Man in Nature

DSC04483, originally uploaded by aunt.meeb.

If I could remember my art history, I could cite for you a number of painters that employed this drastic juxtaposition of a small human within the context of a very large landscape. Caspar David Friedrich comes to mind with some of his landscapes, though certainly there are others to whom this style would more readily be attributed.

It reminds me a lot of a shot I took earlier in the year:

DSC05387, originally uploaded by aunt.meeb.

Idol

DSC04252, originally uploaded by aunt.meeb.

This is a neat composition between cousins. The more I look at it, the more I like it. I like how minimal it is, with the most detail relegated to the corners. I like Kate's blurry hand, and how their lips pop out against the stark colors. I just think the expressions are priceless, as is the unspoken (but highly visible) admiration Kate has for her cousin James.

Dapper

DSC03888, originally uploaded by aunt.meeb.

The lighting is exquisite, huh? It's that warm grey color that settles after a good rain as dusk approaches. Christopher was swinging the umbrella around and stopped for me, for a split second before careening down a dewy hill. The white pants miraculously came out unscathed and unsoiled.

I love how his face is framed in the focus of the umbrella, and the background deep greens. The angle of the shadows is subtle on the pavement, but absolutely encourages your eye back to his face.

Sisters

DSC03889, originally uploaded by aunt.meeb.

This is probably one of my favorite shots from the year so far. I love the composition, the color, the expressions, and that fabulous flower girl dress - of course! It has a story all its own, but for now, I just want you to bask in the loveliness of two sisters.

VSA Side by Side

DSC02518, originally uploaded by aunt.meeb.

This is the second year in a row that I've participated in the VSA Side by Side program. I worked with two girls, one was a teenager and the other was about 8. With the teenager, we went out, took a bunch of pictures (shown in this set), and then picked out the ones we both liked. I then arranged them in a 3x3 grouping that was displayed with the student's other work. With the younger artist, we worked together on a couple watercolor paintings of trees. We experimented with my Chinese calligraphy set, and also studied a tree from life. I only had a total of about two hours with each girl, so we really had to be efficient with our time.

I was pleased with what we were able to accomplish, and I was thrilled that my nieces got a chance to see my art in a studio. Hopefully it will be the first of many shows? *fingers crossed*

I look forward to participating in the Side by Side exhibit in the future. It is a really great way to practice teaching techniques and get to know some pretty cool kids.

Cousins

DSC02033, originally uploaded by aunt.meeb.

The more I look at this, the more I adore it. It epitomizes the relationship between these cousins to me. The different shades of pink, the way they've all congregated in one corner of the mattress, the companionship of stuffed animals...I love it. The comforter in and of itself would be a master study, as would the contrast of the silky blanket.

Lobo

DSC02017, originally uploaded by aunt.meeb.

This shot, I don't know. I think it exists perfectly as a photo, but I want to try and envision someone wanting an image like this preserved in paint. It truly captures the personality of a beloved family dog.

Animal Portraiture

DSC01729, originally uploaded by aunt.meeb.

I have loaded some shots into a set called "Fauna" - I hope to use some of these to practice the intricacies of capturing animals' personalities in paint. I love this one of Whitley, the cat of my sister and her family. He has looked the same for almost a decade. That cat never ages.

I'll post a few more good ones of beloved pets soon.

Spinning

DSC01736, originally uploaded by aunt.meeb.

I am becoming quite enamored on images of movement and spinning. I like how in this image, the foot is clear and everything else is blurry - it's like that singular connection between us and the earth is the only thing definite. Everything else needs some interpretation.

New Mexico

DSC00816, originally uploaded by aunt.meeb.

Don't let the chili peppers fool you; New Mexico was so much colder than we expected. But what an amazing amount of inspiration within a two-mile radius of our downtown Santa Fe hotel! Such a different climate, culture, landscape and color palette than Kentucky.