The Third Act

feb 28

Whenever I get color negatives back from the lab, it's like Christmas...especially if there are more than one or two sets. 

Yesterday five sets of negatives came in the mail and I was compelled to get started scanning. I tend to let color film accumulate before sending it off because multiple rolls are discounted. In this case, the images date back to December.  There was only one set that was a dud, because I had miscalculated the capabilities of a film with which I have little experience. For the most part I'm very pleased and have been having fun with the little treasures.

More images to come (either here and/or on my Flickr ) but for the time being, here's an accidental double exposure (can't remember the last time this happened unintentionally!) of Henry and one of an exhibit in San Francisco at Fort Mason. These are on Kodak Portra160 in the Holga.

 

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feb 27

It's a bright, sunny day.  While I really wasn't completely prepared for making cyanotypes, I did have another sheet of (long ago) coated paper and wanted to give another go at an idea I've been exploring.  So...Baba Yaga in her hut (below).  I really need to make a completely different negative for this, but work toward shooting for that has as yet not materialized.  It takes a bit of effort to set up, shoot, fiddle with the negative, print on transparency, cut it out...yada yada.  Honestly, it's not that hard, I've just been in a sluggish place so I do what I perceive as taking less energy.  Don't try to make sense of it, because it hardly makes sense to me.

Since the resulting cyanotype print was too large for my scanner (as many of my recent cyanotype prints have been), taking a photo has been the option for sharing.  While I had the camera in hand, I did what I used to do a lot.  And behold, a care worn me.  sigh  It's still a good practice...the self portrait exercise.  Sometimes I just need a physical reminder to be the observer and get out of my head.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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feb 26

Three new pieces complete.  I'm happy with them.  The larger piece is 12 x 24 inches and the smaller two 5 x 5 inches.  All of them evolved over a little time, stopping in between the phases.  While not terribly efficient, it seems that's how I work (at this point in any case).

The weekend was kind of crappy for me, as weekends can stir up emotional stuff.  I have to say, however, that making art is definitely therapeutic.  Putting energy, that is often spent on various unhelpful thoughts and resulting feelings, into creative process can flip a switch in my brain.  It may not carry through over a longer course of time, but perhaps by using the routine regularly some rewiring may occur.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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feb 25

Gray day...nondescript.

Neither hot nor cold, 

Wet nor dry.

Perhaps this is just a Bardo day...for me.

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feb 24

It was another warm day, but I'm not going to complain (or worry).  According to the weather apps, some cooler temps are bound to reappear at some point.  It's actually ok...I'm learning to not fret much about that which I can't control.  

A good chunk of time was spent out back, wrangling dead leaves that had wandered from their intended resting places (under trees and in beds, essentially creating a natural mulch).  I always have to laugh when the breeze kicks up while I'm blowing leaves in the opposite direction!  Anyway, got the job done.  I was hoping for a little rain to anchor things down a bit and water the buckwheat seed I scattered out front a couple days ago.  But...nothing of significance appeared.

During the gardening season, my habit has been to take my tea and walk around, checking on what's happening with my growing things.  It's been quite some time since I last had any motivation to practice this ritual.  This morning, however, was sunny enough and there were blooms and leaflets and plants pushing through the soil, so off I went with my cup.  I returned later to retrieve my camera and make note of the activity.

 

naturalized daffodils out front (they may be wild...have been here since I moved in)

 

one of many comfrey plants emerging...I can't wait to make more comfrey infused oil!

 

my beloved rhubard...I love its crinkly leaves.

 

snowdrops out back

 

a few clusters of crocuses that surprised me earlier in the week

 

more naturalized daffodils (which have delightfully spread) in the back "woods"...hellabore out of focus and purple in the background

 

my dear canine companion who patiently puts up with her human

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feb 23

Spring flirts, but winter keeps her gray cloak handy.  It was supposed to get up to the mid fifties today, but it doesn't appear to have climbed out of the forties.  This is okay, in fact in many ways preferable to the weirdly humid warmth that's been around.  It is, after all, still February.  There are blossoms, however, and new leaflets here and there.  But the wood stove is once again in use today.

Another roll of film processed.  I'm...underwhelmed.  The images are primarily from the aikido seminar a couple weekends ago.  It's a tricky setting in which to take pictures with a camera, the Holga, that has almost no controls.  It's okay, though.  Right now I'm mostly just keeping the practice up (there are five rolls of color negatives that will be arriving in the not too distant future as well).  

I'm juggling a few different art projects, only one of which falls completely out from under the photographic umbrella.  The energy and/or enthusiasm for any of these endeavors comes in fits and starts, which is better than not coming at all.  In fact, my energy and/or enthusiasm for a variety of things seems to be doing the same.  It can get frustrating...and I can get judgey about myself if I allow it (I work on not allowing it). 

It's that time of year when the seasons are working towards change, when nature is getting a move on and breaking out of dormancy.  And during this time my psychic energy gets...unsettled.  What am I doing?  Where am I supposed to be?  What do I want and how do I make that happen?  It's a time when almost simultaneously I can feel anything and nothing is possible.  So, as my Sensei reminded us last night at practice....breathe.  How easy it is to forget something to basic.

 

baba yaga's woods in winter...

 

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feb 22

 

the stuff of dreams

 

 

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feb 21

Such a warm day today.  After doing a cyanotype experiment or two I decided to work on the front yard.  It was time well spent and got me anxious for the growing season.  It will, however, still get cold before spring officially arrives (at least that's my assumption).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

feb 20

Back to encaustic work.  I've been approaching the larger piece in phases.  Ideally, I would have done a lot more practicing before attempting this, but so be it.  Let's just say I'm being cautious.  I love working with the metal leaf on the wax, especially this kind since it's on a wax backing and I can cut shapes before placing.  As with much of my encaustic work, the successful methods seem to emerge organically after some trial and error.  I'll be re-taking an encaustic painting class in the spring as a refresher and to delve into techniques I've forgotten.

With the idea of paper cutting designs using this kind of metal leaf, I've prepped three small wood canvases in basic, rich colors.  I'll be mulling over some designs, maybe referring back to a Polish paper cut book I have.  I'd like to stay with a goddess or nature spirit theme for these, but we'll see how skilled I can be with scissors (not terribly I'm afraid...hence the bold, graphic patterns I've been using).

It was warm today...too warm for February.  There's part of me that says, "this just isn't right..." and there's part of me that really enjoys opening all the windows and not having to bundle up for a change.  I would be very, very surprised if we were in for much really cold weather before the first day of spring, but you never know.  More sun would be greatly appreciated since some new cyanotype ideas are coming into my head.

 

 

 

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feb 19

Pony Pasture after the high water subsided.  I was hoping to catch some fog the other morning, but was a bit late for that.  Still, the winter woods by the river were pretty interesting on their own.

Taken on my Holga with Ilford HP5...and processed the same day (yesterday).  Feather in my cap where that's concerned!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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