How do we connect with our inner soul to speak in different words that have never been spoken quite that way before; to express a beauty of a kind not quite like any other ever seen? It is there all locked up inside of us, we can feel it, we can almost touch it but...something is keeping us from being able to turn the key to open the door. Art of course comes from the depth of the soul of the one creating the art - so what stops at the door - is it a fear of others seeing who we really are? Our perhaps our own fear of seeing who we are? Or the fear of rejection of not being good enough? This morning I ran across the work of a book maker and photo artist (picture above -website http://www.theblackspotbooks.etsy.com/) and was instantly struck with,"now this is a real artist." The perfection, but not, but somehow is - expressing a depth that has no words but meaning is clearly expressed. Here is an artist that has found her medium of expression. I then look at my work and it is a mere shadow, trite eye candy but no more.
To be continued...
Beth

Why Do We Make Art?

I know, I know...this is such an open ended question it almost begs not to be answered. However, this is a question I have been plaqued by for a long time. I know I have an undefinable inner need and drive to work with my hands and create things that are pretty, well, at least they are to me but as an anthropologist as well as an academic reference librarian (note: not employed in either field-just thought I should say that for the record) I feel like I should have a more sophisticated answer. I read other artists biographies or resumes and am awe struck by how well they define what their art stands for and therefore how well they know themselves.  Is that part of the equation? Knowing yourself - that is also a problem I have been plaqued by - defining who I am. Mostly I am like a little kid excited with the prospect of what I will find around the next corner, or the discovery of how something works, that probably explains why I am interested in so many different things. My art though, is just something that comes from inside of me and I am not sure why, just that it does and I have to make art...hmmmm that was a complete circle LOL!  Anyone care to chime in with their thoughts? (Oh and if you are wondering why I have a picture of an alpaca up with this post it is because I think he is absolutely adorable - he belongs to a freind, Pam at Dream Come True Yarn and I just couldn't resist sharing Monte Cristo with the world!)

Would love to hear other thinking besides my own...
Ciao for now,
Beth