Vision 116: zooming in on summer's bounty
Dear Laura,
Ahhh, summer. This is my favorite time of year in the garden and at the local farmer's markets. A good friend of mine grew these tomatoes. He researches and tends to them in a way that I admire. Many of these are heirloom tomatoes such as the Cherokee Purple (the large one in the center). They are beyond delicious and put those mealy grocery store tomatoes to shame! I can't wait to see what you do with this inspiration.
NEWS!
For those of you who are new the blog, we typically create a piece of art in response to one another's photos that measures 5"x7" on paper and then sent through the mail to one another. THIS time however, we are going a bit bigger at 12"x12" and on a wood panel typically used for painting. We have big visions for a future exhibition and see this Vision/ReVision project holding an important place in it. So why not go bigger? We will also take a month on this work vs. the usual two weeks. But don't worry, we will be writing updates of the work in progress along the way. AND we are creating a self-published book with this artwork that will be completed winter 2015. After so many years of making work together it truly feels that we have gone from exploring collaboration to redefining an artist's practice. We couldn't be happier!
Dear Tina,
Every year I am called to my garden and say I am going to use it as my studio, then I never do. Either it's too hot, it rains, or I feel guilty not using the studio I am renting. Well, this year is already different. I have been outside painting in what I think of as my"outdoor studio". I keep a second set of paints at home and have been setting up my work for the day on the round table under the colorful, striped umbrella in my garden.
A few mornings a week I freshen up the vases of flowers I place in almost every room in my house. I usually go out early before the sun gets too hot and have fun putting together different colored posies I may not have thought of based on what is in season. While in the garden I am noticing how the birds migrate to the birdbath for a dip and how we have several bunnies that come out to eat the clovers in the yard. My flowers bring me such joy and are often the jumping off point for my work. I hope to have my sketchbook filled with inspiration to carry me through the winter months (which I don't care to think about right now at ALL!). I am also staying true to my goal of practicing my photography and understanding my camera better.
My garden is largely filled with perennials and I am getting better at creating flower beds that pair well with their height, color and bloom time. Right now the bee balm I planted last year is in bloom. I went out with my camera to take a closer look, excited to see the bright fuchsia and whimsy of this flower. I didn't notice the tiny little grasshopper until I zoomed in on the flower, then became mesmerized. She was so cute! I was working with my depth of field and really like the soft, dreamy feel of the first photo and the hints of crisp details. In the second photo I focused more on highlighting the grasshopper. I couldn't decide which one I liked better and was curious what you thought. What are you noticing in your garden? Talk to you soon!
love, Laura