random thoughts . . .

on art . . . photos . . . and the reality of a visual life . . .

 

 

yesterday . . .

a question came up - concerning facebook photos . . .

and the replacement of my little yellow bread box photo 

which I am now using for my Seabold Vintage Market facebook page.

As I was looking for a new photo . . .

I came across this one shown here on this post.

 

This particular photo made me stop and think

about what a photo truly means to each of us . . .

 

. . . is it what we think it is??

 

or is it something altogether different??

 

This photo here is of me when I was a young girl . . . 

which is a bit funny to me . . .

as it has always seemed much more intense and thought provoking 

than I truly ever was!

If I didn't know this was me . . .

I would truly wonder about this photo . . .

who is that girl at that specific moment?

what was she thinking about?

is she happy? sad? and what was she thinking about?

 

 

and then as usual . . . I began to drift off to something else altogether . . .

how this image would make a great woodblock . . .

and how I could layer the colors in blues and greys . . . 

I could mix it with my mother's and grandmother's woodblocks in a mixed media collage format

and then moments later - I thought . . .

I will blog about it . . . yea - that is what I will do . . . :)

photos . . . art . . . reality . . .

as we all know . . . 

it is not always what it seems . . .

  

but it is part of life . . . and I am grateful for that!!! :)

xoxo - liz

 oh - I almost forgot . . . the story behind the picture . . . 

the photo was taken on an annual sunrise hike up the mountain that we did every spring . . . from the looks of it - I am not only tired but probably starving . . . and most likely a bit annoyed that I was having my picture taken . . . the photo next to it is in approximately the same location and taken about 10 years earlier with my mom and brothers . . . 

honestly - we have tons of these . . . as well as all the dinner table photos . . . 

and then there are the parades . . . 

my dad loved taking pictures of parades and still does today . . .

well . . . I will stop now and save this all for another time . . . lol :)

. . . love to each of you!!

the blues . . .

yes . . . i do . . .

i do . . . love the blues . . .

when I saw this photo below . . .
it reminded me of something that I have been thinking about lately . . .
and I thought I would share it with you . . .

via pinterest

it has been a deep desire of mine for some time now . . .

to jump back in and do some art . . .

(and in fact - have been trying to clear a bit of space in my life to do so )

to work and play with art . . in clear chalky blues . . .

soft creams . . . browns and greys . . .

to work and play with something that touches my soul . . . 

on a much deeper level.

i want to print from my mothers and grandmothers original wood blocks . . . 

and to feel the old brushes in my hand . . .

i want to listen to some good blues music in the background . . . 

and to smell the paint . . . and be inspired.

to say I am not nervous about all of this would be an major understatement . . .

as I have been thinking about it for years and years . . .

yet holding off for some unkown reason . . .

something in my head is telling me that now is the right time . . . 

i am not sure why . . . i just know it feels right . . .

i am finally ready to take that very first step . . .

nervous . . . but sooooo excited :) :)

much love to you all . . . 

and wishing that all your dreams come true . . .

xoxo - liz

for the love of art . . .

This is one of my favorite pictures of my mom . . .

as . . . Artist!!

 

I have such vivid memories of my mom in her "Art Basement" 

with an easel here, and a pottery wheel there, 

a kiln in the furnace room . . . 

and cabinets, and cabinets stocked full of supplies.  

It was like a playground to her . . . she loved being there . . .

and I loved watching her!!

 

She was always doing something with art . . . always!!

painting. . . sculpting . . . paper-making . . .

and woodblock printing were some of her favorites.

I remember her working with her paint brushes

and the smell of the paints . . . 

the papermaking screens and the feel of the pulp . . . 

the turning of the pottery wheel - watching the blob of clay turn 

into something truly wonderful!

And my favorite thing of all . . .

was watching her carve into a simple piece of wood 

with the same exact tools my grandmother had used years earlier.

I loved watching her . . . I loved being there . . .

I remember wanting to be just like her!! 

(I unfortunately didn't get the same "art" gene - as I was adopted)

And - no matter how many art classes I took or how much I tried . . .

it just didn't come as easy for me as it did for my mom.  

 I luckily knew the difference, choose a different path,

and am very happy and grateful for that!! :)

I do still love art as a hobby though . . . 

but - when you meet someone 

who has been given a true gift of an artful life . . .

you instantly know it . . .

and it is amazing to watch them . . . 

"do their thing"!!

 Somewhere . . . I have my mothers and my grandmothers 

original woodblocks as well as all the old tools . . .

It is funny - as I have been thinking about them a lot lately . . .

I think that today . . .

I will get them out . . . look at them . . . touch them . . . 

and maybe . . . just maybe - be a bit more inspired :)

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend!!

xoxo - liz