My tree - A photographic journey

So, I have to drive down to Olive Branch a few times a year to service some printers down there and at some point in 2015, I noticed this tree in a field off Riverdale. I stopped and took pictures of it. It spoke to me- in the middle of this suburban mess, there was a small field on a corner that had been saved from another failed convenience store and on it was this majestic oak tree.

This tree was a bright spot in what was more often than not, a bad day. So, I started making it a point to stop by the tree each time I had to go to OB for a service call. I missed a few- sometimes it was raining too hard for me to get a good shot. Once it was supposed to snow, so I was hurrying to get home before the storm hit. But, I've been pretty consistent- I have 8 images that show how the changes of the seasons dress my lovely. What's interesting is how I'm taking the shot from almost the exact same spot each time... I am not sure how I manage that.

I am so enamored by this tree, I actually looked to see if I could buy the land. It's just north of the state line- so in Shelby County. I would buy it just to protect the tree from being torn down and to make it ok for me to go and lay a blanket under her branches without being charged with trespassing.

Here's the journey from the first shot on December 29th, 2015 to the latest on October 24th, 2017.

How is it almost June?!?!

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.”

~ Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul

It's been a very fast paced year. It's been going by so quickly, I'm not sure how I got to be where I am at times. And while I think I might at least be close to where I need to be, I can see a vast stretch between me and where I *want* to be. 

My birthday is quickly approaching and that's always a trying time for me. It's my New Year. I try to incorporate all the things I learned, about myself and others, during the time of turmoil (also known as Spring) and make some plans for the next 12 months of my life. It's a pseudo-tradition I began when I was 19 and I've more or less kept up with it. The plans have gotten more open-ended and much less 'strict' as I've gotten older, and hopefully, wiser. And my priorities have certainly shifted since I was a naive teen feeling like anything in the world was possible with little effort. 

I've been focusing more on my art- learning new skills, and trying to work out my visual vocabulary. It's hard creating a 'signature look'- I think it's something I'm just going to have to keep working at. Keep creating all the work I can create and see what repeats. I know what I want to say... it's just hard to figure out how to say that sometimes without being too overt. Maybe I need to be overt for a while.. see how that goes. lol. 

I'm going to have a change of scenery for the next week or so and I'll have an opportunity to dip my toes in the ocean. I'm hoping it will be the recharge I need to face the coming year. 

And here are pictures of some of the stuff I've been working on :)

the finished pieces from my workshop with Joanna Gollberg! i *love* the techniques i learned!

Always making leaves- these are all from the Memphis Botanic Gardens except the tiny oak at the bottom- that one came from Flagstaff AZ. :)

Creative Life 2016 - Week 11

I'm starting off week 11 with positivity. I am reinforcing my affirmations, trying really hard to show myself kindness, and remembering that I cannot give from an empty bowl.

Part of what makes my art so important, at least to me, is the amount of myself that I put into each piece. It is my way of making my story immortal. However, if i'm all used up, i'll have nothing to give to my work, and it shows. People respond so much stronger to the work that was made with passion and imbued with love and light.

I dove off into the amazing and terrifying world 24 karat gold. I made granules for a granulation project that has been stewing since my class on the 5th. I'm excited about the potential.

Check out this lovely fungi. The whole stump was covered in this beautiful colorful shelf fungus. I took a little mold of those tiny bits and am looking forward to reproducing it in bronze or copper. When i grew White Oysters a couple of months ago, a few of them dried out while i was traveling for work and are these hardened, compacted versions of themselves. I think i should be able to get a good mold from them, so positive outcome from a negative thing (they were very tasty and had a lot more to give, but mushrooms must not be allowed to go dry... )