My Daily Enstallment

String Theory - Moebius Trip - I am Diva Challenge #55

Last week the tangle challenge for the week was to use the color purple and also bring a bit of awareness to

Moebius Syndrome - a congenital nerve disorder which affects the Diva's son.

This week we are delving a bit deeper into all things Moebius. The Moebius foundation uses for it's logo the The Moebius Strip which is a fascinating mathematical phenomenon.

The properties of a Moebius strip are:

The Möbius strip has several curious properties. A line drawn starting from the seam down the middle will meet back at the seam but at the "other side". If continued the line will meet the starting point and will be double the length of the original strip. This single continuous curve demonstrates that the Möbius strip has only one boundary.

Cutting a Möbius strip along the center line yields one long strip with two full twists in it, rather than two separate strips; the result is not a Möbius strip. This happens because the original strip only has one edge that is twice as long as the original strip. Cutting creates a second independent edge, half of which was on each side of the scissors. Cutting this new, longer, strip down the middle creates two strips wound around each other, each with two full twists.

 

It is this strip that becomes our "string" for this week's challenge. So here's how it began.

 

... and here is what it became:

 

This week I decided to draw as usual with traditional pen and shade with pencil, however the color was added in Photoshop. Mainly because everytime I color a piece that I've worked on I wish I could change the color and it's too late. Photoshop allows a little more freedom to play with color and see what works and more importantly what doesn't!

Purple Haze - Diva Challenge #54

Color is hard! I thought I knew how to use color. As a photographer, I know what to look for, how to balance, how to keep it simple. Yet when I tried to color my tangles anything I thought I knew seemed to fly out the window

This week's The Diva's Zentangle challenge # 54 - Purple Haze seemed simple enough... "use purple". Great! Now what shades of purple? Markers, pencils, or paint? Color or shade? How many colors? Monochramatic or complimentary? Paint the background or leave it? How can adding one color bring so many questions?

Then there is the reason behind the color. The Diva picked purple because "it just so happens that Moebius Syndrome awareness day is in January, and the colour for this disorder is Purple.  :) " Her young son struggles with this syndrome, and that of course sits in the back of my mind as I'm choosing tangles and colors. I read the piece the Diva wrote about how this syndrome has affected their family and the challenges they face. As a mother, it rips at my heart to think of what they must think and do to make it througha single day.

One thing that struck me as I read her words was their visit with a photographer. We take for granted the ability to look where we choose by simply moving our eyes to this side or that. Her little boy can not. We express ourselves with a smile or frown, her little boy can not. While this weighs your heart with concern for him and his parents, the words that plucked my heart strings were these...

 But the truth is, he has an amazing smile. He has such expression in his eyes, you just know when he's happy. And he laughs and coos, just like other babies do. But if you can catch him in the right mood - he has the teeniest tiniest hint of a smirk - and i'll tell ya, it brings me close to tears each time i see it. Because for someone i was told would NEVER smile.... his little smile is the most beautiful thing in the world.

As a photographer this look in the eyes is what drew me into photography. I still remember vividly the very first time I looked in my daughter's eyes and how deeply you can truly see who they are when you look with your heart.

So all of that brings me to this week's tangle. I'm still such a beginner, but the "TUFTID" tangle made me think of all those little nerves having to meet at just the right time and place to produce one little smile. Trying to make one little line meet another helped me realize what a miracle it is for so many millions of nerves to meet at just the right time and place to produce a smile so many of us take for granted. At the center of my tangle is the symbol of the flaming love of a mother for her child, and the beauty that grows out of even the biggest challenges. Thank you Laura for sharing your story with us.

 

Camie Family - St. Louis Photographer

Here's something a little different... just like the Camie family. You gotta love when a family shows up with black fadoras for their family portrait!

If you've read any of my other posts about Amy Camie, you know I love to photograph her, whether it's for one of her amazing CD's, a book cover, or to help those walking the journey of cancer. She is an amazing woman of many talents. I was honored when she asked me to photograph her family.

As I was thinking about the upcoming shoot, I had an idea for a composite using their name and shot images to set the plan in motion. Of course we did all the traditional images also, but because they are all so playful they gave me free reign to play as well.

This was a composite done in several Photoshop layers. I did not actually have the letters of their name in the studio:-)

Challenge 53 - I Am Diva

I am so very new to Zentangling, however found this great blog called I am the diva offering challenges each week. Starting fresh with the new year, I want to participate with these exceptional artists each week.

The challenge this week was to use the Diva's new tangle pattern called "Undine". She dedicated this tangle to her beloved husband and her "Undine love for him".  As I worked with the pattern several impressions came up, but I was clearly taken by her love for her husband and his support for her so I thought I'd throw a little romance into the mix with a corset.

A Whole New World -- Zentangle

Sometimes my friends just hate me. In the most loving way of course. When I latch on to some new thing, I have a desire to share, and of course I want all of my friends to play along, so when I stumbled upon Zentangling, a quick addiction took place in my creative soul and I shared it with a few friends who are fast become creative addicts as well!

Here's an example of a few of my tangles.

 

 It is helpful to say that the purpose of creating these tangles is not so much the end result (although that is a bonus), it is the relaxation of drawing patterns and the the free flow of calm, focused, creative energy which occurs when tangling with these patterns. If you are at all intrigued, join the fun and check out the official Zentangle site.

 

 

 

I had lunch with my friend Stephanie and we decided to have a Zentangle conversation. She drew, I drew, she drew, I drew...

Here was the result. Be warned if you have lunch with me, I will probably extract a pen and a square and want to get all tangled up!

Fine Art - St. Louis Photographer

I thought I share a little outing I was able to enjoy with my sister over Christmas vacation.  We went to the St. Louis Art Museum to see the Monet exhibit. I brought my camera in hopes of capturing anything that inspired me. Of course there is no shortage of inspiration at the art museum. I wasn't sure how much I would be allowed to photograph in the museum, but as  fortune would have it you can pretty much have free reign with a fast lens. The only requirements were no flash and no shooting in the actual Monet exhibit.

I've been obsessed with patterns lately more to come about that in a future post. Let's just say that the frames were as special to me as the paintings themselves.

 

What I actually did shoot this time where the great statues and magnicent clouds that decided to layer everything with a blanket of drama on this very day of wind and chill.

 

 

 

We of course had to take a tour of the best gift shop ever. I bought a children's book, whickh I have to say is one of THE BEST EVER!!! It's called The Dot. As we made our way out my sister prompted me to look up and ahhhhh there was a shot waiting to happen.

 

The sun was streaking through the clouds all the way home. It was hard to keep my eyes on the road. I decided to take a detour to the Lake at Creve Coeur park. By the time I arrived the sun decided to hide it's rays from me, but you can't beat a good puddle, so here you have my final shot of the day.

 

Vegas Vacation - St. Louis Photographer

So perhaps Vegas isn't the most likely place for a Thanksgiving vacation, but it is one I look forward to every year. 

Here are a few highlights:

My nieces each had babies over the last year, so of course I came camera in hand to capture the cuteness. *sigh*

Upon arrival I had to get a few:

This is Alexa:

This is Gavin:

I'd say each of these babies have their own unique personalities. More to come on these cutie pies in a later post.

These trips are a great way to catch up with my brother Gary, who lives in Vegas and my sister joins us each year on this vacation.

We went on a trip to Ethel M., the chocolate factory. Not much of a factory, but we did buy a few pieces of chocolate and took trip through the cactus garden. They did have a Christmas tree though. Notice the M&M ornament.

We took a drive to The District in Henderson. Some guy had a bird, and let another guy hold it. He had a lollipop:-) I think the bird liked it.

As it got dark they lit a big. . . okay huge Christmas tree. The lights of the tree made a great backdrop for Alexa.

Each year we come to Vegas there is always a new hotel to see. This year we ventured to the Cosmoplitan. One of the things they are known for is a bar called the Chandelier. Imagine 3 stories of this.

There was a big shoe. 

An All Saints store front boasting hundreds of old sewing machines:

My daughter likes to pose. 

Of course we had to take a visit to the Bellagio to see the display in the conservatory. The talking trees are back. Slightly creepy, but very cool.

Glass leaves decorated the ceiling.

Of coure Sophia makes friends whereever she can. Her and a new friend Alissa make the rounds.

So there are a few highlights with two days left:-)

 

A Taste of Italy

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to write about Italy, but I had to tend to my withdrawal from the beauty that is Italia.

Seriously there is not one thing I would have changed about this trip. It was great to see a place so beautiful with 20 other photographers who understand it takes 2 hours to walk a mile with a camera. Yes we really do have to shoot every door, window and knob on the path.

While we flew in Milan, the trip truly started after we boarded the bus to snake our way up and down mountains to our first hotel in Bellagio in the norther lake region of Lake Como. These are a few shots from the village of Bellagio.

The second day we hiked up a mountain to a Castello di Vezio. There was a small village at the top with this very old church on the way to the Castle.

Once we passed the owl on the way to the castle, we found lots of these ghostly figures. Apparently tourists pose for these seasonal plaster sculptures. Once winter hits, these hollow forms are destroyed and the new season will bring new forms to haunt the castle.

Here's a view of the lovely grounds of our second hotel The Majestic on Lago Maggiore.

As I said, I was with 20 other photographers armed with cameras pretty much 24/7. The dining was not only tasty, it was beautifully presented. None of us ate a bite until we'd photographed our food or assisted someone else in lighting or staging the cuisine. I love that all the wine and water is served in beautiful bottles.  This image will be "SEEN" soon in a show in St. Louis.

 Well there's a taste for you. More to come soon:-)

Milan - 1st day | St. Louis Photographer

We are now into our second day in Italy. The trip has been great so far. While the flight was long, it was peaceful and uneventful and provided a squishy little space for about 4 hours of sleep. I awoke to a breath taking view of the sun highlighting the Alps. Spectacular!!!  We must have flown over them for about 15 or 20 minutes.  Talk about grandeur.

 
 We decided to stay in the Sheraton while in Milan. Good choice. It is right off the terminal of the airport, so we literally picked up our bags and walked to our room. Everywhere we go we see decorated elephants.

 

After a brief nap, we caught the train to Cardona, and then a subway to Duomu Cathedral and plaza. This would be the second breath taking view of the trip. I saw pictures of this cathedral before arriving, but there is nothing that can prepare you for the vast size and intricacies.

Mark Twain wrote of this site,

 

“. . .The figures are so numerous and the design so complex, that one might study it a week without exhausting its interest...everywhere that a niche or a perch can be found about the enormous building, from summit to base, there is a marble statue, and every statue is a study in itself....”

 

 I literally stood in the doorway trying to absorb, the immense size and detail. It took approximately six centuries to build this fourth largest cathedral in the world.  However, in it seems it is in a constant state of renewal and renovation. It is not only the statues, but also the stained glass and paintings. I found it to be a mixture of disturbing beauty. Many of the cardinal’s sarcophagi are encased in glass. It seems that if the bodies are skeletal they are revealed, however, if they are still in a state of decay their faces are covered with a silver mask.

 

After our visit to the cathedral we hit the shops and restaurants, for divine food, wine, and café. What more can one ask? Took the train back to the hotel. . .

 

 

. . . for a nightcap in the wine bar.

Today we hope to see Leonardo DiVinci’s Last Supper.

 

Italy - St. Louis Photographer

Today is the day we catch two flights. The first to Atlanta, then off to Milan.

Friends keep asking if I'm excited. I'm sure excitement is just around the corner, but today, I'm a bit melancholy because I see what I am leaving. I've never been away from my daughter this long, so the thought of 11 days without hugging her is producing a pit in my stomach.

 
 

I have packed away many letters to her that she will receive each morning and evening. I have also placed many hallmark cards (mostly cards with sounds because Sophia loves them) in the care of her father, my wonderful husband who supports me and my dreams. Here's a picture I took of their hands when I first started shooting digitally. It's amazing how fast time flies.

 

 

Well time to finalize packing and catch those flights!