The stagnant air held electric heat. The birds went quiet. The peepers’ song grew louder; more urgent. As black night fell, sky opened, releasing slow rain. Crack! Luminous, lavender-streaked flashes of lightning illuminated the endless dome, which rumbled and rolled with a powerful vibration I could feel in my bones. Ancient soul drumming that evoked a response from the divine within; I closed my eyes, swayed, raised my arms above my head and danced with ease; feeling sensual, tender, vulnerable, erotic. Strong woman soul. I breathed deeply, inhaling my most favorite of perfumes; wet, woodsy, musky scents of rain on the dry leaves of the forest floor, on the bark of evergreens, drenching the soil. Each deep, earthy inhale made more room inside of me; breath reaching into the hidden corners of my being, creating further sacred space for light and vibrance. Gold.
Violet. Enchanting and luscious in the dark. Rich, iridescent, sultry, royal purple, soft velvety petals. Stumbling upon a beauty such as this in the garden at night, cast in shadow, invites me to explore my own depths. I am human. I am made of light and dark. Birth and death. Wholeness and brokenness. All of the parts that make up my soul. Gold. Violet.
My latest iPhone piece titled Grace (above).
Purple hyacinth in my garden, in the shade of night.
The air in the bedroom was thick and warm, so we peeled the woolen blankets off the bed and tossed them on the floor. The chorus of peepers in the middle of their lyrical vocalizations set against a rhythmic backdrop of pattering rain piped through the open windows. I lit some candles, cozied up in bed with my Love and a light sheet, and lost myself in a book. What is it about storms at bedtime that are so delicious? Dreamy and mystical and sweet. Soothing as a lullaby.
Our daughter. In the light.
Morning captures from my perennial gardens.
I’m sure you have taken notice of my website transformation, not only in design but in clarity of intent and aesthetic unification. I’ve been on an exciting journey of transformation, both as a person and an artist, so of course I would like my site to reflect that. Maybe it’s not so much a transformation as it is an unveiling of the woman I am and have longed to share without reservation. I’m giving myself permission to be unabashedly me, from my art, to my words, to my personal dress and tastes. I am now 43 and feeling the most authentic, strong, sexy me I have ever felt. Oh boy, my cat Leo is purring and giving me love bites on my shoulder as I write this. He is so in tune.
My website now focuses solely (soul-ly) on photography (both digital SLR and iPhone) and online teaching — my lifeblood. Although I do still love to craft, relish in DIY projects, and shop for thrifty fashion finds, I decided to delete those types of posts from my website. My heart told me so and I followed, and I knew I had done the right thing after I deleted handfuls of posts without hesitation or regret. I also wished to create a design/feel that would match the aesthetics of my photography and tie it all together. My iPhone photos tend to be darker, richer, more mystical and sensual in nature than my DSLR work, which focuses on portrait, landscape, still life, and macro flora shots that are drenched in all kinds of beautiful light. You’ll notice my site no longer has sidebars and the horizontal navbar has been replaced with a compact menu called ‘Explore’ in the upper-left-hand corner. I’ve cleared away the visual clutter, which allows me to post much larger photographs in blog posts, thus giving you the ability to get inside the details of my work. I want you to feel as if you could walk into the photographs; see what I see. Perhaps one of the biggest changes is the appearance of gold throughout the site. For the past year I have been entranced and charmed by this metal, which seemed odd to me at first, as I’ve been a ‘silver’ girl most of my life, gravitating towards silver jewelry, silver paints and ornamental decor, shying away from gold, even feeling repulsed by it at times. Until now. I dream in gold these days! I adorn my body with gold jewelry and makeup, decorate my personal altar with golden trinkets, paint riverstones a shimmery metallic gold, dress in clothing that has thin wisps of golden thread woven into its tapestry. My dear friend told me that the ever-presence of gold in one’s life is a sign of spiritual love from the Universe, and that she too is having the same kind of experience with this precious metal.
So I welcome you!
I invite you to make a cup of your favorite tea or coffee and linger in this space with me for a little while. I hope to bring you something sweet, maybe even something sublime. XO