Weekly Photo Challenge: Flowers 03

I found that exploring both the elements of design and abstraction simultaneously was quite challenging. I will in the future, continue this series in which natural design and computer design merge.

Flowers in purple bloom

Weekly Photo Challenge: Flowers 02

The images selected for the weekly photo challenge: flowers are a part of my Post Canvas and Paint series of 2010. I aspire to incorporate both natural imagery and symmetrical design in the series.

Flowers flowing freely

Weekly Photo Challenge: Flowers

Flowers sometimes reveal the most beautiful forms of abstract design. I am always searching for that intricate form of movement and color variation.

Flowers flowing within

Life on the Edge of Everything

Sometimes after the waking, life on the edge of everything is a beautiful place….

The tree and the path in quiet meditation

During a transitional period in the early turn of this century, I found
myself leaving behind the shackles of a difficult life and moving down the path
to a better tomorrow. I was rediscovering the pleasures of being one with
nature; my perception of it, its physical beauty and why there was a need for
it in my life. I also continued the process of self renewal through sobriety,
art, meditation and the teachings of Buddhism. It seems that I discovered how
to quiet the idea of living life on the
edge of nothingness i.e. being caught up in distraction, attachment,
endless thought and ego.

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we
used when we created them”. …Albert Einstein

Part of this process was realized when I was awarded an artist
residency with the South Carolina State Parks. It was a week-long residency at
Barnwell State Park in which I was commissioned to document the park visually in
exchange of having the pleasure of residing in one of the cabins on the
grounds. It is a small wildlife park with a beautiful lake and an alligator
(which I unfortunately never did get the chance to see). The nights were quiet and peaceful, and very
beautiful—as I was surrounded with darkness, tranquility, and solitude.

“Those things that nature denied to human sight, she revealed to
the eyes of the soul”. …Ovid (43 BC-AD 17)

On one of my early morning walks, I found a lovely path that
meandered along-side a slow moving creek. There was a tree that had fallen,
slightly blocking the path, and I was fascinated with its natural abstract design.
I sat there quietly for a while thinking about my life, my art, my purpose and the beauty of the moment.

…”Nature. Whose sweet rains fall on just and unjust alike, will
have clefts in the rocks where I may hide, and secret valleys in whose silence
I may weep undetected. She will hang the night with stars so that I may walk
abroad in darkness without stumbling, and send the wind over my footprints so
that none may track me to my hurt: she will cleanse me in great waters, and
with bitter herbs make me whole”. …Oscar Wilde

Life on the edge of everything is a beautiful and safe place indeed…

Life on the Edge of Nothingness

Remove yourself from the painful past and uncertain future

Sometimes in the waking we often remember that life exist with its
own set of difficulties. It seems as if we are living in perpetual change and in
transitional states of being. We are confronted with interpersonal
relationships that need our undivided attention, support, and unwavering love—while
simultaneously we must seek solutions to a world struggling with civil,
political and social unrest. It is a monumental task at times to remove oneself
from the painful past and an uncertain future. But for the sake of the communities
we live in, and our children—we must
take that leap of faith i.e. believe in something greater than ourselves,
struggle against all odds, and see beyond living on the edge of nothingness.

This piece entitled “Remove Yourself from the Painful Past and
Uncertain Future” is a reminder of how we must move from one place to another
throughout our lives, both figuratively and literally. Sometimes there is pain involved in that move. I created this piece
back in 2003 when I was going through a period of personal change, and
recollection. It was one of a series of works that reflected on a transitional time
in my life, where I needed to migrate both physically and emotionally. Part of
that process was a physical move from Pennsylvania to South Carolina.
The other part of that move was internal—from a place on the edge of nothingness—to
a place on the edge of everything….

I found that a place on the edge of everything is a beautiful place indeed.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Entrance 03

A great entrance needs its own work of art….

The Louvre in Paris, France as remixed in the form of a digital pen.

The Louvre is a magnificent museum. I visited the museum in 1990 and just fell in love with its collection of art. But the entrance, the trait-d union between the new rooms and the surface, is a glass, transparent pyramid, of a very light construction, flanked by another two smaller pyramids which, like the larger one, reflect the changeable light of the Parisian sky.

The author of this bold project was the American architect of Chinese origin Ieoh Ming Pei, who also created the new wing of the National Gallery in Washington DC.

The entrance to the Louvre in Paris, France

Weekly Photo Challenge: Entrance 02

In keeping with the theme of Paris, France here is another entrance shot. It is the Musee d Orsay, located on the left bank of the river Seine. The Museum hosts the works of some of the world best Impressionist painters such as Monet, Renoir, Degas, Manet and Pissarro. Post-Impressionist work can also be found in the museum as well. They include some rather remarkable paintings by famous artists such as Seurat, Toulouse-Lautrec, Gauguin and Van Gogh.

Musee de Orsay in Paris, France

Weekly Photo Challenge: Entrance

Here is a shot I took when I was in Paris. It is Nord, the central train station. I just love the architecture of this beautiful building. The entrance is directly below.

The Paris central train station NORD

Weekly Photo Challenge: Mountains 05

On the Pinnacle Mountain trail, South Carolina

One of my favorite places to hike in South Carolina is the Pinnacle Trail. It is located in the Blue Ridge Foothills. I came across this rock structure on the hike and fell in love with it. It has the stern look of a man grazing out beyond the ridge.

Here is a summary of the trail.

It is six miles round trip with an elevation gain of 2673 feet. It has a rating of strenuous and takes about 4 hours to complete.

The first 0.2 miles is a relatively
flat, paved path that parallels a creek. Small cascades and pools are easily
accessible from the trail. After the pavement ends, follow the trail signs for
the Pinnacle Mtn. trail.

The trail is in fair shape most of the way.
There is significant erosion in a few places and parts of the trail can be quite
muddy.

At about the 2.5 mile mark is the Bald Rock Overlook where you can
look back towards Table Rock Mtn. The summit is marked by a sign and a pile of
rocks but you’re in the middle of a forest with no view. Return the way you came
or continue on the Ridge Trail that connects the Pinnacle Mountain and Table
Rock trails.

This trail is rather remote at times. I was hiking it alone and felt a need to see someone on the trail.

The Silence of Creativity

Towards the love within….

Creativity

Creativity 02

Where does the impetus for creativity come from? Is it a latent form of suppressed
experiences and / or emotions? When is creativity realized, and how is it manifested into what we call art?

As artists it is hard to imagine a world without art and the forces of creativity that fuel it. It is also at times difficult to understand the sensibilities that emerge from the soul when an idea comes into being i.e. its origin and purpose. Perhaps we can conclude with some ambiguity that creativity is indeed either individualistic, universal, or both—governed by the life one has lived or hope to live.

Creativity 03

Creativity 04

“The imagination imitates. It is the critical spirit that creates”. … Oscar Wilde 1854-1900

“Sometimes you’ve got to let everything go – purge
yourself. If you are unhappy with anything…whatever is bringing you down, get
rid of it. Because you’ll find that when you’re free, your true creativity,
your true self comes out”. … Tina Turner b. 1939

Creativity 05

Creativity 06

“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You
imagine what you desire you will what you imagine and at last you create what
you will”. … George Bernard Shaw 1856 – 1950

Creativity 07

Creativity 08

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep”. … Scott Adams b. 1957

Sometimes I see things around me that are in part a glimpse of reality. The many “realities” that surround my life often become vehicles for abstraction through the creative process. They are like a multitude of intersections—full of possibilities. As artists we must always ask the question is this the direction I want to go? Will this convey the message I desire to express? But in the end we can only trust in the mystery of what is and what it means to create art and call oneself an artist.

Creativity 09

The Silence of Creativity and the Creative Journey Within

What are your thoughts? As an artist or writer or master of any creative discipline where do you believe creativity arises from? Please share your ideas and what inspires you to follow your imagination.