Photo-heart connection, March

"Yes, I did, I mean I painted er, in a kind of abstract

expressionist way, because of course that was exciting."

-David Hockney

Several weeks ago I decided to try my luck after a lot of overcast and rainy days, to go to the sunrise. It was still just dark enough not to have a good take on it, and besides, eight miles can change everything on the other end. But, when I got to that other end of those eight miles it was pretty clear that the sun would be missing from my morning.

So, I took a slight detour, not just in direction, but in thought. I switched from one of frustration to one of thinking and seeing in a different way. A way of seeing that has become more familiar and one where the absence of good light doesn't matter as much.

One, that captures the feeling you get when your eyes go into a blurry blank stare, where you see intangible shapes and colors, yet simplicity in composition. You know the kind, where you don't want to break the connection because it teeters on the edge of exciting, and that dreamlike state of reality.

I have been completely fascinated by and love the way that it transforms ordinary into extraordinary and not just in subject matter but in mood. It has subjective expression which is intended to encompass and engage through parts of a subjects reality without always being realistic. And I think what attracts me the most is the ambiguity and openness in the process. One that speaks to me in a world that wants to be closed minded and very specific in its rules, and where it offers complete freedom in a space where contemplation and meditation is my intention.

Yep, it's a lesson to just go anyway even though you can't see the other side, because there is always a fall back plan, or a fall forward. It all depends on how you look at it.

You'll also find me today over at Focusing on Life, (it will post at 3 AM Central) where I have the pleasure of announcing our new theme for the month. We would love for you to join our Flickr group and add your themed photos - each week for the month of April I will be choosing a photo for our Focus on You page. 

Love, Kim

sharing with Texture Tuesday, Sweet Shot Tuesday, Photo-heart Connection

Being open . . .

"It is a narrow mind which cannot look at a subject from various points of view."

- George Eliot, Middlemarch

Opening....open....opened.

This is our prompt for Photo Art Friday, any form of the word open. And to be honest, I thought of a lot of ways I could interpret the prompt this month.

I thought of things that could be open like doors, windows, or gates. I thought about how rooms open up to other rooms, open outdoor spaces like a patio, or even a wide open space like the beach. I entertained the idea of something that was cracked open, or left wide open . . . even something that might be a real eye-opener.

But there were so many choices that I couldn't decide, so I just started going through some old folders keeping my eyes open to new ideas. 

And this is what I found. This photo of three separate roses all in different stages of "open," that I had taken last April. And there it was sitting on my hard drive, unedited, waiting. I suppose something else had caught my eye and I never looked back.

So this is my interpretation of being open. Open to life, opportunities and most importantly to being open minded. Because really, open means not closed. It means being accessible and relatively free of obstruction.

And you know, isn't the act of having an open mind what keeps our work fresh? Isn't that what gives us new eyes every time we explore with our camera? 

So why would we be any different with people, with each other. We pick up books and going on only a small paragraph on what the book is about we read them anyway. Sometimes it's even necessary to read between the lines, what's not written, to fully understand the story. And it isn't until we reach the end of the book that we make the conclusion of whether or not we liked it or if it even resonated. And whether we liked the book or not is really beside the point isn't it. Because I believe we are better off, always, for having read the book, for stretching our mind.

Many, many times I have run into a brick wall a closed mind. I have a feeling you probably have too and it's not a fun place to be. But whether or not the story is liked, yours, mine or theirs, isn't nearly as important as the message we all get when we retain an open mind.

That message simply says, I see you.

Love, Kim

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

                   Friday Finds, Friday Photo Journal

Photo Art Friday . . . Embrace

"Our task, must be to free ourselves . . . 

by widening our circle of compassion to embrace

all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty."

-Albert Einstein 

Bonnie gave us the word embrace as our challenge this month and oh the many

ways I could interpret this word . . . but I limited it to two photos.

When I hear the word embrace, my first thought . . . is life.

Wrapping your arms around it, taking it all in with your eyes, your whole being.

Life happens everyday all around us. This we know, yet we still miss so much of it.

  

And the older I get, well,  the more I want to know,

the more I want to see . . .  the more I want to find.

I want to notice everything . . . and embrace it all!

That's why I love my camera. Not just because it helps me to "see", 

but because it allows me to record these embraced moments.

One of my Queen butterflies embracing its new life.

This next photo I chose is one from a recent varsity football game. Before every game our players make

their way to the end of the field and they all take a knee and bow their heads. No matter how many times

I photograph a scene like this I'm drawn to it over and over again. This never gets old.

He was the last one to get up . . . he was completely embracing the moment.

And, so was I.

Take a moment to embrace all the other art work hung in Bonnie's art gallery here.

Embrace your day,

Love, Kim

Join me -----> here for my Friday Random Five

Photo Art Friday

"Water, the Hub of life. Water is its mater and matrix, mother and medium.

Water is the most extraordinary substance! Practically all its properties are anomalous,

which enabled life to use it as a building material for its machinery.

Life is water dancing to the tune of solids.

- Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

{Pixel Dust Art texture - Just a Note}

It would seem that I have a hard time making decisions as of late, and choosing a photo for today's Photo Art Friday was no different. So, since I'm in editing  mode from my over 2500 photos I took on my trip to Chicago, I decided to just stick with a water photo from a fountain on the Riverwalk in Naperville when I was with the gals from Focusing on Life (we had a grand time by the way).

(Holy cow, I have so many things to share with you!)

I chose the square format because I really wanted to keep the focus on the falling water and drops. I used the cinema filter in picasa and then just added Bonnie's texture in overlay ...I really wanted to keep the dashing and darting of the water visible.

And,

you know, it would seem that I kind of like to photograph water... water drops, dew drops, the ocean, water fountains, my hose as I water the garden, reflections in the water, pretend rain with my spray bottle, condensation on soda cans, the rain, oil and water (tutorial here), waves, the sunrise (on the water), and I've even been know to photograph the ice in my drink.

Yep, water is pretty cool stuff, comes in all shapes and forms and it's good for ya!

Cheers!

Love, Kim

linking with Little Things Thursday, Photo Art Friday, Friday Photo Journal

Searching for the writing on the wall . . . photo-heart connection, number 3

"Searching for the writing on the wall"

I've typed, deleted, typed some more and deleted again. 

I just can't quite put what I'm thinking, feeling, into the right words.

As a parent, the moment your child is born you do the best you can to protect them all the while preparing them for life away from the nest. Keeping them under your protective wing as they learn to fly, giving them a soft landing when they fall. But try as we may, there is just no way to protect them from everything. Some things are just not in our control. 

 I've mentioned a few times here that my son has been really sick. Fever, weakness, extreme fatigue, body aches and joint pains. Not the flu, or a sinus infection, or a recurrence of bronchitis. But the kind of sick when you know something is just not right. 

On Monday we had our second set of blood work done, and on Tuesday night the doctor called and was quite concerned about the inflammation marker that was 30 times what it should be. And the next thing out of her mouth was, "I need you to go straight to the ER at Texas Children's Hospital, they are expecting you." Wait did she just say ER?  And not only were they expecting us, but they took us over an entire lobby of waiting people . . . where a few short hours later we would be admitted and on the 15th floor complete with our own "team yellow" set of doctors.

The thing is about this inflammation marker, is that it only tells you that you have inflammation, it just doesn't tell you why. And unfortunately his symptoms fell into a slush bowl of things it could be. When they don't point to a specific path it then becomes a process of elimination, one slow thing after another. We are now home, still without any definitive answers, but our path and direction has been narrowed to Rheumatology. 

 You're probably wondering what this photo has to do with a heart connection. Well, this was the photo I was working on for photo art Friday (prompt being graffiti) on Tuesday and finished literally minutes before the doctor called. And after this week I wasn't even thinking about a blog post, but because I had already done this photo I thought I would just go ahead and share it. But when I looked at it again, it spoke to me in a completely different way, I saw it immediately. Trains and tracks became the narrowing of answers, and the brick wall texture I added became the uncertainty of a diagnosis. The graffiti on the train is illegible and there is no writing on the wall as to what this will all mean in the future. 

All I know is that I have an almost 16 year old boy, an incredible young man, student and athlete, that has been stopped in his tracks. Who struggles right now to pop open a can of soda, or to unscrew the lid on the Gatorade,  who is fatigued just walking up the stairs. 

It's so hard to watch,

 and completely breaks my heart.

Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.

Next week we have a follow up with the Rheumatologist, hopefully with some completed blood

tests and a little closer to an answer.

Until then, I wish you a blessed Easter weekend,

Love, Kim

XO

Some of you already knew this, and I can't thank you enough for your prayers and concerns!! 

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

Finding Serendipity {1440}

Flower power . . .

"Flowers really do intoxicate me."

-Vita Sackville-West

Yep, I guess you could call me drunk on their fragrance.

Smitten, overjoyed, and captivated by their beauty.

I don't just see them with my eyes as

they speak volumes to my heart even in complete silence.

I think flowers and people have a lot in common, don't ya think?

Both come in different colors, shapes and sizes and each have their own personalities.

Some are more bold while others tend to be softer, like a whisper. 

There are ones that are playful and mysterious, whiles others may be a little more elegant or exotic.

But whether a flower or a person, each has its own beauty and in both that beauty lies behind the layers.

We don't judge a flower before it's had a chance to open.

Well, I'm pretty sure we don't really judge them at all . . . and we shouldn't do that with people either.

Flowers seem to be the only thing I'm able to click with my camera lately, as my son is still home and still really sick. And even though I adore tulips, I'm hoping my grocery store gets something a bit more exciting in. I've been checking and waiting with baited breath for some Ranunculus to come in but with no luck so far!! I guess I could just do a study of Tulips in every color, lol!

Larkspur - {Kim Klassen Isobel and Kirstin}

 {Nancy Claeys Organic Paper}

{Kim Klassen Karla and Kirstin and Love that Shot Calais}

I hope you are having a wonderful day, and if you are one of the lucky ones (NOT) that just got more snow, I hope it melts really soon. Our temps have fallen from the mid seventies to the low fifties and it's so windy I can't even take my flowers outside to the porch to photograph. In fact I brought my caterpillars inside too!

Yes, I have some Monarch babies, 2 chrysalis and one caterpillar getting fatter by the day.

Until next time,

Love, Kim

XO

Sharing with Texture Tuesday, Tuesday Muse, Sweet Shot Tuesday, Tones on Tuesday, 

Tuesdays Around the World

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}

Something missed, something gained . . .

"In every walk with nature one receives

far more than he seeks."

- John Muir

This week, that couldn't be more true!

As I mentioned on Sunday, we had planned on going to watch the sunrise. . . but, although I set

the time on my alarm clock, I forgot to turn it on. Yep, I woke up and saw it was completely daylight

outside and looked at the clock . . . 7:20, the exact time the sun would be peering over the horizon.

Let's just say I wasn't a happy camper, although I did make it later in the week, here.  When that happens,
I wonder if there was a reason I wasn't supposed to be there. Well, at least that's what I tried to
tell myself, and since we were already up we just decided to head over that way and take one of the trails.

First stop, butterfly garden, of course! We may not get much in the way of fall around these parts

but our wildlife is around a lot longer. This Gulf Fritillary didn't seem the least bit worried about me and my lens. But I was a little disappointed though, not to find any monarch caterpillars on the milkweed.

{Photograph life - fall color}

I was definitely not seeking a grasshopper, especially not a giant 3-4" one. But there it was blending right in and I can safely say that out of everything I usually run into, snakes included, that grasshoppers are not my favorite. It does look like he escaped with his life, just minus his jumping leg . . . ever wonder where they get ideas for alien creature feature films, look no further!

And as I was walking away, I spied this leaf, pierced by a falling acorn top!

Then we hopped back into the car and went further down to hook up with another trail. And as we were crossing over a small bridge on the road (on foot) I spotted this gorgeous Tri-colored Heron. I don't see many of these along my travels, so this was a treat! Just look at his gorgeous colors!!

After a few minutes he flew down to the water looking for food.

And this yellow stuff, ragweed, it's what's making everyone miserable - and it's just everywhere you turn.

And these pretty little flowers/weeds (?) lined a part of the path . . . what is that they say . . .  a weed is a flower in the wrong place. I would say these looked to be in the right place.

This week over at Pixel Dust Photo Art, Bonnie, instead of a theme gave us a fabulous freebie texture called leafy landscape for our challenge this week. I knew right away what photo I would use with this, that I had taken just days before. And wow, I love the texture with this - it was just the right touch for this photo, and then I topped it off with her vintage vellum.  Thank you Bonnie! If you haven't participated in her weekly photo art challenge before, I encourage you to go now and hang a piece of your art in her link-up gallery. (opens at 7 tonight, you can follow the theme or enter any piece of art)

"All walking is discovery. On foot we take the time to see things whole."  - Hal Burland

So although Saturday morning I was seeking the sunrise, and despite my foul mood, and showing up anyway, I received far more than I bargained for. And with each discovery, on foot, I was able to see the bigger picture and by the end of our walk I had almost almost forgotten about the sunrise!
I'm pretty sure I learned a lesson here!!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Love Kim,
XO

Sharing with Photo Art Friday, Finding Serendipity, This and That Thursday,
Fabulous Friday, Photograph Life, Little Things Thursdays

Beach happenings. . .week in review

"To live is so startling

it leaves little time for anything else."

- Emily Dickinson

In fact it actually leaves little time to clean one's house!

But hey, I don't think I want to be remembered for that anyway....

I was able to get to the beach twice this week, once on my birthday and once with a friend.

The birthday on the beach was well, a bit of a bust as it rained.

But later in the week my friend and I packed snacks and drinks, books, journals and of course

my handy dandy blue kids net, you remember that one.

We left fairly early set up our chairs, and umbrellas and had ourselves a grand time.

Eating, talking, relaxing, playing . . . rinse (literally),  and repeat.

And it was quite an eventful week at the beach . . .

This was Sunday morning, the birthday edition sunrise . . .

{Shoot.edit.submit}

It seems when I get out that handy dandy blue kids net (lol) I always make a few friends, and they are always quite a bit younger. Together, the three of us caught 375 hermit crabs with a few olive snails thrown in!! I put a few in my make shift glass aquarium and holy cow, one came straight out and took over the shell of another crab. Although this was much to the demise of that other crab, and he struggled for awhile trying to get him out all the way. I'm sparing you the photo and the details as interesting as it was. . . and yes you

are welcome!

They were all put gently back from where they came.....

As I was taking these pics of the hermits, I hear, "he got a shark".....

yes, I dropped everything to go look, well not the camera. It was a very young Bonnethead shark.

They can get up to 5 feet, but average around 3 feet, and are timid and not dangerous to humans.

AND, I just had to hold it . . . it was pretty amazing and its skin was a bit sand papery. He needed some

help staying above water until the water could wash back into his gills

I watched this guy practice his balancing act for the beach Olympics . . .

. . . and the seagulls take a bath.

But then, you see something that makes you go hmmmm . . . at first I wasn't exactly sure what it was, but I scooped it up with my net and was quite perplexed to see this poor red eared slider, a fresh water turtle, floating in the ocean, a very salty body of water. So I rinsed him with some fresh water, had a photo session and found him a safer home. Isn't he just adorable?

This year on the Galveston State Park beach, the vegetation is in abundance with these little yellow flowers and as I was looking for shells I spotted this tiny, and I mean dime size tiny butterfly looking for a snack.

{Flower Art Friday -I used Bonnie's (pixel dust art) painterly texture and love the effect I got on this}

And for Photo Art Friday the theme is doors, and in keeping with my beach theme I used doors from a church in Galveston and overlayed an image of pelicans with some clouds. I used a Kim Klassen texture sunkissed, and two from Pixel Dust - etched in stone and painterly, removing the textures at 100% off the doors in a way to accentuate the crosses. I thought the pelicans were perfect with church doors as they fly with such grace and the hint of clouds remind me of heaven.

"Heavens Grace"

Can you believe it's August already? My kids start back to school in a matter of weeks, and my son starts football camp for high school next week. We are a huge high school football fan family and in fact my daughter has the countdown at 21 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes and 40 seconds until the first football game.

And one last note, about a pesto called Ernesto, as in Tropical Storm Ernesto. It's on track to become a hurricane by Monday and currently in the Caribbean but it's a bit early to know just where in the Gulf of Mexico it will land. If the high pressure system currently in my area of the gulf stays then chances are it will most likely take a turn for Mexico. This is the time of year when hurricane season starts getting really fired up as the water is very warm, especially in the gulf which is what gives fuel to the storms to grown into major hurricanes. Keep your fingers crossed for all of us here in the gulf!!

Until next time,

Love, Kim

XO