Monday, December 22, 2008

December 22, 2008


On December 20th I published this photo of a gate. Somehow, when I was writing the post for the next day, I accidentally deleted it. I am still challenged by this process! In any event, it was such a favorite photo of mine I decided to add it to today's post, so it could still be enjoyed.

Someone commented on the image, inquiring as to whether I was using pictures of red and green that I disliked. On the contrary! Since the red/green complementary combination is my personal least favorite I deliberately set out to find compositions in which I did like the color combination. The gate was one of those images. I thought it interesting that of the comments made, some found the gate welcoming and happy, while others characterized the gate as menacing. Once again, a fascinating sampling of personal response to visual elements. And by the way, I apologize for losing the comments when I lost the post. They were most welcome.

The new image also pleases me. As a fan of Georgia O'Keefe, I love close-up shots of flowers, even if the genre veers toward cliche. And since my primary motivation this week is to share a series of pictures where red and green play effective roles, this picture is worth posting.

2 comments:

Debbi said...

The petals of the flower and the middle design of the gate seem almost a study in soft/hard.

I also find the gate picture interesting in how inviting it is with the gate partially open and then to see the forbidding spikes saying 'keep away'.

Or maybe I just see thing in opposites....

Judy said...

I just adore the flower, but that gate: makes me feel like Hell is just inside! LOL I hope that this is as close as I ever get to those gates (into Hell, that is!).

Wonderful pictures though. I hate that I've been so busy that I haven't kept up with your posts!

Hope you had a joyful and peaceful holiday.

November 20, 2008

November 20, 2008

November 20, 2008

How does color set a mood? The soft gray and white of the carpet, the cat Marshall, and the sunlit window contribute to to the sense of calm repose. What does blue mean to you or me? We all have symbolic associations for colors; some based on personal experience and some instilled culturally. 

The cobalt blue of the vase provides a point and counterpoint to the composition, in addition to providing elements that balance.
Keeping the cat in the lower third of the composition weights the image and is another visual door into the picture world.

November 19, 2008

November 19, 2008

November 19, 2008

This picture tells several stories. It references the human desire to order the world around us - the lettering on the wall establishes the alley as a No Parking zone, and the broken glass-  jutting out at the top - is another message of fear and frailty. Whoever lives behind this wall wants to be left alone.

But there is beauty in the contrast of the rough brick surface and the smooth translucency of the broken glass bottles. A contrast of textures makes for an interesting composition. And the abstract nature of the printed letters against the structure of the bricks would be worth emulating in another sort of composition.

There is as much beauty in decay as there is in a bouquet of fresh flowers. And aren't decay and fresh growth just two different spots on the same continuum?



November 18, 2008

November 18, 2008

November 18, 2008

The Hydrangeas offer a lesson in the effective use of color. The pale blue and lavender are roughly the same value, so they balance each other beautifully. I am challenged to mimic that combination of analogous colors on silk Habotai!

This photograph would be considered beautiful even without the red-orange and yellow flowers at the bottom. But the addition of the complements to the blue and purple creates a focal point and generates some nice contrast because of the complementary pairing. And imagine how different this composition would be, were the red-orange and yellow at the top instead of at the bottom. The current placement adds important visual weight.

November 17, 2008

November 17, 2008

November 16, 2008

November 16, 2008
Being and Non-being

Substance and Light

November 16, 2008

We join spokes together in a wheel,
but it is the center hole
that makes the wagon move.

We shape clay into a pot,
but it is the emptiness inside 
that holds whatever we want.

We hammer wood for a house,
but it is the space inside
that holds whatever we want.

We work with being,
but non-being is what we use.

Tao te Ching; Verse 11
Stephen Mitchell translation