Light Inspiration: Come Darkness

As a child I was never very good at sitting still (Reading being the biggest exception). I always had to be doing something, probably doing MANY things, most of which would go unfinished. 

But i would take time, outside, to watch the sky and the clouds. 

Which must be why I am so in love with this Project by Maria Alexandra Vettese. 

Vettese, who lives and works in Maine, began capturing the last flashes winter light 2009 with her first Come Darkness Collection. That installation featured works from over 20 international artists.

About Come Darkness: 

I am always bewildered by the arrival of early autumn darkness. I travel around in my normal routines confused for weeks. This year I felt I needed to try harder to understand the transition. Was there some way I could prepare? Without even knowing it I found I was using my camera as a tool to dissect the final hours of illumination. I became fixated on capturing a momentary blanket of light, of all tones and colors, which I could hold and pull up around me when all I see is black. I wanted to feel the light. I needed to see the light. And now I feel ready. Come darkness, here we are again. 
—MAV

What I love most about the 2010 edition of Come Darkness. Here We Are Again, is the medium in which the photographs are presented: Silk Scarves. The notion of taking a little bit of light with you through the darker winter months is fantastic. Here literally, you can wrap it around you. 

Some of the Scarves are still available for purchase, but I'm rather most excited about the 28 page full color book of photos from the show. It was printed in Limited Edition and each book is individualized by swatch of silk. 

More of Maria's work is available here 

Thinking Kitchens

Do you have a favorite kitchen? Perhaps it isn't your own. My favorite kitchen is at my friend Doreen's house. 

Her kitchen/dining room has beautiful wood floors and a fireplace. They've put in beautiful warm wood cabinets and a cool dark stone sink. The wall about the stove is covered with bright blue glass and the drawers and cabinets open smoother than silk. 

And the smell! Opening the spice drawer is like opening a treasure trove. Warm colors and tantalizing scents fill the air. 

images via Pinterest

I have nothing but great memories of cooking there. With the door to the back porch open listening to world outside while things sizzle on the gas stove. Perfect. 

What is your favorite kitchen? 

Discoveries

I went home briefly today to visit the grandparentals and scour my storage unit for hard copies of undergrad papers.


If you recall a few months ago two computers died on me and i was super upset because i had lost so many photographs. A few weeks ago as i was brainstorming about what sorts of jobs i'd like to look for I realized that i might need writing samples. And then realized that all of my undergrad papers were on those two computers. That are dead. Goodbye writing samples.


But by rooting around in my boxes of notebooks i've unearthed some hard copies...let the transcribing begin. 


I ALSO found a shoe box full of photo cds from my travels around Scotland and England.


Bus tour around Edinburgh. 

Some Artful Inspiration

 I was browsing around looking for innovative flower photography and look what i found! 

Qi Wei from Thoughtful Photography takes some really lovely photos. 

About the artist: "my philosophy is that the creation of an image does not stop merely with pressing of the shutter button, or pressing the “save as” button in Photoshop. No – the entire process ends with the output – which is the print, that matches to my personal vision. And that is something you need to hold in your own hands, to view with your own eyes in person for yourself." 

I find these flowers particularly compelling. Perhaps because i think of how intricate the creation of these images is...look at all those petals! 

This image too (the latest from Qi Wei's Blog was awesome. 

all images from Thoughtful Photography

Qi Wei's Panographies are also super cool. Check it out! 

Prints of these beautiful photos are available at the Thoughtful Photography Website. 

Happy Weekend !

Some things i love. 

images via pinterest

Shell Study

First batch of shell photos! 

I've been having such a great time with them.

These are a little conch shell i found.  

A little about me

Erika over at A Tiny Rocket posted one of these up and i loved how many things i discovered about her. SO i thought i'd borrow her idea and do one for myself.


A. Age: 25
B. Bed Size: Queen/Full
C. Chore you hate: Washing the dishes. My grandpa used to put scrambled egg pans in the  sink and the egg would float in the water like algae. GROSS
D. Favorite Decadent Activities: smoking cigars and drinking bourbon or eating chocolate mouse out of wine glasses.
E.  Essential start to your day:: Sunshine....the brighter the day the better the mood i greet it with.
F.  Favorite Color: It used to be blue. But i find i have a lot of brown and green in my wardrobe lately.
G.  Gold or Silver:
H.  Height: 5'8"
I.  Instruments you play: Piano, Cow Bell (yeah i do) and a little Mediocre Uke.
J.  Job Title: Actor, Understudy, Costume Mistress and Stage Manager
K. Favorite Kiss: Forehead
L.  Live: Shenandoah Valley, VA
M. Favorite Month: April or September ( I love the gentler seasons of spring and fall)
N.  Nicknames: Some people call me Tash, or Nana
O. Favorite Outdoor Activitiy: Kayaking and Hiking
P.  Pet Peeves: Chewing with your mouth open
Q.  Quote from a Movie: "A Jester's chief employment is to kill himself for your enjoyment. And a Jester unemployed is nobody's fool"
R.  Right handed or Left handed. I'm a righty, but i play the piano better with my Left.
S.  Siblings: Four- two brothers my age-ish (20 and 22) and a little brother and a little sister 4 and 6.
T. Tattoos: Pear blossom on my right ankle (But i've always wanted a tribal cuff)
U.  Underwear: Brights.
V.  Vegetables you hate: Butternut Squash
W.  Wine of choice: Cab Sauv or Moscato
X.  X-rays you have: Most recently my right hand. I once had a double jointed thumb. It now doesn't move much :-(
Y.  Yummy food that you make: I make a really good mustard glazed salmon.
Z.  Zoo animals: White Tigers (did you know they are usually born with mental impairments?) 

light and darkness

Its been really grey lately. 

It was raining when i got up this morning, 

but the skies have cleared and the sun

 is attempting to peek through the overhanging clouds. 

via pinterest

A friend of mine likes to point those refractions of light out to me whenever we drive around. 

Usually calling out "Look, God" or "Beautiful"

There is nothing better than sunlight through the clouds. 

Hope you are having a happy Tuesday! 

(Took lots of photos yesterday, still working on the shells 

and some beautiful bouquets of calla lillies and hydrangeas!)

On a Thoughtful Sunday

via Pinterest

Necklace

My Kickstarter Reward Necklace came the other day!!

I love it and have been wearing it ever since! 

Thanks Maia. 

So excited to see what else you create! 

Do you ever find that when you're feeling down or lonely you return to 

books and stories you read as a child? 

I think its really helpful and it gets my imagination moving. 

As a little girl i read tons of fantasy books. I've been staying with a friend 

and i found on her shelf books i read more than 15 years ago. 

So i've been revisiting them. 

What are some of your favorite books to revisit?

Shells

I have been longing for a vacation. I'd love to walk up and down the beach

getting sprayed by the waves and having the foam lap at my feet. 

Every year i got to the beach i collect shells by the bag and box full. 

It might be the best kind of therapy for me,

 a soothing repetitive motion accompanied by the sound of the sea. 

I have years and years worth of shells collected up. 

And i keep gathering more with the plan of making some sort of craft with them. 

And i never follow through! 

So i think i'm going to do a shell study with photography. 

via pinterest

Excited to see where this takes me! 

Back in the saddle again

Hey everyone! Work is starting bright and early again today. 

I hope you all are doing well. 

I'm buckling down to get some stuff done 

and i was inspired by some of these cute workspaces!

via Pinterest

Tentative Dreams

Sandra, who writes one of my fav blogs posted today about dreams. 

The last few weeks have been hard on me and I am not feeling dreamy. 

But the things i have been dreaming and hoping and worrying over are still there. 

All of us are just feeling a little tentative. 

And its no fun to dream alone. So i thought i'd share some of my dreams for the coming year. 

1- Etsy shop. I have been wrestling with the desire to open an etsy shop focusing on my photos in the form of paper products: postcards and book plates and prints and the like. 

2- Poems. I've been writing again, though earnestly in my gloom i haven't been writing much. Shame. But in the year i'd love to have written and edited 2 collections.

3- MOVING. After this contract is over i'm planning to move to DC and get a job and work and save a slave away until i've saved up enough money to move to NY. Next August is my goal. 

4- JOB. So hand in hand with that is getting a well paying job. I'd love to do some sort of theatre education. I miss that sort of thing. 

5- Theatre. FOREVER i've been wanting to do some devised work. And maybe direct another show...

More Morning Glory Study

It was raining out. 

I ran out and cut some. 

They're so pretty underneath. 

A foodie Monday

Happy Labor Day everyone! 

I had planned on getting outside to take some photos but the weather is dim and gloomy.

 So perhaps i'll stay in and read. 

I hope you have had a fantastic 3 day weekend filled with delicious and tasty foods! 

pinterest

Morning Glories

Happy Weekend Everyone! Do you have anything cool planned?

Off to a good start

I am slowly working back to being productive again. 
Thanks for all your good thoughts everyone! 
 We're doing dress rehearsals for Henry V right now and i must admit that after the show is done i have little energy for anything.

 Other than sleep. 

But i woke this morning (i'm staying at a friend's right now. I thought the change of scenery might be good for me) and went outside and took some photos of beautiful morning glories (i'll post them tomorrow). 

A grass study.