Waves

These are from my latest work (finally got a camera!) The middle one is the finished piece and the other two are close ups of sections.

Rachel - For the Love of Peet's - in progress

I've had this semi-formed idea that I wanted to use some of my empty Peet's bags to make a collage of some sort, so here's what I have so far. I'm not yet sure where I'm going with this, it needs to be mounted on watercolor paper and have some other elements added, but I've yet to figure out what. At any rate, even though I haven't had time to produce a finished photo or piece for the blog for the past few days, I have been working on this, and thinking.

Robin - Old San Jose

This is a photograph I made by standing on a bench by the tennis courts on the Guadalupe River Walk over someone's fence. I happened to get a peek and thought it was worth shooting. Because of the historic nature of the subject matter, I used an old photo filter.

I am a 3rd generation San Josean so I'm always thrilled to find remnants of our agrarian past. I hope you like it as much as I do.

Robin - Margo's Tulip

This is a photograph I made of my little girlfriend Margo's tulip. She chose the color and we bought them at the farmer's market over the weekend. I shot them against the fence on her patio. Happy Valentine's Day Miss Margo!

Rachel - Daffodil in Profile

em·bel·lish/emˈbeliSH/

Verb:	Make (something) more attractive by the addition of decorative details or features: "blue silk embellished with golden embroidery.
Before

Rachel - For Mom, with Love!

It's hard to believe that it's been 7 years since my mom suddenly died. It was January 2005; she was feeling good, reaching out to friends and loved ones, and then she was gone. My world forever changed. My father lost half his life that day and the rest of it drained from him over the next 35 months. My children lost their grandmother. I lost my mommy, and then my daddy.

I miss my parents terribly,and while time softens the pain on a day-in day-out basis, the deep and resounding loss is always here.

This daffodil blooms each year, reminding me of my mother who loved daffodils, yellow and spring. After mom's death I planted this daffodil, a centerpiece from her memorial, and when it blooms it cheers me with the bittersweet thought of mom.

For Mom, with LOVE!

Budding Reminder~

A new season,  a fresh start ,  and so we begin again...

I have been reluctant with starting, beginning again. And then there they were to remind me, guide me...

Some of us need reminders to stay a-path, and for me mine often come in the form of  Nature....flowers budding growth and the stillness in the air which comes between the  changing of  seasons.

They gently awaken my spirit and remind me it's time.

We have not forgotten...Have you? 

So be it Cherry blossom, Daffodil's  cups of yellow sunshine tea for the soul, Autumn's  Falling leaves, Spectacular mild winter skies or my tiny sweet  friends the

 Forget Me Nots.  

They arrive just in time, somehow knowing, somehow speaking the exact words I need to lighten the load of life.

Just like the truest of  friends they softly, yet so confidentially remind me of who I am, and seem to say you've  gone astray my friend... or are you on your path.

  It's as if they ever so tenderly, yet confidently mutter  words of encouragement under their breath and say, It's time...

And so it is time.

 

Rachel - Mist and Sun

Hmmm, another tree variant... trees and sun, there must be something to this obsession.

Coach Watches in ink

This was a project I did in class. 4 types of drawing. Stippling, scribbling, crosshatching and straight lines. I had a lot of fun doing it, but it took forever!

Robin - San Juan Bautista

I think every kid in the Santa Clara Valley since man starting walking upright went on a field trip to San Juan Bautista. I would like to say I took this photo when I was 10 and on my class field trip but alas that would be a big fat lie.  ;-)

Rachel - Honoring Equality

Today the US court of appeals declared California's Prop 8 unconstitutional, one more step toward recognizing that people are people, and that love and commitment are not reserved for us straights. Upon hearing the news I pulled out my rainbow flag (doesn't everyone have one?) and took this photo.

Robin - Purple and Green

I made this photograph at my cousin's house yesterday. I'm not even sure of what the plant is but I liked the shape so decided to get out my trusty macro and shoot it - Bang! Bang!

This is it straight from the camera. I love the colors just as they are so didn't even change the white balance.
I hope you like it too.

Rachel - Waterlogged

There was something appealing to me about the view of my sycamore tree through my wet windshield. I don't know what this photo is trying to say, but I'm listening anyway.

Robin likes BUGS!

It's my birthday and I LOVE my birthday along with bugs. ;-)

Rachel - Sunset Palm

Apparently I have a thing for sunset and tree silhouettes. Partially that is a result of the AMAZINGLY gorgeous sunsets that have been gracing our mild winter skies, and it's also a function of my not having a moment for myself during daylight hours; there's probably a bit of my tree hugging nature involved, as well. Whatever the reason I couldn't resist this lonely, shaggy palm.

Joy of the Vineyards

First let me say that the edges of this painting are missing. The person that took this photo added and artistic frame to it with his camera and I liked it so much I left it as such. For the most part the painting is intact. What is missing is the edge around the top that gives the impression of looking through a wooden doorway. You can see the wall sconce on the right side. This painting was done for someone very special to me. He has shared his love of wines and the wine country with me. For his birthday I wanted something that would capture how it felt to be out there in the sunshine, wine tasting and just enjoying peaceful weekends together. This is what I came up with. The bottle label is one I made up and simply means, The joy of the vineyards.

Robin - My Grand Girl Mia

The most precious gift is a grandchild. This is Mia. She turned 2 in December just 3 days before her sister and my newest grand girl Vanessa was born. We have so much fun playing together!

Rachel - Sunset Serenade

When faced with the proposal to contribute to the Daily Art blog for 2012 my inital reaction was overwhelm ("How will I fit in one more commitment?"), self-doubt ("My co-contributers are so artistically talented, and across a spectrum of mediums, what can I really contribute?"), and the weighty pull of inertia ("I haven't taken pictures for artistic sake in so long, I probably won't do it now: Drink the kool-aid, shelter in place, continue to play on FB."). These were my reasons NOT to participate, but it dawned on me that these should be the very reasons TO participate. I've been in an artistic rut, I have never considered myself artistic and it is easy to dismiss my photographic exploits as a hobby that anyone with sufficient equipment could replicate.

I sell myself short, I know, and I am not looking for validation or reassurances, I'm simply wrestling with those pieces of myself that seek to minimize; my natural tendancies to dismiss my efforts as common and undistinguished. I hold myself up against great talents and say "yeah, I'm okay, but no great shakes". What I realize is that it is OKAY to simply be, to create what I create and if I'm the only person who enjoys it, great, because I enjoy it.

So, here's my first contribution of the year, a serenade of sunset colors: Painted by nature, but for such a fleeting time that the painting now only exists as my photo.

Girl in a Sunhat

After many months and struggles with color, I finally finished this self portrait. It was taken from a photograph that was done when I was 17.

First art of the year from Robin

Welcome to 2012!!!

This is a drawing I did using a grey marker set.
I don't often draw so this was a lot of fun to do.