"...magical extents..."

"Strange is our situation here on earth.  Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to discover a purpose."     ~Albert Einstein

"Every country walk is an act of adoration."    ~Simone de Beauvoir

Contained in this short Life

  Are magical extents ...

~Emily Dickinson

Nature, my immortal mother,

You give me a brief lifetime

Yet you put immense designs in my heart ...

Look at me, still unripe

Yet full of hidden powers,

Still becoming.

~Gabriel D'Annunzio

"The universe is in us in such a way ... that everyone in the universe is the universe."

~Nicholas of Cusa

Sharing this post with Lisa Gordon's "The Creative Exchange".

... creating a composite ...

This piece of photo art is a composite of three photographs taken while browsing in a bookstore.

The base piece was of two copies of one book (Vintage Fashion) placed face out on the shelf, with a third copy of the same book placed as books are usually placed on a bookshelf - spine facing out.

I loved the vintage Audrey Hepburn-esque look of the pictures.  I have photographs of my mother in a similar dress, jacket and hairstyle and the image stirs up fond memories.

The next piece of the composite is of  gorgeous long legs shod in black and red heels, stretching out horizontally, resting on a wrought-iron railing, with the caption "New York" above.

The third piece of the composite is a title from a type of journal, with a quote from that old favorite, "Anonymous", saying:  "Life isn't about finding yourself.  Life is about creating yourself."  Not sure I subscribe totally to the idea, but I suppose there are elements of truth in it.

Is it just me, or has Blogger developed a mind of its own about spacing?  I find it just respaces itself however it wants, in spite of my choices on the keypad!  Very frustrating.  Anyone else experiencing the same thing?

... partial views ...

We live near this little Catholic church, founded over a hundred years ago in this small mountain-side community.  I have become quite familiar with its ringing bells which have a different sound for various occasions.  The ringing for the call to church, for the announcement of a marriage, or a baptism, or a death are all very different.  Not being affiliated with any religion, and, therefore not a church goer, I have never heeded any of its stirring calls, but I do find the church steeple a compelling subject for my photographs and photo editing.

"We are in grave danger of losing a spiritual heritage that has been painfully accumulated by thousands of generations of saints and contemplatives ... Above all, it is important that this element of depth and integrity - this element of inner transcendent freedom - be kept intact as we grow toward full maturity ... We are witnessing the growth of a truly universal consciousness in the modern world ... To cling to one partial view ... and to treat this as the ultimate answer to all questions is simply to ... make oneself obdurate in error."

                                                                                          ~Thomas Merton

                                               (Bolding mine.)

 I am sharing one of these images with Lisa Gordon's wonderful photo challenge called "The Creative Exchange".  Do join us there by clicking on her button below.

"...only a small revolution..."

"It is consoling to think, if I am not always looking for God, that God is nevertheless looking for me.  It is my suspicion, so deep that I forget its existence, that I am as profound as I am willing to be, that only a small revolution or turn toward the light would make all the difference."

~Phyllis Theroux

The Journal Keeper, p. 102



... "simple in its presence" ...

 

 

 

 

How one walks through the world,

the endless small adjustments of balance,

is affected by the shifting weights

of beautiful things.

~Elaine Scarry

A beautiful thing,

though simple in its immediate presence,

always gives us a sense of

depth below depth,

almost an innocent wild vertigo

as one falls through its levels.

~Frederick Turner

 

... remembering ...

... a virtual vernissage ...

I'm not sure how many of you who visit Original Art Studio know about the new photo challenge I will be hosting over at my other blog, Pixel Dust Photo Art.  I'm all hooked up with inLinkz and ready to get started on Friday, September 9th. 

This post contains a few of my thoughts about this new artistic showcase I am calling Photo Art Friday.

Have you ever attended a vernissage - a reception hosted by an art gallery to launch a new body of work by one of the artists it sponsors? The word 'vernissage' comes from the French 'to varnish'. Originally interested patrons were invited to the gallery while the artist put the finishing touch of varnish on their latest group of paintings.

Generally one or more rooms in the art gallery are devoted solely to the artist's work, and wine and h'ors d'oeuvres are served. Friends, patrons, clients gather to examine the new paintings and whispered critiques are muffled by soft background music. The artist is available to answer questions and is usually quite nervous about how their work will be received. After the vernissage, only one or two of their works will be on display in the gallery, but the whole collection can be viewed on-line or in a catalogue produced by the gallery for those who want to purchase.

I've begun to imagine the upcoming Photo Art Friday as being something of a virtual vernissage - a group vernissage where we can display our 'wares', answer questions about how we created the piece, and receive the feedback of interested visitors. Are you ready for our first Photo Art Friday 'virtual vernissage'?

It's only a few days before the launch and, I for one, cannot wait. Perhaps some of you will consider spreading the word by displaying the button "Photo Art Friday" (that you can copy from the Pixel Dust Photo Art sidebar) on your blog. While I know it takes a little time for these photo challenges to become known and grow, I can't help but hope for a good number to participate in the first one on Friday, September 9th.

For those of you who like to get your submission in early, the Photo Art Friday post on Pixel Dust Photo Art, with the inLinkz tool will go up a few hours early, on Thursday, September 8th at 7:00 p.m. EST. It will remain open until the following Monday, September 12th at 7:00 p.m. EST. So for those of you who don't care about being early, or who are just learning about this new photography challenge, you will have the whole weekend to prepare, post and submit a piece of photo art. If you want to remind yourself about the guidelines for participation you can click here.

I'm so looking forward to seeing YOU at this virtual vernissage at Pixel Dust Photo Art. Unfortunately the wine will be virtual too - but I'm sure we will find a way to toast each other anyway! ;)

(Photograph of a gallery window in Old Montreal, 2010)