I've Been Here Before

 

I was just sitting down for my afternoon coffee, it's always afternoon for me and not morning, as I tend to get a late start in my day. Anyway, I began going through my emails, making a few phone calls and peeking at social media. 

I put my phone down and grabbed my laptop...I want to begin writing and putting my own thoughts into existence. Writing is a funny thing because you never know when the inspiration will strike.  

I'm sure it was this time last year that I took these images on a whim. So far, it's still quite cold for mid April. I awoke this morning to see that we will have a high of 34 degrees today. Still, everything is lush and green compared to the icy coldness of winter.

I just took a sip of cold coffee which I fill to the brim with ice. These days my flavor of choice is Coffee Mate Sugar Free Hazelnut liquid creamer. Then again, hazelnut has always been a favorite. I'm a coffee lover who's managed to discipline herself to one cup a day.

Along with writing, photography has now become a passion. I think one of the obvious reasons for this stems from having a mother and grandmother who are both painters. As a child I would assist my grandmother in framing her art and have many memories of my mother picking up pieces from the flea market. She taught me to look at the quality of the frame and matting explaining that the image inside could be swapped out. Thanks to her ingenuity I now have some lovely art hanging in my home. 

I tried my hand at watercolor painting, and while I admire and respect the art form, I've always felt lead to write. Ever since blogs and the ability to self-publish came on the scene I was instantly transfixed. Still, I find myself in love with images and the idea of capturing them myself via photography. Years ago I began learning how to enhance images in digital format and a new creative pathway opened up. 

Today, I sometimes use my own photography to create digital art and in my minds eye I often picture passing images in little frames. I of course, recognize this as the artistic influence of the women in my family.

These pictures above I entitled, Dewey Afternoon, and they are unedited. The natural lighting and soft haze in the air left over from the morning rain offered a beauty all it's own. I recall parking, exiting my car and taking a walk around the grounds to capture these. The air was fresh and exhilarating and I felt simply grateful to be within that moment.

If I were to place these into a trio of artwork for hanging, I would first take them into digital form and enhance them with a rustic overlay. I'm still learning about printing, formatting, pixels and all the details that go into completing that kind of work. For now, I am satisfied to create images to accompany my writing.

In the Midwest, life is lived according to each season. Fall is an exuberant time that almost feels like a fairy tale. The leaves drop to the ground gold and crimson. Slowly it moves into Winter and that first snowfall is pure magic. In a way, it's living art and as the years go by, I am more mystified than the one before it. 

For now, I'm going to finish my coffee and I will be off to start another phase of my day.