Still seeing

Old Tony Lama


     2017 is here and I've noticed that my perspective on things hasn't changed.  I'm still drawn to that one thing in the landscape that is out of place and catches my eye.  That one herd of animals with something to say.



 

 

    The quirky, the fun, the off center, the truly lovely and the spark of a dream all still speak to me. 

 

 

 

    This makes me hopeful.  These are things that make me happy and these things make a scary world a better place. I hope that you find those things that will make 2017 that for you as well. 

 

 

Coming soon, an updated schedule of venues where I'll be sharing my work in person in the coming year. Stay tuned!

 

Talk to you soon,

 

 

 

Celebrate Mothers

 

 

Let's Celebrate Mothers

 

 

   I happen to have a wonderful one and I'm sure many of you do as well.  I've also been lucky to be exposed to many other examples in my life as well.  You may not have children of your own to mother but mother friends or perhaps your babies are covered by fur, feather or fin.  I believe those count as well.  Care and nurturing keep the world spinning and civilization balanced.  So raise a glass in toast to mothers everywhere.  It doesn't matter if its your original mother or one you found along the way.  To those souls that care for and nurture us, worry and sometimes weep but always hope and dream for us. Where would we be without you?



 

 



Water Fairy Fence

Water Fairy Fence

 

 

 

I was out and about yesterday on a "go see".  Mom was riding shotgun and we determined that we must have found every low water crossing in Medina and Bandera counties.  This particular crossing told me a story as the clear water rushed by under the car.

 

 

I imagined how hard it must be for the water folk to deal with the flash floods that frequent this part of Texas.  I could see them reaching out to the local rancher and asking for his help.  They kept losing folk to the rushing water and many downstream relocation's had been required. Could he do anything to help a fairy out?  The rancher ended up stringing a fence line across the stream to provide the little ones a chance to grab hold and ride out the rising water.

 

 

From now on I'll view this fencing differently.  No longer will it be an obstacle to shoot around in my photographs but a much needed aid in this and other worlds.

 

 

I'll be talking to you again soon and in the mean time....why not let your imagination off the leash?

 

 









I'm back!

I had a wonderful trip and I hope some of you were able to follow along with some posts I had made to my Facebook page. Once again my dear friends Shannon and Mario at Scottish Dream Tours made my travel dreams come true. The Highlands and Islands of Scotland were gorgeous. Snow topped mountains, lovely Spring blooms everywhere, gale force winds ; ) what an adventure. The above photograph was taken at St Conan's Kirk on the way to our first stop in Oban. Mario is a talented photographer and we had a lot of fun finding the next "great shot" and making sure we didn't tumbled off a cliff edge. It always helps to have a buddy along. I tend to become very "focused" when shooting and can sometimes lose site of what's going on around me. Just ask some of my friends about the Mexican wrestling match we attended. So, its good to be home. I've been through all my images at least once and I'm sure I'll continue to find surprises in them as I work with them but overall I'm very happy with those I was able to capture. I'll post images here as well as in my etsy shop, Society 6 and flickr (links to the right). I'll also get back in the groove of posting here regularly and let you all share in what I'm seeing. My phone email sign off says "from my little stone cottage in Scotland" to just keep it out there until it happens but for now "from my little cottage in Texas"

Thanks for checking in,

Kim

December Mists

As a photographer you are always looking for that sweet light. A light that does more than just illuminate. It becomes a part of the photograph. Foggy,misty, pea soup mornings do that for me. The damp turns my mundane often over looked neighborhood into a place full of possiblities. Who knows what could walk out of the mist with a story to tell. So I spent this morning within a few miles of my home enjoying what a little moisture does to the landscape and my perspective. The flickr link in the right column will show you some of my other favorite images from this morning. This particular tree for many years held a hawk's nest at the very top. The limb finally broke and I guess they decided it was a bad risk to build again. That doesn't keep me from scrutinizing it every time I drive by, which is fairly often, just in case they move back to The Hawk Tree.

Majestic at dawn

I slipped downtown this morning before dawn hoping to catch some street scenes. As I stood outside the Majestic Theatre wishing I could get inside for some photographs I think a star descended.

Fly Like an Eagle

Do you have roller rink memories? I grew up in the country but the small town I went to school in had a old roller rink that I got to skate in once before it closed down. The floor was dusty hardwood and so wavy I might could say it was more like surfing instead of skating. My best friend and I and a cool guy friend spent one afternoon holding each other up as we surfed round and round to Steve Miller's Fly Like an Eagle. I don't know what else was in the juke box at the time but that was all we wanted to hear. The building is still there and I'd love to get into now and look around and see what I can see. These skates I caught while visiting the 70's again and watching Roller Derby at a skate center last week. Good times.

Daisy

I got the chance to share my home for a bit with a little dog named Daisy. It didn't work out, thanks in large part to two strong personalities in little bitty bodies. So, its just me and the felines again and I can't see me trying the dog thing again. Little Jimmy was a wonderful fluke and I'm so glad I had him for the short time I did but that relationship can't be reproduced. It's official I'm an unmitigated cat lady, the crazy part even applies sometimes.

She Waits

She waits.

Her petals bowled gently for rain.
Her stem held sturdy for vase.
Her nectar stored safely for bee.

She waits.

Simplify

I've always been a cottage type of person but lately I'm craving less clutter in mine. I've been drawn to images and photographs of interiors that are full of light and empty wood floors. I realized how far I was from that when trying to capture the light coming through my bedroom windows. I got the table cleared off and I'm happy with the shot but now I need to find a place for what came off the dresser top. I think the place might be a garage sale. It is time to simplify my home. I'm ready to keep only what I really love and let someone else appreciate and find what I've "found" in the past. What I'd really love is a big empty room with lots of windows and old wood floors to use as a studio. No furniture, just lots of wonderful light. Sigh

Scissors

Does your mother do this to you? "You don't want these old things do you?" "I'm going to just give these away." "You didn't know I had those?" Mine does and did and now I've got a new collection started. Black handled scissors. Heck, one of them is even mine from high school home ec. Did you grow up with these sewing work horses. Sturdy and sharp, pratically indestructable. They do however age, just like the rest of us. Not quite as sharp as they used to be and a little loose in the joints. They rattle a bit when shaken and the black is going silver. Its hard to get rid of something that still has use. Even if all it does is serve to remind you of that first pattern you cut out or aided in Barbies first haircut. They don't take up that much room and serve as time travel aids ever time I see them.

Ironstone Maiden

I got a message today from a stack of bowls. Let me tell you what the largest one told me.

"Hello Dear, I've been elected to speak for the stack. We have collectively begun to be called 'Ironstone Maidens' and we need to discuss this with you. Decades ago we had a purpose in life. We served and held, sang when washed and gleamed. But just recently, the last couple of decades at least our jobs have changed. Once so practical we are now merely decor. While its nice to be admired we miss the day to day knock and ring of utensils. We never get to catch up with the soup spoons any more and you know how outrageous they can be. We implore you. Take us down, dust us off and let us work. You've never really tasted vegetables until they've cooled in our embrace. Yours most sincerely, The Ironstone Maidens."

Have you used your ironstone lately?

#3's

A ball of yarn always reminds me of a birthday present. All wrapped up and the contents unknown. There's magic in all that potential. I have great admiration for those who can create wonderful things from wool. I'm very much a beginner when you mention knitting. But I can look at the ball of yarn and the No.3 needles and dream big.

Retro SweetPea