29 Sunday Dec 2013
Posted in Outside, Uncategorized
Had the day off and it was a beautiful day so I grabbed the camera and headed to a local cemetery…. the sky was super and the monuments were really nice against the blue.
In rural Georgia getting outside is a part of daily life…..living life as an artist gives me the licenses and excuse to seize life’s opportunities to slow down and see the ordinary from a different perspective….
Sabi
26 Thursday Dec 2013
Posted in Outside
Tags
getting outside, impasto, island painting, landscapes, life of an artist, nature, nature art, nature in art, rural georgia landscapes
Below is pictured an oil painting of a little island on stretched canvas. I used very thick layered paint to create a misty look. I got to visit the island this year and below is the story behind the painting…..
This summer was full of outdoor adventures. As a Georgia State Park Naturalist, I get to met and do outdoor stuff with people who like to do and be outside. The park where I work surrounded on three sides by a beauty lake. Off our shores are several little islands of which I have been dying to visit. I finally got my chance this past fall with 4 other ladies to visit one of the most notable islands.
We took off around 10am in canoes and a kayak. The head wind to the island was brutal and the journey took us a little longer than expected, but once there we were able to relax with lunch and a round of apple juice.
The island itself is small, about 60 feet across. We landed on the south side, which has a little beach, where we parked our boats. A short hike to the interior of the island led us to some makeshift seats and a fire ring. There we let our muscles re-coop and ate our lunch.
On the way back, we spotted one of our park resident Bald Eagles. I never grow tired of seeing those guys. No matter how many times I see them, my heart always races when I see them or hear their call. Over all the day was perfect.
A few weeks later, I experienced the island in a much different way. Being a Naturalist, I am outside rain or shine and on this particular day it rained non-stop all day. Part of my job is checking on campers, so on this rainy day I was checking on a hardy group of campers and from their camping spot, I could see the little island. The rain was so heavy the island nearly disappeared. Only the darkest colors of the island where visible and the edges of the island fused mysteriously with the lake.
So the painting below is a combination of these two experiences….a lovely day with a group of canoers and a very rainy day of wet boots and rain gear.
Pictured below are the ladies I went island hunting with…..that’s me in the middle.
See ya outside soon….
Sabi
11 Friday Oct 2013
Posted in Outside
Tags
abstract, creek images, images of rural georgia, images of Victoria Bryant State Park, nature art, nature photographs, Rice Creek images, rural georgia landscapes
Hiking is an important part of my creative well-being. Snapped these photos of Rice Creek at Victoria Bryant State Park. There were so many places along this little creek that seemed to possible homes for little fairies. The colors and textures are not unique but are often over looked when one walks at a faster pace. Slowing down and getting at a different point of view allowed my eyes to wonder over new subject matter for these photos.
08 Thursday Nov 2012
Posted in Outside
Tags
forest, getting outdoors, getting outside, hiking, landscapes, living outdoors, mushrooms, nature, nature art, outdoor living, pictures of mushrooms, pictures of nature, Tugaloo State Park
In between paintings, I love to spend time outside and snap pictures. This summer I spent a lot of time at Tugaloo State Park and while there I was overwhelmed with nature’s abstract beauty. One of my favorite finds were the abundant late August early September mushrooms.
Mushrooms give and take all at the same time. Mushrooms are designed to take nutrients from decaying matter and then return these nutrients to the soil. Pictured below are only a few of the mysterious mushrooms that I found this summer……
Mushrooms in the Woods
Big Mammoth……
Forest Friends
Sunshine…..
Needing a Visitor…..
Abstract Cap
Thanks for stopping by……hope you can get outside soon.
Nature is a big inspiration……gives the creative mind something to ponder.
10 Wednesday Oct 2012
Posted in Outside
Tags
georgia, getting outside, hardwood tree, hiking, moss, outdoor living, Tallulah Gorge, tree, trees covered in moss
We just recently went on a five-mile hike into Georgia’s Tallulah Gorge. The strenuous hike starts with 1000 steps down, crossing the river twice, a very steep climb out, and a two-mile walk back to the interpretive center. Below are a few interesting visuals we saw on our hike.
While on this hike we saw many trees that had a distinctive look and character. The recent rains gave the moss a beautiful deep green color and several of the trees had gnarled twisted bark. Hope you get a chance to make this hike soon. It was a winner with our teen-aged kids and a super time outside.
30 Sunday Sep 2012
Posted in Outside
Tags
being creative, full moon, full moon paddle, getting outside, harvest full moon, Lake Hartwell, outside living, sabrina samuel, Tugaloo State Park
A big part of being creative for me is getting outside…….I am for the most part a studio artist….but I have tried Plein Air painting and found a myself wondering how in the world did Van Gogh do it. Northern Europe has strong winds to contend with….. so Van Gogh’s dedication to capture the colors while fighting the winds always inspires awe in me. But getting outside and experiencing the elements is an important aspect to tapping into the creative side of one’s brain.
Last night I did just that. My husband and I joined a group of folks to paddle lake Hartwell in Tugaloo State Park’s ‘Harvest Moon Paddle’. We had such a great time! Even though it was a bit cloudy the moon did peek out a time or two giving us a full-moon smile.
Hope you are able to get outside soon to enjoy the wonders of God’s creation!
16 Thursday Aug 2012
Posted in Outside
Tags
hardwood tree, hiking, mushroom, mushrooms, nature, nature art, outdoor living, stacka hydnum, trails
Life may not turn out the way you thought it should…..but you can enjoy the bumps and turns that it brings….one of my goals was to be outside more and I have truly enjoyed hiking this summer……here is one of my favorite finds…..stacka hydnum…..a mushroom that grows on live hardwood trees……the colors were spectacular and the texture was smooth and velvety…..
31 Tuesday Jul 2012
Posted in Outside
Tags
art from nature, flowers, nature, nature art, nature craft, plant, tree, trees, Tugaloo State Park
This summer I have been working as a Naturalist at Tugaloo, a Georgia State Park, and it has been a great outdoor adventure. The many hours spent hiking and sharing the wonders of nature to the park’s visitors has given me a fresh and intimate connection to the native plant and animal species of my state.
At first glace this old pine seemed uneventful, but a closer look unlocked the deep caverns of the bark and the alien mossy greens. The recesses of the bark remind me of the color filled canyons of the southwest. The textured greens look scaly and fishlike.
This beauty was found at the edge of a wooded area that bordered Lake Hartwell. The flowering stage is almost complete and the seed is being formed. A black and white format was chosen to help focus the viewer’s eye on the roundness and angularity of the subject.
Lastly, this is a picture of a fallen log. As you can see nature’s recyclers have been busy working on returning this once tall standing tree into rich soil for new seedlings. The light quality on the forest floor was low, except for a few light patches which in this picture enhanced the distinct bug road patterns chewed into the log.
Getting outside has been a rewarding experience and one I hope to continue even when my summer job comes to an end.
Sabicons 