"It never occurred to me to leave home to make art."
The quote above comes from a dvd that Lynne Hoppe lent me a few months ago titled What Remains: The Life and Work of Sally Mann.
(here's a clip where these words are spoken)
That phrase struck me as true for myself and my work as well. I know many artists feel the need and desire to travel far and wide, and I used to wonder why I've never had that longing. I love being inspired by the simple things that pass before me.
We've been having a period of Indian summer which has been so nice. Opening the windows to let air in, knowing soon it will be too cold. I wandered around my yard appreciating the breeze, sunshine and beauty around me - feeling inspired by the textures, colors, and minute details longing to be observed, or so it felt.
I went back inside and got my camera, and all the pics you see are some of the things I saw...
check out the cute slug in these two :)
When I came back in, I went into my studio briefly.
From outside my window I heard a skirmish of some sort,
so I went to the window and looked down onto our patio.
I startled the startler - a beautiful red tailed hawk had landed,
probably on the hunt for one of the many critters that visit our bird feeders,
but he took off with empty claws, and flew right by my window!
It was so quick, but so amazing.
Nope, it never occurs to me to leave home to be inspired!
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We are so surrounded by beauty in this home of ours, sometimes it makes my soul hurt...
ReplyDeleteGloriously captured with your camera today, beautiful Karin.
My journeys consist of looking around your yard today. xooxo
ReplyDeleteKarin, thanks for sharing the pics of your yard, I especially enjoyed the leaves. thanks also for sharing the thought and film clip of Sally Mann- definitely food for thought.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post. I love this notion of the everyday, too. Thanks for your inspiring photos (beautiful back yard, my friend) and words! =)
ReplyDeleteomg, that slug on the rock! can there be anything more beautiful than that combination?! oh my goodness, if i worked for hours and hours i'd never come up with such a subtle palette. HA! what am i talking about?! i'd probably be sticking red, a little orange, a dab of lavender and, and... in there... : )
ReplyDeleteloved hearing sally's voice...
xo
Such an inspiring post, Karin! This so resonates with me. I love your photos, which show the incredible beauty and diversity of nature. So much going on in the worlds upon our own backdoors. As for the Red-Tailed Hawk ~ magical! Have a fantastic day, you beautiful bee. x
ReplyDeleteKarin,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your world.
It gives me inspiration. I also have red tail hawks in my world.
I do love them.
I think it was Rilke? Whitman? who wrote "To have the poetic heart is better than to have poetic fame." -- I think of this as I muse on your post, Karin ... You of the poetic heart! Wise people of every age recognize that it is enough to sit in a room ... In such simplicity we can be inspired by absolutely everything ...
ReplyDeleteMy dearest friend, Wendy, had the poetic eye. She died over two years ago, and one of the gifts her husband offered me was a book of her photographs that she had created over several years ... Her "master book" of images ... All of them are so similar to yours here ... Wendy had an eye for the "exquisite almost-unseen" -- the intrincate, blink-and-you'll-miss-it beauties, patterns and designs of the world. Just to live and to *see* was her gift ... She instantly saw beauty in everything. So does my husband ... so do you :-)
Bless xoxo
this was such an inspiring post my friend. I feel that if I cannot find beauty where I am right now, I couldn't go some place else and see it either. just my thoughts....
ReplyDeletexoxo
You've captured autumn so beautifully. A red kite, they are rare over here, very rare.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photo captures in such a healing place!
ReplyDeleteBeauty abounds in your Autumn garden Karin and you have captured visual haiku that please my soul.
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed your simple photos of your world...I sometimes get the urge to travel, but never can afford it...so maybe it's for the best...my photos are mostly from near my home, in my home, my daughters...I loved the clip you shared too. Inspiration is indeed right here, in this moment if we open our eyes and really look at what is present.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean Kim - beauty that causes heart aches!! it's always there for us, too. xoxo K
ReplyDeleteGlad to have you travel through Renee :)
xoxoxox
You're welcome Sharmon, glad you enjoyed the clip and visit to my yard! You take gorgeous nature photos of your surroundings, which always inspire me.
Hi Liz, thank you! I feel blessed to have such a park like setting right in my own back yard to be inspired by :)
I could have guessed that the slug on stone would jazz you Lynne!! I am so with you on the palette, too - every time i think I'm going to work with earthy subtleties, in comes the turquoise, red, burnt orange... oh well, we are who we are - color addicts :) xoxox
Thank you Carol Anne! So glad you enjoyed - and yes, that hawk truly was a magical messenger!! xox
Hi Katelen, you're welcome - happy to bring you into a corner of my world for a visit :)
What a wonderful gift to have your friend's master book of images! Such a moving way to reconnect with your memories and love for her. thank you for your recognition - yes, I really do see beauty every where... sending you love xox
That makes sense to me, Cat. I know some folks desire first hand experience of the things and places that inspire them, but I just don't seem to... I'm a true homebody at heart!! xox
thanks Jasmine :) The red tailed hawks are fairly common around here, and I see and hear them a lot around our house, but never on the ground in our patio!! that was very cool!!!
thank you Sonia - it is a healing place :)
oh, I like that Robyn - soul pleasing visual haiku...
Hi Laura, I like how you've said that, "Inspiration is indeed right here, in this moment if we open our eyes and really look at what is present." thanks for visiting what inspires me, xox K