Looking for Art in the Alley

It has been raining for days. I sat in my little office and watched videos on Youtube to pass the time, but I longed to be outside. My mood began to feel like the weather, all drippy eyed. Then I thought, " I am going out to photograph whether it is raining or not.  

The tea is that way

My cousin told me about some art that was on display in an alley downtown. She saw an article in the paper about it. "What an odd place to display your work," I thought to myself. So, last night I tried to find it, which is rather stupid of me, I will admit it.  What can one find in the dark anyway? 

Artwork by Alex Mendez

This morning, after driving around for what seemed like an eternity, I found the alley.  When I first went into the alley way there was a large metal guitar. I wish that I had a wide angle lens because this is lovely and massive. At the other end of the alley were four pictures. 

Allen County Courthouse 

Embassy Theatre

Lincoln Bank Building

The above artwork is by Dianne Allen Groenert.  The picture below is by three artists: Theoplis Smith, Alexandra Hall, and Terry Ratliff.  The piece is called People Moving. 

People Moving

If you would like to see the artwork it is located at 117 W. Wayne St. Fort Wayne, Indiana. The alley is located in between The Double Dragon & MKM Architecture + Design buildings on Wayne Street.  The alley is right there but you must get out of the car to see anything. This is not a drive by viewing place.  

Dying with dreams still inside

The weather has been cold and rainy here in Indiana the past few days with perpetual grey skies.  My moods bounce up and down like a rubber ball when it is like this. It is a wonder I make it through the winter where the days are cloudy all of the time and still manage to have some sanity left at the end of the season. 

Today, the rays of the sun broke through the clouds and we were able to see the blue sky.  I had been eyeing a gate that someone decorated with flowers and wanted to try and capture it in a good light. But alas it was not meant to happen today. 

It was replaced with faces in a small narrow walkway from a parking lot to the street.  Very interesting faces to say the least. 

The artist is Phresh Laundry, whom I have never heard of but will inquire about when I am next at the Wunderkammer Company. This place is amazingly filled with artwork of local people. However, not all of the art is inside the building.

While I was trying to capture the gate, I met a man who had painted a mural on the front wall of the building and was there painting another wall on the inner courtyard. He had proudly drawn a Picasso like picture and was working on a face of Venus. As I took pictures he followed me around the building talking to me about art.  I was in seventh heaven as we talked about a subject that is very dear to me. 

When we parted, I walked up and down the narrow walkway between the buildings and was amazed by the faces. They were beautiful, boldly stating that they have their own story, with hopes and dreams without speaking a word. I don't know about you but I somehow want to make my mark here too.

And most of all, I don't want to exit this life with my dreams intact but have exhausted every possibility for living it to the fullest extent of my capabilities. I guess that is a tall order for someone who is approaching their golden years at an accelerated speed. Besides, flying pigs are possible! 

Pure Michigan

I live in the flat lands, surrounded by cornfields. Just a couple of  hours drive from where I live is heaven.

Where there are pristine beaches and lighthouses to guide a weary boatman. Trees are so numerous that the color is dazzling to the eyes in autumn. This sounds like a commercial, but that is what I experienced yesterday while on a "Vacation Day" in Michigan.  Oh yes, I am silly, but I had a glorious time. Visions of children playing on the beach in summer raced across my mind. The calming sound of the waves rolling in to shore soothed me.  A friend and I went to three cities and saw three different lighthouses. This was the first time I have seen one.  It was amazing to me.

As the day progressed the clouds crowded the sky until the blue was no longer visible. A haze settled over the the water. What seemed vibrant began to take on a sepia tone. 

But the beauty remained.  In the summer, I plan to return, not laden with heavy coats and bags, but free like a bird who sits for awhile until another spot looks enticing and then moves on. 

Gourds of the Artistic Kind

I usually take a walk after my evening meal.  Once the kitchen is cleaned up I take a step outside and inhale the fresh air and enjoy nature.  I like to hear the birds sing and the bugs making their evening sounds.  Now that it is nearly autumn the daylight has slowly begun to fade like a shadow creeping up the hill. Those long days made me feel alive. Before long we will be confined to our homes while we wait for spring again.  

This evening I strolled down the street of a lovely neighborhood that adjoins mine.  The houses are quaintly decorated with well kept lawns.  I often admire those large houses and try to imagine myself living in one of them.  I put my camera in a backpack and headed down the street looking for something to photograph.  Last week I noticed a beautiful gourd in the front of an eclectically put together yard.  The gourd caught my eye.  

I put my backpack down on the brick wall and began pulling my camera out.  A lady that I hadn't noticed asked me if I was collecting something.

I told her that I intended on taking a picture of the gourd hanging in the tree. She was thrilled that I liked it enough to take a picture.  She invited me into her yard so that I could get a better shot. 

She asked if I would like to see more of them.  "Of course", I said. How could I say no?  Before I knew it the brick wall was lined with the most beautifully decorated gourds I have ever seen. Did you know that it takes about 18 months to dry one of these? I learned a lot talking to this lady. 

She hand paints them. They are inspired by Native American culture.  The top fits the bottom like a puzzle and is covered with animals. I asked her if she ever sold her works of art.  Sadly, she only gives them to family and friends. She told me that she invests at least 200 hours of work into each gourd. No one will be able to pay her what they are worth. 

By the way, I have a new Canon 60D.  Needless to say, I am so happy with the results.  Who knows what the future may hold for this wannabe photographer. 

Expanding with Photography

Last year, I bought a Canon EOS 300D, I think it is about 7-8 years old.  I gave away my Canon Powershot because I just couldn't get the kind of results that I wanted to.  When one of my co-workers lent me her husband's camera, I was hooked.  I know that the camera doesn't have all of the bells and whistles that the latest models have, but it was at least a start until I can get the camera that I want.
 

I have my eye on the Canon 60D and if things go well I will have it at the beginning of the year.  On more than one occasion, I have had photographers tell me that it isn't really the camera itself, but the lens that is the most important factor in photography.  I think that she is right.  

So, a couple of weeks ago, I bought a zoom lens.  I was amazed how much better my pictures have been turning out. 

I read a magazine called Artful Blogging and I have seen a lot of inspirational works of art in their publication.  Digitally there is so much one can do to a photograph.  In this month's issue there is a blogger by the name of Jamie Jamison of ala Jamie does a unique technique of using digital scrapbook paper and photographs that I really like.  I know that I need to practice, but here is my first try. 

Waking around Salomon Farm

 

The other day a group of people met at this barn for a talk on health and then we took a long walk around the farm. Luckily, I had brought my camera along and took some really lovely shots.  I photo-shopped the above picture and converted it into a sketch.  I am really pleased with the results.

 

The farm is not far from where I work and located off of a busy road.  You would think that it  I was way out in the country some where, but it wasn't.  

 

Flowers in the middle of a field

 

As I was coming to the end of the walk, I photographed this picturesque view of the barn from the road.

 

A country garden 

 

There were sunflowers basking in the sun

 

 Cleome's  filling the garden with their bright purple blooms

And the windmill lite up the summer sky.  I enjoyed my time there walking and photographing.  Sometimes, I wish that everyday could be filled with this much beauty.

Andre Talamantes: A Mural Kind of Artist, Tattoos Too

While driving home from work this afternoon something caught my eye. What was rather a dull looking floral shop became a work of art.  I quickly turned the car around and went back to talk to the artist.  At my age it is senseless to be shy. I talked to the young man who was painting the mural.

I asked him if he does other kinds of "artistic" work.  "Yes, I work with pen & ink, chalk, and I am a tattoo artist as well." I then glanced at his arms and back. I wanted to take some pictures of his tattoos, but thought that it would be asking a lot of someone whom I had just met.  Besides, I'm not sure how I would feel about photographing someone's body. This young man comes from an artistic family.  His father is a painter and his brother is artistic as well. 

Then I asked him his name. I told him that I used to work with someone by the same name.  Would you believe that I used to work with one of his relatives?  It's a small world isn't it!  I think that more businesses should include local art as part of their advertisement.  The mural adds a bit of beauty and class to the neighborhood, it was enough for someone like me to notice. 

Here is the final version

All Things Natural at Salomon Farm

On Friday morning, I went with a friend to a local farm for a look around.  There was a lot of local talent there who used natural fibers to make items.  

 

There were alpacas

and goats 

(now I know where goatee comes from)

  those who spin

(my friend Ronia who makes the most beautiful silk scarves and other things, more on her soon)

those who teach

and last of all, a trailer to haul those critters around in.  I had the most wonderful day there.  I met new people and reacquainted myself with those I hadn't seen in a while. 

Mark Edmonds: A Photographer, A Painter, An Artist

I have admired Mark Edmonds photography for a couple of years now. He lives in the same town in Tennessee where I was born.  Marks interest in art was piqued when he was a child as he  looked through religious literature and admired the paintings by the masters.  Art is all about light and its usage in the image he discovered as a young child. His father owned a square Kodak camera that only took black and white photographs.  His father took hundreds of pictures and Mark would spend hours looking at those pictures.

Black Velvet by Mark Edmonds

"My first real experience with photography came when I was 18. With my first real job, I bought an Olympus 35mm film camera. I had no idea how to use it, but I did have the determination to learn. There was no going online with photography sites or easy access to the experience of other photographers like today. I went to the library and drove 35 miles to Chattanooga bookstores for the information I wanted. I spent a lot of money on film and processing. I carefully kept exposure logs of the images and settings I used and before long I began to understand how the camera worked and how to compose the images I wanted to take. I moved on to doing double exposures and working with various filters after purchasing a Nikon FM2 and a couple of lenses."



Red Caboose by Mark Edmonds

When he married his wife, he joined the police department.  The instructor advised him to find a hobby. Mark bought a set of pencils and art paper. Then he started drawing pictures and eventually on to portraits.  As time went by and his eyesight not like it used to be, Mark turned to photography as his creative outlet for the second time.  

Winter Pass by Mark Edmonds

His motto: "Art is the manifestation of the imagination. It doesn't matter what tools you use to create it...imagination is the best technique you can carry in your artistic tool box. There isn't a magic button."

Contact Mark @:

facebook.com/mark.edmonds.art

customlightphoto@aol.com

Mark Edmonds - Google +

Sunflower Sunrise by Camille Kruse

Last month I went to the library to do some research.  While there, I went into the gallery to look at the new arrivals.  The Fort Wayne Photography Club and some of its members displayed their work. As I was strolling along, I noticed a beautiful picture of a sunflower like I have never seen before. The angle was amazing. The sunflower glowed like the sun as it was beginning to rise in the morning. I looked at it several times. I want this picture, I told myself.  On the table behind me laid a book that had all of the names and numbers of the artists. I called her as soon as I got home. Camille Kruse is a self made photographer and has gone from novice to professional in about four years time.  She took a few Continuing Studies Courses at the college, which only took her about a year. Now she takes photographs like I want to be able to take. 

Do you know what the secret to great photography is?  It is not necessarily the body but the lense. The lense is your eye and with a good lense you can take wonderful pictures. She used a D60 Canon to take the picture.  I have been looking at a Nikon D90 and I am hoping very soon to buy one. 

Here is it above the mantel and against the red walls it looks wonderful.  If you are interested in one of these you can call Camille at 260-385-4377 or contact her at bycamille@aol.com She will only be selling 29 of the pictures above. I bought the first one.