Going away present

One of the things I will miss about the Grass Valley area is the Nevada County Camera Club. Every month we had a chance to learn from a stunning photographer and have two pieces of work critiqued. The critique sessions were always golden, not only for the suggestions received on my own work, but for new perspectives on all the works.

April was the last meeting I got to attend and I was thrilled to find out after I got down here that both of my photos submitted for that month were picked as best in category. 

Here are the photos which were honored:

 Casa DeBlanc (best color) - friends stayed at an incredible house when we were here in Ajijic in February. As we were walking to the door one day, the light coming through a window bowled me over.

San Francisco Magic (best creative interpretation) - This beautiful city is a dance of fog and light. Compositing two separate photos helped me capture the magic. 















Thanks, NCCC for all the great lessons and friendship and the going away present.

The More I Paint

Yesterday a group of women sat together and made vision boards as a way to begin the year.  Since I begin a new journal every year, I put my vision boards on the inside covers of my journal so they are always with me.

Here's the board and some of the thoughts that came with this page:

Journal Vision Board - #1

The new year is the perfect time to ReImagine our lives and to remind ourselves that we are "never done." Sometimes (sometimes?) when I start a new project, I over-complicate it so this is a reminder to start simple and follow the path ... in this case the diamond "stepping-stones" which are there just to remind me that the way doesn't have to be hard or ugly.

This year I want to spend a lot of time being inspired in San Francisco so the picture of Coit Tower is a reminder of that commitment with, again, a caution that it doesn't have to be fast ... I can take my time and wind up in a magical place ... a crystal palace of glass and light and color.  And, of course, ART is part of the destination.

The quote which is too small to read in this picture says, "The more I paint, the more I like everything." -- Jean-Michel Basquiat.  It's probably true that the more we do anything we love, the more we love everything.

So do something you love every day ... that resolution alone might change the world.

PS I am doing Lisa Sonora Beam's 30 day journal process ... if you want to join us, go to http://www.lisasonora.com/rd2/.  It's free and powerful.