Artistic Photography

We are so very excited to bring a course to you that will enable you to take the image on the right and turn it into a beautiful piece of art.  

My teaching partner Phyllis Grannis, and I will be offering Artistic Photography classes starting in March 2018. 

We have scheduled an introductory meeting on Thursday February 8th at Aroma Roasters in Santa Rosa. We will be talking about our plans to teach an exciting mobile art class using a fantastic app that gives you limitless possibilities to express your creativity  (even if your kindergarten teacher thought you were all thumbs). This is an informal meeting to find out more about you so we can structure the class appropriately.

For those that haven't signed up yet we need to know who is coming so if you want to join us, please go to the contact page and give us your email and we will send you the time.

This meeting is free and there is no obligation. Come meet us, grab a cup of coffee and let’s talk!

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Giving Back-Chin Refugee Ministry

For the second year in a row I have had the pleasure of traveling to Texas to photograph families that are now living here from the country of Burma now known as Myanamar.

These families now reside in Texas.  The Chin Refugee Ministry in Lewisville,  assists the families with all the necessary paperwork for school, medical assistance as well as housing.  Their Mission Statement:   Is to stand with our Chin brothers and sisters in Christ who live in Lewisville, TX. We help establish, equip, and engage the Chin by connecting them with American individuals, families and community resources to help meet their practical, emotional and spiritual needs as they begin a new life in America.

This year we had new families come to get pictures taken as well as some returning families.  It is a special blessing and privilege for me to be able to help with this ministry in some small way.  The families I photograph will now have pictures and memories of their growing family as well as photographs to send back to their relatives that still live in Mynamar.

Saracina's Sunflowers!

We have been waiting and calling it seems like daily.  Asking, "Are the sunflowers up yet?"  Well today WAS the day.  We headed up early in the morning to Hopland, CA, where beautiful Saracina Winery is located.  What started out as a foggy morning here in town proved to be a glorious sunny with amazing clouds by the time we arrived.  One might think oh, these flowers are gorgeous but I was enthralled by the machinery that goes down the rows of vines and grabs the vines, pulls off the clusters of grapes, spits the leaves out back and on a conveyor belt hauls the grapes up and drops them down a chute into the waiting container that takes the to their next leg of adventure of becoming a beautiful Merlot, Cabernet, or other amazing wine.

The sunflowers are aptly named as the head of the flower moves with the sun.  They reminded me of little soldiers out there in the fields.  I have also learned they provide a necessary nutrient to the soggy soil up there in Hopland.  Next year there a plans to have bee hives and to create a butterfly garden.  I cannot wait!  Take a leisurely drive up to Saracina and enjoy the beautiful view of these mountains and these brilliant golden flowers.

You've Been Selected!

Of course I am emotionally attached to every picture I take.  So when you are submitting images for competition one has to learn not to get their feelings hurt if "their" images is not selected.  However, this time I received word that "Foggy Morning at Laguna De Santa Rosa" was selected to be in the NVAL 2014 International Juried Photography Show.  In April there will be an online gallery to view all the brilliant words from people all around the world.  Judging will be in May.  And the additional blessing of this is that my best forever friend lives in Redding so I will get to visit her when I drop off my print.  Woo Hoo!    Take a look at www.nval.org   

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What Time Is It?

When you first walk in it seems so quiet.  Then slowly you realize there is a ticking sound then suddenly

You hear dozens of ticking sounds.  This small place of operation is filled with what appears to be a multitude of clocks.  Every shape and size, each one is unique and beautiful.  Even the ones that are just a shell of their former lives are beautiful.   What is even more interesting to me is the stories that go with each of the clocks he works on.  His name is Cyrus Wind Dancer he is a Horologist.  What he does and even his name is musical.  Cyrus will methodically research as well as restore these beautiful clocks that are from around the world and sometimes hundreds of years old.

For me the stories that go with these clocks make them even more beautiful.  For example some on the front of the glass have reverse painting;  where the detail is done first and then the background last.  If you have an art background you will know exactly what I am talking about.  How many of these clocks run for a week at a time and were only wound on Sunday mornings by either the father or grandfather of the family before they left to attend church.   Cyrus has a network of other craftsmen that are experienced in restoring old glass, and wood finishes that match exactly to the original.  How can this be anything but a labor of love.  Nathan is his legacy in this task.  Cyrus is instructing Nathan in all the  intricacies of this craft.  It was my great pleasure to meet them both and to photograph and to hear some of the amazing stories about some of these beautiful instruments of time keeping.

Oh my, look at the time!  For now I have to run

A Dream Realized!

Happy New Year!  I would love to start this year with a very sweet story about my Grandmother.  She loved to garden and Hydrangeas were her favorite flower.  She had a lifelong dream of traveling to Paris.  She also loved to cook and we could find her often cooking in the kitchen wearing her beautiful blue flowered apron that had a pattern of Hydrangeas on it.  She never realized her dream of going to Paris, however, this February my cousin Gail will be traveling there to fulfill my grandmothers dream of walking through the streets of Paris, visiting the Eiffel Tower and sipping Cappuccino's in the Cafe's along the cobblestoned streets.

The Best Of Plans

Pinterest has amazing ideas for photographers.  I know however, that it can sometimes  take dozens of shots to get just the one we are trying to achieve.  That is what our session today was.  Making sure the little ones are rested and  fed, then attempting to have them sit on a slippery floor with engaging colored lights.  All in all not a bad first attempt.