Colleen's Trail Blog

2012-02-10T07:42:00.002-05:00

Interaction

2012-02-09T17:46:00.001-05:00

I visited the Harlequin Ducks again on Tuesday. There seemed to be a lot of activity in the preening, posturing, and bickering categories.

Some Birds I've Ecountered Lately

2012-02-08T14:52:00.000-05:00

Huh?

I personally think Tufted Titmice are a bit shrill. Not that I don't love them anyway, but whenever I check to see who is out at the feeder making my ears bleed it's always a titmouse.

I did not know that Brown Creepers visited feeders until I saw this guy happily climbing all over it and pecking away. A tiny little bird with an awesomely long tail.

This White-breasted Nuthatch reminds me of an old cartoon we used to see on Nick Jr. when Olivia was little. I just spent 20 minutes trying to find it and failed. But essentially the pig didn't want to share or take turns and was hogging the rocking horse. All the while singing at the top of her lungs.

Kind of like this...

And then there's this guy, a Carolina Wren. Such a loud song for such a little bird but much more enjoyable then the titmouse.

And finally, a Downy Woodpecker and an outrageously blue sky.

See-Saw

2012-02-07T06:32:00.000-05:00

An odd type of see-saw up near Easton, PA that was actually a lot of fun. A warm New Year's Eve in an incredibly mild winter. Yes weather, I'm taunting you. I'd really like some snow before it's all over!!

Lakota Wolf Preserve

2012-02-06T06:20:00.000-05:00

Before my opening yesterday I went up to the Lakota Wolf Preserve with the Tinicum Photo Group. The weather was perfect. I saw a huge flock of Snow Geese on my way up. I never get tired of watching their in-flight patterns cut across the sky. The Wolf Preserve was very cool. We learned lots of interesting things about these gorgeous animals.

Abington Art Center Show

2012-02-05T18:12:00.001-05:00

Solo Series at Abington Art Center

2012-02-04T08:24:00.001-05:00

My show opens tomorrow, Sunday, from 3pm-5pm. After that it will be up until March 25th. I'll be speaking about my work twice. Once at their "Uncorked" event on Feb 11 and once at their "Coffee Break" Saturday Feb 18.

More from the Bird Feeder

2012-02-03T07:48:00.000-05:00

I had a second Red-bellied Woodpecker visit my feeder. This one has a considerable gap in his red head feathers. Not sure if this is typical juvenile plumage or something more irregular. (update: looks like she is a female Red-bellied Woodpecker.)

Almost Done

2012-02-01T19:34:00.002-05:00

No new installation pictures yet. Tomorrow will be day four. A grueling process for sure but I think tomorrow I'll also be finished. So instead a Great Blue Heron from Heinz NWR. I love the velvety soft grey color of his neck!

Red-bellied Woodpecker

2012-01-31T06:25:00.000-05:00

I keep trying to get good photos of this Red-bellied Woodpecker. He visits my feeder now and then. He is pretty alert to movement at the window so this is my best shot. This shot does show off his red tinted belly quite nicely. Something I don't ordinarily notice what with his gorgeous red head stealing the show.

Installation, Day 1

2012-01-30T17:35:00.000-05:00

I keep thinking I'm making work that's easier to move around. (Then, say like, 6 foot stretched canvas) But does this look easier to you?? No. It seriously was NOT easier. But I did finally get it all shoved into the car. Now poor Matt is struggling to get it hung from the ceiling. I might have to rethink "easier."

Trying Something New

2012-01-29T21:38:00.002-05:00

I'm always amazed at the way Olivia is willing to dive in and try new things. This year, without any previous experience, she decided to join the swim team. Very cool and it gives me the opportunity to play around with my camera at the meets. Lots of fun opportunities to take pictures.

Hiking

2012-01-28T14:20:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite genres of non-fiction is the hiking adventure memoir. I've read several books people have written after hiking the Appalachian Trail, one about a walk across Afghanistan, and one through the Gobi desert. Most recently I read "Following Atticus" about a guy and his dog hiking the White Mountains of New Hampshire. As I was reading I began to think about my hiking limitations (about 5 miles) and how I would need to expand those limitations (about 13-30miles) to get to the top of some of those mountains. As a result I've begun to hike at least three miles every other day. I just finished my first week. 3.5 miles on Sunday, Tuesday, and Saturday and @5miles on Thursday. Thursday I limped home and collapsed on the couch and didn't move until Friday morning. So I am happy to say that after this mornings 3.5 mile hike I walked around a little more and then went to the grocery store. (And my toes didn't even hurt.) We'll call that progress. It was all totally worth it just to take that photo of the water this morning. What a beautiful day.

And in case you are interested here are the titles and authors of the books I mentioned:
"Following Atticus" by Tom Ryan
"Walking the Gobi" by Helen Thayer
"The Places in Between" by Rory Stewart
"Walking Home" by Kelly Winters

Misc.

2012-01-27T10:05:00.000-05:00

An image from yesterday's hike. Note the carousel on the right corner of this machine. You just never know what you are going to see on a hike. Today I've chosen the perfect day to stay home and frame works. Grim and raining. Even so, I'm hoping it clears up enough for a walk later on. I'm feeling guilty about leaving Angel behind yesterday. I think I owe her a nice hike.

Busy Week

2012-01-26T08:39:00.000-05:00

I've had an incredibly busy week. And look, it's only Thursday. Monday I was lucky enough to see Michael Pollan at the Kimmel Center. I've read his book "The Botany of Desire" which I really enjoyed. Monday's talk focused primarily on his latest book "In Defence of Food: An Eaters Manifesto." It was both interesting and alarming.

Tuesday night I started my sign language class and Wednesday night I joined the Stammtisch group for a drink. (German speaking group. I'm working on my language skills.) Wednesday afternoon I filled in for a friend and took her class to the Fabric Workshop to see the Nick Cave exhibit as well as a behind the scenes tour. Unfortunately they didn't allow photos. Cave's work would be tons and tons of fun to photograph. But you can see some images here.

This morning I'm off to Morris Arboretum where I am certain to find more fabulous trees to photograph. Oh yeah, and in between all this I sewed hundreds of triangles together. Monday I begin installation at the Abington Art Center. Hopefully it marks the last time I sew a triangle. For a while anyway.

Wow!

2012-01-24T22:28:00.002-05:00

None of these images are enhanced. This is just what was out there today. The aftermath of a whole day of rain falling on snow. I guess these are for all those people that think neon colors are unnatural.

Turkey in the Straw

2012-01-23T17:47:00.001-05:00

I haven't had a lot to say lately. Sewing together hundreds and hundreds of triangle shaped pieces of canvas does not generate a lot of conversational possibilities. However, today I was able to see the bottom of the box. So...soon I'll be done and maybe even have something to show.

A Walk in the Wood

2012-01-22T14:33:00.000-05:00

A Little Snow, A Little Ice

2012-01-21T11:31:00.000-05:00

I Want Snow!

2012-01-20T13:19:00.000-05:00

Olivia in Michigan circa 1999

I want snow. Like this. And also, since I'm being demanding, I do not want any freezing rain on top of my snow. Just the snow, please.

Long-tailed Duck

2012-01-19T13:57:00.002-05:00

These are very strange looking ducks. They didn't come nearly as close as the Harlequin but at least I was able to get a few decent shots. Hopefully next time I go to Barnegat they'll more within range.

Not Alone on the Rocks

2012-01-18T14:34:00.002-05:00

Rudy Turnstones huddled together

Here you can see the big spaces between rocks.

Dunlins

Purple Sandpipers

First of all, I walked right past those Rudy Turnstones without even seeing them. I was following one little guy when I turned around and BOOM there they were. Lucky I didn't step on any. The Dunlins were hanging out on the other side with the Purple Sandpipers. All of them pretty much look like little balls with beaks and legs sticking out. Gotta keep warm.

Barnegat Lighthouse State Park

2012-01-17T16:55:00.001-05:00

This is Barnegat Lighthouse State Park. I parked near the lighthouse and walked down the jetty. About halfway down I turned and took this photo. Walking on these rocks...here I paused to research a bit more about them and came upon this horrifying story! This is more or less what I was afraid of although I can't say I imagined getting stuck!! Terrifying just to read. Anyway, I was going to say it is difficult to walk on these rocks. I was very intent on their surfaces and on the lookout for ice. Needless to say I did not walk on these very beautiful rocks...

A New Favorite Duck

2012-01-16T20:31:00.002-05:00

Sorry Pintails, I have a new favorite duck. I drove out to Barnegat Lighthouse State Park and took the long walk down the jetty. A bit nerve wracking for the wimpy and clutzy but totally worth it. Those new hiking boot sure are proving their worth. These Harlequin Ducks were an awesome sight. And so close. I took all of these shots with my 300mm lens and didn't need to crop any of them. The duck hunters were making them a bit nervous which is how I got the in-flight shots. It never ceases to amaze me how many awesome sites there are to see.

Exploring

2012-01-15T21:41:00.000-05:00

I have vivid memories of “exploring” new territories as a child. Each time we moved or visited someplace new presented an opportunity to go exploring. I love to go exploring. Ever since I started birding I’ve foundI can explore the same places over and over again, every time finding something new. This time my discovery is these Horned Grebes who were hanging out with the Buffleheads of whom I was trying to get a decent photo. These two photos below I shot about an hour later. I'm amazed at how much color the black part of the head contains.

Splendid Grass

2012-01-14T13:46:00.001-05:00

Almost all the birds I saw today were between myself and the sun. Not great lighting conditions for bird photos but fabulous for grass! So glad I braved the cold for a walk around Heinz NWR.

Left Behind

2012-01-13T20:30:00.002-05:00

An Interest in Cows

2012-01-12T20:53:00.001-05:00

My sister one time asked me, as we were traveling through Cameroon, whyI was so interested in cows. Ibelieve the question came up because I kept making us stop so that I couldphotograph the herds of cattle we saw. Or maybe I was just bemoaning the fact that we didn’t stop for cattlephotos because I can’t remember seeing any the last time I went through thephoto album. At any rate, I toldher that they presented a different kind of texture in the landscape. (They also had cool long horns.)

The truth is I take pictures of just about everything. Trees, tree bark, fungus on trees, fungus other places, cactus, buildings, people, and birds to name a few of my recent faves. Birds are particularly fun to photograph and offer awesome textural variety to the landscape. By now the pintails feel common to me but I still love their sleek design and stunning beauty. I also love the fact that they stay relatively still and close enough for my 300mm lens.

A Great Day

2012-01-11T22:46:00.000-05:00

A great day at Forsythe NWR. I believe this is an immature Cooper's Hawk but I'll have to check with some experts to confirm. I have so many more photos to share. It's taking me a while to get through them all.

Back to Cameroon

2012-01-10T06:46:00.000-05:00

I scanned a few more photos from Cameroon. My sister was in the peace corps there for two years. This is her home village, specifically the Chefferie where the local leader lives with his family. It's a large beautiful place that includes many buildings as well as grounds for community gatherings. Courtney lived just up the hill from here.

Norristown

2012-01-09T05:00:00.000-05:00

A few more photos from Thursday's hike.

Kinglets

2012-01-08T05:00:00.000-05:00

I love these little kinglets. Yesterday this Ruby-crowned Kinglet sat right in the open and posed for a photo. Today a flock of Golden-crowned Kinglets made me work it. It is so much fun to watch them frolic in and out of the branches, especially on a day as warm as today. Over 60 degrees!! Nuts. But a beautiful day to hang around watching the birds.

2012-01-07T08:40:00.000-05:00

Norristown Farm Park Hike

2012-01-05T21:50:00.001-05:00

Happily it was 20 degrees warmer today for our five mile hike in Norristown. It was pretty grey out so I left the camera in my bag until I came across this fungus. After that I took a few more shots.

Cold!

2012-01-04T16:39:00.002-05:00

I did take a walk around Heinz NWR today but not with my camera. These are from last week. This morning it was 13 degrees outside. COLD! It was a brisk walk watching the beautiful morning sunrise.

White-breasted Nuthatch

2012-01-03T13:21:00.001-05:00

Working on the computer this afternoon I caught sight of several White-breasted Nuthatches visiting my feeder. Poor frosty lost his hat sometime over the weekend. I can't find it and I'm hesitant to reach down into the snake pit to look for it there. Maybe after I'm sure it's cold enough!

Procrastination

2012-01-02T10:41:00.001-05:00

on the rocks at Hawk Mountain

Matt's back at work and Olivia is using her last free day to do all her homework so...I'm going to clean up Christmas. Eventually. After I procrastinate for awhile.

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T17:32:00.001-05:00

Our first hike of 2012 began with these awesome trees at Nockamixon State Park. It also put our waterproof hiking boots to the test. We were sloshing around in some serious mud puddles as we made our way around the Quarry Trail. I'm happy to report that all three of us went home with dry feet even if the same cannot be said about our jeans. Next up...waterproof pants.

Hawk Mountain

2011-12-31T05:00:00.000-05:00

We all gave our new hiking boots a workout on Hawk Mountain. The trail went across those rocks in the last photo and then dropped down out of sight. I chickened out when I was going to have to jump/fall three feet to the rocky/icy ground below. Matt and Olivia, being significantly taller than me, had already made it past that point. So imagine me sitting wedged in between two rocks, feet dangling in the air, calling "ABORT, ABORT!" It was all totally dignified. I eventually disengaged myself from the rocks and we went back the other way. Maybe when the ground is totally dry and I grow two feet we can try again. At any rate we had a really great hike and spent about four hours climbing over rocks and stones. A very beautiful day!

Green

2011-12-30T08:08:00.000-05:00

Another plant brilliantly lit by the setting sun!

Finally

2011-12-29T08:04:00.001-05:00

I have been trying to get a good photo of this plant ever since I first saw it, oh I don't know, YEARS ago. On Christmas Eve I finally discovered the secret. Sunset. Maybe it was the first time I walked through the greenhouse in the evening. At any rate it was lit up just perfectly. All those amazing spikes showing off as the sun lowered itself in the sky. Awesome.

2011-12-28T07:32:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve at Longwood Gardens

2011-12-27T13:17:00.003-05:00

We spent a wonderful Christmas Eve wandering around Longwood Gardens. Their gingerbread theme was a little understated for me. I guess I like a little more obnoxious drama. But it was still very beautiful.

Great Falls Virginia

2011-12-26T19:02:00.000-05:00

This morning we had a really beautiful day after Christmas hike. I got to test out my new hiking boots stomping around Great Falls Park in Virginia. Such a great day and such a wonderful site. Olivia is a big fan of bouldering and there were just enough rocks around to satisfy her desire to climb on stuff.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T04:30:00.000-05:00

Longwood Cemetery

2011-12-24T10:17:00.000-05:00

I payed a visit to Longwood Cemetery Thursday morning before our Longwood Gardens hike. Many bluebirds and starlings greeted me at the entrance. Since I was two hours early for my hike I had time to draw an amazing tree. I have to get an id on this one. The bark seems to peel away in huge sheets.

Icy

2011-12-22T06:25:00.003-05:00

These are from Monday's icy walk around Heinz NWR. Today, well today is not going to be icy. Just when you think winter is arriving fall comes back. At least it will be a nice day for a hike.

2011-12-21T17:51:00.001-05:00

Carolina Wren and Other Things

2011-12-20T06:41:00.001-05:00

I'm trying out a new morning routine based upon the principal that if I don't leave the house when I take Olivia to school, I never leave the house. So I'm getting up bright and early. Yesterday I took Angel (the beagle) for a walk at Heinz NWR. It was tricky taking pictures with the dog yanking her chain but I think we can work something out.

A Little Snow For Our Ohio Christmas

2011-12-18T21:01:00.001-05:00

One of My Favorite Places

2011-12-16T08:01:00.000-05:00

I could almost have a whole blog just dedicated to photos from Longwood Gardens. I just love all these plants!! The corridor these grow in contains an amazing collection of plants. Unfortunately it's very narrow with no place to sit down. I'd really like to spend some time drawing some of these specimens.

Getting Ready

2011-12-15T08:11:00.000-05:00

Good Time

2011-12-14T07:32:00.001-05:00

I noticed recently that I frequently post images of cacti in winter. Wishful thinking? Or maybe winter is just a really good time to visit the greenhouse.

Oddball

2011-12-13T06:42:00.000-05:00

This time of year is always a bit slow going in the studio. Even so things are happening there. I have a show coming up in February at the Abington Art Center. Looking forward to installing the large box piece. And, once I get that monster out of my studio, the way will be open for the next big work which I think will be the spiral canyon piece I've been talking about.

Making Choices...Or Not

2011-12-12T09:55:00.000-05:00

I love the colors and textures of fall.

Always something amazing to see.

Brown Creeper

There's bound to be a duck or two in there somewhere.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

I really could not decide what to post today. I think I've spent more than an hour in an indecision loop. Finally I decided not to choose and to post them all. These are some of my favorite images from the past month. Most are from Heinz NWR. The second to last image is from Fosythe NWR. Every Saturday for the past month or so I've joined the morning bird walk at Heinz NWR. I've learned so much from all the knowledgeable people there. Anything you could want to know about almost any type of life form; someone there will know.

More Awesome Fungus

2011-12-11T07:50:00.001-05:00

I love fungus. I can't even believe the amazing variety. I really wish I had been able to see the tops of these guys. This tree leans out over a marshy area along Darby Creek at the Heinz NWR. It was tricky enough getting an unobstructed shot. Getting up above it was just not going to happen.

Cacti

2011-12-10T05:00:00.000-05:00

I had a really nice walk around Longwood Gardens on Friday. The light was streaming into the greenhouse, especially as we walked through the cactus garden. I have a very strong urge to go out West for a while. There are so many things that I would like to see and draw.

Studio

2011-12-09T08:57:00.001-05:00

West Chester Christmas Parade

2011-12-07T08:17:00.001-05:00

Take Offs and Landings

2011-12-06T05:00:00.000-05:00

Ruddy Duck

Pied-billed Grebe

Pied-billed Grebe He flew like that the entire way! Looks like his landing gear is down.

Black Duck

Hooded Merganser

Birds in Flight, Northern Harrier

2011-12-05T05:00:00.000-05:00

Birds in Flight, Part 1

2011-12-04T05:00:00.000-05:00

Red-winged Blackbirds

Northern Shovelers

Not sure...some kind of shore bird

Swans, Tundra I think

2011-12-03T05:00:00.000-05:00

I took a gazillion photos of these Yellow-rumped Warblers and surprisingly few of them are any good. I'll have to bump the shutter speed up to 500 or 600 next time. These guys MOVE!! Acrobatically too I might add. It was a lot of fun to watch them flit back and forth, in and out, up and down and through these trees.

Not A Duck

2011-12-02T06:56:00.001-05:00

After much indecision I finally decided to drive out to Forsythe NWR yesterday. It was a really beautiful, sunny day and while the sheer number of birds was lower than I've seen it in the past the variety of birds was impressive. I saw at least 22 different species. These American Coots were diving for dinner and showing off their greenish unwebbed feet. In fact, I have just now discovered that American Coots are not ducks and belong instead to the rail family. Learn something new everyday.

Indecision

2011-12-01T07:48:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure what I'm going to do today. I have a long list of possibilities and some sunshine so we'll see how it all pans out. These photos are from the hike around The Willows in Villanova a month ago. It's cold enough today to imagine that winter is really arriving.

Glow

2011-11-30T09:03:00.001-05:00

Monday was a beautiful day. I spent the entire beautiful day inside, in a chair, doing my civic duty at the Delaware County Courthouse. And I mean all day! And then, because I'm so lucky, I have to do it all again downtown for federal court next Monday. Jury duty twice in 8 days?? Lord help me. Anyway, Tuesday was not a particularly beautiful day. It was a rainy day. But I really didn't care. After 8 hours in a courthouse I was determined to go for a walk. Of course it rained and poured for my entire walk but that just made the tree colors even more amazing. They glowed!

Taking a Walk

2011-11-28T06:45:00.001-05:00

The end of October was snowy and the end of November has been incredibly warm. A strange mix but who can complain when it's so nice to take a walk.

One Way to Carry Nest Material

2011-11-27T13:38:00.001-05:00

Spillways Are Open

2011-11-26T18:52:00.001-05:00

I have a lot of photos for this post. It's the first time I've been at the Conowingo Dam when the spillways were open. I'd heard rumors that the eagles went crazy fishing when that happened. Maybe they were done by the time I got there. I had visions of photographing an eagle flying in front of the rainbow glittering off the spray but only the seagulls and pigeons were cooperative.

So anyway, here are some photos from a beautiful Thanksgiving morning.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T08:34:00.001-05:00

Class

2011-11-23T08:00:00.001-05:00

Maeve Rooney

Galit Brodie

Hannah Baker

Maeve Rooney

Galit Brodie

Hannah Baker

I don't blog about teaching very often but Monday I photographed a bunch of work from this semester. These are from the first assignment back in September. I don't have photos of step one which involves the students making observational line drawings with sharpies. They use those lines to create the 10"x10" compositions seen in the bottom three photos. The top three come from these 10"x10"'s.

Last of Fall

2011-11-22T08:30:00.001-05:00

One last splash of color. The leaves are pretty much all gone now. Rain has moved back in but the temperature?? Who knows. It's all over the place 30-70 degrees and everything in between.

More Travels from the Past

2011-11-21T09:08:00.001-05:00

I've been going through my photo albums and scanning a few images. I took so many amazing trips before I starting blogging! These are from Herculaneum which I visited with my art and philosophy class in 2003.

Cameroon

2011-11-20T07:23:00.001-05:00

The experiences I had visiting Cameroon in 2003 are still having a big impact in my work. In speaking to a friend about her year in Thailand I envisioned a diverted river. Some experiences are so powerful that while your river keeps on flowing it flows in a completely new direction. My biggest regret in the aftermath of my time in Cameroon is not asking more questions. At the time I was so overwhelmed by the information I was already receiving that I didn't ask things I would really like to know. For example, is this type of binding poles together planned? Is it individual? Does each person do it a different way or does one artisan like variety?? In any case I was really struck by the beauty and variety of these bound poles.

A Dramatic Show

2011-11-19T13:18:00.001-05:00

Photographing Trees

2011-11-18T07:33:00.001-05:00

Tuesday Matt and I took a walk around Heinz NWR. The sky was very overcast and there really wasn't enough light to photograph the ducks. Unlike. But the upside- it was great light for photographing trees.

Great Performances

2011-11-17T07:44:00.001-05:00

And finally, another great performance from Sunday night.

Champs

2011-11-16T07:39:00.001-05:00

The championship competition in Millersville was the last time the marching band will perform their train show. It was a great show. I only have a few thousand photos of it. Almost enough to make a movie from still shots!

Day and Night

2011-11-15T07:10:00.001-05:00

Millersville University is out in Amish country. We saw quite a few buggies on our way from Conowingo Dam to the Champs competition. But I did not expect to see any on our way home. Seriously, that's about all you could see when you were right up on top of them. Black buggy, dark night, what in the world are they thinking??

An Eagle in Every Tree

2011-11-14T07:55:00.001-05:00

I took a whole lotta pictures yesterday. We stopped at Conowingo Dam on our way up to Millersville University for Olivia's Championship Band Competition. I think there was an eagle in every tree. It was the first time I got to hear them calling to each other. I wish I had a recording to share. It was very cool. I'm planning to make another trip to the Dam soon so you can look forward to some more bald eagle photos!

Championships Today

2011-11-13T09:49:00.001-05:00

American Bittern

2011-11-12T14:36:00.001-05:00

I met up with the birding group at Heinz NWR this morning. It's a beautiful sunny day today even if it did start out a bit chilly. I have quite a few photos to share but I have to start with these shots of the American Bittern. It's a fairly rare siting for Heinz and I'm sure I would have walked right by it if it hadn't been for the group. This may be more photos than you need but I've never seen this bird before, it's elusive, AND it practically modeled for me. So I can't resist posting them.

Yes, there's an American Bittern in this photo. That's some seriously good camouflage.

Here he is. He even keeps his chin up to blend in more effectively. The yellow feet give him away.

Drawing

2011-11-11T07:25:00.001-05:00

This is the drawing I made way back in July at the Tyler Arboretum. It always takes me a while to decide if I like these oil pastel drawings. They make such blunt marks I always feel like I'm not getting it right. I have to wait for my memory of the whatever I drew to fade so I can look at the drawing for what it is.

A Walk Through the Wood

2011-11-10T08:50:00.000-05:00

Olivia was off school on Tuesday for election day so she and I headed down to Longwood Gardens to do some drawings. It was a very unseasonable 70 degrees outside! After lunch we came home and took a trek through our "backyard." It's so nice that the early snow (remember five minutes ago when I was posting photos of snow???) did not ruin our fall colors.

Foggy Morning

2011-11-08T07:51:00.000-05:00

We've had so many foggy mornings recently. I brought my camera along on the drive to school and snapped this picture. It has a weird feeling of depth but it's also blurry so staring at it for long makes me a bit nauseous. Olivia was missing the days back in Ohio when early morning fog meant a two hour school delay. No such luck here. But if the weather continues to be as wild and crazy as it's been I'm sure she has some snow days to look forward too.

Dressing Up

2011-11-07T06:08:00.002-05:00

This is as close as we got to dressing up for Halloween this year. A Halloween wedding, a snowstorm, and band practice took up our weekend. This weekend was much quieter. Some time to relax and get organized.

Yum Yum

2011-11-06T08:18:00.000-05:00

Ducks at Heinz NWR @ Tinicum

2011-11-05T15:08:00.000-04:00

Northern Shoveler

Maybe a Green Winged Teal?? Nope it's a Mallard!

American Coot

It was a beautiful, if chilly, morning at Heinz NWR. My fingers were pretty cold but the ducks were so obligingly close by that I had to keep taking pictures.

2011-11-04T08:06:00.002-04:00

A Bright Sunshiny Day

2011-11-03T21:16:00.002-04:00

I am happy to say that the early snow did not rob us of all our fall color! Today was a beautiful day for a hike around The Willows in Villanova.

Birthday Time

2011-11-01T20:52:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday to everyone but me... a lone Capricorn with the Scorpios

Trying to figure out how to blow out the candles permanently.

They just keep coming back for more. Filled the whole house with smoke before they went out.

November1st is birthday time around our house. When Matt asked what I was getting him for his birthday 15 years ago I pointed at my rather pregnant belly and said "this." And then I delivered...

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T06:54:00.001-04:00

Surprize!

2011-10-30T09:48:00.000-04:00

On the way to Cleveland Thursday night.

On the way home Saturday morning!

Snow covered fall trees...some of which were actually falling...on the turnpike!

This is not a country road. This is the PA Turnpike.

Processing

2011-10-27T10:54:00.000-04:00

Another thing I can never seems to figure out ahead of time is whether I am wasting time or processing information. It seems to take a certain amount of "down" time to let my brain work through complex problems. I noticed this particularly in writing where my process involves about 10 minutes of writing for every 3 hours of what seems like avoidance. These activities can include: cleaning, watching tv, playing on the computer. Anything that is essentially mindless and distracting. It took years to figure out that this "waste" of time was actually critical processing time. I know I am done when I sit back down to write and the words come flowing off my fingers as if -duh- what else could I ever have written. This does not happen if I "buckle down" and keep trying. So processing is extremely important. But sometimes it goes too far. Like this morning I complained to my husband that I didn't have enough money to purchase my Spanish Galleon. Seriously. Gardens of Time may have moved from processing agent into obsession. But since I started playing I've quit watching those ridiculous housewife shows. If only I could "process" while reading Derrida or something. I'd be a genius!

Flag

2011-10-24T07:17:00.002-04:00

As I was driving away from Fleisher I looked into my review mirror and saw my flag.

Fleisher Challenge Show

2011-10-23T09:46:00.002-04:00

There's about one week left to see the latest Fleisher Challenge Show. I stopped by on Friday and was glad I did. First up, Alana Bograd's paintings are exciting, both in color and mark making. Sometimes they seem a little gross. Are those the muscles on the face or is it melting or just a psychedelic trip? Either way one gets the impression of something gooey or messy, something that I personally don't want to get on me. When the figure is absent the works are less disturbing but then you can really get in and enjoy the paint. I love her paint. It's colorful and aggressive. At times it flows easily from the brush and other times it seems tortured into piles.

Alana Bograd

Alana Bograd, Vanitas Jinx

Walking from Bograd's show into the next room one enters a dark space in which the sound of breathing catches your attention. The breathing is coming from Jennie Thwing's small framed video piece on the front wall. An image of a (dead?) bird pulsates with the breath. A large video, titled "Buried but Breathing" occupies the large wall opposite the bird piece. The animated work- nails, string, firewood, clamps, etc- are punctuated by several human appearances. The narrative is engaging and nostalgic. At least I was reminded of early hours in front of television watching the herky-jerky stop action videos on various PBS children's shows. This video, with it's strange hooded figure and suggestions of violence (particularly against fruit) is not one of those, but I can't help loving watching pieces of firewood make their own way into the stove and twine wrap itself around nails. It seems like a celebration of everyday overlooked tools and the motions of life.

Jennie Thwing, Buried but Breathing (my photo from her video projection so not quite a "still")

Sarah Steinwach's cut works occupy the third gallery. The delicate cut mylar, tyvek, and paper are sandwiched into sturdy plexiglass containers. The lines might be delicate but these containers are serious structures. I particularly loved this piece with it's fine black lines.

Sarah Steinwachs

Sarah Steinwachs, detail

Fall Leaves

2011-10-22T23:55:00.000-04:00

Newer Work

2011-10-21T15:05:00.002-04:00

This one is the smaller of the two.

This one is about twice as big. Many of the pieces are the same size as the first one.


Studio Wall

I thought I'd share a few other things from the studio. (Yes, I need to repaint my wall!!) The two middle pieces are made from the scraps of those boxes I posted yesterday. I envisioned making one huge piece out of them but I'm liking these little ones the way they are so I don't know if the big piece will happen.

Almost Done

2011-10-19T22:01:00.003-04:00

I need to get it out of my studio to get a good photo. This image is a not very seamless composite but I think it gives a better idea of the piece then the standard photos I took. Eventually the viewer will be able to walk around and enjoy the back.

The Stress of Waiting for Hindsight

2011-10-18T08:57:00.000-04:00

If you've been reading this blog you probably know that I've been working on what I call "the boxes" for a really long time now. At least 6 months. I'll tell you a secret. Much of this time I've been in a panic that the piece is a big mess and will never amount to anything.

This weekend I took it apart and reconstructed it for at least the 3rd time and I think I've finally got it. Actually, I think I love it. If this is true, if it is a really good piece that I love, then I can begin to look back on the past 6 months as a really excellent use of time. Wouldn't that be nice!

But what I would like is to know for sure ahead of time. Because honestly the stress of waiting to find out if I was wasting my time really gets to me. Ever since I was introduced to the word "omniscient" I have wanted it in the worst way. Imagine knowing for sure how things really are, knowing for sure that you are making the right choices!!!

Instead, my reality always seems to involve making important decisions without enough information. Not, mind you, because of lack of research but rather because the information I need will be revealed tomorrow. Like the time we bought a new TV the day before Matt lost his job. Or maybe it was a computer. Somehow I think we got caught on both of those purchases! Oh life. You are so fucking funny. It's a good thing I have well developed senses of irony and sarcasm.

And of course, the thing to remember in art is that if you are working then you are never wasting your time. Something will always come out of it, even if you have to wait six months to see what it is!!

And the seemingly irrelevant picture? Some of the peace and quiet that I keep making myself feel guilty for not feeling. Tomorrow I hope, a photo of the piece in question!