Tankar

Lens-Artists Challenge #162 – It’s All About the Light

/ Leya / 82 kommentarer

Tina has chosen Light for this challenge –

I am forever chasing light. Light turns the ordinary into the magical.

–Trent Parke

The most crisp and serene light ever, is to be found in Iceland. So, for a starter, an image from north western Iceland, that I have posted before. I have done nothing to enhance or change the original. It has it all – natural, clear Light.

I could have chosen so many images from Iceland – but only one more pick – the graveyard. There is the light, and the beauty of flowers, mountains and water. A well chosen place to rest.

A couple of days in Denmark last week was refreshing. We visited the biggest sandcastle in the world (- now in the Guinness Book of Records). It was raining when we arrived at the sculpture park, so I took a photo before it would get even worse… The second photo was taken about two hours later – as when we were leaving the park, the sun came out! The most significant difference is the colour of the sand, and how much more alive the feeling is in the second photo.

In Aarhus we wanted to visit their famous art museum, ARoS – but also the harbour area with its modern architecture. They were still building new there, and at a traffic light I opened the window and photographed some of the constructions. The next morning we went there again to see more of this interesting area. This time we parked the car…To our great delight, now the light and the clouds made the visit an almost surreal experience.

I leave you with a favourite image made at the Fluela Pass in Switzerland. At our hotel they featured a big poster of bikers riding along the spectacular pass road, and we were eager to see this the following day. While we were aiming for a couple of interesting villages, we were also on the lookout for ”The View”. To our great disappointment, there was no ”view”…there was only a lake and a mountain. Quite ordinary. But, when returning to our hotel in the afternoon, taking the same road, this magnificent view suddenly opened up. Magical! The right time of the day, the right angle, and the right light. I learned something that day. About patience, and waiting for the magical moment to arrive.

We hope you will join us this week for Tina’s inspiring theme for LAPC #162: It’s All About the Light. Many thanks for last week’s fun Feet and Shoes. There were many smiles as we saw the variety of your responses! This week your challenge is to share images that illustrate the power of light – even better if you also include the same or a similar scene at a different, somewhat less beautiful time. Remember to link your post to Tina’s original, and to use the Lens-Artists Tag to help us find you. Finally, we hope you’ll join us next week as Amy leads us on her Share and Connect post. Until then, please stay safe and be kind.

Thursday Thoughts

/ Leya / 39 kommentarer

I am sending you a gallery of interesting artwork in wood, bronze, sand and more, from an outdoor exhibition in Denmark. You might recognize some fantasy figures, and Erik Röde, HC Andersen and The Pied Piper of Hamelin. The exhibition was really nice, and we were allowed to watch the skilled artists at work. Earplugs were handed out!

The beautiful painted wall was indoors, and decorated for a party. In the header, another hall decorated for a wedding.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #161 – Feet and Shoes

/ Leya / 214 kommentarer

Going barefoot is the gentlest way of walking and can symbolise a way of living – being authentic, vulnerable, sensitive to our surroundings. It’s the feeling of enjoying warm sand beneath our toes, or carefully making our way over sharp rocks in the darkness. It’s a way of living that has the lightest impact, removing the barrier between us and nature.

— Adele Coombs, “Barefoot Dreaming”

Summer usually means many bare feet around, and light shoes. Here in Scandinavia we have had a lovely summer, sunny and filled with water time, rolls in the grass and much laughter. This year we had a first-time-ever-dipping-feet-in-the-sea at our summer house – with a new little girl in this world. So I thought – why not celebrate summer fun with some Feet and Shoes? Even science tells us about the importance of letting our feet be free…

To start with, some fancy shoes, many decades ago in Holland – wedding clogs. Surely there are many hours of work behind these. But how comfortable are they?

Now, more fancy shoes – from today. Still not very comfortable…? A poster from a Lars Wallin exhibition.

Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world. – Marilyn Monroe

Comfortable shoes and the freedom to leave are the two most important things in life. – Shel Silverstein

As for me, soft leather boots and shoes are comfortable favourites. (Maybe most young people would say sneakers or trainers?) I have always wanted a pair of green ones…but never got to buy them. But someday I will!

I always judge a man by his shoes and his watch. – Tamer Hassan

I know people still do, or at least did, judge you by your shoes (and your whole appearance of course). But shoes. When my mother was young, boots should be impeccably shining, and so should any pair of shoes. She was very particular about her dancing shoes.

But there are still places in the world where not everbody has got a pair of their own.

A fun example of the importance of shoes is Crakows, they had extremely long toes and were very popular in15th century Europe. The style was thought to have originated in Kraków, Poland, but were used much earlier in Asia. To stay in shape, they were stuffed with moss or horsehair in the front. The richer and more important you were, the longer your shoes … sometimes their tip had to be chained to the wearer’s calves to let him walk at all.

Have you ever tried wearing such shoes? I have. Stumbling headlong on your face is a highly possible result…

But there are other feet to meet…a beautiful big beetle climbing up the foot of the abandoned glass. His slender legs and many feet work perfectly well – he is good at manoeveing them.

Finally back on the beach again. First a rainy blue day…shoes abandoned, and then our new little family sweetie, barefoot, grandfather carrying her shoes. She did not wear them for the rest of that day…left them waiting all alone on a stone. I bet they were missing her tiny, soft toes…

If we were to actually walk a mile in the other person’s shoes, there’s a good chance that we’d end up opting to live the rest of our lives walking barefoot.
― Craig D. Lounsbrough

I admit I would live without shoes – if it were possible. How about you? And now it´s your turn to share any feet and shoes – we’re looking forward to your treats!

Thank you Patti, for letting us indulge in so many inspirational posts last week! On August 21 Tina will be our host for Challenge #162- hope to see you then as well. Until then… stay calm and be nice.

Thursday Thoughts – Läckö Castle

/ Leya / 35 kommentarer

We visited yet another castle on our tour to old friends some weeks ago. Läckö Castle, once voted the most beautiful Castle in Sweden.

I must confess I did not find it as interesting as Tjolöholm, but of course the looks of Läckö is maybe more of a castle with a princess waiting inside.

First we had a lecture in the King’s Hall, about the history of the castle, and then we were left to read ourselves and walk the tour on our own. There was not much of the original furniture left, but I did find a Narnia cupboard …

In the 17th century Sweden was a country of great power, so many of the paintings were from famous battles. Not my kind of art.

I found the floors to be an absolute dream though. They were laid like no other floors I have seen, and in fact this type of fitting the boards is called Läckö after the name of the castle.

There was a lovely walled garden too, and more of Miss Willmott’s Ghost (Thank you, Jude), a plant I have already ordered for my own garden next season. I just love this extravagant flower, and the story of the lady Willmott too – secretly dropping seeds of this flower in other people’s gardens…

The last picture shows a piece from the treasury at Läckö – the decorative vases used for single flowers in those days.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #160 – Your Inspiration

/ Leya / 68 kommentarer

This week starts with Patti at the helm, and then the other Lens-Artists too will be back from the summer break.

But first, we’d like to send special thanks to our 5 guest hosts who led the challenges so wonderfully and
skillfully in our absence –

John Steiner of Journeys With Johnbo, Anne Sandler of Slow Shutter Speed, Rusha Sams of Oh The Places We See, Beth Smith of Wandering Dawgs, and Ana Campo of Anvica’s Gallery. Your themes inspired
some terrific photographic fun for all of us!

Please visit Patti’s inspirational post, where she also uses quotes from artist Agnes Martin.”Agnes Martin pinpoints two key elements of inspiration–the quality of light in a place and our feelings at that moment.” As I see it, there is no need for further explanations. Light is everything and through natural light I feel inspired.

My main inspiration is Nature, and always has been. I guess many of you already know. Patti continues: ”For Martin, happiness and beauty are interconnected. Both are conduits of inspiration.” I totally agree. Both of these I need, and also get when I am alone in Nature.

Other than light and nature – I would like to say something about us, humans. Because, other people and their work get me inspired to make things, produce things, invent things…Good people, dedicated, accurate and meticuluos people are always inspirational – I admire every one of them. They make it an Art whatever they do. I was rather good at this when I was younger, but age, retirement from work – and then a year and a half with corona – unfortunately have made me less meticulous. Some things just seem to have lost much of their importance.

Creativity and creative people – are hopefully inspirational for everyone of us.

I am fortunate to have several creative people in my family and among friends. In little things as well as bigger things.

Is this ordinary laundry (not on a lamp this time ;-D…) swaying in the wind? No, it is installed there by the owners of the house, instead of a hedge or a high fence. There is a road some 20 meters behind it, and this is an efficient way of pleasing the eye from both directions… Even the colours are carefully chosen.

And in their garden you will find a beautiful grand lit placed among the wildflowers. They call it their ”sunbed”. What the owners do, is relax on that bed whenever they feel like listening to the sound of crickets, birds and all the busy insects in their haven… And silence. The best of rooms under the sky ceiling.

Maybe after your rest, a short walk down to the lake for an early morning- or late evening swim? Inspiration arrives with the water enveloping you. (The image below was made around four o’clock in the morning – and so is the opener)

This week, we are inviting you to share photos of Your inspiration. It can be a place, a subject, a person, or a book, for example. Actually, it can be just about anything that inspires you.

Please include a link to Patti’s original post and use the Lens-Artists tag so we can find you in the WP
Reader. Your creativity is always inspiring and your continued support means so much to us.

Looking back – thank you Ana for a real postcard treat, (you made me find my old box of memories!) and ahead to August 14, when it is my turn to lead the challenge for LAPC #161. Hope to see you then too! In the meantime, have a wonderful and creative week and please stay well and be kind.