LAW 167: More From the Wisconsin Poets Project

Sometimes a collage flows together as if by magic, sometimes it is sheer tortue, the never ending search for the "just right" element to complete a composition. And of course. after you find the aforemention perfect piece, well the boat zigs when you thought it would zag, you fumble the cut. (yes it happens when i am cooking all the time!)

Balance, 3.18.19

Sigh, well, if you found the perfect piece, you can do it again, and will. Sometimes the collage next a total 180 turn on the design/narrative path, but hey, life does as well.

A Woman's Place, 3.20.19

I don't usually have a "plan" when i set out to make a collage. This series, this book project is a sketchbook of visual journaling. Me thinking about connections and identity, memory and speculation. I have always been drawn to the quirky, surreal connections you can make with collage. Hannah Hoch has always been a fave of mine.

Journey to Chapel Perilous, 3.21.19

So here's four more from the journal, hope you like them.

The Universe Calls Her Name, 3.25.19

More later,
gail

LAW 166: Notre Dame

 Notre Dame! What a loss!

Does the intense social media/ news attention to the tragic fire at Notre Dame remind you of news coverage when another iconic building went down in flames, not so terribly long ago? It probably should. No, what happened, the twin tower bombing, is not just the same as an "accidental" fire in a building built in the tweltfh century. As far as i know there has been no loss of life in Paris.

No, not the same. But still, the same fascination, the same chill down the spine, i can't look away.

Still, it touches, and destroys a little bit of all of us. It took my facebook feed all of about 12 minutes to be totally lit up by this tragedy. Friends from around the world with a dozen, or more vocation streams and interests; touched by this unfolding tragedy spread the news.

There are many things i don't particularly like about social media; it has such potential as a tool of control in the wrong hands. But still, when we communicate clearly and freely we do have the potential to save the world.

Think about it,
more later
gail

LAW 165: Fifty-one Shades of Greenish

With typical swiftness spring here on the Upper Bay of the Chesapeake is in full bloom with an immediate transistion to summer waiting in the wings. Next week  i saw temperatures predicated in the upper 80s. Soon we will be complaining about the heat.

When i was editing i could not decide which of these images of the path i liked best so i thought i would share them all. No enchancement of light or color.

The Path Goes On #1

As we were driving yesterday to Marshy Point Nature Center we talked about our prediliction for cloudy day hikes. Purely from a photographic viewpoint clouds are so much better than bright blue skies for nature photography.

The Path Goes On #2

Landscapes seem far more painterly under the influence of a cloudy sky. Although i never use filters to digitally edit my photography, i routinely crop and enchance sharpness and color, all of which is so much easier to do digitally; i do not miss developing film.

The Path Goes On #3

Which one is your favorite?

I am drawn to odd texture and pattern in the natural world, and am always looking for new oddities. This sort of alien tree love embrace was the new found gem of this hike. I took two images of this, both quite out of the normal picture plane. The first one i changed the horizon line to near normal, the image was not at all interesting. I guess i knew what i was doing in the first place!

Alien Tree Love

Every time we take this hike i take another photo this lightening struck tree. It has always reminded me of a dancer. I often wonder how how she has stood in this clearing, and how long she will remain.

The Dancing Tree

 As we were headed from Harry's Overlook and Iron Point we were once again reminded of why we don't hike on this side of the park very often. We encountered huge swaths of standing water and mud on the path. It was impossible to get through with out getting our feet wet. Definitely more of a hike than we originally thought we were getting into.

Squish, squish!

The aftermath!

Not bad really, i didn't fall, so i count it a victory, even with wet feet.

The view from Iron Point

So, stay healthy, go outside and play in the sun and the shade and enjoy your life

More later

gail

LAW 164: fifty shades of greenish

Spring, spring, SPRING! Magellan and i are past ready to resume our sunrise ritual of Cockpit Coffee. Some mornings are still just a wee bit chilly for me, that doesn't stop Magellan.

Looking out over gunpowder river

 

Every morning palette is slightly different. Some mornings the changes are so subtle as to seem unknowable by the human eye; but it is still happening, spring is coming.

It does still look pretty chilly

Around town it seems that every flowering tree, but crape myrtle is indeed blooming, pollen is everywhere. Just ask my sinuses.

The marina is bustling, lots of people down, prepping their boats, getting ready to splash. I'm carefully picking warm, windless afternoons to get some sanding and restaining/varnish the wheel house. Wood does indeed take constant attention when you live on the water.

Reflections in a vernal pond

We took the day off today to go hiking at Marshy Point Nature Center, which is one of our favorite local places to hike. We had a very wet winter which made hiking out there problamatic, because well, its marshy.

The trail to?...

We took the right hand loop of the Vernal Pond trail for the first time in a long time, and had some very sweet surprises. One very long, very muddy stretch now has a raised wooden foot path, a new group camp site, fire pit and shore side bench.

Such subtle color

The peepers are still out in full force, and voice; listening to the frogs has always been a favorite part of spring for me. I have clear memories of driving in the countryside in Southern Illnois shouting to make myself heard over the bullfrog cacophany.

Shining like a little sun

It isn't as green as it will be in just a few more days. We can still see the houses on the other side of the river.

the Lycopodium is very happy this spring

Soon it will be summer, soon there will be mosquitos, soon we will be complaining about the heat.

I think mother nature always wins

Life is hell, no, not really.

This tree has stood for a very long time

More later
gail