Fall Favorites

Some times we must look elsewhere to find ourselves.

This time I review some of my favorite snapshots from last Fall.

Halloween Party Favorites

Shadow Cat / Shadow Crack

Deck Seams

Chalk Festival / Sand Festival

Going Somewhere / Going Nowhere

Mote Marine Slow / Mote Marine Swift

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Queen Bee

Click to Enlarge Pix

Beekeeper Bob brought my first bee hive one week ago.

Today marked the first hive inspection to find the Queen Bee.

 I pulled my first frame looking for the Queen Bee

under Bob's watchful eyes. 

The empty frame position (right) 

held the Queen Bee in the short wooden box (left side, vertical).

She has eaten her way out of her transport chamber.

The workers have already started producing honey.

Ah, here's the Queen (the big one, left center).

She directs traffic and has already begun producing new workers.

 The new Queen transport cage and the first wax comb.

The hole in the cage (red circle) was filled with wax

that had to be eaten to free the Queen.

Another sculptural work of art for the top of the piano.

~~~

Roseate Spoonbills

Ajai ajaja

32"  (80cm)

Habitat Range:

Gulf States to Chile, Argentina

 

Myakka, Florida

Conflict Resolved

The other day I had the great, good fortune to sit down with Carl Jung’s Red Book for a few minutes. Within three or four pages I came across the description of Carl’s latter years during which he forsook directed thinking to explore the fantasies of the unconscious mind. 

Carl took the same intended journey that occupies my drawing labors, but over a hundred years earlier than I. Jung’s drawings are in color, while mine favor the black ink of an old map maker. Jung’s drawings tend to be geometrical and iconic. My drawings erupt from the who-knows-where with surprises for my startled eyes.

Old conflicts resolved, some clarity appears on the page ... for the moment. Tanda Shadowself’s inky blackness drains into a gravy boat crucible where it awaits further transformations, while my bloody fingerprints give texture to the leafy tops of skinny trees. 

Click picture to enlarge.

Tanda's Ink. My Blood.

I never know where an ink drawing will start. If I can’t find an area to begin doodling, I might pour an ink wash onto the paper, then start looking for shapes to extend.

Like Jung pointed out, I’ve noticed my thinking switching back-and-forth between directed and associative or imagistic thinking. I am aiming to convene with my unconscious mind while drawing. This kind of drawing feels like a dance for equilibrium. 

Toltec Rising and The Four Agreements

About a month ago a dear friend of mine offered me a small book purported to contain ancient Toltec wisdom. The Four Agreements by nagual Don Miguel Ruiz was subtitled: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book). 

http://www.amazon.com/Four-Agreements-Practical-Personal-Freedom/dp/1878424319

How could any fan of Carlos Castaneda’s writings decline such a title? I accepted the book as my next reading assignment.

The book was an ideal fit with my lazy self; Here was a small, simple book that could be breezily read. It provided the perfect momentary diversion, I thought, to reclaim some kind of sanity in this crazy world.

Before concluding the book, I had decided to follow the path of the Toltec Warrior, as best I could, by adopting the Four Agreements.

The Agreements were obviously roaming through my mind when I recently decided to reenter pen and ink art therapy sessions again after a layoff of sixteen years. The difficulties of facing a blank white page were initially resolved with words. Then shapes began to emerge.

Here is my first pen and ink doodle-drawing of the year. Subsequent drawings will explore the mysteries of this Toltec Rising.

COMMENTS invited. Scroll down.

Red Skies at night, Sailor's delight

The red life guard shack at Siesta Key Beach seemed to spill color into the skies Friday night.

As usual people crowded to the beach to see the sunset. Someone must have been kicking up some dust in Texas.

Sunset, a great time for gathering at the shore. A sweet little stroll to end the day.

New Logo Day

OK, so there comes a time in every man's life when he needs to renew his logo. Today is my day and I'm asking for your help.

Almost 25 years ago I started using a striped black Z for my photography business logo. Since then the clouds have passed, the man did his work, and something new has flowed into my signature. These signatures, all clear variations of the original Z, have been laid atop a few of my photoshop collages.

Just in time for my new web site that should come online later this month.

Below are three variations of the new logo as well as an appeal for your help. Please vote and/or comment at the bottom of this posting for your favorite choice.

Eyeeyeeye Logo

Peelings Logo

Last Rites Logo

Thanks for your vote ~ Gerry

My Cracker Portrait

Today is just another one of those long Florida days. 

Sun is up, warm breezes blowing off the Gulf of Mexico, the promise of moisture in the air. 

Gotta get to the market for vegetables and seeds. 

Nice to see you here.

Cracker Ger

Big Sale, part II

I began to enjoy the asymmetry of the shelf displays. The items were perused, handled, settled back down on the shelf, slightly askew. That imbalance seemed to give the viewfinder more opportunities to frame the subjects. 

I could have spent hours in Womens' Exchange photographing a raft of everyday items primed for new ownership via the price sticker. But it was Saturday and we had other work to do.

These three alone escaped the burden of the price sticker.

I'm really confused about the difference between cherubs and angels vs mothers and babies.

I like the statue, but tell me, what is happening here? I mean

in addition to the Big Sale price sticker?

These elegant fellows almost made it to my book shelves, but they reminded me of

"hear no evil, see no evil" a little too much.

I'll bet they are gone when I get back there tomorrow.

I had to sneak in another self portrait when I saw this mirror.

As far as I know this is the real me: Big Sale Ger.

Sarasota Beaches

Almost every one you meet around Sarasota, Florida is from someplace else. And sooner rather than later you will find most of them at the beach taking in the sun, the white sands and the beautiful Gulf of Mexico.

Sunsets are always a draw at the beach (read December Archives, at the right). The placid waters of the Gulf infuse sun bathers and swimmers with a true sense of calm. Strollers, runners and bicyclers run the water's edge at all times of day. Plainly, the Gulf is rejuvenating.

Believe it or not, Sarasota is getting younger. Hahahaha. That's just a perceptual facet of aging, Ger! No, it does seem to have younger residents. Twenty-five years ago I recall we had to drive 50 miles to Tampa just to see young people. Now we've got our own.

The housing market is temporarily down in Florida, but I'm betting Sarasota will remain a tourist mecca in the future. And tourists become immigrants who want to live here for the sun, the sand and the Gulf of Mexico. 

PumaSkyLily

It's Monday and I'm teetering on the verge of organized photo files. This is also my Monday morning lie. I must tell myself these things to avoid the deep depression that comes with self burial. 

When I began learning Photoshop in 1994 I needed a suitable subject to work on, something to see me through the trials of patience and exasperation.  We had just arrived in a new home and were about to experience life in a 3 br 1957 rambler w/ pool. 

The resultant photoshop collage was PumaSkyLily, a salute to my working wife. I took images from what was happening at the time. (1) landscape pix and (2) pool snapshots were combined while learning the tools and filters of photoshop 2.5. 

Doing what the computer does best, her figure was duplicated and suspended above a filter distorted sky. Lilies twirl above their pads and fill the active four corners. The bird landscape framed the mandala.

Life is Short

I made this self portrait about ten years ago with one of those little fiber optics cameras that was supposed to connect us all live via our computers. The little camera was a wonderful toy, but it was married to my old, clunky Macintosh. I couldn't take it anywhere. And I couldn't find anyone to field my calls.

So I got bored looking at myself and I gave the camera away.

But I realize now that I had a real affection for that image making cable. The depth of field was awesome. The optics could focus sharply within inches of an object and maintain that sharpness all the way to infinity. The simplicity of it made me  happy.