Category Archives: photography

December 31, 2016

31 Saturday Dec 2016

Posted by in change, gratitude, holiday, hope, love, photography, sunrise, Uncategorized

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South Carolina Sunrise 

Another gift: waking up to a beautiful sunrise on the last day of the year. Was it a sign of good things to come?

One year ends, another begins.

Out with the old, in with the new.

A new year symbolizes hope. It gives us the chance to start over and set goals. We look forward to new beginnings and new dreams.

May the New Year bestow you with hope in your heart for a year of well-being, love, and peace.

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Happy New Year! May 2017 be filled with dreams that come true for you. 

xoxo

 

 

 

 

Take Joy

17 Sunday Jul 2016

Posted by in birds, flowers, garden, hope, joy, kindness, love, nature, news, photography, quote Fra Giovanni, Tasha Tudor

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The gloom of the world is but a shadow; behind it, yet within our reach is joy. Take joy.

~ Fra Giovanni

This quote from one of my favorite books: The Private World of Tasha Tudor came to mind while on my walk this morning. For a very long time our world has been hurting. Each new day brings tragic events that cause us to pause and take notice. Our hearts are broken. We feel helpless. Is the world we live in today the new world of tomorrow?

We turn off the news but it doesn’t turn off the chaos. We go through the day hoping, dreaming and praying that when another day dawns, all will be calm and lives and hearts will heal.

On my morning walk, moss covered oak trees guided me on winding pathways. Stillness in the air was sprinkled with birdsong. A hawk circled against azure skies. I traveled over a wooden bridge, past brown, velvety cattails that stood guard over the pond. A gentle stream carried ducklings in line with their mother. In the distance palm trees stood amid tall grasses. I greeted other walkers as we passed. Each of us surrounded by the beauty of nature. I cannot change the world. I can only take joy in it.

May the following photos bring you joy.

xoxo

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day lily

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hydrangea

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Rosa ‘JACclam’

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Ixora Maui Orange

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Purple Angel’s Trumpet

 

Happy 1st Anniversary!

18 Sunday Oct 2015

Posted by in anniversary, change, Connecticut, Critters, moving, nature, photography, seasons, South Carolina Garden blog

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On October 19, 2014 I published my first post for my blog: Always the Garden. I remember sitting with printed directions on my lap following every step trying to set up my pages; it was all new learning for me, scary and difficult. I had to refer to the Lingo sheet just to get through the directions; what’s a widget, dashboard, gravatar, header, menu, page, and post? Help! Starting something new is challenging and often I thought about giving up, but I didn’t and I’m glad.

I never knew the Blogging World was out there; it is a place of wonder; you can travel around the world and learn about interesting people and their lives. There are blogs on every topic of interest; most include beautiful pictures and writing.

When I started my blog I lived in Connecticut; a lot can happen in a year; now we live in South Carolina. My favorite season in Connecticut was Fall and now I’m experiencing the same joy: cool mornings with day time temperatures in the 70’s, breezes and no humidity.

Hidden in the foliage of our Lantana bush I discovered:

a chartreuse tree frog

A chartreuse tree frog.

and…

a gecko

A gecko; I love his eye, tinged with blue.

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Our Fall pots are filled with cold hardy plants: Ivy, Petunias, Marigold and a colorful plant called Croton. I used to buy Crotons in the Fall in Connecticut to add Fall color indoors.

May you experience joy in the changing season!

Thank you for taking the time to read my words.

xxoo

Half and Half

19 Sunday Jul 2015

Posted by in flowers, gardening, nature, photography, Weekly Photo Challenge

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It was fun looking through my photos for this week’s Photo Challenge which focuses on Half and Half. I chose photos with a contrasting background.

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Plumes of white flowers on an astilbe plant, against part of a stone wall, is an example of a background with color and none.

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I like the contrast of the textured stucco wall and the chartreuse background behind the flowers.

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It’s easy to see why this plant is called: Gooseneck Loosestrife. The tiny white flowers which form the head and beak are in sharp focus on a background of light and dark.

Happy Father’s Day Daddy!

21 Sunday Jun 2015

Posted by in art, nature, photography, Weekly Photo Challenge

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My father was an artist. In one corner of our basement stood his wooden easel, and his upholstered chair where he would sit when he studied his paintings; a table held jars of various sized brushes, tubes of paint in primary colors, and stacks of hardcover art books. He taught me how to mix primary colors to get other colors and how to blend in white to soften the hue. He taught me how to clean the brushes and stand them upright in the jars so the brush end would dry. And he taught me how to see beauty all around me. His favorite subject to paint: trees, flowers and skies.

Today is Father’s Day and this Week’s Photo Challenge is ROY G. BiV- the colors of the rainbow.

I chose photographs that remind me of my father’s beautiful paintings.

Happy Father’s Day Daddy!

xxoo

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Danielle’s Art

06 Saturday Jun 2015

Posted by in Arizona, art, photo challenge, photography

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In this week’s photo challenge Lignum Draco inspires us to respond to the theme, “vivid”.

Usually I share photos of my gardens and flowers, but this time my photo is one of my daughter, Danielle’s, paintings.

Sunset 12x36 Acrylic paint and paint marker on canvas

Sunset
2014 12″x36″
Acrylic paint and paint marker on canvas

Click on image to enlarge.

I love the vivid colors in her painting: Sunset.

Danielle’s art is influenced by the Arizona desert, where sunsets paint the sky with brilliant shades of orange, red, purple and green and are the color of hope. She expresses herself through shapes, forms and vibrant colors; each stroke of paint radiating joy.

If you study the painting you will see different images: in this painting I see a bird, a flower, a sun and a turtle.

When Danielle begins to work on a painting she doesn’t know what the end result will be; all the designs flow from her imagination onto her canvas.

I am blessed to have Danielle as my daughter, several of her beautiful paintings grace the walls of our home. Her art makes me happy every time I look at it.

Danielle graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York City, in 2002.
More of her paintings can be viewed at: danielleart.tumblr.com