Being an Artist

To paint is to love again. It’s only when we look with eyes of love that we see as the painter sees. His is a love, moreover, which is free of possessiveness. What the painter sees he is duty-bound to share. Usually he makes us see and feel what ordinarily we ignore or are immune to. His manner of approaching the world tells us, in effect, that nothing is vile or hideous, nothing is stale, flat and unpalatable unless it be our own power of vision. To see is not merely to look. One must look-see. See into and around. — Henry Miller, To Paint Is to Love Again

Great quote, via Brain Pickings go there for more on Henry Miller’s thoughts on observation and being an artist

I turn to painting when I can no longer write. Painting refreshes and restores me; it enables me to forget that I am temporarily unable to write. So I paint while the reservoir replenishes itself. — Henry Miller

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End of the Day

It was a long very busy and tiring day at work and I was looking forward to getting home and having a dinner I’d started yesterday. I ended up stopping along Brookview Road to take a better look at these clouds, but I stayed for the sunset.

These clouds were what I was watching. More photos here on Flickr.

I watched this sunset for quite awhile. Looking west toward the Hudson.

Love these colors:

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Challenge on Nature Day 6

I’ve been doing this Facebook meme – #challengeonnature. It’s fun following the hashtag back to see what other photos are being posted and from what other areas in the world. It’s also been fun for me, giving an excuse to rummage through some very old photos and remembering other projects and ideas. Day 6 photo is from the archives of 2010, on a day when the NYTimes asked people all over the world to submit one photo taken about the same time. These weren’t my submissions but they were taken on the same outing I did looking for my shot.

and a bonus:

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Challenge on Nature – the yearly edition

In the “evil never wins” camp is also “winter eventually ends”.

I went out to put all my reusable shopping bags back in the car and noticed a bunch of this sort of thing going on.

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Where are we and Where are we going?

Two great quotes found in Jon Katz’s blog, Bedlam Farm:

It may be that when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work and when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey. The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings. — Wendell Berry

– – – – –

If you can see your path laid out in front of you step by step, you know it’s not your path. Your own path you make with every step you take. That’s why it’s your path. — Joseph Campbell

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