Trains

Abstract aqua

That's some kinda legacy you got there...

... who in 1732 gave to this Church certain slaves.

Out on a Limb

Ravenel

Project 365

I started this blog on December 27th last year, and 405 posts later, here I am.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the photoblog format. It's been a fabulous creative outlet, helping me to notice things that would have passed unnoticed - and DID pass unnoticed until I started this project. Textures, light effects, cropped sections, subject matter -- thoughts such as these have become second nature. Even if I don't take the shot, I SEE the shot, and that in itself is satisfying. I notice Life more. I've LOVED being part of a community of bloggers with the same project in mind, and learning from them, and appreciating the work they've put into the project knowing from personal experience how much work it is. I have appreciated a venue existing that I can point people to and say ... this is my life. I have liked having a place to record my thoughts, and chronicle my events, yet without the pressure to write a "real" blog post. The pressure to have a picture a day was sometimes burdensome, but not so much as I thought it might be. I have loved commenting, and my pics being commented upon -- it's so rewarding. I have appreciated the fact that my library of photos has given me fodder for my art projects, and has stimulated my thinking in other creative avenues.

The downsides: I lost my camera, and I really feel like that event took the wind out of my blogging sails. From that date on I borrowed Grayson's camera, used my cellphone, and finally bought a replacement camera that I never did bond with. (I gave it to Clark for part of his Christmas yesterday.) So now I'm back to borrowing Grayson's. Besides losing the camera, when I started to school in the fall and had to produce so much artwork, I found that my creative juices were diverted, and there was little left for the 365 project. For those reasons I feel like my best work happened earlier in the year, and I haven't been as satisfied with the last half of the year's photos. In December, I've almost abandoned the project, at least compared to the level of involvement I had the other 11 months. So maybe it is time for the project to end. Part of me is more than ready for that to happen, and part of me regrets calling anything of such personal importance and value to me "over". I regret that few of my "in real life" friends and family visited the site... some commented to me that they saw something on my blog, but by in large the blog didn't make the jump to "real life" I had hoped for.

In two weeks I'll be starting back to school. I'm taking photography, ironically. But it will be b/w film photography, not digital. And rather than producing drawings, I'll be producing old-fashioned prints in the darkroom. I imagine I'll have little time for digital, and with Grayson returning January 25th from boot camp, and then leaving to start his life, I will no longer have a digital camera. I will probably eventually buy another digital, just to have for recording life, but for the next few months, I'm sure I'll be consumed with film photography. So ... realistically, my project 365 days are waning, as is my creative energy for the project. However, I don't want to just stop, and fall off the planet (or at least the cyberplanet). I hope I can continue occasionally to contribute, just without the daily commitment. I hope you'll keep me on your Google Reader feed, as I will keep you all on mine. :-)

I could go back and look at all the posts and pick out my faves, and talk about the special memories, but I'm not too big on nostalgia. I'll just say this: Thank you for a fabulous experience together.

Let There be Peace on Earth, and let it begin with me

Welcome all wonders in one sight
Eternity shut in a span
Summer in Winter,Day in Night
Heaven in Earth, God in Man
Great Little One, Whose All embracing Birth
Lifts Earth to Heaven
Stoops Heaven to Earth

--Richard Crashaw

Thanks to my friend Dwight for this quotation.

I miss this guy

For the second year, Grayson is not with us at Christmas. In both instances though, he was away on an adventure, and I'm happy he's undertaking adventures. I think that's important. So I can't be too sad. But Grayson, know that you were missed. This photo was taken a few weeks before he reported to Parris Island.

Light and darkness

Always appropriate

Bless his heart, Bill struck out a few times in past years on clothes; and we agreed that for a woman, anything with a plug attached to it couldn't count as a "gift". (Though appliances and electronics are often wanted, needed, and appreciated, they don't exactly warm the lover's heart.) So he's found a niche that is always appropriate: jewelry. I've never seen a ring like this before, and he knows that my little artist's heart loves the unusual and handcrafted. The metal on this is anodized titanium. My apologies for the quality of photos....I'm using my cell phone (explanation to follow).

Christmas Eve

While I should be home doing traditional things with my family, I'm actually at the mall. This sight at Brookstone made me chuckle, and wish I could take advantage of it!
And I'm so excited! Suddenly all seven buttons are appearing on my posting window whereas I used to only have three, so maybe --now that 365 is coming to a close-- I'll be able to link to other posts!!! I'm not sure why this wasn't here all along, but hey. It's my personal Christmas miracle. :-)

Everybody say "Cheese!"

This is all I've had time or energy for....the "cheesy" shots!

Bill's brother and niece:


Mackenzie's basketball team won the tournament yesterday:


It's never happened in the past 30 or so years...all five of the siblings together in one place.

Life's a merry-go-round

It's been crazy with family stuff going on, and the merry-go-round set up downtown in a Christmas village is the perfect metaphor.

A Better Shot

I'm submitting this piece 'Fragile' for publication in an online art journal operated by the school I attend, to be published in the spring. I took a new shot of it, which is far superior to the picture I posted back on November 11. I'm also submitting the cityscape I posted -- I've named it Emerald City, a play on my town's name of 'GREENville', and because I did the piece on a green pastel background. Also, there are a few parallels, living here, to Oz that I won't go into!

Eponymous

It's hard to know quite what to do for kids who have lost their father. But they seem to want to just be kids, and so they jumped on the chance to go to the fun park last night. Clark took one and rode the racecars, and Mackenzie took the younger boy and rode the free fall ride. They played arcade games and came home and jumped on the trampoline in the dark. They had fun, and forgot for awhile -- or maybe they've yet to respond to -- their grief. Today will be difficult. The funeral is at 3:00.

Unwelcome shopping spree

These two boys with Clark are his cousins on Bill's side. Their father died Sunday and we took them shopping for coats, shirts, pants, and shoes appropriate for kids to wear to a funeral. I haven't posted in awhile because we've been hosting relatives and trying to be there for Bill's sister. Clark is great with younger kids....he fills the shoes of "big brother" well, and with his help we successfully navigated the shopping trip.

Common view

Though this was taken at the beach in October, I figure it's an accurate enough, and a common view of me...just replace the background with this, and you'll have me in the dining room:

Stay away

Yellow Adirondacks

Fanciful light fixture