Magical →

It was a magical March morning in New York City.  Snow had begun falling early and continued through the morning leaving Central Park covered with a brilliant shimmering white blanket.

Familiar sights took on a new dimension.  The park was more peaceful, quiet and serene.  Graceful tree limbs accentuated by the contrast clinging snow created.  Picnic tables and benches covered in a thick crunchy layer.  A solo snowman stood waving, framed by the cityscape.  Statues looked chilled, but stoic, with snow resting on their features.

And then I saw him.  A gentleman dressed in black, his face obscured by a large black umbrella.  He was talking to none other than...Santa!  Was the man trying to convince Santa that he should have been on the “nice” list last year or was Santa explaining the criteria for the “naughty” list?

Click…I captured Santa in Central Park in March.

MAGICAL!

Willamette Valley Drive →

A recent drive through the Willamette Valley was filled with reflection as it often is.   Memories popped up and passed as quickly as the farms and my favorite stand of trees.

Naked sheep grazed on clean-shaven blond fields. Miles of cocoa colored soil dotted sparsely with barns and hemmed with a gold green ruffle of trees warming to the shades of the season.   A cottony canopy of clouds heavy with rain, and dropping some along the way, made the vast scene seem cozier than in summer months when purple-blue mountains touch an azure sky.

Hummingbird →

Many mornings while enjoying a cup of tea in my courtyard one of these elusive, fierce delicate winged beauties has teased me.  Quickly I would run into the house, grab my camera and wait patiently for the hummingbird’s return.   But, I would be too late. Other days, prepared with camera in hand, waiting, but the exquisite, tiny creature would turn shy and not come near me.  Ah, but last week, while soaking up some morning sun, I heard the unmistakable hum of its wings.  As it hung suspended in mid-air tasting the Bird of Paradise, I captured it.  Finally!

October →

October has always been my favorite month … when it feels like autumn.  A nip in crisp morning air, scented with gold and crimson leaves dancing and singing on tree limbs, encouraged by a soft breeze.  A colorful carpet adds a rhythmic crunch with every step.

In southern California a bit of hunting is necessary to locate places that represent the autumns living in my childhood memories.  Here, a few leaves begin to change and tease me.  Slowly, in their own sweet time, the rest will join in and be ready to show off, dressed in vibrant warm colors whispering their autumn song.   

Welcome!

I hope these images inspire you to take a deep breath, relax and renew.  

It’s exciting to have a forum where I may share with you what I’ve been lucky enough to see.  I’ve been collecting images since I was first given an instamatic camera in 7th or 8th grade. The simplest object or bit of nature in my own backyard can spark inspiration.  Sometimes I capture what later serves as a reference for a painting or collage.  Other times I prefer the image be kept in its purest form, untouched and minus any manipulation.   Either way, I’m always observing.   Like a small child tapping me on the shoulder…I can’t ignore what I see and I have to respond…click.

Finding beauty in constant change makes the familiar always new. A daily walk on the same beach doesn’t get old and walking the same city streets can reveal lovely surprises. Being present helps me notice the sun accentuating a drop of dew on a delicate petal, a tree’s reflection in a puddle after a downpour, soft lines in the angular jungle of city streets, or a couple’s embrace framed by the Eiffel Tower.

These galleries are my way of tapping YOU on the shoulder and saying, “Look!”

Please enjoy!