florals

Two exhibits in the Twin Cities area

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My Midwest,Florabundant_StaatsI’m very happy to tell you about two exhibits that I have in the Twin Cities area.  The first is part of a group exhibit at Hudson Hospital in Hudson, Wisconsin.  My collection of photographs is titled “My Midwest.”  This group of images, including the first photograph above from the Boundary Waters in Minnesota, represent the beauty and diversity that I have found while living in the Midwest.  There will be an artists reception at Hudson Hospital this Friday, February 8th from 6:00 to 8:00pm.  You are welcome to come see my work as well as the work of other artists.  My photographs will be at Hudson Hospital through March 17, 2013.

The second exhibit is at St. Barnabas Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Minnesota.  This collection of images is titled “florabundant” and includes the lower photograph of a gaillardia.  These images all celebrate the color, radiance, and wonder that exists in the floral universe.  In contract to our winter landscape which is presently covered in white and devoid of any other colors right now, this collection is filled with the hues and brightness of spring, summer, autumn, and the whites of winter too.  This exhibit runs through the month of February.

Petals of fall

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I’m fortunate to live in close proximity to the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory in Saint Paul.  No matter what season or what the weather’s like outside, there’s always a view of color and warmth at the conservatory.  And as we’re quickly approaching Thanksgiving, the sunken garden is filled with the warm colors of fall – yellows, oranges, and all the shades in between.  As I was photographing here this morning I was reminded of so many things I have to be thankful for:  my eyes, my health, my friends and family, a warm house, plentiful food, and the joy of living a wonderful life.  I hope your week of Thanksgiving gives you pause to appreciate all that you have and the world around you.

A search for color

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Our weather has turned wintry today with falling temperatures and rain and sleet.  I looked around the yard and found it void of color.  But just earlier this week the sedum had turned a beautiful rusty-red.  I don’t usually pay too much attention to the sedum, but each small bud and the deep color reminded me of cranberries (another of my fall favorites).  I am glad to see that I stopped to photograph the sedum before it bore the brunt of the freeze and slap of the cold temps.  Sometime in the near future our landscape will be refreshed in another color – the white of winter.

Bee balm in the fall

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Fall is quickly vanishing across our landscape.  The colors that blazed so brilliantly are now gone.  The leaves that valiantly clung to the tree branches have let go and fallen to the ground.  We’ve been working in our yard and gardens, preparing them for winter.  As I was pulling out plants that were way past their prime I found a stand of bee balm, their flowers having dropped many weeks ago.  I paused for a moment and realized how beautiful this seedhead was — a globe of intricate pieces that wasn’t noticeable during its summer bloom.  Sometimes I feel the need to appreciate those things that are stripped of their original beauty and taken out of the context we’re accustomed to.  Here too was beauty and form, even out of season.

Minnesota State Fair fine art exhibit

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If the calendar is turning to the end of August, it must be state fair time in Minnesota.  Affectionately known as the “Great Minnesota Get Together” the fair begins this Thursday, August 23rd, and runs through Labor Day, September 3rd.  One of the showcases each year is the fine art exhibition — a juried competition of Minnesota artists.  Last year 361 art pieces were accepted into the final exhibit, selected from over 2,500 works.  I’m happy to say that my submission for this year has been accepted into the exhibit.  My photograph is titled “Rain on my tulip window.”  If you’re planning to attend the state fair, be sure to enjoy the Fine Art exhibition.  You’ll have the opportunity to see a collection of wide-ranging art by some of the very best Minnesota artists.