Art

Lens-Artists Challenge #280 – Last Chance

/ Leya / 63 kommentarer

Tina is hosting this last challenge of 2023. In 2022 the Lens-Artists team introduced a ”Last-Chance” challenge. The idea was to post some images that never quite fit any of our 2022 subjects. Here are some favourites of mine that will get a second chance.

I must have flowers, always, and always.
― Claude Monet

In Rome the statues, in Paris the paintings, and in Prague the buildings suggest that pleasure can be an education.
― Caleb Crain

I hope I can be the autumn leaf, who looked at the sky and lived. And when it was time to leave, gracefully it knew life was a gift.

– Dodinsky

The breath of winter holds a hushed enchantment, a captivating stillness.

– Anna Islington

The soul is healed by being with children.
― Fyodor Dostoevsky

If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.
― Albert Einstein

Special thanks to all of you who helped us feel the Magical season is here – as your responses clearly showed! For me, that was a truly magical week!

And now, as we approach the close of 2023, the Lens-Artists team has an important change to announce. After having been an integral part of our team since its inception in June of 2018, Amy of Share and Connect will be leaving the team to begin an exciting new adventure. She and her husband will be traveling more extensively and making some happily-anticipated visits with family. We wish her all the best and look forward to her posts as she continues to respond to our challenges whenever possible.  Often – we hope!

We are also announcing that this will be the final Lens-Artists challenge of 2023. We will return on January 6 to begin the New Year with our traditional Favorite Photos of 2023. We look forward to seeing you all again then. In the meanwhile we wish all who celebrate the happiest of holidays as well as a peaceful and joy-filled 2024. 

Thursday Thoughts – Chihuly II

/ Leya / 34 kommentarer

I hope you are prepared for more? Here we go, with his magical pavillion and garden in Seattle.

His chandeliers are glorious. We also enjoyed seeing the film on how he and his team works, and how they manage to transport his art for new exhibitions all over the world. Those magical chandeliers made me almost hear Sia Furler’s Chandelier (her great hit from 2014) dancing through the room.

The garden during daylight is of course not the same as the brightly lit night garden. But, that was the only option for us.

And his art speaks for itself. We had a much longed for visit – and we were not disappointed. It matched all our dreams.

Lens- Artists Challenge #270 – On Display

/ Leya / 219 kommentarer

This week I thought we would reuse an old theme – On Display. And it could almost be about anything… from a shoe shop to a garden party. Maybe you passed a lovely market with an amazing display of fruit and vegetables, or a fancy shopping center with striking design in the windows, or maybe a garden with surprising ideas.

Luckily I was visiting Sofiero Palace because of its gardening days some weeks ago. ( With Viveka, the lovely lady in one of my Thursday posts )

You attract people with the qualities you display. You keep them by the qualities you possess.

– Unknown

The royal gardens of Sofiero has its own story, and is renowned for its extensive park with 500 different varieties of Rhododendrons. King Gustaf VI and his wife, Louise Mountbatten, designed the gardens. On our visit, the display was according to the season, autumnal, with vegetables, fruit and berries, zinnias and dahlias.

We were lucky with the weather as well, so everything still looked fresh and appealing.

The dahlias were overwhelming – still growing or already picked and on display.

It’s not our art, but our heart that’s on display.

– Gary Holland

A gigantic apple tree, decorated for lunch – like a romantic painting. I wished I could have had such a lush display in my own garden. Sitting at this table with happy friends and good food – the very thought of it made my imagination swoon. I would ask all of you to be my guest!

Karl Fredrik is a florist, gardener and interior designer who often is seen in different programs on Swedish TV. At Sofiero, he used a glasshouse to display his art, wine bottles, fruits and plants. And – as is his trade mark – there was MUCH of everything. I haven’t been to his home, Eklaholm, in Scania, so I was looking forward to seeing his arrangements here.

I hope you enjoy!

Let your personality and passions shine through in the objects you choose to display in your home.

– Jeremiah Brent

I was lucky to meet the busy artist himself in the doorway to the glass house – there he was with a new load of bottles! I just had to ask…and he gladly let me take a snapshot of him.

Many thanks to Patti for the fantastic On the Edge challenge – a joy to see all your inspiring posts! I hope you will join us this week too, and please use the Lens-Artists tag and link your post to mine – because now we are looking forward to seeing what You have found on display! At home or anywhere in the world.

Have fun and stay inspired – I cannot wait to see your displays!

Thursday Thoughts – Finally, Chihuly

/ Leya / 41 kommentarer

Many of you have featured works of Dale Chihuly, and I have longed to see them with my own eyes. In Seattle I finally did. So, I guess he needs no introduction – just enjoy!

Starting with the ceiling:

Floor – Ikebana boat and Niijima Floats.

Both his own boats.

Glorious displays everywhere in the rooms.

Next week I will post some more, chandeliers, from his pavillion and from the garden too. He is an extraordinary artist. They showed a movie on his life, work and exhibitions. I needed that to understand how spontaneous his ideas come up, and how it is possible to transport these enormous glassworks all over the world.

Lens-Artists Challenge #265 – Black and White and Monochrome

/ Leya / 55 kommentarer

Although humans see reality in colour, for me, black and white has always been connected to the image’s deeper truth, to its most hidden meaning.

– Peter Lindbergh

I have come to love monochrome almost as much as colour. I think mostly because you are more free to create another mood in the picture and to enhance features you would like to dominate. Thank you, Anne, for this interesting theme.

I believe details become clearer, and you can easier rest your eyes on a monochrome image.

There is of course another difference if and how you frame your picture…

…and if you go closer or keep a distance to your object.

You decide, depending on what your goal is with your image.

Some images I just love to have fun with in B&W – making them into abstracts…

– here are some favourites from the kite festival at Fanö, Denmark.

I use NIK Silver Efex for my B&W and monochromes. The option ”yellowed” in NIK is a favourite of mine. So is this crow, contemplating the waves, sitting on an abandoned jetty.

I don’t see the world completely in black and white. Sometimes I do.

– Benicio Del Toro


Sincere thank you to Sofia for her colourful challenge last week and for all your photos using amazing primary colours.

Thank you again to Anne for hosting this week, hope you are feeling better now, resting from the accident! I invite you to visit Anne’s amazing site and join us this week. Please tag Lens-Artists and link back to her original post.

Next week, Donna will be our host and that promises to be a treat so, please visit her beautiful site for more information. Keep well!

Thursday Thoughts – Peter Lindbergh

/ Leya / 13 kommentarer

Peter Lindbergh

Lightness of Being

Above are: Estelle Lefébure, Karen Alexander, Rachel Williams, Linda Evangelista, Tatjana Patitz & Christy Turlington, Santa Monica, California, 1988. © Peter Lindbergh. Courtesy Peter Lindbergh Foundation, Paris

Peter Lindbergh’s iconic pictures now at Fotografiska, Stockholm. Lightness of Being consists of more than one hundred works by the man who is known to have redefined fashion photography.

Lindberg preferred B&W to bring out the best of his models.

Lindbergh wrote the following:

”If photographers are responsible for creating or reflecting an image of women in society…then, I must say, there is only one way for the future, and this is to define women as strong and independent. This should be the responsibility of photographers today: to free women, and finally everyone, from the terror of youth and perfection.”

He must have had a favourite model…I guess it could be

Kate Moss

Lens-Artists Challenge #262 – Frame Your Photos

/ Leya / 42 kommentarer

Amy has chosen a fun challenge this week, we’ll explore Framing our Photos. She states that the purpose of framing a photo naturally is to create a pleasing composition, so we can direct the viewer’s attention to the subject of our photo.

You can frame a moment. But you can´t frame life.
― Armin Houman

In the opener, St George (Göran) and the Dragon are framed by the vaults in the cathedral. Some of my favourite ways to frame are:

Art consists of limitation. The most beautiful part of every picture is the frame.
― G.K. Chesterton

– buildings, tunnels, vaults and gates

– windows and doors

All images made from the trip to Stockholm.

Like creating a masterpiece, quitting is an art: you have to decide what to keep within the frame and what to keep out.
― Richie Norton

But, the absolute best thing for me is searching for the natural frames – trees, hedges, stones etc.

There are endless ways to frame your photos, and we hope to learn some new ones from this challenge! Please link to Amy’s original post and tag Lens-Artists, so we can find you in the reader. Many thanks for all of your creative Works in Progress and your beautiful photos. You are always inspiring us!

Next week, John (Journeys with Johnbo) will be our host, be sure to visit his site. Until then, stay creative and be kind.