Success is rarely created unless you’re having fun at it.

There may not be any quotes to lead off this blog. There may not be any photographs to enhance this blog. There may not be any coherence to this blog, it my wander aimlessly with thoughts expressed as words, “like why hell is the type so small?” Okay fixed that.

To state the obvious it has been months since writing, the reluctant bloger certainly has lived up to his name. It certainly not because he has had nothing to write about, for surely that would be an untruth. The truth of the matter is I have been waiting for the “right moment” if there ever is such a thing? I had ideas of blog I wanted to create, with photos and words, those still may materialize? The moment now happened because I could not find something else to distract myself from not doing the writing. The voice in my head kept say, “it early, there is nothing else pressing, and other distractions you are finding boring. So write, create, just like yesterday when one of the first things you did was photograph the roses from the exhibition reception, capturing their beauty two weeks later. (now here is a lead in if there ever was one)

Opportunity to share photos and to write about the Artist reception for the Photographic Society of Philadelphia’s tribute exhibition which I curated.

On March 16th 2014 after a month-long run of the exhibition the artist reception took place. It was a smashing success, a semi climax to a year and a half long process of promotion, invites, chatting, networking, for submissions of Photographs and Photography equipment and a bit of history the show open the first week of Feb 2014.

Submission began coming in January 29-30, from members of the society many of them I knew, a few were either new members or just new to me personally. The submission process was simple, three pieces each, sizes and genre varied from artist to artist. There is not theme, there is no juried submission, or competition. The mission of the PSoP is to offer the opportunity to photographer of all styles, and ability to exhibit together, to meet, to discuss work, share knowledge of equipment, and technical abilities. This allows for a much more relaxed form of exhibiting.

During the submission process along with Pauline Jonas as was my Mom,  I was unable to leave her at home, plus it gave her a chance to socialize a bit, which is something she was sadly in need of. Her wandering was a bit distracting but also entertaining to watch while she view photographs and met people who chatted with her, kept her company while Pauline and I received the art.

During the course of the exhibition I went to the gallery several times, to view hanging, to take in other works that were still coming after submission dates. The extra visits allowed me to “really” view the photography, admire the work of the members, to readjust the positions of some of the work for better viewing advantage. I used my networking to promote the exhibit with the Philadelphia Inquire, the story even made the Sunday edition!  Next was another visit with Don Brewer for his blog DoN ArTs NeWs interview and photographing the exhibition.  During both these interviews members of the township were interviewed about the gallery in the municipal building. Which created more excitement about this collection.

Culminating in a successful  Artist reception of March 16th 2-4: a fairly nice day weather wise, since we had had so much snow and freezing weather, the opportunity to go to a gallery, enjoy art, meet the artist, have a nosh, even view a film on Ansel Adams to round out the afternoon. A pleasure to me of greeting 40-50 people, fellow exhibition photographers, all but two attended. Family, friend, people who had either read the article/blog or followed post on Facebook.

Mom was unable to attend for she had had a fall twice in less than a week, on the second hospital stay Drs. recommended 20 day rehab which she had just begun two days before the reception. She was missed by many, her spirit was there with us.

The Exhibit comes down next week April 2-3 ! This journey has been an amazing opportunity to be involved in the creative world of art in new form, in active creative participation, one that will expand they way I view art/photography and its world!

 

Grounded in…

People frequently believe the creative life is grounded in fantasy. The more difficult truth is the creativity is grounded in reality, in particular, the focused, the well observed or specifically imagined! The Artist’s Way

art and function

My first reaction is disappointment ! Writing may help, and it may not? Disappointed at the lack of support from the Venue last nights exhibit. Disappointed at the friends who mentioned that they where attending and did not even acknowledge that they would not be there.

I am grateful to have had the experience, to have the photography on the walls of this space, grateful for the friends that hung out with me, and other Photo Society people who came by to support and view my art.

The Artist’s Way suggests that the morning pages will  be a useful tool in sorting out my feelings, my real feelings, so being disappointed if that is a feeling, maybe sadness is the correct work?  The experienced taught me to ask more questions, to make sure the venue is involved with the creation and success of the exhibit . I am glad did not spend more money have printed post cards for the event, promoting the space and the art. I did spend about an hour writing a bio and price list and then sometime as the printer produced those gems.

reality of art

Hey in the same light of the evening, Linda and I and Lou spend part of the evening together having a meal at Race St cafe, and viewing other First Friday art installation along Second and Third streets. It is always good to be in that energy. The galleries along Third Street were flowing with mostly young people streaming in and out of the doors of galleries along old uneven sidewalks jammed with artist tables, exhibiting everything from fine art, jewelry, tiles, t-shirt, graffiti art on whatever the artist can find and work on! Along second street, the sidewalks are overly crowded with mostly younger people, decorating the sidewalks with their creations, displayed on blankets, sometimes even the bare side-walk. There are street musician every so often, livening up the street, with the sounds of music… First Friday in Olde City Philadelphia is always a feast for the senses, a well of creative juice to be drunk from!

Music for the walk

On the creative side, I was invited to have my Photography exhibited once again at the Deptford Galleria, where I have work until September with the other members of the Salem County Art League. The next exhibit will be all Photography from Dec 1 until Feb!  I am thrilled about that opportunity.

The Philadelphia Photographic Society is preparing a next exhibit space at Cafe Twelve which is a coffee shop that many of my friends hang out in, which also receives a lot of business throughout the day… I have been trying to exhibit there for over a year or more, now it will happen on a regular basis. I have volunteered to assist in preparing the space, and being involved in getting this exhibit space up and running in the very near future!

Friends viewing art

Well Balance Gallery may have only been a bump in the road, it was a necessary journey through reality, the reality of expectations, the reality of having the involvement of the venue as well as my personal time and effort invested in a successful show. This was my First First Friday artist show it will not be my last, I assure you.

Growth Question: What is your reality of your creative process?

 

Expect abundance!

Expect your every need to be met, expect the answers to every problem, expect abundance on every level, expect to grow spiritually. Eileen Caddy

Over exposed

I am not sure this is the quote that I wanted but it is the one that showed up. It got words on the page, and the flow to begin to move out. Spirit has been nudging me to write for days, write what is the question. 1. A review of the month. 2. The sense of loneliness that has kept in since last Sunday. 3. The up coming First Friday Solo Show. I am sure there are more themes yet those three could fill many pages.

a winters morning

Stuck already: No not stuck just not sure how to begin… is that not the same thing? Not if I say it is not. The month began with seeking to “listen to the voices of the Ancient Ones as they rise on the warm winds of summer and shimmer on the lighted grasses that wave gently in the summer sun: June is the month of Sunlight, a month when abundance from the seeds we have planted in early spring begin to produce their bounty.

A winter's afternoon

Those lead to the Juried art show exhibit, the Salem County Art League’s shared artist exhibit last weekend, which runs until September,  and now to my First Philadelphia First Friday Solo show, at Balance Gallery tomorrow for the month of July! The creative abundance is presenting itself in glorious ways. I am extremely grateful, that I listened to the sounds, followed the paths, was given the courage to show up, to present work that is joyfully accepted and viewed.

Golden fall

Last evening I emailed the person in charge of the creative works at the William Way center where the Juried art exhibit now hangs, and ask her if she was willing to mention the the group that meets for First Friday events about my Solo show, her response was: “Congratulations on the solo exhibition, it is much deserved.  I would be happy to announce to the guys about your show and strongly encourage them to wander over there!”  Sometimes I am surprised by peoples response, and awed by them as well. I also received this message from a artist friend on facebook after I invited her to the Opening reception, I know she could not attend but I like to send invites it informs people what is going and I believe share the abundance. Her response, “I look forward to reading an after exhibit blog and art lovers comments. The one common denominator of your work is that when viewing each piece on the web, they are not just photographs but a beautiful essence shows thru the screen.”

Summer in the wood

There are more such quotes for the photography that I present to the world, and I am grateful the praise, it is what keeps me coming back, not in an ego way, of course ego is joyously taking all of this in, but in a artistic way to light the path along my creative journey. That the work/art that I do has a value and purpose to people! Most grateful !

Land and sky

For as I go into this Solo Show Nature and Sky there is a sense of fear the is underlying this whole event. Plus the censor is trying to sabotage the joy of this event. Here are the voices, “this is a small venue, it is small exhibit 6-7 pieces, who is going to see it in Balance Gallery Studio other then the clients who attend appointments” Also I have not hung 8 x 10’s in a while which the majority of the show is, they are all new works expect one, and no one has seen the older piece, yet I have doubts about this collection. Is bigger really better? Do this photographs represent Nature and Sky ? Oy ! Plus the other voice keeps saying, “who is going to show up, this venue is so out of the way of true First Friday events and it is only an hour long reception!”

Yes the photographs represent Nature and Sky this is what you do! This is what you were called to do, to share nature with the world. The gallery has its own clients and most likely a system to announce these events. You have invited a number of people, so let go and let God. “Expect your every need to be met…”

Clouds on the ground !

Did I avoid the 2 theme long enough?  A sense of Loneliness ! Since Sunday after the exhibit/reception I have had this sense of doing all this alone, that I had expectation of family and friends to show up to encourage and support all my efforts. Yet they did not. I just blogged about in the pervious blog. Yet I had not mentioned the sense of loneliness that has dogged me ever since. Who are my friends, do I have friends, “skin” friends, meaning people other then the ones on facebook and blogger which I am very grateful for. Yet the “need” for companionship of like minded beings in my life seems to have cast a shadow, so to speak over things. Julia Cameron makes this statement in the Artist’s Way, “very often, when we cannot seem to find an adequate supply, it is because we are insisting on a particular human source of supply. We must learn to let flow manifest itself where it will – not where we will it.”  So once again getting out my own way, telling ego all is well, letting go, and allowing spirit to have its way with each and every situation opens the flow, keeps the river running and the ground fertile for abundant growth.

Growth Question: How was the month of June for you?

Photographs call be viewed and purchase at  here

This is the Nature and Sky Collection!

no creative act is ever finished

The grace to be a beginner  is always the best prayer for an artist. The beginner’s humility and openness lead to exploration. Exploration leads to accomplishment. All of it begins at the beginning, with the first small and scary step. Julia Cameron The Artist’s Way

Full Gallery

Being at the day after an artist reception and reflecting on the afternoon my ego wants to rant my artist desire to be in the glow of those moments, and to know that each step is a bit scary, each gallery meeting is a new beginning, each piece of work is chosen for a different show, a different audience, yet with the same purpose, to share beauty of the world with the world!

If I rant that only one of my friends attended and ask where were the others? I miss the beauty of my one friend that did attend, to offer support and encouragement. I miss the point of the other hundred or so people who flowed through the gallery from 2-4 enjoying the art, chatting with each other as they walked the halls, stopping to admire with wonder, with awe the multi talented painters, photographers, creators who offered their work for display and scrutiny of the trained and untrained eye .

Curator and Artist

For I go from this exhibit to another on Friday, as small solo show in center city Philadelphia. A new space, as space that I have not had much contact with since the original request for artist. I wrote about Balance Gallery before in an earlier blog, well that exhibit/reception is Friday July 1 from 6 -7 . I am gather the pieces for this show almost as we speak, going through old photographs that are framed, and considering a few new ones. I like to offer new work because it keeps things fresh for me. I get to experience a new photograph from the view of others viewing it.  There is a risk in each new exhibit, each new gallery, each new photograph taken and shared with the public, that risk is one of keeping my ego at bay, and giving it all up to the creative spirit that what I have chosen to show is in keeping with my goals and artistic values. Challenge is keeping it fresh, keeping new, staying humble while accepting praise for the work, the art. The praise is not about me, the enjoyment is the goal of having the work displayed.  Julia Cameron also writes “in a sense, no creative act is ever finished… It simply means that doing the work points the way to new and better work to be done.” 

Hall of discussion!

Not looking back but moving forward, yet asking what does my art have to do or be to get more attention? Positive attention, be careful for what you ask for. How do I get my friends to attend these functions? Or do I need to cultivate more like minded people, that are drawn to the arts? Of course I have to do that as well. So does my work have to change is some way? The Artist’s Wayalso states, “(f)ocused on process, our creative life retains a sense of adventure. Focused on product, the same creative life can feel foolish or barren.”  So with that statement in mind I continue to move forward. Being grateful for the supportive encouraging friends around the world who are with me in spirit each time I exhibit, each time I announce I am in the process of a new show. I am grateful to the people who I don’t know who come out to the gallery’s around the world that support all the artist who have taking those first scary steps and moved beyond product to process.

Exhibit piece

Growth Question: Process or product?  Is there a balance?

Create to remind yourself…

You may not be a Picasso or Mozart but you don’t have to be. Just create to create. Create to remind yourself you’re still alive. Make stuff to inspire others to make something too. Create to learn a bit more about yourself.” ~Frederick Terral

I am writing to write, I am creating to create. Creating this blog to inform, to enlighten, to challenge the person and artist that I am and that I am becoming. To many days go by, almost silently, without much thought of creating or conversation. Blogging allows some of the steam to evaporate in the field…

This my venture of getting out of the house to be productive, or at least to experience something other than the sameness of everyday. Setting in Barnes & Noble, with the chatter of people taking in the Starbuck’s cafe, I had made tentative plans to meet a friend, yet she maybe caught up with her life today, which is fine. I need to shift my own energy, plus twice in as many days I have come across the phrase, “do something good for yourself”. Well meeting friends, hanging out, writing, maybe taking some photographs or viewing some photographic magazines, or art books is all part of that process.

Down close

News on the exhibit: Because of my hesitation behavior the 13 piece exhibit will be June/July. Which will run along with the exhibit at Balance, which is only a 3 blocks away from Bonte’s! So it will be great to have all that work in the same area going on at the same time. My hesitation allows me more time to gather the finances to put this collection together properly, to choose the correct pieces, and feel more connected to what I am doing and being with this exhibit.

looking out or in ?

My hesitation was all part of my growth, part of the process of recovery, of sense of identity, and self-worth as a person and an artist. In chapter two of The Artist’s Way  Julia Cameron suggest or states this: “One of  the things most worth noting in a creative recovery is our reluctance to take seriously the possibility that the universe just might be cooperating with our new and expanded plans. We’ve gotten brave enough to try recovery, but we don’t want the universe to really pay attention.” Here is the deeper thought which struck me, “we feel too much like frauds to handle some success.”

I said yes to this exhibit of 13 pieces finally after much thought and realizing also I did not have any work out on exhibit at time. So I finally what for it, after having been ask to do this solo show since I joined the Philadelphia Photographic Society. Having work in what ever space in Philadelphia is great exposure, some I thought ready for, until it actually was to happen.

Shadows and light

I realized too that my lack of blogging, doing morning pages in the past few days was the fact that I was embarrassed or ashamed that I did not get to exhibit now, and I had told friends, I wrote blogs about it, and now I had to fix it. I had to admit my fault or character defect. Yet the universe allowed me another opportunity and opportunity that seems more beneficial than if the exhibit had gone up today.

All of this is about focus, about conscious choice, taking care of self and the artist, learning what is correct opportunities, because more and more I keep placing myself out there, I keep asking the universe to show me the path, and along that path I need to nurture my child, my artist. Along that path I need to learn to ask for help, support and encouragement.

“Create to learn something about yourself” The quote that begins this blog suggest. So I have, and I do, it is not just about the photography, it is also about creating a fully conscious authentic being as well!

Growth Question: Who do you create for?

Call it fear…

“Do not call the inability to start laziness. Call it fear. Do not call procrastination laziness. Call it fear.” The Artist’s Way

Clearing

Fear of what? Fear of failure or fear of success? It will be a failure if I do not get this exhibit together, what had stopped me mostly, was the cost, and the inability to see around that. The cost factor of putting this much work together had always been a major reason for my hesitation to agreeing to this Solo exhibit in the first place. Getting my work out there is what had motivated me to say yes, to see it printed and framed, to have work in this area of Philadelphia even if it is only a coffee/waffle shop. The Rittenhouse area of Philadelphia is a major shopping, and business section of the city. The possibilities are endless.

Well I broke my block, I walked through some of my fear. I went to the city with my chosen shots to be printed, while there I visited Bonte’s on 17th St. I introduced myself, check out the space, asked about having a reception on First Friday in May, no problem with that, other than the fact that they are only open until 6:30 pm. So I will have to work on that.  I also finally found and visited Balance Studio where my July exhibit is to be. It is a peaceful serene space, that is a massage, yoga studio, quiet with the sense of essential oils.

setting

I was informed that there is space for six pieces not just three which I was told by my contact person. Makes the venture a little more worth the effort to exhibit pieces.  Opps ego showing. That is ok because I need a little attention, I needed to give myself attention. I usually do not doubt my work, my art, and creating a themed exhibit with a purpose stopped me in my tracks. It caused me concern, because it meant having new prints made, and not using prints I already had. That being said, I chosen the theme of “the life of leaves” or the evolution of a leaves, with a selection of photos that are from buds, to green, to shades of fall, creating I hope a cycle. These are common everyday events, of course through the seasons but everyday evolutions of life around us. My work has been about “seeing” that, offering the beauty that is right in front of us all the time. I had to call on, or listen to the call of my muse, nature herself. I would not be a photographer today without heeding the message, “that nature desired to be recognized.”

Yes the world get grand views of national parks, vistas beyond belief, and beautiful and as awesome as those are, the world of your back yard, the world of the city park, the path along a river, or a little piece of land with nature is calling for attention. See me, see the beauty, see the evolution that surrounds you.

I have had the honor and the privilege to do just that, to “see” to discover, to uncover nature and hopefully present it to the world.

The Artist’s Way also offers this about being blocked, “Fear is what blocks an artist. The Fear of not being good enough. The fear of not finishing. The fear of failure and of success. The fear of beginning at all. The only one cure for fear. That cure is Love. ”

“Use love for your artist to cure its fear.”

In the pink

That love is taking care of myself, finding the joy that photography offers me, not finding but allowing it to be that part of me that is joyful. Because when photographing I am lost in the moment, being in that moment allows moments to past unnoticed but at the same time I have been immersed in something deeper and more passionate, the witnessing of Life, ‘seeing’ life from a whole other level.  Once again the Artist’s Way states this “Over any extended period of time, being an artist requires enthusiasm more then discipline. Enthusiasm is not an emotional state. It is a spiritual commitment, a loving surround to our creative process, a loving recognition of all the creativity around us.” Being blocked, depressed, hiding in fear does not allow that to happen. Asking for help, from a higher source, from supportive friends, and even the muse itself will allow the commitment to enthusiasm and our creative work to continue to be a way of being.

Growth Question: How do you recognize your fear?

Photographs

Empty fullness

Do you ever have this feeling of full emptiness? Explain please?  It is a sense of wanting to burst but at the same time a feeling lack or something missing. That has been my state of being for the past few days.  So the questions lay in, where is it coming from, what do I do with it, is it fixable, changeable?

Lined up

Hopefully writing this blog will expunge some of the sensation, for one thing I have been keeping a secret, more or less. Last week I agreed to have Solo Exhibit, one that is offered by the Philadelphia Photographic Society, they have asked me ever since I joined to take this on, and I have hesitated not because I don’t have the work, because of the framing situation. All framing size has to be 16 x 20. The photographs can be any size… ah ha! Because that would cause another situation to arise, specially made mats, not going to happen. So 13 photographs 11×14 in mats and frames need to be purchased and put together. Well only 8 do, I have 5 framed and matted photographs already 3 hanging on the walls of the house and 2 in storage.  I had three new prints made last week on metallic, which adds a different gloss and shine to the print which I had not tried before, 2 of which will go into the collection.

All of this for an exhibit in a coffee/waffle house in center city Philly. The exhibit goes up on the 15th of April and will be filmed for a youtube page the Photographic society now maintains.  Once I discuss this with the manage of Bonte’s, the coffee shop, I am hoping to have First Friday reception in May! So my plate has been full of making list, checking out framers, and frames, choosing photographs, theme is nature.  I think a few from the last blog post will make it into the collection.

I have also had the opportunity to work with a photographer on http://www.redbubble.com in the Candid Photography group that I co-host with two others. Tatum Wulff was my choice for featured artists of the month. We emailed back and forth an interview about her work and what drives her, you can view that here.

Last week was a whirl wind of artistic filling the well.  Photographic Society Meeting,  on Tuesday, in which we were told that the society would have group exhibit at the Plastic Club in Oct and working on a 150 year anniversary  exhibit for the Society next year which will be held in Philadelphia City Hall.

Chick weed flower

On Thursday I was in the city again of a panel discussion created by The Center for Visual Artist to offer information on the opportunity and business that offer printing and framing options as well as workshops and gallery space and exhibit to members. Boy was my mind filled that day. Those business are the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center, Lightroom, photography co-0p, and Project Basho.

Than Friday was back to the city to place a piece “Maple Buds” in a shared exhibit offered by the Photographic Society in Bonte’s at 10th and Walnut.

On Sunday I went to an exhibit of local artist and fellow members of the Salem County Art League, Jack and Sharon Fanning, this collection was held at the Galleria Deptford NJ, the Deptford Municipal Building, where Photographs, water colors and Pottery where on display and for sale.  While there I spoke with potter Margo Schreiber who is interested in having her Pottery photographed, so I am going to be in discussion with her concerning that. I also talked to Pauline Jonas about the space and exhibits, she mentioned that the Arts League would be doing a shared exhibit in July. Opportunities abound!

Briar Berry's

Each of these events offered me opportunity to photograph, to socialize, to enhance and share my creative work with the world around me. With all of that coming in my well is very full, yet that sense of emptiness still seems to linger…

 

 

Creative series, or seriously creative?

“… a single photograph, it ‘s provocative, it’s an idea, but if you can do two or three maybe you make of that a phrase and if you can do it in ten maybe it ‘s a sentence. It’s a hard to obscure language, but it’s worth studying.” Dorothea Lange

see me

I was aware of this quote, from the book Dorothea Lange: A Life Beyond Limits by Linda Gorman. Yet it spoke to me this morning when I was reading Terrill Welsh’s recent Blog and her Sprout question: Can you tell us about a creative series you want to do in the future? Got me to consider just what creative series I was in fact getting involved in. Well the idea of what I choose for the photography exhibit in July for Balance Gallery, the subject Nature and Sky. Yet how to they, the photographs imply more than nature and sky, part of the world we see everyday, part of the world we may ignore everyday as well?  As I select pieces for this exhibit what do I want to say and what do I wish for the viewer to experience? Hopefully something more than just looking at lovely photographs of trees, flowers, sunsets, and clouds! I wish these photographs to beyond mere words, I wish them to speak to the viewer in ways that they have not heard before. Am I and the art that I create powerful enough for that?

look closely

My mission as a photographer from the very beginning shots was to bring the viewer into nature, through the woods, along the path, to not only see but to “see” the life all around, the dancing leaves, the creatures on the leaves, the light/Sunshine filtered through to highlight, to enhance, to make dance something that is more than just a tree with ever-changing leaves, to bring it to life, for it is alive, and breathing, offering us humans the breath we breathe.   Dorothea Lange also has this to say “You can photograph a tree, certainly it is not human, but it is you who are doing it are human, and your understanding and the reason for doing that tree are strictly human motives.”  Yet I am going to step beyond that not only human motives, yes the exhibit is a human motive but the creativeness of the photographs is deeper than human, it is to allow nature to speak, it is to allow the experience of nature to inform humans of it’s very evolution, it’s very fact that it has a life for us to enjoy, to appreciate the gifts that surround us.

Look up

Dorothea Lange was not a nature Photographer she was a Documentary Portrait photographer, yet her photographs are styled to not just capture what is in front of her but to inform the viewer of a deeper essence of her subject.

The creative subject is and always has been the evolution and desire of the natural world to inform us of it amazing beauty, it’s silent life that surrounds us and gives us life breath!

There is another series bubbling as well, there is a blog waiting in the wings that I wrote weeks ago about Documentary photography/photographers, Dorothea Lange ‘s work the inspiration, in that blog I began to gather other photographers yet I am now thinking each one may deserve their own?

future presence

Can can the work I create speak a language I have been unable to voice until now? Or have has it spoken and I have not completely listened?

Growth Question: Is there something in your life that is seeking to get your attention, is it provocative, yet it’s language has not yet created a whole sentence?

I am Love, Jeff

Enthusiasm and Joy

...that enthusiasm is half of the journey to success, and

all of the journey to joy.

If you’re going to do something, do it with gusto. Don’t

do anything half-heartedly. That dishonors the doing

and the doer. So go for it. Hold nothing back. In life.

Or love. Or anything at all. Neale Donald Walsch

I found the above quote awaiting for me after I had found out I was confirmed for a Solo Exhibit at Balance Gallery in Philadelphia Pa, this summer, July. The theme Nature and Sky. The quote resonated because ever since nature called to me to photographer her in all her evolutionary glory, I had found a joy worth pursuing, a joy the is endless and ever sustaining. Sure there are moments that I don’t feel it, the creativity yet I do it anyway, and sometimes those are the best photographs I take, because I get out of my own way! I don’t try to control the creativity, I don’t try to make a photograph happen, nature is always there to inspire, to enlighten, and to embrace us in her arms.

I received the message via an email from the Philadelphia Photographic Society which I became a member of only a few months ago. The message said art prospectus:

“Hello could you pass this to all members.  Balance gallery is looking for
nature or sky related photos to hand in a solo show summer 2011.  Please
email Estelle.  Thanks”

I hesitated for a short moment… not wanting to seem disparate, I emailed Estelle, with my interest and a link to my work on Redbubble. this morning I received a message that July as open and to resend link to my work, and to confirm whether July was open for me. Message returned shortly after saying all is confirmed for July. I had to remind myself to breathe, I took a shower, I took a walk, breathing all of this in, what this means, my body was vibrating, I was saying thank you to the Powers that Be! I Called my friend Linda, the first human to hear the news, so I was not holding all of this in, still reminding myself to breathe, Long breath in, long nice long breath out. AAAHHH! Did I say I was darn excited, doing the Happy Dance!!!

Lady Bug Highway

I did not finish my thoughts of the first paragraph, concerning the quote, I enthusiastic  had taken on the journey of using the camera to photograph nature, the everyday object that surround our lives, to capture those moments, to remind myself as well as others the beauty in leaf, the creativity in a pile of leaves fallen to the ground in the fall, the exquisiteness of early snow, the power in the light of the sun through the trees to seem to focus on a flower so small one would have missed it if the light had not enhanced it, always there awaiting our notice.

This gift of photograph has been an adventure worth unraveling, this gift has offered me a new view of the world around me, photography allows me to be part of the unfolding and ever changing evolution of life, from a city street, the seasons, to birthday party, or a demonstrations for human rights, everything evolving, changing, wanting to be seen and noticed.

Rusted stream

Having this solo show will allow the work to present itself, allow nature to be glorified even in her nakedness, her brokenness, is my ego at play here, is of course, yet to move beyond that place and allow the work speak for itself.

I am extremely grateful, I am extremely honored, I am extremely excited!!! OMG! I have until July!!!

Growth Question: When was the last time you were over come with Joy?

I am Love, Jeff

unfolding

 

A quick Museum tour

Art to me is a humanitarian act and I believe that there is a responsibility that art should somehow be able to effect mankind, to make the word a better place.
Jeff Koons

I saw this on the wall of a store that sold modern art objects and books and collectables. The quote resonated with me, that my art/photography is created and shared to effect mankind, to awaken them, to inspire them, to offer a view of the extraordinary of the everyday.

I was in NYC for the day on Wednesday Dec 8th, I was meeting a long time friend who I had not seen or had much contact with in last 10 years, and when we reconnected on Facebook a few weeks ago he mentioned he was coming in to New York to do the museums, he is a big art fan, mostly modern but is aware of all forms of art, is a collector and supporter of the arts. So I thought it was great way to do some creative viewing while spending time together.

I researched the bus time tables and cost, I was going to take the Chinese bus out of Philly but once I got into town I was unclear of where that particular bus left from and I did not wish to walk all over looking for it. I bought a ticket a the Greyhound bus terminal for $38.00 rather then the $ 20.00 that the china bus would have been but I wanted to get on the road. I discovered where the china bus was on my way back from getting coffee while waiting for my 9 am departure. I will know next time, of course each bus leaves you off in completely different area of the city, the Chinese bus in China Town, the Peter Pan bus in the theater district at 42 and 8th.

Need a cab?

Phil and I were to meet at the MOMA, and he was right there when I walked into the gift shop of the museum, big smile, warm hugs, and off we went, he had already bought my ticket, he is a member, we headed to the cafe on the second floor for nourishment, to relax a few moments before taking on the 4th floor exhibit of what the critic call “abstract expressionism”.

A viewing

Here is the museums words:

“More than sixty years have passed since the critic Robert Coates, writing in the New Yorker in 1946, first used the term “Abstract Expressionism” to describe the richly colored canvases of Hans Hofmann. Over the years the name has come to designate the paintings and sculptures of artists as different as Jackson Pollock and Barnett Newman, Willem de Kooning and Mark Rothko, Lee Krasner and David Smith. Beginning in the 1940s, under the aegis of Director Alfred H. Barr, Jr., works by these artists began to enter the Museum’s collection. Thanks to the sustained support of the curators, the trustees, and the artists themselves, these ambitious acquisitions continued throughout the second half of the last century and produced a collection of Abstract Expressionist art of unrivaled breadth and depth.

Drawn entirely from the Museum’s vast holdings, Abstract Expressionist New York underscores the achievements of a generation that catapulted New York City to the center of the international art world during the 1950s, and left as its legacy some of the twentieth century’s greatest masterpieces. Galleries on the fourth floor present Abstract Expressionist paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, photographs, films, and archival materials in a display subtitled The Big Picture, marking the first time in the history of the new Museum building that a full floor has been devoted to a single theme. The exhibition continues on the floors below, where focused shows—Rock Paper Scissors in the second-floor Prints and Illustrated Books Galleries, and Ideas Not Theories in the third-floor Drawings Galleries—reveal distinct facets of the movement as it developed in diverse mediums, adding to a historical overview of the era and giving a sense of its great depth and complexity. The exhibition is accompanied by a richly illustrated publication.”

impressionistic view of Phil

It was my first time to really view most of this type of creative artist painting, I know of Jackson Pollack, William de Kooning, the others I had not known by name but many of the paintings by sight! The museum was fairly busy, these galleries where teaming with all sorts of folk viewing and taking notes as well as photographing, so out came my camera, unfortunately many of my shots are not very good, we where to much on the move. For we were to head to the Metropolitan Museum for a look at David Baldessari’s wild and creative work using photography (film) and word.  Then off to the Whitney to take in Paul Thek and Charles LeDray . This was a whorl wind gallery viewing for both of us had to catch buses back to our home by 6:30/7:00 pm and we where on the other side of Center Park from where we needed to catch our buses.

I think I know where I am?

It was a day worth having, a meeting worth expressing, a viewing of works to induce creativity and wonder, as well as research and wonder into the creative process of each of these artist works. My day yesterday was to do just that, as well as rest, get back into the swing of regular life, whatever that is.

There will be more about the artist, the trip, my friendship with Phil and my experience in NYC in future blogs. I just feel I have come to the end of this for now! Enjoy the links, hope you enjoy the photographs.

Growth Question: Have you allowed yourself an artist date in a while, if so what, where?

I am Love, Jeff