A lovely day, feeling soft spring air – and welcome to visit Frank at Beach Walk Reflections, where you can breathe even more fresh air. Right now Tina is walking there, and tomorrow, Thursday, I will be there too. Quietly walking.
In one sentence, I’d describe myself as indescribable. But, I wouldn’t end it with a period. I’d end it with three dots. – Jason Schwartzman
My intension with this challenge, Spots and Dots, is … that you should have fun with it! But, also recognize and enjoy the different interpretations, meanings and importance of these two little words. Spots and Dots. Because even if they are small…they can make a big difference. In the written language for example.
Louis Braille created the code of raised dots for reading and writing that bears his name and brings literacy, independence, and productivity to the blind. – Bob Ney
It is said people with brilliant minds are eccentric, and 92-year-old Yayoi Kusama is no exception — she is obsessed with dots. Her dots may appear boring, but she has this incredible ability to create enchanting artwork of many variations with just the dots. I visited one of her exhibitions in Copenhagen some years ago – and totally fell in love with her art.
What about spots then? We all have spots, weak spots, blind spots etc. Here I spotted two quotes that I like – and use:
A leopard does not change his spots, or change his feeling that spots are rather a credit. – Ivy Compton-Burnett
Do not look at stars as bright spots only. Try to take in the vastness of the universe. – Maria Mitchell
Talking about favourite spots, one of them is my own garden. Found with Forget-me-not spots in the header. And, another favourite spot is Copenhagen with its many attractions. Not least the exhibitions. Only an hour and a half away from my home – but at the moment inaccessible. How I miss the regular summer visit with my friends!
Finally, about connecting dots for an important whole – listen to Ban Ki-moon:
Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty, advancing economic growth… these are one and the same fight. We must connect the dots between climate change, water scarcity, energy shortages, global health, food security and women’s empowerment. Solutions to one problem must be solutions for all.
Thank you Amy, for last week’s beautiful challenge – Gardens. And thank you all for your lush, soothing and spectacular posts! There were many places to note down for a possible future visit. Hope to see you in this week’s challenge as well – very open for creativity! Don’t forget to link to my original post, and the Lens-Artists tag. Also, stay tuned for next week, when Tina will be your host. Take care and be nice.
Linked to Six Word Saturday a Debbie’s here
An Alphabet challenge! This week Patti invites us to share images that feature a subject on the letter A. We can also include signs and graffiti with the letter A. For an added challenge, Patti suggests capturing an image that illustrates a concept with the letter A, such as alone, abstract, or afraid.
I have chosen Art, Arch, Architecture and Abstract.
When it comes to impressive new artwork, one of my greatest favorites are The Kelpies in Scotland. We visited in 2014 when they were just put in place. The Kelpies are 30-metre-high horse-head sculptures depicting kelpies (shape-shifting water spirits), located near Falkirk, standing next to a new extension to the Forth and Clyde Canal. The Kelpies were designed by sculptor Andy Scott as a monument to horse-powered heritage across Scotland.
Thank you for all your inspirational entries for Tina’s challenge last week! A beautiful highlighting of the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi.
We are looking forward to seeing your new choices – please include a link to Patti’s original post and use the Lens-Artists tag so that everyone can find your post in the WP Reader. We hope you will join the fun!
Finally, stay tuned for Amy’s challenge next week – and until then, stay safe and well.
I really believe there are things nobody would see if I didn’t photograph them.
— Diane Arbus
This week Tina is our host, and she says: …”we hope you’ll share a subject that is near and dear to you, that you find interesting, or challenging, or perhaps that shows us something new or unique to you.” Please visit her page, marvel at her artistry and get inspired by the art of Wabi-Sabi!
I am not interested in shooting new things – I am interested to see things new. – Ernst Haas
Personaly, I have chosen nature’s beauty combined with different processing of the images. A creative pastime that has become even more interesting in days of seclusion this year. But, let’s start with my capital city – Stockholm. (I do visit cities too…) Said to be one of the most beautiful capitals in the world – much because it is a city on water.
All photographs are accurate. None of them is the truth.
— Richard Avedon
Earlier this year (pre-pandemic…), a grey day, just like today, I had some hours between trains in Stockholm. I walked past Stockholm City Hall, sailing in the air – a double exposure processed with an oil painting filter.
In seeking truth you have to get both sides of a story. – Walter Cronkite
My visit to Ifö art center some weeks ago also presented some splendid natural artworks. This beautiful window was covered in colourful Boston ivy (?) (oil painting filter) – but its real beauty wasn’t revealed until we went inside, looking out of the backlit window.
The memory has as many moods as the temper, and shifts its scenery like a diorama.
― George Eliot
This gallery shows the same window, processed with different filters. From left to right: colour pencil, water colour, oil pastel, pencil, abstract.
Only photograph what you love.
– Tim Walker
My final image is the window seen through my eyes, lens and oil painting filter. It represents my heart’s own memory of this moment in time. Our memory works like this – reality through filters like personality, feelings, mood and situation. In the header – double exposed roses processed with an oil pastel filter.
So, this week it’s all up to you – choose your subject and share whatever it is about it that you find interesting. We are looking forward to seeing your interpretations.
Thank you for treating us to your creativity on Amy’s Now and Then Challenge!
SPECIAL NOTE: For those who wish to have advance notice on our themes, next week Patti will treat us with an Alphabet Challenge – Subjects That Begin With The Letter A.
Until then – stay warm, safe and hopeful.
Just outside the Ifö factory in Bromölla, live-sized ceramic dinosaurs sunbathe on a ceramic cliff surrounded by springwater. Or should be, but there was no water when we visited.
Scanisaurus is the masterpiece of Sweden’s renowned ceramic artist, Gunnar Nylund. It is a one of a kind artwork, made by hand and consisting of more than 3000 individual pieces.
In 2014 many of the original plaster forms that were used to make the fountain were rediscovered by Ifö Center’s artists. They are now under restoration at the Center and the goal is to produce new parts and restore Scanisaurus for the 50th anniversary in 2021.
The funny thing is, that the discovery of the plaster forms was what finally convinced ROA to come over from Australia to paint T-Rex in 2014.
This is my third post from Ifö Center. Here are links to the previous posts:
https://lagottocattleya.wordpress.com/2020/10/22/thursday-thoughts-ifo-center/
https://lagottocattleya.wordpress.com/2020/10/29/thursday-thoughts-more-ifo-center/
If you enjoyed last Thursday’s trip, let’s have a walk indoors as well!
Artwork keeping an eye on you everywhere…
And us keeping an eye on Teresa (the engineer and coordinator of every activity at Ifö Center) – our guide …this place is so big you could easily get lost. The great insulators made at the factory here looked like gigantic piles of ceramic plates.
We arrived at the bar…built around some machine too big to remove (- according to Teresa -), what else to do than to use it for practical artistic purpose! We were greatly impressed by the light and the large areas – perfect studios for any group of artists.
A piece of cake? I don’t think so – not in any way.
In the middle of a potential crash – tread lightly, move softly, think twice – Corona restrictions? We made it through the cups and plates. 8 people.
My favourite project was the paper works by Sebastian Blomqvist – paper, paper, made only of paper. Impressive! But all kinds of artwork was made at Ifö, graffitti, painting, ceramics, weaving, 3D – nothing seems impossible.
I so loved the studios, the gigantic windows letting in that magical light. As an artist you can apply for a certain time and a place at Ifö – I wish I was – You can also support them in many ways, why not as a volunteer or friend?
Creativity is contagious, pass it on.
Albert Einstein
Tina has got a marvelous treat for us this week! African wildlife in glorious images through her lens. So, now we are looking forward to seeing Your treats – be it candy, grandchildren’s visits, a splendid hike or…
One of my own biggest treats is a visit to Kew Gardens – I don’t go that often…maybe once every fifth year – and this year should have been a Kew year for me. But then came Covid-19.
Maybe the fact that something is not easily available is one of the reasons for making it a special treat?
I will let the images speak for themselves. And, I really long for a new visit … In the opener, a late night view from the plane back from London.
This week we are including what we hope is a treat for all of you! At the suggestion of one of our followers we are announcing NEXT week’s theme. Our host, Patti, will share “FOCUS ON THE SUBJECT” on her blog Pilotfish. Please let us know what you think – is it helpful to know the theme in advance or do you prefer to be surprised?
Finally, sincere thanks to all of you who participated in my Hideaway challenge last week. I am glad most of us have a special place where we can focus on Life and our inner thoughts. Mindfulness. As always we enjoyed your creativity and the glimpses you gave us of your own lives.
Whatever you choose to treat us with, please remember to link to Tina’s post, and to use the Lens-Artists TAG. Until then, have a lovely week and please remember to stay safe.
Du måste vara inloggad för att kunna skicka en kommentar.