Fragments of Glory

This photo captured my artistic heart for many reasons. First of all, the cloudless, dreary day really exemplifies the electrifying color of these bittersweet berries. Secondly, the fragment stages of its seasonal ruin are there in all realms from the brittle curling leaves, the orange seed pods and even to the exploding pod skins left over. Let's not even talk about the various textures this photo represents or the mood it creates. When was the last time you took a photo that stirred your creative muse like this one did for mine? I hope it was today!

Mini Oranges?

Some Thesaurus words for "twist" - arc, bend, characteristic, curve, entanglement, flourish, helix, jerk, meander, quirk, roll, spiral, tangle, torsion, quirk, undulation, warp, wind.

This is the top of a tangled branch where the berries are free to reach for the sun without interruption. The bright splash of color against the dreary days of fall are a pleasant surprise when you see them. This vine wrapped itself around a telephone pole letting its glorious orange color span into the air at least 16 feet grabbing your attention as you drive by. It is a beautiful sight, one I really need to go past more just to lift my creative spirits and daydream about that wonderful color and all of its endless possibilities.

Word - Twist

The word for this week is twist.

It's noun meaning: something formed by twisting or winding; an act of twisting; the state of being twisted; a spiral turn or curve; a turning aside; eccentricity; a distortion of meaning; an unexpected turn or development; device, trick; a variant approach or method.

This is a bittersweet vine and I just loved the tangled mess it makes. All the intertwining, the way it is loose is some areas and tighter in others. The vibrant orange berries dangling amidst the gnarled branches are so unexpected I just had to stop the car for a photograph. I love that I can find beauty in even the most unlikeliest of places, don't you?

Caged Light

With this photo I wanted to share the wonderful shadow of the birdcage. Not only is it intriguing but I found it so interesting on how the light danced from cage to wall giving me something so striking I could look at it for hours. The values of the red in this piece make you recognize that to shade and highlight is not by just adding black and white to a hue. It is multiple layers of brilliant colors that create a harmonious piece making it appear as one. It is also an example of various textures within a single grouping. The verdigris metal birdcage, fake bird and ribbon flower on top, clay bird inside along with some raffia, the bumpy texture of the suitcase, are all showcased by the ruby red wall and illuminated by the yellow sunlight coming through the door. When was the last time you were stopped in your path to really look and see what is in front of you? I hope it was today!

An Enlightened Perspective

As I was walking through my living room, this was the scene I witnessed. I couldn't pass it up without a couple of photographs because of the wonderful lighting. Between the sunshine and the stained glass door, it cast such beautiful lines that I wanted you to view them from every angle possible. I think it gives great dimensional quality to each feature and really highlights the different textures of each stacking layer. The shadows and light captured my artistic side, my muse made me want to share and help you discover its radiant beauty. I hope it was worth the wait and that the journey inspired you to look for your own possibilities every single day!

Pinnacle Position

It's coming together quite nicely with yet another clue exchanged for your summation. Have you assembled the pieces in the correct order? I know you have. Curious to see the final photo in all its glorious detail? You will have to wait until tomorrow to see the final reveal. It will be lovely I can guarantee that. It will also make you wonder why I wanted you to examine each layer looking for clues. Ahh, isn't that part of the fun, the chase to the answer...

Building Upwards

Some Thesaurus words for "discovery" - analysis, authentication, calculation, detection, determination, diagnosis, disclosure, encounter, exploration, exposure, feeling, identification, introduction, learning, locating, perception, revelation, sensing, unearthing.

Another clue exposed leaving you guessing about what this can possibly be and why I wanted to show it to you this way. It's about all the intriguing elements that usually make up something commonplace. By taking the time to break it down, you are forced to see it and examine it closely instead of viewing it as a whole component. What discovery did you make today?

Word - Discovery

The word for this week is discovery.

Its noun meaning: the act or process of discovering; something discovered; the disclosure usually before a civil trial of pertinent facts or documents.

I thought it would be fun to give you a building block of little discoveries this week adding up to a much larger picture to ponder. I love mysteries and like to solve them before the end if at all possible. Here's your chance to let your imagination go wild because you just never know where I might take you on this little adventure. Enjoy the exploration of the elements!

Awaiting Adventures

I have loved books since I was a child and can't remember the last time I wasn't reading one or two of them at a time. This colorful display of old, vintage novels along with the toy boat and bike horn just put a smile on my face. I have been thinking about this set up for the last couple of days and couldn't wait to share it with you. Wouldn't this look great in a kid or baby room tempting them of wild adventures yet to come. Imagination, creativity and endless possibilities are what books mean to me, what's your definition?

A New Perspective

I love this set up right inside the door to Old Green Shutters. No only is it intriguing to the viewer, do you see all the layers? But it has a lot of vintage charm as well. My eye was immediately drawn to all the different perspectives of things being just slightly askew, love that look because it adds so much depth to a vignette when done correctly. The little chest and the rustic bench would look great in my studio to be filled with little odds and ends to use in my mixed media pieces. Not to mention my aged raggedy annies sitting around, under and on top of that well loved bench - it would look quite playful.

Got a Mystery?

As I said in my first post about Old Green Shutters, I was just popping in to look for some vintage game pieces so I thought this would be a great photo to share. Now, I don't remember this game at all but I just loved the pieces and the name puns. Can anyone help me with the name of this fun mystery seeking game? The graphics are so wonderful, the colors so bright and clean, I cannot believe this is an antique. Loved the idea that they are placed on a James Bond 007 board game with a detective score sheet behind them. Should have bought these, they would have looked great in my playful little studio!

PS Thank you all for helping me discover the name of this game, it's Alfred Hitchcock's WHY - love that!

Threaded Beads

Another shot within the walls of Old Green Shutters reveals a charming vignette of thread, beads and button jars. I was intrigued by the vintage red box and thought it did so much for the display as a visual focus point, loved it all. The draping of the white beads over the box, the black front buttons over the shelf edge and the miscellaneous round rusty buttons next to them just made me want to see what else I was looking at. Did you see the crochet hooks coming out of the glass jar filled with buttons? Clever is all I can say! I have gotten some great decorating tips in just this photo on how to combine and layer all similar items without actually putting them in a straight configuration - thank you to the design team for making it so visually pleasing for my artistic eye!

Croquet Anyone?

Some Thesaurus words for "antique" - aged, ancient, antiquity, archaic, bygone, classic, elderly, heirloom, objet d'art, obsolete, olden, out-dated, rarity, relic, vestige, vintage.

To have lived in a time where croquet was played in the yard regularly would have been so fun. Don't get me wrong, I played plenty of games as a kid - kick the can, jump rope, hide and seek, not to mention the various board games - but the prestige this game represents is just magical. Right after taking this photo at Old Green Shutters I happen by a mom and her son playing croquet on their lawn. It almost made me wreck the car from the irony of it all but the smile that came across my face knew memories were being made to last a lifetime. Maybe I should go buy that vintage set before another lucky family gets to savor the amusement over hours of entertainment with family and friends.

Word - Antique

The word for this week is antique.

Its adjective meaning - belonging to antiquity; old-fashioned; of a bygone style or period.

I have been looking for vintage pieces to go into my art lately and stumbled into Old Green Shutters on Main Street in Crown Point, Indiana. Now those of you who know me are probably looking at the screen with your mouths hanging open (gently shut them please :D) but really, I just had to go in. The front window display, the very cool name and my hunt for game pieces made me do it. Once inside I was taken back by the stunningly coordinated displays, the little charming vignettes, the fantastic groupings of antiquities. Door hardware, art and sewing supplies, game pieces, photographs, luggage of all sizes, they have it all here. I have been into antique stores before and I can honestly say, I will visit this one again because it appealed to my creative muse, my artistic sense, my orderly mind - oh yeah, if the shoppes were all like this, I might even become an antique shopper.

Main Street Station

I took this while being given a tour and history lesson in Richmond Virginia by 3 lovely ladies (Faye, Alois and Judy). It was a great day and I learned a lot, saw some fantastic architecture and gained a lot of perspective into the lives of people in this historically rich town. This was one of my favorite shots because of the fabulous color scheme (baby blue and red), the old time lettering and the fact that it is fastened to a train car that has seen it fair share of rust making it that much more special to me. What did you see first? My eye went straight to the drawing of the clock tower because I love how it looks transparent giving you the impression that it's barely there - great imagery in my book! I need to work with this palette, there is something very powerful yet calming about it. I wonder why that is, hummmm...

Lunch Time

I was driving around today with the intention of taking photos. I wanted to be inspired by the gorgeous colors of the fall season so off I went. After stopping to take pictures of tangled bittersweet, a field of sheep, back to driving - I just passed this scene. It made me smile so I backed the car up and took several shots. I love the way the tricycle is parked so randomly near the tree so I imagined mom calling for lunch. The color combination of the electric blue trike amongst the golden yellow leaves, just makes my artistic heart sing! Would you have noticed this or just driven by?

Thank You!

Who knew I would have readers and followers of this blog? I sure didn't when I first started back in January 2010. It was just a goal to get a blog up and running so I could share my thoughts with a simple photograph of the things that interested me. Yesterday I surpassed 10,000 views from my readers and all I can say is "thank you" to all who visit me from time to time if not daily. You made me brag on Facebook, smile all day long and almost burst into tears with gratitude for my invisible audience. I am so thankful that you take time out of your day to spend with my thoughts, my sense of creativity, my inspirations but most of all, this representation of me. Thank you!

Picture Perfect

I couldn't believe my luck at this line up of the hyacinth leaves. Notice how the front is so different from the back of the leaves. I can't decide which I like better. The front has the wonderfully vibrant chartreuse coloration and a hint of crimson in the veins. The back is such a pale celery green but oh, those veins, are just a great display of Mother Natures hand at work. Those deep spidery veins to keep the plant getting all the oxygen it needs and to show it off so magnificently with the deep red color, perfection. Who knew they would be so different? It was a pleasant surprise for my creative side, making me love this plant even more. Are you convinced yet that you need it for your garden? I am and I can't wait to plant the seeds next year.

Crimson Pod

These exotic crimson colored pods are from the hyacinth bean plant, aren't they gloriously rich? This is what first drew my eye to this vine, the multi colored flowers and the interesting leaves only captivated my attention long enough to know that I needed to bring my camera back and take a lot of photos. The pods dry up and shrivel to a nondescript tan color but I love them just the same because I know their past. I will share the leaves tomorrow because I know you will appreciate them as much as I do and believe me, they will pique your interest, that I promise!

Flower Tower

This is a hyacinth bean flower. It grows up and is a vine-like plant and I so enjoyed capturing this flower tower reaching up to the sunshine. It blooms like this in the fall, not sure what it looks like in the spring because well, it just doesn't grab my attention. The blooms remind me a little of a sweet pea but their symmetrical arrangement is unlike any other plant I've seen. Not only are the colors wonderful to look at but this plant produces a really dark crimson seed pod that forms at the same time as it blooms. I love, love, love this plant and can't wait to grow one of my own. I will share the pod photos tomorrow so make sure you come by to visit :)

Sun Glow

Here's another photo from my e-course, this one focused on a face. I couldn't help using the same statue but only one of their little cherub faces. I put the leaf there to give me a nice contrast of not only color but texture as well and you can actually see a piece of the second face through the holes (what a surprise that was). I had no idea how ethereal it would make this sweet child look. I love everything about it and am actually thinking about making a collage of the images for my living room wall. It's amazing to me that a little push of inspiration can make you see things in a whole new light. The muse knows what she's doing, I'll give her that :)

Flying Lessons Blog Hop

"You are an artist" is hard to say. Admitting "you are a powerful artist" is a challenge to give yourself everyday. Making a living from something you love to do is not for everyone. It is a long and stressful world sometimes but you learn to give yourself a break, make goals, dream big, discover new possibilities and most of all, embrace your curious nature no matter where it takes you. Although I have been "making art" for a living for the past 15 years, I sometimes lose my way and find my artistic muse wandering off for a spark of inspiration herself leaving me behind. I decided to give the e-course "Flying Lessons" by Kelly Rae Roberts this year as a present to my creative self and I couldn't be happier with the results. A new found freedom to believe in unlimited possibilities, be open for new opportunities and to remember why you love what you are doing so much. The class helped me focus on community by forming a tribe that experienced the lessons with enthusiasm, support and some trepidation. In the end, we are standing together and making changes, choices and saying out loud, "I am an artist!"

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