The Bird of The Day

I have become an avid birder, even registered with Cornell Lab of Ornithology so I can note what shows up in my back yard for their information. Granted, I have a limited inventory to take note of at the moment because I can't go out birding to other areas away from my home. But I have learned how to use my long lens (finally) and have become more adept at taking pictures from my upstairs room.

One of my favorite birds is the Eastern Towhee. For years it has been called the Rufous Sided Towhee, but now instead of the broad application, it has been divided into two groups - the Eastern Towhee and the Spotted Towhee. We have the Eastern here, and I love to watch them, but they are hard to photograph because they move so quickly as they feed on the ground, and they like shrubs and low hanging tree branches; they even build their nests on the ground. They have russet colored eyes along with a handsome coat but getting that all in sharp focus has been impossible!

The best I could do, it seemed, was this. The eyes aren't apparent and it's not in sharp focus.

Until.....

The other afternoon as I walked up to the window near my bed, I noticed a towhee sitting on the fence! That was just so unusual. He sat completely still, and he was on a fence! Not part of expected towhee behavior. Muttering to myself "Please don't move!" I turned on the camera and shifted it down to focus on him. Not only did he not move, I was able to get some stunning shots! 

You can see how beautiful he is! The female is a dark rich brown instead of black, but has the other markings. Notice his feet? They seem a bit larger than other song birds; I think it's because of how they hunt for food. They make a rapid hop forward, then back, dragging leaf litter off of a patch of ground so they can eat whatever is hiding underneath. They also do that on snow, trying to get to whatever food may be there.

The song they sing sounds like "Drink your teeeeea!" 

This page has a button to click for the song, and for other calls they make. The sound is clearer there than if you play the video at the top of the page.

I keep my camera on a tripod in front of the window so I am ready when I see a bird. It has really helped, since I have to spend so much time on the bed. 

Hope you enjoyed learning about the bird of the day!

Live your life one day at a time!

Are You A Purist?

Ansel Adams (February 20, 1902 – April 22, 1984) is an American icon, one of the first to paint poetry in black and white photos. He is also the one many "purist" photographers point to when discussing their dislike of today's use of digital work in creating artistic photography. But if one spends time studying Adams life, it becomes harder to use him as a purist role model.

Adams pioneered the use of light as a main influence in his photographs, and experimented with all the technical equipment which was available to use during his day. He started with a small, poorly equipped darkroom in his parent's basement, but his wife's family, who had a business publishing photography, was one of the first to publish his prints and later, the business was passed on to him. He took full advantage of the darkroom, experimenting and producing much of the work which has made him well known to most Americans, and also pushed him onto the international arena.

It is easy to take a photograph, but it is harder to make a masterpiece in photography than in any other art medium. (Adams, Ansel (1985). Ansel Adams, an Autobiography. Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 0-8212-1596-5.)

His legacy includes helping to elevate photography to an art comparable with painting and music, and equally capable of expressing emotion and beauty. (see above source) Adams used a variety of lenses to get different effects, but eventually rejected pictorialism for a more realistic approach which relied more heavily on sharp focus, heightened contrast, precise exposure, and darkroom craftsmanship. (Alinder, Mary (1996). Ansel Adams: A Biography. New York: Henry Holt and Company). In other words, he did in the darkroom what DSLR photographers can now do in the camera, as well as with computer programs such as Photoshop and Topaz.

The initial publication of Adam's Moonrise was in U.S. Camera 1943 annual, after being selected by the "photo judge" for U.S. Camera, Edward Steichen.^[52] This gave Moonrise an audience before its first formal exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in 1944. Over nearly 40 years, Adams re-interpreted the image, his most popular by far, using the latest darkroom equipment at his disposal, making over 1,300 unique prints, most in 16″ by 20″ format. ("5 prints of "Moonrise", 1941–1975". Andrew Smith Gallery.)

To an artistic photographer, then, Ansel Adams now becomes a role model. I started out many years ago learning rudimentary darkroom skills and now I use the techniques afforded me by today's technology. It's very hard for some people to be fluid enough to accept new ways of doing things, even to simply acknowledge that the new ways are an authentic tool. It's acceptable that many photographers like to continue in what they know and do best, and perhaps they do not wish to try it a different way. That is fine, each has their choice. But those who then go on to say that their choice is the only legitimate one has effectively portrayed themselves as lost to the past, and are insulting to those who choose to use a new way of expressing the poetic beauty from inside their spirit.

Enjoy your life one day at a time!

Jones Gap

Not far from where we live, about 30 minutes, is a grand wilderness State Park called Jones gap. The only camping available is tent camping, and there are a large number of trails going in and around the area. When we moved up here, we had planned on hiking some of the trails, which I am now unable to do, but I am putting that on my "when I get well" list for now. We went there for a visit today, taking the dogs and the camera. It's a beautiful place, which I hope the readers who are not from SC can see. The Middle Saluda River runs through it, and further down into to South Carolina, the North, Middle and South Saluda rivers come together to make a large river called, simply "The Saluda River! :) How creative, don't you think?

The structure on the left is an enclosure for Brown, Rainbow and Brook trout. It has a run off, which flows back into the Middle Saluda. The dogs evidently found some very interesting smells in there!

These are Jewelweed plants, with individual flowers in the preceeding pictures. It's common name is the Wild Impatien, but I don't think they look very much like impatiens!

Asiatic Dayflower, commonly called "Mouse Ears"

Moss growing on a rock

The log across the river is a tree which evidently recently fell in a storm, and they are cutting it up.

John and the girls! (That is a lead around both of their faces, not a muzzle, otherwise they could not open their mouths)

Greenville County has a proclivity of renaming streets with the word "old", when they redirect the road because of growth in an area. For instance, there is Buncombe Road, and right near it is Old Buncombe Road, or White Horse Road, which is straighter than Old White Horse Road. But I always thought this designation was the ultimate in this time honored tradition - Old Old Hwy 11. Highway 11 is a Scenic Highway through the Upstate, but why they had to label this is beyond me. It only runs about 100 yards and both ends are on the current highway. It isn't used, there isn't anything on it, but there you go, anyway!

Now I am hoping that I did not use up all my spoons and then some today!!

(If you don't understand that, click here.)

(Click on any picture you wish to see closer.)

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Visit to Campbell's Covered Bridge

John thought I needed to get out of the house, so we drove to Campbell's Covered Bridge, not too many miles from us. We walked around, slowly, and I brought my new Canon camera, so I had fun taking pictures. It was very encouraging for me to be outside, and it wasn't terribly hot, so all in all it was a great time. I'm very tired now, of course, but thankful the strength was there today!

It crosses Beaverdam Creek. 

(I don't know who the young girl is.)

Some soft moss growing near the creek.

My handsome husband!

The End.

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Another Milk Carton Page, and A Story, The Messy Artist

I finished this page from the Milk Carton Book series right before the old camera died. Here it is now, front and back:

 Page 3, Front

(click for details)

Page 3, Back

(click for details)

I had purchased some special Japanese papers, and was looking for a chance to use them, one is on the front page, and one is on the back. I had a tiny cloth kimono, which I fixed onto a cut out map piece, which was attached to plain black card stock. There is also a tiny origami crane on the map as well. I also added 3 metal fans, and a little plastic card illustrating the written images for the picture images, although I will say that they may be in Chinese. I love the red veined paper, and scattered some black paint around. On the back, I collaged some strips of the other paper, which has a fabric feel to it, and added some gold foil lanterns, and went around the edges with a gold leaf pen. It's hard to see, but the gold and reds in the back sheet has a foiled, shiny look.

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A Messy Artist

55th in the Tuesday Story Series

First, I will say that all artists are messy. You can't help it. Now I will admit that there will be certain degrees of messiness, as some of us sort of follow behind ourselves, putting things back when they are through with them. I have an excuse - I have a chronic illness which makes me have to lie down, before I may have had a chance to straighten up. Not saying that I would if I were a well person, you understand, but it does make a good defense! Anyway, if an artist is showing a technique, or giving a workshop, his or her studio will usually be in pristine condition before the camera starts rolling. But that is NOT how they create art when nobody is looking!

Now, I just purchased a new camera that has movie making capabilities! Yesterday I took a couple of trial runs with that feature, and then had difficulty figuring out how to load them onto the computer. This morning, a bit more clearheaded, the Lord answered prayer by having it happen very smoothly. No, I don't know what I did differently other than turn the computer off, went to bed, then turned the computer back on this morning.  I impulsively took a video tour of my studio, and that is why I preface this with how natural it is to be a messy artist. I was so excited to have it working, I didn't bother to straighten ANYTHING up in preparation. You will see paint bottles lying on their side, stacks of stuff, a brown paper bag waving around on the floor. I described some things wrong (John's arrowheads are called sharks teeth, and a otter is called a beaver!) and it is out of focus more than in focus. I called something else by the wrong name - I don't remember what (I blame brain fog), and at one point, the camera simply stopped filming, but I think I was able to make it into one movie. I can't figure why the focus was giving me such trouble (when I shot a view out the window, even the trees were out of focus!). I can tell you that what you are seeing is after several attempts, and at the end I was standing too long, and had orthostatic intolerance flare up and fled to my bed to stay flat for a while, so don't be too hard on me, you can hear the tiredness in my voice toward the end. You may laugh while you view it, but please, not in derision! :)

And so...TA DA!!! Welcome to my studio!


Well, no....... now I am told the video is too long. sigh. I will see what I can do about that, but I am not promising anything right away! :(

OK, now I learned how to edit and we will try again..... (the editing is a bit raggedy)

HOORAY!!


boy it's been a long day

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Hurray!

It took while to get my new camera (Canon SLR EOS Rebel T3i), then I had to find the memory card for it, with John driving, came home, realized I got the wrong one, and then go back to the store this morning, with Tabitha driving. Hurrah though- it's working well, and here some of the first pics from the camera, with apologies because it's going to take me a while to finesse all of the fine points of this thing! 

Our sweet girl, Abby, one of our dogs.

Tabitha the country girl, on her way back from dumping the compost.

Kit, Tabitha's sweet girl, looking quite regal.

Across the road, shot from the front porch.

Buddies, but not in good focus!

The back gate and the pergola, with the barn in the background.

Pink geraniums.

Playing around with the effects on a piece of old iron & flower pots.

Same here.

Lantana blossoms.

Portulaca which volunteered from last year's plantings, next to a thrift plant; it's our "rock garden"!

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Changing Course is Sometimes Necessary

I had planned on posting yesterday, I had finished another page for the Milk Carton Book Series, but alas, my trusty faithful camera finally gave it up, with no warning. Well, I have had it for 12 years, which is a long time for an electronic device, and it gave me good service. Because the page has 3D elements on it, it will not scan properly and I'd rather it looked as good as possible when I show it to you.

Today has been one of those days where little annoyances ganged up to play "trip up" in my life. Plus I am trying to read and disseminate The Patient’s Guide to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia,  by Dr. Bruce Campbell which will help me put in place the steps necessary to manage this illness, rather than let it direct my life continually; but it's sort of a Catch-22, because the brain fog and overwhelming-ness I feel after reading it for a few pages frustrates me almost as much as the ME/CFS does. ::::::sigh::::: baby steps, baby steps, baby steps!

As I felt the frustration build, and as I was praying for release from the darkness, I came up to my studio to paint, to work out my tension. Here is the journal page with the painting:

(click for details)

I call it Caught Between The Darkness and Light, the words don't show up very well in the scan. It's a mixed media - acrylic paints and oil pastels. I hope you can see the waves of stormy water. This was a fairly quick painting, but after all, it's a journal entry!

As soon as my new camera gets here, I will show you the addition to my book pages!

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