A Very Long Absence...

I've been away from here for a while.  Things have been a bit tough for me in my everyday life.  I know that I should be turning to my blog as a creative outlet during these times, but this was not the case.  What do you do when life gets to be too much for you?  I would really like to know.  I hope that this summer brings something new for me.  My life is feeling a bit stagnant at the moment and I would like a new challenge.

PS - I was fooling around with one of the new effects on my favourite free online photo manipulation site (www.picnik.com).  What do you think?

Free Flowers

I made another frugal flower arrangement.  When I was walking home from the train after work yesterday, I saw a sprig of orchids laying on the ground.  Actually, I have to interject here and say that I think they are orchids.  I'm not very good at flower names.  I prefer to take pictures of them instead.  If it's not a tulip or a rose or a daffodil, I have no clue!  Anyway, the cluster of buds looked as though they had snapped off a large bouquet. 

I picked up the sprig and carried it home with me.  It had six flowers on it.  I cut off all of the buds and put them in separate small white bowls I bought while I was living in Korea.  I took some pictures this morning and here are the results.  I may have been doing some more experimenting with my camera settings.  Let me know what you think! 

If you know what kind of flowers I have here, please let me know!

Strawberries

 A package of strawberries + testing out some of my camera settings = a lot of fun (and some very blurry photos).

I had a lot of fun pushing buttons and trying out new things on my camera.  If I'm being completely honest, I haven't done much experimenting, camera-wise.  I would love to, but I just don't.  Well, that ends today.  I'm not entirely happy with the results and they are definitely not what I was intending, but I'll call them happy accidents.

All this means is that I'll have to buy more strawberries (or flowers or cherries or shells), style them up and take more photos.  And that's always fun.

I have a vision in my mind of what I am trying to achieve.  It's a good thing that practice makes perfect!  Maybe my husband will make another smoothie next time, too!!

An Inexpensive Display

In honour of spring (and its free beauty), I went outdoors to gather some things to make a display.  I came home with some cherry blossoms (that had already fallen to the ground) and some seed pods (that had also fallen) that look like propellers.  I'm sure there's a technical name for them, but I don't know it!

I used some pretty little bowls I already had at home and a calm white windowsill to put them on.  Voila!  I hope you like it. 

Product Shots

I have fooled around with taking photos of products, sometimes featuring brand names.  Let me know if you think I've been successful.

The Body Shop Cherry Blossom perfume

San Pellegrino bottled water

Lea & Perrins Worchestershire Sauce

Twinings Tea and Peek Freans cookies

Nabisco Cheese Nips

Stormy Soul

I love storms.  When I was a kid I would go out into my grandparents' backyard and (much to the chagrin of my parents) dance around in the rain, with thunder pounding and lightning streaking across the sky all around me.  Their area was known for the most wonderful storms.  I love the energy and the rage that storms bring.  I also like the calming peace that settles onto the world after the storm has spent itself.

 

These photos are grey and gloomy and very evocative.  I love the deep oppressiveness to be found in each one.  The sky is heavy and feels like it could fall at any moment.  There is the hint of magic and myth to be found in the fog drenched hills and I want to follow that path wherever it will lead. 

Even though I don't dance around in the backyard anymore, I still love to watch storms, to be a witness to the awesome power of nature.  On the tiny balcony of our apartment, perhaps I will be able to dance once more during the storms of summer...

Has Spring Sprung?

I think it has.  OK, actually, I know it has.  I had planned to post this a few weeks ago, when the presence of spring was in question.  Now it is full-fledged, but I just loved the title too much to change it.  Crocuses, daffodils, tulips and snow drops are flourishing these days.  I love spring.  I love each season as it happens.  It's hard for me to love fall or winter right now because I'm too busy enjoying the warmer weather and the increased sunshine levels.

 I took these photos last month on a walk with my husband.  I had the best of intentions for posting them, came up with a title and planned the order in my head.  Please enjoy them.

I find it hard to keep up with all of my ideas for photos and posts.  I am pretty busy and my full-time job leaves me drained and often seeking relaxation in TV, rather than artistic pursuits.  I wish this wasn't the case.  I would like to endeavour to pour myself into my photography and my painting and my writing at the end of a long day.  I know in my heart that it would make me feel better and allow me to tap into my artistic reserves, which I don't get to use at work very often.  But for some reason, it's the last thing I think of doing when I get home.  Is it that way for you?  I would really like to know.