New Job….New Places….New Projects….

Tags

abstract photography, artist life, black and white photos, campus life, campus life + black and white, football, football stadium, getting outside, life of an artist, northeast georgia living, photography, Sanford Stadium, UGA, University of Georgia

Started a new job this past October…and the learning curve has been a douse. But life goes on and we must adapt…or make some sort of effort at it.

The hardest adjustment was going from being virtually outside all day to being cooped up in a windowless office behind a computer screen…. Yes, some of you know my pain.

Anyways….there are some saving graces to my new job.

• It’s at a major American University
• I get to attend art and museum lectures almost every week during my lunch break
• Today went to listen to the Universities music professors play
• Get to spend many lunch breaks outside surrounded by a beautiful environment on an energetic campus

That last point has been a spring board for my next photo project. I have been been snapping pictures with my Nikon and am ready to share a few of them with you…. Gonna call this project “Campus Life + Black and White.”

The first picture to launch this new body of work is of the iconic Sanford Stadium….

I am in no way a football type person…but know and love many people who are….however I did fall in love with the massiveness of the Stadium sign…It is a hulk of a thing and dwarfs anyone who passes in front of it…ie the top picture…see how little the gal walking by is.

The bottom picture was back-lit with the sun which managed to twinkle a few rays across the front. Makes the concrete structure seem breathless with life.

So stop by every once in a while to catch glimpses of this UGA project….hope you find some inspiration and beauty in it.

Sabi

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Fall Flowers…

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abstract photography, art and nature, artist life, being creative, flower image, flowers, getting outdoors, life of an artist, nature in photographs, nature photography, northeast georgia living, orange, orange flowers, photography

Lately, I have enjoyed taking pictures of places that I have been visiting….took these pictures while at a friend’s house the other day…..the oranges are really this orange!

Lyndon House in Athens, Georgia…..

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antique lamp images, artist life, being creative, black and white photos, life of an artist, lyndon house athens georgia, northeast georgia living, Victorian Era house image

This past week I visited the old part of the Lyndon House in Athens, Georgia. They have a modern gallery, but these pictures came from the old original building….

the cranberry color was made by sprinkling gold into the glass as the lamp was being formed….

As I walked through the old house the floors creaked and moaned under foot….there were few people so the house took on a mysterious side…

Luna Moth…..

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abstract photography, getting outside, life of an artist, Luna moth image, macro photography, nature, nature art, nature photography, northeast georgia living, photography

Meet Mr. Turtle and Mrs. Slime Mold….

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abstract photography, art, being creative, getting outside, hiking, image of box turle, image of yellow slime mold, life of an artist, nature, nature art, nature photography, northeast georgia living, photography

Went on a Bird Walk with the Oconee Rivers Audubon Society this Saturday and was suppose to be looking up for birds and getting their pictures…..but I couldn’t keep my eyes off the ground. It had just rained and the forest was a mixture of beautiful greens and browns…occasionally the sun would lend some dabbled patches of light…and the forest floor would radiate with song. Oh yes…I really enjoyed seeing the birds…even got to see a Yellow-Billed Cuckoo…but the things on the ground made better pictures….

So here is Mr. Turtle….a new red eyed friend I made….I think I caught him in the middle of eating his lunch.

And here is Mrs. Sime-Mold….she is doing her thing…her little arms (the small strands of yellow) are busily looking for a new source of food….she’s got to keep the family happily nourished and together.

Sabi

So What Do You Do……

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art, art and life, artistic life, being creative, creative living, job, life of an artist, money

So what do you do? That question has caused me much grief over the years….not that it is a bad question….but how do I answer it?

You know…all the stuff that goes behind such a loaded question like this one. Am I successful? Do I measure up? Is the person asking me the question…sizing me up?

I come from a long line of Jack-of-all-Trades…my ancestors weren’t drifters…but they did have a bit of gypsy in them. My Dad’s side came from the mountains of North Carolina. My Dad’s brothers taught me how to fix cars, roof houses, and generally how to fix almost anything. My Mom’s side came from northern Alabama and almost all of them had a stubborn artistic streak of one kind or another.

So what do I do? ….instead….I like to think in terms of what I have become. I have become a person that I like hanging out with…I have the freedom to be artistic on my own terms…I get to go on adventures with my family…and most importantly I get to view life from a different point of view….

I do have a job…but what my paying job is…is not important.

Instead…I’m an explorer of life and I have all the fun of capturing life as I see it….even if it’s a cow’s nose.

I love the creative life and the freedom of creativity…

Carolina Wren…..

Tags

bird watching, carolina wren image, life of an artist, nature photography, northeast georgia living

This little Carolina Wren hopped around….flew inside the house….then out again to catch bugs and sign songs. Over all a very nice day for bird watching.

Senior Pictures……

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life of an artist, northeast georgia living, photography, senior picture poses for boys, senior pictures

I have a confession…..I am cheap…well maybe I should say thrifty….thrifty sounds more forgivable.

Our son is a senior this year…so we have had lots of ‘senior things’ to do…like senior pictures, senior night, senior rings, graduation invitations….and this is only part of it. Many of these ‘senior things’ cost LOTS of money. Seriously $400 and up….and to be honest…that is crazy.

So as a family we have opted out of many of these ‘senior things.’ For example, instead of ordering senior pictures from the school, which by the way were terrible. My son looked stiff, artificial, and to top it off he was having a bad teen week with his skin….you know what I mean…. right?

We decided to invest that $400 into a Nikon 5200. At first I was thinking….hope we haven’t screwed this one up…but then I pulled out the proofs from the school photographer….and I know we did just fine. In fact, by taking the pictures myself…our son said that I captured a truer version of himself. Nice compliment!

I did do a little research before heading out to take a few pictures at a local park. I googled ‘senior picture poses for boys’ and I looked at a few professional photography websites to get ideas. Of course Pinterest is a good place for getting ideas too. Then we headed out for our first photo shoot.

Below are a few pictures of the nearly 400 I took that day….and yes…snap…snap…snap…lots of pictures.

playgrounds make for a relaxed atmosphere…

an old bridge makes a great backdrop and for some good lines….

this was one of my son’s favorite pics….he liked the reflective quality of the water…

had to get a few sport-ish pics….

got this pose off a professional photographers web-site…

having fun comes natural to my son and he spontaneously came up with the idea to ride is bike through water at this car crossing…

Over all, I think we got several good pictures. We are planning to take more pictures later on at the high school when spring comes. I hope this gives you some ideas you can use…..after all living the creative life is the best one of all….so get out there and do something creative and smile.

Sabi

Monuments in Blue…….

Tags

abstract photography, art, life of an artist, photography, rural georgia landscapes

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

Misty Island……

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