Nature's Beauty

Setting out with my camera each day is a trip of discovery.

Like a paparazzi I stalk shots in the world around me.

When I see a shot there is a thrill. A state of revving up.

There seems to be endless beauty. Endless interest.



Here floral painter Bobbie Burgers (at http://www.bau-xi.com/)

remarks on her own fascination with painting flowers:



"The excitement of the change of seasons, and the elusiveness
of nature are what inherently draws me to flowers and landscapes.
Trees over-ripe with fruit and gardens bursting with flowers
so quickly fall into autumn with all it's rich colours and golden hues,
then silent winter white. By the time spring comes around again
we are all searching for the first sign of life, colour, warmth and the
cycle begins again. Whether it be blossom branches cut to bring
the beauty of spring inside, summer's gluttony of flowers and fruit,
or fall's vineyards in a golden haze, I have a deep yearning to
capture and hold these images in paintings, as a reminder of what
is gone and what we can look forward to seeing again.



Ever since I can remember, I have been enchanted by the
beauty that nature offers."



My Greek sister-in-law wrote to me recently that Pantheism
comes from the Greek word "pantheos" meaning god/divinity
is everywhere. She thought I would be interested, as she wrote
"what greater expression of the divine in the natural world
than flowers-in fragrance, form and colour". It is a miracle
how we are shown these natural delights, how things blossom,
bloom, grow, procreate. How all around us little miracles
are occuring cultivating our souls.



Painting flowers is like having an endless selection of models.
They come in every shape and colour, they twist and turn and
evolve daily. I can go from a more traditional still life, all prim and
proper, to a sort of portrait of a group of friends, a head shot and
finally the flower explodes, covering the entire canvas as if
ready to swallow and intoxicate the viewer. Conversely a flower
can be seen not as an individual flower alone, but as one of masses:
a lily in my backyard surrounded by dozens like it, a tulip,
one of thousands in a field, a blossom on a tree bursting with them.
Perhaps it is the never-ending possibilities with flowers and landscapes
that keeps me riveted. Depending on my point of view:distant/cropped,
inside/outside,my choices seem to multiply.



I am still so excited by all the options and who knows, around the next
corner could be the perfect vista, or I may receive the quintessential
hand-picked bouqet."


It is this mood of expectation Bobbie so aptly describes. Getting that next
best shot drives my photography. I am indeed driven.

Have-a-full-of-possibilities-day.

Helen.

Magnolia

buddingmagnolia012009

These images are a bit challenging. I can imagine a mixed

response to them from the viewer. I find them to be quite beautiful with

a kind of meditative effect.

I hope that you enjoy these images.

buddingmagnolia022009

buddingmagnolia032009
buddingmagnolia042009

buddingmagnolia052009

buddingmagnolia062009

On a final note. I thought I would share this quote. I came across the quote in a book on photography by Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, titled "Moments".

"There is great happiness in not wanting, In not being something, In not going somewhere." J.Krishnamurti

I think there is something to be said for this.

Have -a -meditative- kind- of -day.

Helen.

More spring inspiration

Two spring images (above).

The birch tree collage combines folk art painting

and collage and was completed last year.

The iris picture is simple with appealing colours.

Below is a shot of a property adjacent to a garden
I was invited to photograph by the owner.
I find the juxtaposition of the harsh wall and window
with the delicate hyacinths in multiple colours to be
a pleasing if somewhat edgy composition.

More thoughts on spring and beauty from Freeman Patterson excerpted from

"the garden" (p.17):

"By late winter and very early spring I not only enjoy the flowers blooming in my sunroom, I need them. My sense of well-being depends on having plants living, growing, and blooming around me, especially when there are none flowering out of doors.

We grow plants, especially flowering plants, in our gardens,greenhouses and windows because they are beautiful. Beauty never requires justification, because it balances the ugliness, hurtand sorrow that are present in every human life to a greater or lesser degree.

Without beauty as inspiration and refuge, our deprived souls grow hard and cold, and often we transfer, or project, our unacknowledgedsuffering onto others, especially those with whom we live and work.

Beauty is invariably a positive factor, an enriching presence, a healing influence. It is true in music, painting and dance, of clouds in the skyand birds singing in the light of dawn ,of flowers, even humble geraniums in kitchen windows."

Have a happy-to-finally-be-spring-see-the beauty- kind of day.

Helen.

April Flowers

For thoughts on Spring I turned to top Canadian photographer

Freeman Patterson. In his book "the garden" he shares his

strong attachment to gardening. Freeman appears to be

deeply engaged in life. One has the sense that he lives

life to the fullest every moment he can squeeze out of time.

Here is an essay from his book (P.19):

"When the leaves on trees are about the size of squirrels' ears,

when birds returning from months in the south dart around

in search of nesting sites,

and daffodils dance in gardens and meadows,

a deep sense of well-being floods over me.

Everything good in the world seems possible.

My emotional liberation is mirrored by my increased physical activity.

Lying in bed after sunrise seems incomprehensible.

Politely, but firmly

I refuse to attend meetings, particularly in the evenings.

I neglect my basement work area, disown my computer and

spend every possible moment outdoors. In short, I make room

for receiving the gift of spring.

As I wonder along field and forrest paths long covered in snow,

sniffing the breeze to savour the rich moist tang of the soil and

the drifting ambrosial hints from flowers blooming somewhere,

I observe variations of colour that appear at no other time of

year-delicate, warm and sprightly hues. I reconnect with the earth

and sense the incredible surge of creativity around me, and within me.

And I garden. I can't help it. My whole being longs to be

engaged in the birthing process. This is not a hobby but an

essential aspect of who I am. For me, not to garden would

be saying No to life itself".

Here I share some of my shots of April flowers to illustrate

Freeman's words.

aprilflowers012009

aprilflowers022009

aprilfloers032009
aprilflowers042009

aprilflowers052009
april flowers072009


Have-a-spring-in-your-step kind of day.

Further chyrsanthenums

Took a few more shots of the chyrsanthenums.

Sharing my favourite three shots with you.

Hope you enjoy these images.

chyrsb252009

chyrsb322009

chrys332009

Floral Painter Bobbie Burgers

I have a longstanding interest in interior design.

The May 2009 issue of shelter magazine Canadian House & Home
featured a talented floral painter named Bobbie Burgers.

The article featured Bobbie and her husband's weekend home
in the Okanagan Valley.

Bobbie's large bright canvases filled the space.

She has representation at several galleries. Amongst them
was Bau-xi gallery in both Vancouver and Toronto.
See www.bau-xi.com.

This site featured many artists and it was a delight to
look through. However the prices were high.

There are few things I enjoy more than looking
at art and interior design.

Have a looking-at-beauty day today.

Helen.

chyrsanthenum series

Yesterday, I screeched to a halt at the grocery store when I

noticed some pots of chrysanthenums. A pink and salmony brown

shade the flowers almost looked as if they were going over.

I was loaded down with groceries and decided to pass on them.

Well, a few hours later I found that the idea of doing

some photography with the chyrsanthenums was weighing on my mind.

When an impulse to purchase persists I listen to it whether it is clothes, art,

a gift for someone or a bouqet for my photography work, as in this instance.

After a bit of thinking I decided to rush back to the store and buy them

before they were thrown out or discarded by the store.

When I got home with them I took a series of shots immediately

and am very pleased with the results. See what you think.

These are 10 of my favourite images.

chrys012009

chrys042009
chrys052009

chyrs092009 chyrs102009
chrys112009
chrys122009
chrys14009

I'm glad that I returned to the store. There are some memories of items that persisted in my mind that I didn't go back for and obtain and those still bug me.

To my eye-these chyrsanthenums-I have 40 shots in total would make a great exhibit.

chrys132009
chry162009

I hope that you enjoy these images.

Rose posy series

These shots represent my continued exploration with dried or

decaying flower blooms. I see the flowers as hauntingly beautiful.

I hope that you enjoy these images.

Floral Composition I

Woke up with a bad cold. May have a quiet day at home today.

Wanted to share this image with you. The shot is of a bouqet of carnations.

To me the image almost looks like a painting which is why it is one of my favourites.

I may try to actually paint it at some point.

Hope that you enjoy this image.

STREWN PETALS

It is funny. I developed a pretty clear idea of how I wanted to

introduce my blog, what to put in the artist profile and which picture to use

of myself.

Today, I thought well it is Day Two with this blog and what on earth

is my content going to be. I had lots of choices and so it took some

thinking on how to proceed.

I have decided to share my strewn petals shots. These shots are of

wilted petals strewn across a table. The inspiration for these shots

came from a British textile and furniture designer named

Carolyn Quatermaine. In her book "Carloyn Quatermaine Revealed'

she displays a table with blooms strewn across it. also see her web-site

at http://www.carolynquartermaine.com/ .

My shots inspired an acqaintance -painter Flora Doehler of Bear River

to relate them or associate them to the story of Miss Haversham,

in Charles Dickens' novel "Great Expectations". Miss Haversham is jilted

at the altar. She doesn't recover from this and preserves the day

for instance by wearing her wedding dress and not removing it

and leaving her room intact with all of the wedding preparations for

the rest of her life.

See what you think. You might have your own associations:

My last strewn petal shot is an extreme close-up. So far this image

has elicited a favourable response from viewers.

A Sample of Work

I've been creative all of my life. Writing, art collecting, and interior decorating are longstanding pursuits. More recently in 2006, I developed a passion for photography and in 2007 began making folk art pictures.

Here I include a sample of my work.

I have been inspired in floral photography by British flower and garden photographer Clive Nichols and American floral photographer, Christopher Beane. Beane might be the best floral photographer in the world.

Here are two examples of my floral photography:

Columbine chaos 2008 represents a certain random and chaotic tumbling appearance I enjoy taking rather than a formally posed flower studio portrait.

Wilted lily represents the fragile beauty of a daylily in the final stages of its life. I enjoy taking pictures of flowers from buds to wilted dry blooms. Christopher Beane and Clive Nichols both include decaying flowers as subjects. This is not everyone's cup of tea, and pushes boundaries a bit.

I sometimes screech to a halt when driving, and do a rapid u-turn when I see a perfect image. I was struck by this image close to sunrise of a harbour close to where I live. The sky and water looked like molten silver. Hope you enjoy this image.

My last two introductory images are my folk art. These are recent images painted from my own photographs.

Welcome

DEFINITION

Question: A favourite paternal uncle wrote, "my difficulty is in trying to decide whether you are taking these photographs to satisfy the artist in you, or do you have a plan to use them in the future? Maybe you are fulfilling your desire to let us into your artistic soul?"

Answer: All of the above. I am driven to be creative and enjoy sharing my folk art and photography. Bear River artist Flora Doehler encouraged me to start a blog. see floramary.wordpress.com

Welcome to my blog.

Helen