Spring Blossom Trees~A walk Down Memory Lane Stanford California Style

click HERE or title to see image in store where you can blow it up larger if you like.

This was an original black and white photograph that I printed many years ago and painted over it with photo oils. The location was a park near Stanford. I would take Rita there when she was small as there was a wonderful trail to walk on and a park with animals that was actually a working farm right in the park. It was spring, and as much inspiration comes this time of year, I wanted to show the brilliance of the sun that day on the trees.
I am now in the groove of looking at different college sites as Rita will start her final year of high school this fall and she will be looking towards college soon. I think her options might be limited to California (due to in-state tuition),because the only other school would be University of Oregon and she felt the standards were too low there. This is from other people's input that work there. Her grades are pretty high as were her SAT scores so she really deserves to attend a school that will challenge her. She never has homework at her current school and that is strange to me.

I think every parent dreams of their child attending a great school and to me Stanford is probably at the top of the heap here on the Western side of the world. The campus is so wonderful and built in the style of the California missions and I absolutely love the museum that is just off campus. It has been renovated since I last lived in the area and I hope to go back someday to take a look at it again.
My sister lived in Menlo Park for 20 years and at that time I was in Santa Cruz. Both worlds only about an hour apart but day and night. I loved going to visit her and walking the tree lined streets in her neighborhood, drinking Peet's coffee and walking along looking at the beautiful landscaped homes, where most people had a constant gardener for their property. Old homes built in the 1920s that were preserved including the landscape.

10 minutes from her home through the neighborhoods walking and across a little footbridge over a shallow creek was the Stanford shopping center. This area was the high end shopping for all the Stanford and wealthy Atherton and Menlo housewives. Bloomingdales, I. Magnin, Macy's and a myriad of wonderful little high end shops. There was a full time gardener there tending tulips in spring and always keeping the place as beautiful as a shopping center could possibly be. There was a wonderful science toy store for all the children of the intellectual professors and students, to keep the kids interested in the world via toys. I loved looking in that store. A wonderful group of restaurants where the stars ate with the locals. I remember having a sandwich and sitting next to a football star that lived in the area. I took a photo of a building in that shopping plaza that was covered in marbeled glass, and hand colored it and entered it into a Northwest Visions photography contest years later in Oregon and the museum there purchased it for their permanent collection. What a thrill to have a photo of mine in a museum's permanent collection.

I wonder what the area looks like now.. I am guessing very little has changed around Stanford. That is the way it is with old money... it pretty much preserves what it has..I wonder if the downturn in the economy has hurt the Menlo Atherton area.. my guess is that some folks might have had to let the gardener go, or at least cut back on his hours.

A Blue Spooky Home 1917

Someone was living in this house when the photo was taken. I reversed the image because I liked the spooky look it gave it. There are long underwear on the line. The two trees give enough shade to the yard but to me this screams.. a man lives here alone. A woman would probably have flowers or a garden.. its just plain spooky and I couldn't help but share....

Puppy Dog Kim Helps Peggy Freeman w Paper Drive/My 1998 Earthquake Story with no photos!

Many of you know that I sell photos on eBay for a living. Albeit not a financially rich living, but an income nonetheless. It took me almost a lifetime to figure out what I "wanted to do" with myself as far as a job goes. I worked managing a newspaper out of my masters degree program and then went to Santa Cruz, CA where I worked at a newspaper in the graphics dept for years and then at 5:o3 pm October 17, 1989, the largest earthquake to ever hit that city rocked the 100 year old building I was in and the paper was being put to press. I worked on the 3rd floor and the ceiling above me was at least 15 feet. The building was all wood so it swayed with the 7.0 rumblings and felt like a bad ride at the boardwalk...which was only 8 blocks from the downtown. There were 3 women on one giant wooden beam.. a woman in the bathroom and several others on another floor. The building didn't fall but it was split by 4 feet at the fire escape and we had to leave the building one at a time, jumping to the fire escape and down while aftershocks continued.. actually for about8 months after the quake. I slipped a disc in my neck and just like all newspapers the presses must go on. No one died in our building but several did across the street in the old Gottchalks dept store and down the street a brick building collapsed and killed several young people working at a bookstore/coffee house. When we got outside it looked like the end of the world. There were fires, alarms going off everywhere, fire department sirens coming from every direction and heat, unbearable heat as it was as hot as hell outside. We all went to a black top parking lot nearby and sat in shock together as other people in other stores continued to emerge from the smoke and broken buildings one by one. The ground continued to roll with aftershocks and I decided to go find my daughter as she was working at a restaurant on the other side of town. I got in my car after walking alone fearful to it.. drove out on to the freeway and saw that the freeway was split on an overpass but even in mortal fear the drive to get to my daughter was great so I talked to another person out the window who helped me overcome my fear to drive over a broken cement road and onward south down the freeway. People were driving so slow that although there were aftershocks you could still feel the car move up and down and that was almost as bad as the "big one". I found my daughter by 7 pm that night, no phones worked, there was no electricity and I had a slipped disc in my neck and didn't realize it until a couple days later. Immediately we were told to go back to work by the next day there was phone service. We worked out of my bosses home and it had turned cold and her window was broken out and we were working in a freezing cold home... and my neck got worse. I ended up in a my bed on codeine for months and by march had to have a bone replacement. I continued to work for the paper for another year and then quit, never to go back to newspaper again. The building was destroyed and I had all my hand colored original black and white photos in the lower level on display in their gallery. They were carried out all but 3 and although frames were destroyed the photos were saved. The building was torn down and replaced as many were in that city with earthquake proof structures.

I had big fears about earthquakes as the aftershocks were going on sometimes 20 a day for a very long time. Many people didn't stop talking about it for a long time... it was therapeutic.
My degree was in Art but I minored in journalism and loved the concept of words with pictures. Its just something I truly love.. a story with a photo. If there is information I want to let my customers know.. part of the puzzle or beauty of the image.
This photo of Peggy with Kim doesn't really need any words but the fact that her mother wrote them makes it special. I have over 300 pages and photos of this family in an album that was one of 4 that the mother painstakingly put together as a masterpiece of journalistic art. I will never part with it even though its worth a small fortune. This family had 5 children and the father was a preacher in Los Angeles and they raised their children in the Montessori school system as it is one that fosters independence and self awareness. I hope to share some of these images through the blog now and again and believe I had already listed one of her brothers with rats some time back. A photo with a story but really speaks for itself!

bright red ranuncula

Ok so today is the 3rd day of spring. I am getting into that fact really easy. I got up at 5:30 am as usual now that school is back in session and had my coffee, checked my emails, even went to facebook and posted a few photos and read some lines from friends. I spent some time this weekend cleaning up some old photos of my families and will try to post them this afternoon...relatives long passed on and even an amazing sunset I took the other day with a story to go with it.
For now enjoy this beautiful flower from my back yard pot... I give it to you as a monday morning eye popping wake up. HAve a wonderful day and may it be filled with light and love... that is all for now, send me a line if you like as a post at the bottom of this photo by clicking on the post. The birdies are singing.. they are happy I feed them and give water to them.. it keeps them coming back. Their song reminds me nature is hard to stop even in the face of pollution and global warming.
I reccommend seeing "Doubt" excellent film with top notch acting by Meryl STreep... she is the queen at present and I "doubt" anyone could top that performance.. even twice in the movie I said to Rita"her acting is so incredible.. I love it! that is weird I know but I was so moved as I am often in a good film.. to comment.. heh at least I whispered and the lady behind me was not so subtle with her sweet stinky perfume that made me so ill I had to move up a seat and leave my daughter behind me.. please if you wear perfume... don't wear it to the movies.. I will take loud crunching over perfume any day! GO see the film and let me know what you think.. it is excellent!
happy monday~~

Horseshow Entrance to Ranch Bakersfield CA @1900

Its Saturday and it looks like I have been pretty busy to not have anything written for so many days. that is a good thing! That means I am spending less time on the computer and more time outdoors watching the birds and bees and all the blossoms on the trees.
I also have been doing things with Rita, shopping for things we need here and in Flagstaff and today even went out for Thai food at my fave spot in Sedona, Thai place in Village of Oak Creek, if you like Thai and are in this area that restaurant is not to be missed.
SO here I go again gravitating back to the Western theme, I told you I cannot get away from it, it calls to me, haunts me.. I know I was a cowgirl in a past life.
This is from the Bakersfield area and I wish I knew where, could find nothing online after searching quite a bit but then I don't think it would still be there, but you never know.
I love the creative and folk art look to this image and just know it should be reprinted and toned or something as the detail is so nice you can see all the way down the long Calif driveway to the dog who is going to say good by to the rancher as he leaves the ranch.
I think because I grew up on Rawhide and other western films that it has always held a fascination for me and here I am , in the west.. the big puffy clouds and the dry dusty roads.
Today was a perfect spring day, I did some light flower planting and the birds sang to keep me company. I washed and dried outside, all my wonderful rag crocheted rugs my mom made me, she will never know how much I love those and care for them, they do not last forever though and one is falling apart but I keep mending it.
So here comes spring and she is lovely to witness. I hope the rest of the weekend is just this nice for everyone as it is here, 70 degrees and balmy.

Red Ranuncula Photo collage with Vintage Lace

click the title to see it in my etsy store

Again.. I had an idea and had to follow through with it. I had tea dyed this piece of peach colored cloth and really had kept meaning to do something with it but couldn't bring myself to cut it. Then while going through my photos of the ranunculas I took in the garden yesterday I decided to do a collage with the flower and the fabric with the lace doily in between it. Thus is born a collage of all 3 items that are near and dear to me. I love the color of the flower, of course it has been seriously altered and sandwiched with the doily and tea dyed cloth. That is the beauty of art that you can take all these elements which by themselves are lovely but to combine them into something so nice is such a joy! After working all morning on other things like shipping and listing on ebay this is my reward.. a little R and R to end the afternoon!
I want to recommend a radio station that I discovered, its online and free and also on Itunes. Its called cinemax. Its not for everyone but once in awhile they play some interesting film scores and you can request a song and it shows up immediately. I love Hitchock film scores and 007 film scores and Phillip Glass film scores so I am content to tune into this channel when I need some nice background music. I guess its a sign of getting old when loud music just isn't good to work to but for me it definitely has to be in the background to tolerate it. Here is the webpage. You can open it by clicking on any of the little icons at the top, I use realplayer.. works perfect, then if you have the site open you can see what is being played and to do a request click on the jukebox and there is a button by the items to request.
here is the cinemax.

Wild Irish Roses- Encaustic Beeswax Painting Collage

this is the close up to see details-orig size below

If you click on either of these image it will bring you to a closer view to see the details of the painting which I think is worth it as I just tried it out....

Ok Here it is as promised. I know there are a few more details I am missing on this but I bare my soul by putting this up as its the first encaustic I have done in probably 6 years. I actually had the idea exactly what I wanted to do but how to go about it was the challenge. I wanted to use my own photos to make a collage and I did. This is a pieced piece using a photo that was printed out originally on watercolor paper, painted with watercolors and then scanned in and printed out again on fabric and then adhered to the layered wax and then painted over again with wax. I think if I could sum up my goal in life it is to take photographs to their highest remodeling. I really do not like to copy anyone and am always striving to create something completely unique. So there you have it, nothing green but something Irish only in that these are actually not Irish roses but rather English ones but don't tell any of my Irish relatives as it might set off a argument of some type. Of course I am kidding.
I will make corned beef today but no photos I promise, and cabbage and potatoes. I only cook it once a year for fun and eat very little as its so rich. I already have another project started, something completely different from this. By the way this is 14"X11" and has many layers of beeswax. I will be posting this tomorrow on Etsy so you all get first peek at it. Have a wonderful day today. I have green eyes so always got away with not wearing green but might do so today.
It is shaping up to about 70 degrees here and I will be back with more vintaage photos tomorrow. Top o the morning to ya and the rest o the day t meself!

Ava and Miranda Cabo Pulmo

Here are 2 of my 4 grandkids on the beach in Cabo Pulmo Mexico, ahhhh don't you wish you were there, it looks so warm and inviting.. I stayed at this beach once before when the oldest of these two was a small 8 mnth old baby and we had so much fun. Rita found a coin from a Spanish shipwreck it was from the 1600's it took us a whole day to do a rubbing w pencil on paper to figure out what year it was. We ate fish tacos at a little stand behind where the girls are and at night we played games and watched videos. It was such a nice little beach and small but great community of people. Very isolated but yet all you need. I miss them so much but got my tickets to go see them so it won't be long before I get to give them both a hug. Tristan and Ellen are not in the photo but they are down there too! have fun and big hug from grandma!!

Flapper Gal Goes Cowgirl w Pistol holds up Farmer John

Somehow I cannot get away from the cowgirl and western theme. This is an image from one of 2 albums I recently acquired and am thrilled to find so many wonderful images in them both. I will try to share some now and again and if interested in them they are for sale in my ebay store.. just write and ask or click for clancy's classics on ebay. I will probably write less and less on the blog as the weather gets better as I am so motivated to do art now.. I worked on the encaustic last night for hours and then watched SEan Penn in Milk. I had some squimishness with the men kissing scenes but once past that the story, acting, directing, some of the best I have ever seen and I even cried at one point simply from the expression on Sean Penn's face. Now that is an actor that can really put you into his space.. the guy is amazing and I always thought so but now... no one deserved that award more in my book and as I was in SF in the 70s for a few times I loved the scenes that brought you back to that moment.
So the encaustic is coming along, I performed surgery on it this morning but won't go to into that so as not to cloud your opinion when I finally finish the piece and post it here first.. before I do on Etsy so as to give my viewers on the blog first view...
Rita came back from her track meet in Phoenix with 4 gold medals which made her feel good after last weeks slip and drop of the baton in the 4by 1 and other issues with her injured legs.
Spring has sprung today and I must must get outside!! The weather was so delightful yesterday and I just soaked it in as much as I could!! So for those suffering in cold.. it soon will pass and for those in the heat.. enjoy it before its broiling!

Cirque-Encaustic Beeswax Painting

This is an encaustic beeswax painting. I have had it on my bedroom wall for almost 5 years here in Sedona. I think it is my favorite or one of my favorites of my encaustic series I did about 6 years ago. I decided to get the tools and taught myself over a period of 8 months working every single day on the different subjects. I did research and found that many artists were doing encaustic in a abstract theme and decided that was not for me being a realistic leaning artist.
The first time I saw an encaustic painting was when I went on one of many trips to San Jose del Cabo. There is a wonderful gallery on a side street there and a great woman who runs it.. the work comes primarily from LA where she collects art and brings it back for her gallery. there was an artist there who was doing encaustic paintings of little girl's dresses and it had such a fabulous texture and look to it.
It is not the easiest medium to work with but as I love a challenge in art I attacked it head on and continued to work with it relentlessly until I was satisfied. I will post these encaustics here now and again if anyone is interested in seeing them. I put up a few on Etsy but there wasn't much of an interest as they are expensive due to the product and time involved. I have had all of mine in air tight containers in my boiling hot garage for years and not once have they melted at all. They are considered the medium with the best longevity rate as the Egyptians used this method to paint on the gauze faces of their mummies.
There are many artists who work in this medium but very few who do realism so I think I enjoy that aspect of my beeswax journey. I am currently working on a new one but have not had the time to really devote to it.
Please let me know if you would like to see more wax paintings and I will post them, otherwise I am back to photo info and work... I can never get enough of that!
HAve a wonderful Thursday! Enjoy that spring is around almost every corner!!

Cowgirl Autochrome & Living in the Sedona desert

This is an autochrome which is housed at the George Eastman Museum. Click here to go to the link which will keep you busy for a long time viewing many autochromes.
Color was so exciting to those first photographers that were able to have the equiptment and money to make autochromes before the advent of color film. there is a wonderful explanation of the process to be found here.
I do live in the West as many of you know, Arizona and although this is not my native state and I am originally from motor city, Detroit, I have lived here for the past 5 years. There are still cowboys here although not many. There are no ranches that I have seen but rather those who love the desert, wide open terrain and landscape that the west offers. There are mining towns and Indian ruins and all sorts of wonderful museums around that state that you would be hard pressed to name a favorite.
But those who come to Sedona for a vacation may end up with a man dressed in a cowboy outfit and driving not a horse but a pink jeep. These are the tour jeeps and there are yellow ones as well. People sit in these open air jeeps in the coldest of weather and are toured around bumpy back roads without any warmth or protection and by the time they are returned to their hotels they are ready for a hot tub and a good meal.
I see the hot air balloons going up in the early dawn hours when weather is cool enough to keep them afloat, and even had a niece who with my brother in law went up in one and he said it was "freezing" cold the entire time despite the warmth on the ground. I have lived here for almost 5 years and my enjoyment of the town has not been any of the tourists spots but rather getting a new found appreciation for the little things like a tarantula the first summer I was here, about 6 inches across, just meandering around a path near the local park, or better yet the often time lone coyote who walks down the middle of the road in mid day with no fear of cars or people, as if out for a jaunt. One of the scarier times was walking in early morning in summer as that is the only time in summer you can walk, and coming upon a family of javalinas, wild boar and their little ones, about 15 as they travel in large large packs often.. they are really ugly in the face, worse than a wild pig and make unearthly sounds. So I also appreciate the little bud flowers on my trees in front because with the very very little color besides the rocks that are here you tend to appreciate every living and flowering thing... and then there are the clouds.. oh the clouds.. when weather is clear and the planes are not criss-crossing their trails in the sky polluting our earth you have a spectacular cloud display, and sunsets to make you melt... then comes summer, but for now, it is spring and I intend to enjoy it before I am writing about the 112 degree heat.

tulips for spring

I cannot get enough tulips.. tell me to stop showing them, posting them on Etsy and talking about them... next to roses I love them so much. These are curled tulips probably the most elegant and beautiful of all the types. The only thing that bothers me is the rapid pace they open and close but unlike other flowers each stage of the tulip has its own style and form and to me equally beautiful and elegant. I hope I can do justice to them in the weeks to come as you have not seen the end of these wonderful bulbs.
Its Monday and for that I am happy. A new week and for me a step closer to spring and the weather we so long for.. I say to all of you that are still in snow and cold.. it is coming, around the next corner!

happy Birthday dear SARA!!!

Today is my oldest daughter's birthday. She is probably one of the best mothers on the entire planet! She was a truely delightful child always independent, even when she was 4 years old she pulled a chair to the counter and insisted on cooking all kinds of foods from scratch. She dressed herself in all manner of comfortable clothing and cared not if her room was organized, she was too busy being creative and playing and making plans.
Sara was born on international women's day. March 8th. She is celebrating it in Mexico where she has a 2nd home and her 4 beautiful children are going to be with her. Her husband is from Mexico and he and Sara have been blessed with the most beautiful and wonderful children and I am so lucky to be the grandma.
The photo below I took of her with her first daughter "little Ellen" who is now about 5ft10" and a movie star beauty just as she appears at this age of 2. She was named after my younger sister Ellen who though not a "big " person at all has maintained the name"big Ellen". Ellen is probably the most petite in our family of 7 girls but to distinguish between the two Ellen's at birthdays and family gatherings the two names just happened.
Sara has always taken the time to make sure that her children are not only the most beautiful but mostly the happiest. They have always had several dogs and now have an additional golden lab with their chihuahua mix"Pepito" who loves the baby Miranda as much as she loves him.
Sara is the most generous of any of my family members and even catered a family wedding for over 100 people and did a perfect job not allowing this person to pay her a nickel for what she did.
She is a chef supreme having owned and operated now4 restaurants and several catering businesses including being Barbara Streisand and Donna Karin's personal chef for a week in Cabo she is currently down there for some catering jobs coming up in the busy spring season in Cabo.
She is also the supreme multi tasker being able to crunch numbers, meet with executives and most recently with her partner KAtie is starting an incredible new business for the high end hotel chains, her first client being The Wynn hotel chain in Vegas. Did I say driven...? YEs that too but more than any other character trait like loving, giving and never complaining... Sara is always "cooking something up" on the back burner of her over the top creative mind... hats of souffle pans affire.. something is cooking in Sara's kitchen.
I am wishing her the happiest birthday ever!
love Mom!!

Look Out from Atop the Hill

I came across this image of Cousin Esther atop a hill in Pennsylvania with her binoculers looking out over a valley below her. I thought how often we forget all about the adventures that lie outside of our home and how all we have to do is "look out" and see what there is to see. I love the connection that vintage photos give us to the past and often to the present. This woman's hair pulled back in a simple ribbon hangs so far down her back. She was an adventurer but also had good sense. I love this one.. simple but great!
SAturday... oh I am thrilled I am going to have a steam and massage at our local spa here in town. A very dear friend of mine so generously gave me a gift certificate to the spa for my birthday and I will use it today. The weather has turned almost bitterly cold. Of course I put up my flower pots filled with pansies and ranunculas but its not cold enough for snow..I hope!
The steam bath is sounding so nice right now.. I got up at 4 am to drive Rita to the school for the bus to Phoenix and her first outdoor meet of the year. The bus was ahalf hour late and I sat there waiting in the cold with the kids and the coach. Finally it showed up. Gee it had to be 35 degrees. Now that may seem warm to those of you in midwest but for us this time of year should be in the 70s. I am still glad to be indoors and warm. Enjoy the day! its SATURDAY!!

Birds Bees & Trees-Welcome to Spring!

Dogs and Hens in a Garden by Ande Cook

Just as yesterday was devoted to bees, today I am posting a beautiful image by a wonderful artist from Etsy. I was motivated by my birds singing outside and went on a journey off all things with bird in the title and was thrilled to find an artist I had favorited many moons ago.
Her art is colorful and inspiring and filled with life. This is one of my favorite images on her site but I encourage you to visit and see for yourself (click the title to go to her store!)all her wonderful bright paintings.
I am inspired to keep at my project I started last night which is an encaustic painting. Yes..I actually put wax down on the artboard and the thrill of the smell and applying it cannot be described! I am going to work a little each evening on it after all my other chores are done.
I hope this day is filled with birdsong for everyone.. every morning my birds sing before dawn and that really is inspiring as they are ready to greet the day, even before the day has begun.
I remember the mockingbirds at my home in California, they were my favorite as I believe they could not make up their mind which tune they liked best because they sang so many different ones to prove it. They weren't the prettiest feather on the block but made up for it in the variety of their song. Go out today and sing whatever song you like but for heaven's sake.... sing.. greet the day, the sun, life.. and be thrilled to wake to another day of it. For we never know how long this journey will be do we?

The Bumble Bee in Art and Photo History

Wow these are both such wonderful pieces of the bumble bee in history and the second one will bee mine soon I hope!
The poster is about 3 ftX4ft and is hanging in the attic of a friend of mine in France who owns it. He has quite a collection of wonderful and unusual items and this is one of my favorite.
Many of you may or may not know that I also have a store on Ebay where I sell vintage and antique photos every day besides being on etsy. My symbol for my store is the bee and here is a link to that store if interested.
Clancy's Classics on Ebay
I have always loved the bee for many reasons.. first of course is that without the queen we would be lost. Second is the incredible industriousness that the bee has. In my own life I try always to do things that will produce a result. I love being industrious, and like both my parents, am on the go all the time whether in a chair or on foot.
I also have a mind that is continually thinking of things to do and make.. you may be like that also, if so, you could identify with the wonderful bumble bee.
And last but not least is the production of honey and wax. Both items we could never do without.
I am so inspired by the bee that today I am going to begin a project that I have a deep love for that has been on the back-burner for 5 years and that is to work on an encaustic painting. The wonderful colored beeswax has been calling my name for a long time and yesterday I went into the garage and dragged out all the supplies and art board needed to begin. I hope to list the image and maybe the original on etsy in the weeks to come.

I am sure all of you know that the bee is endangered almost everywhere. Here in Arizona I talked with a beekeeper in a town called, "Strawberry", up in the mountains about 2 hours from Sedona. She told me that the bees are down about 40% and declining. My guess is glabal warming and also pesticides. Try not to support those people who grow food and flowers with pesticides. They are bad for the bee and pretty bad for all living things.
I feel with spring approaching we need to be keenly aware of our surroundings and how we interact with mother nature so that she and the bee will be here for all eternity!

Cyano Tango Current about to expire treasury

Ok so I am getting this up a little late in the day... heh what do you want I finished my taxes..did you?
I had some interesting comments and if you want to see them, click the title to see them. I think Rita's Axilotl threw people off because it is so scary. Its an actual creature that lives in the water.
I just finished walking blue and ran home to my new BlueAir purifier. Gosh I am in the wrong business. The air business and water business were a boom waiting to happen now that the government has made both almost naturally intolerable.. Dont get me started.. I wish I didn't know as much as I do about the air and even the water.
I am still very hopeful that things will turn around. I heard last night we are out of Iraq in 2011 which seems like a lifetime from now but at least its a start. But then there is Afghanistan.. its always something. Why do we have to be at war with someone all the time. Why can't we be like New Zealand and Iceland and spend our money wisely instead of wasting it on wars. Ok don't get me started on that. I am actually in a good mood today and by the look of most of the beautiful new treasuries on Etsy.. most everyone else is as well.!

Spring BLossoms in my Neighborhood

grant it Arizona is nice.. it was 78 degrees today and I walked without a sweater and wore shorts! Yep true. However to try and locate any spring blossoms is not an easy task, they are not everywhere. These were around the corner from where I live. I worked a trick on them.. not au naturalle but that is fine.
Here is apoem to go with them written by another fab writer in the family, Joan Clancy.. my mom. Take it away mom:

Spring?

Today I think I felt a bit of Spring!

I went walking, dressed in hat,scarf and gloves.

Before very long my heart began to sing.

I saw crocus, azalea buds and more!

I took off my gloves and then my scarf.

The air was so warm, my pulse began to soar.

I was almost home when I took off my hat.

I think Spring is here. Imagine that!

Girl Reading Book Lying Down 1906- Poem day!

I have left this image untouched although it is flawed. I am interested in the subject of reading and writing as we must always encourage our children and ourselves to never let the computer take the time we would spend on a good book or letter or newspaper. I am thinking that we should try to write at least one thing a week and read a good book 2-5 times a week. I probably fall into the 2 times a week catagory, reading only when I have to wait in an office or somewhere that is quiet. I wish I could stop working long enough to read but alas today is Monday and that is a catch up day for me.

I was at a wonderful basketball garden party last night where one of the fathers bbq'd for 3 straight hours and 5 different coaches talked about the fun and of the sport with the high school kids they had this past season. My daughter recieved the 1st annual"Ace" award for all around excellence in every aspect of the sport. She is pretty amazing and this morning her grades came through on the email as 4 A+s. This would make any mom happy. Today is also her first track meet away and her spikes are due to arrive in the mail today so she can rush home to get them before the bus leaves. Ah.. on to track..good bye basketball.
I think since I moved to Sedona I had many worries about fitting into a crowd that had mostly all known each other since they were born... I am not kidding on this one. Well the children anyway. But as it turns out, there are some pretty amazing folks in this town who really care about their kids and their community. The people who had the dinner had a lit court and after a wonderful meal the kids and coaches went out to play a game.. one last one for the year.. Bittersweet for the seniors who won't return next year but on to bigger and better things.

Have a wonderful Monday and please send in more poems.. here is one my Aunt Patty sent in... I can just picture her heading to her car on a cold Michigan evening after work.. ..what an amazing writer and poet she is!

Slush and salt,Icy foot falls
Block the path thus far.
Night has fallen, dangers lurk.
I didn't know it was so far.
Two more yards, one more step,
At last I've reached the car.
I raise my eyes to thank the fates
For guiding me thus far.
A brilliant moon, a blinding star
Reveal to me it's not MY car!


Patty

the photographer reloads his Film & send me your POEM!

This is such a great image. A very young gentleman maybe 17 who is reloading his film into his 4X5 camera in the middle of a street while 2 little boys driving a makeshift cart and horse driving past almost in a blur. This is such a great image and one that reminds me how much of a wonderful thing those early cameras were. I know if I was alive then I would have had one. This is an image that I found last night in one of the albums I am selling out of.

Sunday is here again and oh how I wish it was Monday. Tonite is the annual basketball dinner and we must go and sit while both coaches of the boys and girls go through each players skills and accomplishments.. its parent duty. I am sure it will be fun.

Sun is shining in Sedona.. nothing new but I know that there is snow in Port Angeles... that is still cold. It should be about 65 today.. hope that doesn't make anyone jealous because in a month we will have our air conditioners on to keep cool while you are enjoying spring breezes!

Don't forget to send me your original poems so that I can post them tomorrow. Short is fine but must be original! I have one so far!!

Roses by the Sea TReasury w Original Poem by Rita Clancy

Here is Rita's treasury from last night. I am more interested in the poem than the treasury. It always amazes me that young people can come up with such amazing things. I want to encourage poetry with children because it is clearly a way to express themselves that sometimes they don't even know what is inside them.

I taught a poetry workshop in the school for 5 years. Quite simple ideas in fact. Each week was different. We did an illustration based on an idea and wrote a poem to go with it. After 7 weeks the children had 7 illustrated poems and we made cloth covered cardboard, punched holes in them and bound them with bias tape.

This was such a successful workshop they adopted it into many versions and teach it in the schools to this day. I was always amazed at what these small children reflected on and spoke to in the poetry. Poetry isn't just something that is old fashioned.. it never goes out of style.

Write a small poem today and send it to me and I will publish it next Monday. Lets see what we can come up with. Let me know if you want your name attached or not.. its up to you. I will find a nice illustration or photo to go with it..
Have a wonderful Saturday!!!-

Click the image of treasury to see it larger so you can read the poem.. and please...
click the title to go to Rita's treasury and leave a comment... click the images too... she would love it if you did.

A Pretty Day by e.e. cummings-

The Tintype Family
or we are family
-Stevie Wonder Gets Gershwin Award!

a pretty a day
by E. E. Cummings

a pretty a day
(and every fades)
is here and away
(but born are maids
to flower an hour
in all,all)

o yes to flower
until so blithe
a doer a wooer
some limber and lithe
some very fine mower
a tall;tall

some jerry so very
(and nellie and fan)
some handsomest harry
(and sally and nan
they tremble and cower
so pale:pale)

for betty was born
to never say nay
but lucy could learn
and lily could pray
and fewer were shyer
than doll. doll

I am always looking for an interesting poem and this one seems very short and sweet.
We come in with talents and looks and develop other surreal and real traits. This altered tintype doesn't seem to fit but yet if you think about it the poem really is about all the various aspects of humanity. It is of course simplistic but yet so true.

I cannot find the original image of this photo that I worked so long on but it is somewhere in the depths of my home on a disc or a print.

I must learn to be content with what I have. I again went looking for a small hard drive that has on it all the images from a trip to hawaii and in particular a wonderful excursion to an orchid estate. Hopefully I will find it and be able to share it with you.
For now this will do. HAve a great Friday and remember that although our families come in many different forms, it is about knowing where you come from and who you are that will dictate your future. Get in touch with your roots.

Did anyone see President Obama giving Stevie Wonder the Gershwin award last night? It was , of course, only on PBS and as most Americans have never heard of that channel I fear not many even knew about it.
Pres and Michelle were in happiest of moods and even the old people in the small audience inside one of the grand rooms at the white house were moving side to side as he played 2 of his best tunes.
He was born the same year as I was, in Detroit, and as he grew so did I. When I was 16 I went door to door for MS for Jerry LEwis and collected the most money in my district, and got a free ticket to see him and about 10 other giants of Motown downtown Detroit. One of the highlights of my life. I even took photos before I was stepped on by a 7 ft tall man pressing to get as close as possible to the man without sight but filled with vision for music and love.

I love Stevie Wonder and I doubt there is anyone who doesn't. It was one of the sweetest things to see him with Pres. Obama and Michelle and many of the band members were so nice and singing so beautifully. I guess I am getting old if I like his music better than rap but there it is... I am getting as old as Stevie and heh- he looked pretty good to me!
Enjoy your weekend.... call someone in your family! Tell them "you are the sunshine of my life!".

Little Helen a Fashionable Child on a South Dakota Farm

Here is Helen. She is dressed in a poodle fur trimmed hat and coat. she carries a little purse and has the nicest short two toned button up boots. She is ready to travel from her home in Illinois where she was born to go and live in South dakota on a farm. This is her farewell photo to her original home before she moves to the rural dakota area. She will trade in her finery for a pair of bib overalls and bare feet and have a dog and a doll and the whole world before her on the farm.
This is a true story of a little girl with last name of Mentz. Her mother braved the trip and with her sister moved to the middle of nowhere from Peoria.
What an adventure that must have been for a little girl in the early part of this century. What a tried and true trooper her mother must have been.
There is something really special in this little girl's eyes and I can't help but notice it.

The Gardener Girl Oil PAstel

Here is another in that series I did with the French oil pastels. Again as spring approaches and I view my 4 ft square patio I have visions of my garden that I once had in Santa Cruz. I can still see the wild tea rose in bloom this time of year and the calla lilies opening up. The tulips would be in full bloom by now and probably on their way out. SPring and planting calls us all at some point and I am happy I have those wonderful memories. I am going to be sure and get a home with a little rich plot to grow a small flower garden. I would love to see anyone's garden art this spring.. we should have a show on etsy where we do garden treasuries! COngrats to Sheila on her front page last night at @midnight and hers was a very beautiful green theme!
Enjoy your day weather you are in snow or sunshine and remember to give someone something very positive today... it will reward you in many ways!

Albert Kahn Philanthropist for Photography

If you don't have an interest in autochromes..there is something wrong with you!
These autochrome slides were funded by the Parisian financier ALbert KAhn in the early part of this century. HE hired photographers to traverse the globe and to document IReland, Norway, France and Asia and more... go see that now there is a wonderful book out that contains many of his wonderful collection. Please please click the title and go read and see these images. There are about 10 and well worth it. Honestly there is no better quality or color.. you will be hooked as I am.

little Helen and her DOll - a member of The Mentz Family of South Dakota 1925

I was fortunate to have a woman write to me out of the blue and ask if I wanted to look at a photo album and see if I wanted to buy it. She said she had met me a year ago, maybe in Oregon on my travels there. I said yes, she mailed it to me. What a lucky break. It was of a family named Mentz from South Dakota. Here is little Helen the youngest of the group with her doll on the farm. You cannot see but behind them is an endless landscape of land. This was probably difficult for her mom as she left her home and moved here from Indiana. Her sister eventually moved there as you can see and married one of her husband's brothers. Probably met him on a visit to her sister. They are newleyweds with no children yet and still romantic as he has her hand pulled back behind her to hold his. Helen's dad is the oldest of his clan and he holds a shotgun in hand. His father stands apart from the group on the left. The somewhat mysterious younger brother barely peeks through from the back and I feel he is probably a little off mentally. The youngest boy with hands in his bib overalls appears to be about 17. What a life for these women and the men. What hardships they might have encountered out there in the Dakotas in the early part of the century. I think we often forget how this country was settled and found because we often don't "look" back but are always focused on the future...what will we have for dinner, where are we going next vacation, how will I possibly retire? When times get tough think of those who came before us, they were mostly people who never had an ounce of fat on their bodies and now we spend a good deal of time trying to figure out how to get rid of it where as back then they were happy if there was a meal on the table.
I have to think back because honestly if it wasn't for these brave men and women where would we be now. They went to uncharted territory because it was there and because everyone had a sense of adventure. America has lost that and adventure now means going to Disneyland... don't get me wrong, its a great place but don't forget about your past. It is a wonderful reminder of how you got here and why you can enjoy so many things that our relatives and ancestors did way back when.

I hope to write a short story about my grandparents at some point who came over on the boat from Ireland. I am thinking about it lately.

I also hate to tell you our temperatures are in the high 70s and they say it will continue for a week then go down 65 degrees. This is nice but scary as it portends global warming and anything warmer in Arizona and we will cook our meals on the sidewalk this summer...
but for now.. get ready to enjoy spring. I am going out with my camera today and get some photos to show all of you to prove our weather!

HDR High Dynamic Range Photography and.........Marianne Clancy's oil Painted and Watercolor photography site from the 1990s

Every once in awhile you stumble upon something that is really exciting!
I have always loved polaroid transfers and did an entire series on the manipulated polaroid transfers. I have a box of them somewhere. I found this artist online and his images are incredible. They fall between art and photography which is where I always feel I am existing anyway in my work and at one time felt really alone with that.. but no matter now days lots and lots of folks are doing alternative process and artistic manipulation of photos.
This one is the one I am most interested in as it really leaves the viewer asking"how in heck did he do that"
I am so excited I want to try it out and plan to do it today... you will see my results tomorrow.
I hope he doesn't mind I copied a section of text from his site and you can read below his description. The Pier
by Lawrence Wittemore
HDR (High Dynamic Range)
The style of photography I do is refered to as HDR or High Dynamic Range photography.HDR is a process that involves taking multiple photographs (without moving the camera) at different exposures and then using software (i.e photoshop, photomatix, FDRtools...) to merge the different exposure together to form one image that has a larger than normal range of contrast. Standard computer monitors cannot display the rage of contrast that an HDR image has so

Strangely enough I found him with a google search for"painted photography" which is what I called my work for about 10 years including my website which I don't maintain anymore but here is his link Painted Photography
his other work is pretty amazing as well.

************************************************************
Here is a link to my old painted photo site
if you dare. This is really old, maybe 15 yrs old
The work still remains my first and original black and white photos that I shot, developed the negs and printed in the darkroom onto fine art black and white photo paper then painted over with oils.
Here is a sample of one I sold about 4 different versions of in late 90s. Fresias and Calla Lillies.
click here to see the old and first ever website I had way back when
Marianne Clancy's Oil Painted and Watercolored Photography

Wild West Cowgirl Oil Pastel

This is a piece that belongs to a series I did with oil pastels. As soon as I discovered French pastels a few years ago I had a hard time trying to figure out how to make them work to my advantage. I spent many an hour rubbing the pastels and breathing on them to warm them up a little so that I could smear them around. They are very rich and very thick and very irridescent. This is a larger piece for me 12"X18" and falls into a series of people who have unusual lives. Cowgirl couldn't do much but shows in the late 1800s early 1900s. If she wanted to make money she should also be a sharp shooter. I was and still am impressed with those folks that traveled around to make a living such as circus people. They tend to have very short lived relationships and a fear of settling down.. I have read the story of many a circus folk and I never tire of the interesting places and people they met along the way.
Its funny how I did this in California and here I am in Arizona, living next door to a man that dresses in full cowboy regalia and drives tourists around in a jeep all day. Honestly I have never seen him in regular clothes so for me he is a cowboy whether he is or not.

Mother and her 3 Girls and Teddy Bear & Richard AVedon link

This is an image I cleaned and am listing in my store which came from a glass negative. I love the details and the depth in this one as the photographer took it in a small alley between whitewashed buildings somewhere back east. The mother is almost kneeling and her middle daughter squating like mom and rests arm on a knee and the other behind her neck..so relaxed and direct connection to the camera. The older daughter stands behind the mom and is also very attentive. I really love almost every detail in this one. They are spotlessly dressed and manicured and to put them in the dirt between the houses was a clever and wonderful idea.

I think this image is about looking, see the different aspects of the whole. That is what photography can be about ..looking, seeing and then seeing something different the next time.
I was at my daughter's parent teacher meeting and had a chance to talk to the photo teacher their who is from Australia. I told her what I was up to and also that I was shamelessly"addicted" to photography and every aspect of it. She said"that is perfect" what did I expect from a photography teacher. I think once you decide that you have that addiction there is nothing to do but give into your desires and wants. It is calorie free but if like me it is not $ free but the wonderful news is that the value of negatives and paper photos just continues to climb.

Click the title to go to my store where this is listed and click the enlarge icon to see larger image.

Richard Avedon
Speaking of wonderful photographers-

I am going to include here a link to one of my all time favorite photographers and that is Richard Avedon. Many know him from his work with Vogue but he also photographed Political and famous people. Check out this link to see some of his other beauties!
Here is a link tothe Microgallery when you move your cursor over the mini photo at bottom info about the person in the photo will show up in yellow, be sure and read who these photos are of.. important to the image!
enjoy!!

Walking Past First Blossoms of Spring

I told you the sky in Sedona was really blue.. now do you believe me?
I have walked past these little beauties that hang over a wall while walking Blue to the post office each day. They are the first true signs of spring, even if our weather is still cold, these blossoms refuse to believe it and protest by saying "look at me, look and see, spring is here!"
I see this and say, I wish I had my camera but then its sorta heavy to carry on my half mi round trip walk each day so yesterday after it rained I decided to carry it along and was rewarded for doing so. I only could spend a moment shooting as Blue was tugging the leash letting me know he wanted to keep moving. Honestly this is one of the few trees in this area that actually get any blossoms so how could I pass this up?

I was so overwhelmed with this idea of spring coming soon that when I came home, I abandoned all my regular work and responsibility,(including taxes)and made a small haiku poem and the a transfer and sewed a wall hanging to commemorate the day. I will put it up on etsy today to sell. It is a pretty little fabric art with beautiful fabric, this photo toned done alot and then a haiku or short saying about the photo. I also have it hanging from one of the branches of the tree in the image(pruning never hurt any tree), and it really has significance to the piece!

I have moved over my cloth folk dolls to the original store as I am going to consolidate and have only one store. I was worried folks might think me too"all over the map" and that is why I created the second store. But.. now I think it would be wiser not to have 2 so look for the photopaint to merge almost completely in the next few weeks.

I have been watching Planet Earth with Rita lately and the more I watch the more I love. Here are the links to our treasuries we built last night and I dedicated mine to the planet. Rita has dedicated hers to spring. Her treasury
and My treasury please stop by hers and if you like, mine, and leave us a comment to let us know what you think.
What else is on everyone's mind..oh yeah, the economy. I won't go that route today. I want to put in a plug for POE today also. They have one of the most incredible blogs and great writers who make wonderful choices... I really am impressed by some of or most of the photographers on etsy.. they are great and I believe deserve their own division at Etsy.

Hello its Tuesday...not Monday! or oh..my aching back..not really!

Ok this is pretty simple... I woke up and was sure it was Monday. Have you ever done that where you lose a day and wonder where it went.

I am thrilled to announce that my daughter Rita has started her first blog. This is a milestone as with all her projects she dove head in. There are still a few kinks for her to work out as she has no experience with this but found that people were asking her to do a blog as she had several followers of her artwork from Etsy and now she is having a great time putting up artists and showing her work. It think it will fall into place as she goes. Please do stop by and see her blog with a link at the top right corner, its called Amalgamalia.. I think I spelled that right.. if you can pronounce it that is the first step. I was inspired by her love of letters and things in a series. This is a passion she has had ever since the first attempt to line up pillows and then canned goods when she was four. Her math skills are off the charts and she has always loved to collect things. Now she is doing series, animals and also her latest a protozoan alphabet. See her blog here, amalgamalia.

The photo above is one I found last night and decided to put some text behind it. It is a letter from 1827. I just thought it would make a nice border and I loved the image. So hope this week is a good one for all and hopefully the predicted storms will be soon past.. that includes the emotional ones for anyone who is in a storm area or place of mind.

Check out the balls of light that were front page on Yahoo. What the heck? Any answers to that mystery.. send them over my way, and until then, have a wonderful day!

Winter has many gifts to give like this Sunset in Sedona

this is untouched shot into the sky on a cold winter evening, just before the last light in Sedona. We are treated to wonderful sunsets as well as evenings in this westernwonderland. I would love to see some sunset photos and you can send them to my clancysclassics@yahoo.com address and I will pick a few to post. Be sure to identify the location and make it recent with the date. Maybe make a poem or write a line about how it made you feel. I am a cloud and sunset person so you will see more of these posts... get used to it.

my favorite poet sings the praises of sunsets!

Emily Dickenson

The Sunset stopped on Cottages
Where Sunset hence must be
For treason not of His, but Life's,
Gone Westerly, Today—

The Sunset stopped on Cottages
Where Morning just begun—
What difference, after all, Thou mak'st
Thou supercilious Sun?

Alice in her wonderful Dress 1864

this photo was in such terrible condition but like always I have this never say die attitude when it comes to an old photo. I spent hours cleaning up her skin of age spots and tinted the image just slightly the way I wanted it. She is going to be one of my cloth dolls very soon. I can never get over the clothing from the 1860s for children. Just love it!

Happy Birthday Abraham Lincoln!!

Happy Birthday Abraham Lincoln!-ok I had to tint this one... I think it looks better than the old black and white although nothing wrong with that either!

Today is a great day to be proud to be an American as we can celebrate the birthday of Abraham Lincoln. A car named after him a penny.. how cheap of America? Shouldn't he have his face on the $100 instead of Ben Franklin? Oh well.. it is fitting on the penny because although that is the smallest denomination of coin in America, it has probably been in everyone's hand at one time and he was the man of the little people and the champion of the end to slavery.
I am guessing all the biographies will fly off the shelf at Barnes and Noble today.
I am making a doll of him and this is what is going on the back of the doll.. so fitting and so prophetic from him, his last entry into his diary.. amazing clairvoyance! Happy Birthday Abe!!!

"Dear diary:

When I woke up today I felt happy about winning the war. I also had this feeling like something bad might happen. I didn't have this feeling yesterday or the day before that. I'm just happy the war is over, I just feel reliefed from all this stress and depression. Although I have to admit the South was tough to beat. We had some tough battles like Bull Run those were one the toughest battles out of them all.
I feel like a new man. The Union is celebrating today, putting up the Stripes and Stars at Fort Sumter. I feel bad I will not be there. Today I am going to a play with my wife. I,m going to wear my suit and she is going to wear this beautiful dress. It starts at 10:30, I guess I have to go and get ready for my night."

This is not for display~Do my pants fit?

I have always loved writing on photos and artwork. That is probably why I love comics ,(I used to when I was little), and have a passion for folk art and hobo art and outsider art. There is something so immediate and final about writing on photos and art. You must listen to the writer when making your opinion about the image or art. You can connect in a real vs a surreal way to the author of the words. They might be kidding but they still wrote it and felt it at the time. This photo is one of those rare ones that has been written on by the person in the image. Julie.. she even signs her name as though she is authoring the image and I also love her pulling on the hound's ear as anyone who owns a dog that is part hound or full hound knows how velvety soft the ears are and how you cannot help but pull on them gently... as I do with Blue all the time!
Enjoy your day.. and if you ever come across anything like this let me know as I love old things or art with writing on them and would love to see them and maybe share them here on the blog.

Snow Day! in Sedona!!

Well Feb 10 and our first big snow of the winter. No school for the first time in almost 5 years here. A winter wonderland and Rita is out with Blue going for a walk in it. No driving anywhere as there are no snowplows in our area. HAve fun and enjoy the winter wonderland! wherever you are!

A Rose in Winter is Still a Rose

Hello and Bonjour!
Yes a rose in winter is still a rose. Nothing changes but the elements that surround her. She still passionately wants to keep her bloom and fight off the aging crystals that cling to her stem. The tenacity of this rose is really what strikes me first and then the incredible beauty of it whether in the bright sun or the frozen snow. This image was taken by my friend Jean Claude who probably has the best eye for photos that I have ever seen. Maybe overlooked by many who pass by, he manages to capture the beauty before the petals have fallen and the flower goes dormant.
Another Monday is here again and after weeks of almost 70 degrees each day, walking to the post office in a shirt and short pants, here comes the freezing rain and snow! Yes snow is covering the hillside below our little airport here in Sedona. The sky is grey and the temperature is very cold. Blue didn't move this morning until just moments ago sleeping in longer and longer each day. He is getting a little white around his chin and this April will turn 7 years old. I guess in dog years that is pretty old. He still has alot of spunk and will give a smile for no reason to me, truly man's best friend!
Oh yeah.. tonite is the full moon and a lunar eclipse. Wow! hope we can see it if the rain stops.

Bobby and Fulton Freeman have Rats for Pets 1924

This photo is from an album that I purchased about 5 years ago on ebay. I thought I was going to do what I do with all the albums and that is take it apart, do some research and sell the photos one by one. The book is more than photos. Although it cost me nearly $500 for the photo album, sadly there were 3 others which at the time I didn't feel I could afford. I think I probably got the best one of the 4 but that is wishful thinking. I fell in love with this family through an ongoing, detailed account of what this group of 5 children and their parents did day to day, the rats and their cage building. Paper routes, dogs, cats, short wave radios, knitting for the girls. the boys which there were 3 besides these two was little DAvid who was 4 in this album, and two older girls Beatrice and PEggy. The children were all raised in the Montessori schools in Pasadena and Fulton ended up working as an envoy to some country. I found out little else and always wondered how they managed to pry these wonderful albums from the hands of the family. There is at least a novel of written words that the mother put in and all penned in the fashion as if it is coming from the children.. I will never part with this and someday hope to make a book or movie from it.. I love all the photos and sadly I sold 2 before I realized I wish I hadn't.. so you will see images from time to time and I still have a few up in my etsy store. Enjoy your Saturday, its looking like rain here.

Lipstick Woman a tribute to Diane Arbus and my first photo teacher

Ok so this isn't my average photo posting.. I never said I was predictable. I also really love a photographer named Diane Arbus and remembering back to my first day of college photography class my teacher who's name is John Baugess from Oregon didn't even say hello to the students. the room was dark when we went in and sat at our desks. There was a quiet whispering amongst the students and when they stopped the slide projector came on and we were treated to a show of Diane Arbus' photos getting about 3 minutes on each one.. I and the other students were fascinated by her incredible ability to get these unusual people to pose for the most unbelievable photos on the planet. Photos of people who really existed but were for the most part hidden away from the public eye for many reasons. She photographed misfits of society, tatooed women, midgets, freaks from the circus and also unusual couples from New York that lived in hotel rooms. Her images are still able to move me to this day. Google her name and see her photos. Whenever I come across an image that reminds me of her I cannot help but remember that first eye opening day of photography class and her startling and thought provoking images.. I still wish I had the courage to do what she has done. Classic portraiture with unusal but very real human beings.

Little Seated BOy Painted Tintype

This is a version of my seated boy painted tintype. I so long to go back to painting over these tins but so many things seem to keep popping up in the way. It is so often the case in art and life.. that balance of what to do with your time. I know other artists struggle with this and I am not the least of them. I often go to bed trying to imagine a life where sleep isn't madatory for refreshing one's self.. It think it would be grand to be able to have all those extra hours in the evening to do what you want, but alas.. we are not those creatures and for me I am asleep by midnight on a late night and 11 on a regular one. I am so happy to be able to share all the different pieces that I have done in the past..right here on my blog.. I get to decide which to show and what to say.. it is like having your own newspaper to write and edit. I have a degree in Journalism and Art and this blog thing seems to fit just perfect... if only but only there were more time in the day to write more.. but gee, that old mr clock keeps on ticking(I hate ticking clocks don't you?) and the show must go on, the getting dressed and showering and cooking and cleaning and washing clothes and walking the dog and driving and on and on.. I am not complaining about any of these chores, no...rather I am lamenting the time spent on them. And so again I come to the thought that oh if there were more time. I bet there is a poem about that. So, for now I will just enjoy every minute I have on this mother earth, the good, the bad and the inbetween. And hope that all of you will as well. How much better can it be when you awake to a warm sunshine on a February day. I am not sure but right now there are no complaints about our Arizona weather. I will enjoy that leisurely walk today and soak up every minute of it!

Dreamy Monday

Here it is Monday again. Like a holiday we are happy to see it come and go, I for one am glad that the superbowl is over. I have never seen a football game on tv or in person and although I am a very serious sports fan for tennis(did you see Nadal win Federer last night in the Australia Open?.. some of the best tennis I have ever seen in my life), and also basketball(only if it the Suns here in Phoenix!), I have never been interested in wrestling, boxing or football. They seem to be "heathen", sports and ones that people get hurt in so that leaves me out. ALso I just cannot stand the slow pace of football. I guess that is part of the love of it...anyway.. glad its over.
The image I listed above is from a series I did with a woman named Valerie in early 80s. I met her in an art history class and decided with her natural platinum hair she would make a good model to work with doing portraits. I always opted for natural light outdoors or in windows as I hated using or carting around lights. So we set this one up under a tree in her yard and she laid on her black coat and I sprinkled pom pom petals all over her. I printed this large and colored in each petal by hand.. This is one of my all time favorite images and was taken with a wonderful Nikon camera and remains in my home still. I did sell about 10 copies of this and did each one printed in darkroom and tinted by hand. that is what is missing now in photography.. everything is done in computer and somehow the charm of the thick mat paper and the smell of the scent of those rotten eggs from the sepia tones are no longer present unless you still work in your own darkroom.. I would say if you have the chance, buy a few actual printed photos for your collection, they will be valuable. I know this is true as I sell photos on ebay for a living and because they are no longer being printed one by one in darkroom the value of those that have will continue to go up. Click on the title to go to my store and then use the magnifier to enlarge this image as it really is so nice.
Enjoy Monday.. February has just begun and with that both black history month and valentines day approaching. Tell someone you love them today.. see what happens!