A self-portrait . . .

"Photography deals exquisitely with appearances, but nothing is what it appears to be."

- Duane Michals

It's said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but as a photograph can tell a lot of truths, it can also tells us many lies, deceiving at the very least. We choose what to include and more importantly what to exclude. Being behind the camera we simply get to decide what it is we are trying to say and how we are trying to say it.

But what if you are both the photographer and the subject?

For some it seems to be like second nature, as casual as putting on your shoes.

For me it's anything but. It's uncomfortable, scary. I break into a sweat at just the thought of someone snapping my photo. But at least when I'm the one taking it I can be in control of the truths lies.

Today for Photo Art Friday our prompt is self-portraiture. And as one who already breaks a sweat from far too many hot flashes I'm glad I had this one in the archives. Well, that and I have had a really sick boy home all week which has made getting extra things done a wee bit more difficult.

I took this one a year ago January when the sun was flooding into my bathroom mirror, which is always good for telling lies about wrinkles and age spots. The pink highlights, those are real. Oh and I really do have two brown eyes. The rest of the photo was really boring, just the bathroom wall and a doorway. So I started with Bonnie's texture called Drips of rainbow in overlay, her Simply the Best texture in screen, and then added some fake bokeh. 

The water drop texture represents the hot flashes and tears that come from menopause. The writing which is French, represents the feeling I get sometimes when I look in the mirror. You know that foreign feeling of who the heck is this older looking person looking back at me kinda feeling.

So there you have it, a photo that is nothing like what it appears to be. But it is a little fun, I cannot lie, to partake in the art of deception when it comes to my age!

Hopefully, I will be back on my regular blogging track next week. I know I've missed a lot of your posts while I've been gone, but this is the first time in almost a week that I've been able to spend a minute at the computer. I do have some fun stuff to share with you though.....

Until then . . . 

Love, Kim

XO

Sharing with Photo Art Friday, Little Things Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things,  

Friday Photo Journal, Finding Serendipity {1440}

Quotography - Hobbies . . . art

Today's theme . . . hobbies.

I have many hobbies, gardening, photography, jewelry . . .

So I went with something that includes them all.

A piece of jewelry, with flowers, that was photographed

I attend a metals class twice a week at a community college just for fun.

There are credited students and those just like me, the 29 and counting somethings

that go for enrichment and to spice up life a bit with a saw and a torch! ; )

I cut out each heart from copper with a jewelers saw and sanded them smooth.

In order to manipulate the metal, or bend it, I had to (anneal) or heat it with a torch.

Once I achieved that I cleaned the metal in a pickle solution and then using powdered glass (enamels)

I applied it to the metal with a screening tool and fired it with a torch to melt the glass onto the metal.

It took multiple firings until I reached the design I was happy with.

Since taking these photos I've added some seed pearl dangles on the chain and made

an enameled heart clasp with a key dangle off the back.

Nature holds the key to my he[Art]. . .

Every Spring we have a student art show, with food, where the jewelry, sculpture

and art classes showcase their work. It's always so much fun to see what others are

creating. There is so much talent out there....so much creativity.

I thought I would share a little of what caught my eye at the show:

Incredible pieces from fellow jewelry students...

And oh my this piece. . . do you see the bird, the feathers made from polymer clay!

She hinged it on the left, it's a neck piece and formed from copper and

silver plated. It is simply incredible!!

The piece next to mine is also an enameled piece and gorgeous, but it was hard to get closeups with the glare.

Ceramic sculptures, some that just blew me away . . .

"A man practices the art of adventure when he breaks the chain of routine

and renews his life through reading, new books, traveling to new places,

making new friends, taking up new hobbies and adopting new viewpoints."

-Wilfred Peterson

Some were whimsical, and some made you think - art interpreted from life.

"Today is life - the only life you are sure of. Make the most of today.

Get interested in something. Shake yourself awake.

Develop a hobby. Let the wilds of enthusiasm sweep through you.

Live today with gusto."

- Dale Carnegie

You don't have to be an artist to make art. But, when you create something

from your experiences in life, it becomes art and you are therefore, I believe, an artist.

There is an artist in all of us, waiting to get out. Will you help it escape?

Have an art[full] Monday!

Love, Kim

XO