Depression

I've been away for awhile due to depression, but have been asked a few times to update.  Depression is something that is rare for me.  I don't often become depressed.   My nature is pretty much like Odie from Garfield [hopefully I'm not as dumb, though].  I think it is beginning to break, as I'm having normal times in between the down times, and the normal times are becoming greater than the down times.  I haven't been able to really do any new art.  There has been some photography, and I probably should have posted it - I've just been down.  

I've just run into a lot of problems: getting good prints made due to different chemicals in the machines on different days that produce images vastly differently, money to get the prints made, equipment problems with other forms of art.  As has been a theme in my life, when I put my mind to something everything seems to well up in my way.  I've hit this wall enough times to keep myself calm and to just keep going, even though quite often I don't find away around the wall.  You see, I'm very much an optimist - sickeningly so.  But right now I'm feeling very much a failure at pretty much everything and am almost wondering who I am to even be trying to do this, almost as though I'm completely ridiculous.  I just can't seem to get anything right and I'm not quite sure what to do about it. 

I think art - in all its forms - is a very baring, naked thing to do.  It's delicate but strong, frightening but brave.  You have to be honest if you want to create art, which is why I'm sharing this.  I don't know how many people actually read this, but if anyone does I feel that you deserve to know what goes on in my mind artistically and where I've been.  Sorry it isn't something exciting, like winning a castle and discovering the existence of unicorns and fairies, or something wonderful like that. 

Hopefully some great creative energy comes out of all of this.  One thing I will say is that I am fully empathetic for those who often battle depression.  This is some nasty stuff and I don't know how you all do it.  I was bed ridden for a few years with a heart ailment and this is on par with that.  I will forever pray for you all because this is just terrible.  But, as I wrote earlier, I feel I'm coming out of it so don't worry about me. 

The Winter Berry Lanterns 8x10 Photograph

Here's another photograph that I took of the Winter Berry/Chinese Lantern plant.  I can't get over how gorgeous this plant is!!  The colors of the husk are amazing.  I really like how saturated everything is in this photo. 

Deteriorating Lantern

I love this plant!  It goes by the names Winter Berry, Chinese Lantern, Japanese Lantern, Winter Cherry.  What you see is the husk that surrounds the fruit.  The husk starts out a bright orange-red.  It deteriorates to what you see, a gorgeous mixture of tan, red, orange with dark green splotches.

New Photograph is in the store!!!

I just added an 8x10 matte print of my photograph 'Curling Thoughts' to my etsy store.  CLICK HERE for a direct link! 

I used a Pentax K10D for this shot and printed it on Fujicolor Crystal Archive paper that will last forever.  

New item in my store!

Hi Awesome People,

My new glasses should be in pretty soon, so expect much more activity very soon!  Thankfully, being offline has brought an end to most of the migraines. 

I was able to add a photograph entitled 'Catching Glimmer, Reaching Stardust' in my Etsy store.  Here is a direct link.  It was done with true black and white film, but I printed it this time in color so that it has a toned hue.  That's my hand, with a still life set up in the background with intense light bouncing up.  It's sort of an esoteric, hopeful, dreamy piece and I quite like it.  It is professionally printed on Fujicolor Crystal Archive paper - and, if you don't know, when something it professionally printed that means it is a real photograph.  This is not done with a computer and a home printer.

I'm not sure why Blogger is doing this, but there are no white borders on the top and bottom of the print - only on the sides.  Print is on 8x10 paper, actual image size is 6 3/4" x 10".

A New Relic = Mother Mary

Headaches seem to have subsided - YAY! - and so I've finally been able to really get back to my art.  This is a piece that has been in production for about six months, off and on, that I showed you in my last post.  Well, it is nearing completion....finally.  You see, it is a piece of extremes.  Each step swings back and forth between gorgeousness and utter failure.  Currently, it is gorgeous. 

I'm still having some camera trouble.  Here it is in natural light and then with flash: