{Echo} Week 1 - Emerge

Emerge:Beyond

My ever so talented Visual Poetry teacher, Susan Tuttle, and her likewise talented friend, Chrysti Hydek, have begun an artistic journey together as they explore a bi-weekly prompt (every other Wednesday), through the lenses of their cameras. The first prompt emerge. Their first collaboration is seen here. Visit Chrysti's blog to see their second. We are invited to play along (it's not necessary to pair with someone, but if you do, it is much fun -- just interpret the prompt through your own camera lens, post your photograph on your blog, and leave a link to your post in the comment section of either of their blogs.
I have collaborated with an artist friend, Lani Gerity Glanville, who took Susan's Visual Poetry class, along with me and 28 other artists. I love Lani's interpretation picture(the one on the right), which she said was taken in a butterfly garden. The pumpkin on the left, my way of expressing what emerges ~ beyond. (Click on photo for a larger version).
I look forward to seeing you there....through your eyes. I believe tomorrow is time for the next prompt!

where my heart lies

I love this heart I bought from my friend Stephanie Lee right before Valentine's Day. It has been fun to see where it will show up, as my husband and I leave it for each other in different little places.

It also has become a reminder just how fragile life really can be. Like the words in Mat Kearney's song Closer to Love,
"we are just one phone call from our knees".

When I read of the battle a Texas friend was going through,
my heart knew where it should go.

I ache as I know of the road she is walking. It will be a long and winding one. It is not a road I have walked. It is one my mother has walked as she has fought breast cancer.
My friend's name is Tina Wright.
She is battling colon cancer. A friend's note:

Dear Friends,
We are hosting a benefit dinner and silent auction for Tina Wright on October 29th near College Station. Proceeds of the benefit will go towards Tina's brave fight against cancer. We need your help and support to make this event a great success. Please let your creative juices flow and send us items we can use for the silent auction by October 28th. My address is: 3206 Von Trapp Lane, College Station, TX 77845. If would like to attend the event or need more information, please email carolyn.mccully@wwrd.com or call 979-575-6458.
Lovingly,
Carolyn McCully
Brazos de Dios, Harley Owners Group

How could I not respond to this? Could my heart really be that hard? What if it were me battling cancer? Maybe one day it will be.
These earrings will be slipped into the mail today.

"1920 pearls"
The pearls I used are vintage Japanese, bought from Sandy Schor at the International Quilt Festival a couple of weeks ago. They have the most gorgeous buttery glow.

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.
John 13:34

somerset memories

If only I could hold my sister's hands once more,
and love them and they me, I would.
diane

The latest edition of Somerset Memories made its way to my home just before October 1st. This is one of the very special perks of being published, I must say, is that Stampington sends a complimentary copy right to your door!
I was blessed by Jana Holstein, managing editor of the magazine, as she contacted me last June to be a part of the next issue.
Cabinet Card Sisters
was born on a day I was thumbing through a large stack of my family cabinet cards. What I began to see, were cards which included two little sisters in each picture.
How could I not be mesmerized by eyes like these?Or these?
I loved studying the details of their expressions. The dainty necklaces that hung around their necks. The types of lace on their socks and on their tiny dresses.
Even the bows in their hair intrigued me.I wonder did they have the same dreams as me?
If you want to know more, you must get the magazine. It is there I tell a little more of my story. And, how to create the soldered charms I made using these
precious family cabinet cards.As I blinked my eyes, and looked again, I realized we are all dreamers.
Some of us are just wide awake.

diane

layering and annual trips

Finishing the Visual Poetry Online Workshop with Susan Tuttle is like getting to the end of an ice cream cone, and wanting more.

The final week covered texture, including TtV, which stands for "Through the Viewfinder". I had much fun with it. Adding texture. Layering images. This class has indeed peeled back another part of the PSE world for me to see.

"on holiday"
In May of 1996 my daughter and I began taking what we call our annual trip. It has given us the opportunity to travel, and to go on several really fun trips~together. Some have been near. Some far. This one also included my mother, who came along with us to visit her sister and brother-in-law who live in Tampa, Florida.
My cousin was a gracious host at the beginning of the trip, taking us down to one of the many beaches in the Tampa Bay area. As she and I looked for shells, my daughter relaxed and read.
Later that week we went to Disney, and I must testify that Walt Disney really does know how to make all your dreams come true.
I don't care how old you are!

Textures credit: Susan Tuttle and les brumes.

"my man"
This layered project began with a picture I snapped earlier this year as he stood outside of my booth on this cold blustery day in March, at Art in the Park in Orange, Texas. In the background stands the W.H. Stark House, found in Stark Park where we set up.
I applied a layer using one of the many sunset pictures I've taken in South Texas on our wild game lease. I did a slight adjustment, but not much more. These two pictures worked perfectly together.
You can see more completed projects from Week 4 below.

"red buds in Ft. Davis"

"remembering granny"

"behind the settee"

This old settee stands behind The Brenham House B&B where my daughter and I stayed on this year's annual trip together. I live close enough to the antique festival to not stay in a nearby hotel or B&B like many people do who attend the festival. But, this was our trip for the year, and I am so glad we did. We loved it. The home was beautiful, the food delicious (served on fine china & crystal), and Susan and James Lopez were wonderful gracious hosts. I highly recommend it.
I promise I will share some of my festival pictures real soon.....

may your road rise up

Two things I have learned.
1. Wonderful old suitcases make for a good show.

2. Special pieces make their way home with special people.
My fourth year at the St. John Vianney Bazaar was a huge success!
Thanks to you my faithful family and friends.
I leave you with my favorite Irish blessing.
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Remember the Give Away?

Another picture I took in Warrenton under an open air pavilion. Dolls seemed to be the subject of many of my photos this year. Oh, so sweet....yet somewhat haunting.
I will have more to share with you as I continue to work in Photoshop with Susan Tuttle.
See our class photos in the VisualPoetry Online Workshop flickr group here.
Texture used above from one of my favorites: les brumes.

Thanks for sharing Susan!

(Meg....please contact me with your address).

EX-CESS Field

The festival was more than fun this year, as I had two extra days of it. In a row.
And, with my daughter beside me!
I don't remember the first year I went to Round Top-probably about 16 years ago. I was naive about it all. I didn't even know about the booths in Warrenton. But, many years of experience has taught me what to do, where to go, what to wear (& definitely what not to wear), the best time to go and way more than I can tell you here. But, with all that said, I still have much to learn and know about what is called Antique Week(s) that occurs in/around Round Top & Warrenton, Texas twice a year.
Yes, it is like everything else in Texas. Huge!CLUTTER

What a cool store. Very chic. Very nicely done. I took many pictures there. I have been using several in my now second week of Susan Tuttle's online Visual Poetry class.

I must say, it is without a doubt, one of the best investments I've made this year! I am thoroughly enjoying the projects. Susan has done an exceptional job in designing this class, beginning with the very usable instructions for each project, to step-out pictures, great examples, videos, an art bar where we can meet online, comments galore, AND the Visual Poetry Online Workshops flickr group. If you are thinking about taking her next class, don't hesitate. It will fill up quickly, and rightly so.

I just love this stack of vintage blankets. I took this picture at Clutter.
I used the Diffused Light Technique Susan taught us Week 2 Project 2.

I used the technique again on this picture I took of a huge vintage card catalogue that was sitting in an open air building just the other side of the area they call EX-CESS Field. Another must stop. In this field, of course, is a large store call EX-CESS. It is an area full of various dealers in stalls, loaded down with all kinds of goodies.

One stall had a group of vintage crowns. Breathtakingly beautiful. This one was priced at $$$. I took a picture instead!

I used the Diffused Light Technique for this Week 2 Project 1. However, it was done differently than Project 2. And, after I finished, I decided to add texture~thus the second photo. Love it!

With all these great pictures and techniques I'm learning in Susan's class, I also found out via my friend Catherine Witherell, that LK Ludwig was beginning an online Point & Shoot Journaling class. Now I have a way to keep my technique pictures from Susan's class, by using them in a journal class taught by LK. All online. GREAT!

I met so many wonderful people at the festival this year. I have so much more to tell you. But that will have to be another day!