The Hand of Peace
One of these days, I will return to posting photographic images. For now, though, I want to add another piece of art created by my wife, Bridget.
Looking through various sketches, I came across this gem, and really liked the color and variety of doodles on the hand — from peace symbols to hearts to smiley faces to…Fred Flintstone. This work is a real throwback to the Flower Power era of the 70’s.
Girl in the Big Hat
Spring is a season of birth, renewal, and color, exemplified in the artwork created by the talented Bridget Gaynor.
Melancholia
Sketch by my wife, Bridget, a la Lichtenstein.
Pink Flamingo
Faces in the crowd prepare for the upcoming race while some focus on the artistic pink silks worn by the jockey.
Photo taken at Arlington Park.
Intertwined
Holding hands and amazed at the blessing of having each other — mother and daughter.
Relic of the Past
Hats are such an uncommon sight in this era that when seen, they tend to garner immediate attention. Wrapped in striking form, texture, and detail, hats evoke an atmosphere of individuality and artistic expression.
We should all wear hats — at least, occasionally.
Photo captured at Arlington Park Race Track.
Roadside Glory
A stunning display of poppies and wildflowers found on a roadside in Batavia, Illinois.
On the Ledge
Perched high on the ledge, friends absorb nature’s beauty.
Photo taken near Sedona, Arizona.
Once Blue
Like life itself, the once blue door has yielded to the inexorable path of time and the elements, exposing its true colors.
Photo taken in Jerome, Arizona.
Artistic Jerome
Once a thriving copper mining town turned ghost town, Jerome Arizona sits 5,200 feet high, traversed by a heart-thumping two lane road. In days gone by, Jerome was a hotbed of commerce, prostitution, gambling and vice, prompting the New York Sun in 1903 to herald Jerome as the “wickedest town in the West.”
Today, Jerome has transformed its aesthetic beauty into a thriving arts community of approximately 400 residents.
With the help of Corel, here is my rendering of the unique community.
Pillars of Light
Under the right conditions, even notoriously banal strip malls can provide the proper venue for showcasing light and patterns.
Photo captured in Arizona.
Family Reflections
He sits in the chair staring at his long departed mother’s antique mirror, reflecting on 82 years of memories — mostly good, some great, and some heartbreaking. But they are all his memories.
Photo of my father taken in May 2012.
Sauntering in the Shadows
Under the trees and through the shade a coyote emerges, flashing a menacing sideways glance at the unexpected photographer.
Photo captured in Sun City West, Arizona.
Tones of the Escarpment
The Mogollon Rim in Arizona offers a beautiful transition of limestone and sandstone cliffs, featuring distinct shapes and colors.
Photo taken south of Sedona, Arizona.
Doc, The Wandering Cowboy
Unique character encountered on the streets of Sedona, Arizona.
Chicago Meets Sedona
The urban cowboy in the Chicago cap is oblivious to the gunslinger next to him.
Photo taken in Sedona, Arizona.
Rebel With A Cause
On the face of it, the capture is rather simple — a young man walking in the city. On further inspection, though, I find the image more complex and moody.
In this nondescript urban setting, clumps of leaves litter two benches in a “park”, sans grass. Garbage bins stand guard nearby. The man strikes a James Dean pose as he pulls on a cigarette, collar up on the jacket. He walks with a confident gait, seemingly assured of his destination.
But what is the ultimate destination?
The subway wall truncates the eastern access, leaving the grungy alleyway as the sole means of passage. Security pillars and bars on the wall provide an additional atmosphere of incarceration. Is he entering the inescapable walls of the city, meandering to a destination, or attempting to flee?
Photo captured on Chicago’s North Side. Thoughts welcomed.
Closed and Stolen
The barber shop is closed, the flowers are missing (again), and the rain continues — it’s a rough day on the street.
Photo taken in Joliet, Illinois.
Stirring Our Emotions
Music is inextricably tied to our humanity. It moves us, arouses our senses, and heightens our emotions.
Music is art.
Photo from a recent show by The Hominids.
Lily Luminance
Beautiful water lilies open to capture the sun’s rays. Photo captured at Chicago Botanic Garden.
Expressions of the City
Buildings dot the urbanscape in this abstract interpretation of the city at twilight.
Photo captured on Chicago’s lakefront and processed in Corel. Original photo is here.
The Light Beckons
As the late afternoon sun falls, she travels the empty fields in search of the light.
Photo captured in San Antonio, Texas and processed in Corel.
McGee & Monet
When we think of our beloved pets, particularly those who have departed, most of us will conjure a favorite visual image (or two) permanently seared in our brain. For me, the image is of a late December afternoon, when the low San Antonio sun soaked the fields and intensified the majestic colors. I will never forget my amazement that nature could create such a beautiful palette of light, shadows, and color.
McGee sat patiently in those fields — a rare occurrence — as if she, too, were absorbing nature’s artistry. I thought at the time that this was a “Monet moment” when natural beauty and canine companionship coalesce to form an unforgettable image.
To preserve and enhance my memory, I have given the original capture an impressionistic flair. Although both have passed on, McGee and Monet remain two of my very favorites and they have forged an inexorable bond.
Bucolic Bliss
The afternoon sun spotlights the tones of the countryside.
Photo taken near Kaneville, Illinois and processed in Corel.
Dead End
Life on a quiet country road.
Photo captured in Maple Park, Illinois.
In Memory of Levon
The drums have fallen silent with the passing of the great Levon Helm.
Wandering in Style
A red kimono and yellow umbrella enhance nature’s already beautiful path.
Photo captured at Cantigny Park in Wheaton, Illinois and processed in Corel.
Alfresco Dining
Tables and chairs are readied for alfresco dining, denoting a return to the sights and colors of spring.
Photo captured in La Grange, Illinois.
Simple Pleasures
A lone dandelion puffball captures the sun’s evening rays.
Low Sky in the Country
Low blue clouds present a faux mountainous backdrop on the notoriously flat prairie, framing two trees in the fields.
Turbulent Times
By August 1943, World War II was well underway. Families were separated and the future was unknown. In this turbulence, my father was a thirteen year old, too young to fight, but too old not to be affected by the prevailing circumstances.
With the eldest brother away at war, his young bride clings to the two remaining brothers while resting atop her new car, perhaps a necessary diversion of the serious state of affairs and a symbol of a brighter future ahead. My teen-aged dad (standing) and his middle brother (my uncle) flank their sister-in-law.
One can only imagine the full range of emotions experienced that summer day, but photography, thankfully, allows a glimpse into one family’s story.
No Minimum Age
An appreciation for nature can begin early. The toddler absorbs the sensory feast at Cantigny Park gardens in Wheaton, Illinois.
Come, Sit a Spell
A colorful tulip invasion at the gardens of Cantigny Park in Wheaton, Illinois.
Desolation Road
Peaks, valleys, and occasional desolation — life itself.
A Comedian Until the End
Without humor, we have nothing.
Photo taken at St. James of the Sag Church and Cemetery in Lemont, Illinois.
A Blue Moon
The luminescent moon gleams in front of the wispy tree branches.
Photo captured in Chicago and processed in Corel.
Hope Springs Eternal
Spring is a period of rebirth, renewal, and redemption, where Chicago baseball fans bury the past and dream of the future. Play Ball!
Morning Light
Welcome to a new morning where light and shadows paint an original portrait.
The Flying Quintet
Canada geese head out in the early morning hours.
Photo captured in Geneva, Illinois.
A Barn For All Seasons
Seasons change, but the message remains. On a blanket of snow, the lone sheep seems to be reading the proclamation that “Jesus is the Answer.” Rustic barn located in Big Rock, Illinois.
Iced Cold Pepsi
Enter the Industrial age and enjoy a naturally cold Pepsi along with a snow tire.
In Search Of
She prowls the alley, in search of…
Break in the Landscape
Winter has departed, but the remnants remain lodged in the memory. Here, a singular bare tree offers stark contrast among the white, snowy landscape.
Shadow Dancing
Light and shadows dance underneath the arches at Mission San Jose in San Antonio, Texas. San Jose Mission was originally founded in 1720, shortly after the founding of the Alamo in 1718.
Disappearing Dreams of Yesterday
The lonely bell is silent now, but it has observed countless memories over its long life. Constructed as a one-room schoolhouse in 1910, Palisades School survives, albeit under a new name and expanded footprint.
And, oh yes, it also served as the first meeting place of two students (the author included) who would meet in 3rd grade and, certainly unbeknownst at the time, marry 27 years later.
Through it all, I can’t help but conjure lyrics from Kris Kristofferson’s Sunday Morning Coming Down:
Then I headed back for home,
And somewhere far away a lonely bell was ringin’.
And it echoed through the canyons,
Like the disappearing dreams of yesterday.
Reflections of Life
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”
~ Soren Kierkegaard
Two Lives, Two Stories
Different journeys intersect on the city street.
Photo captured in La Grange, Illinois.
Shell of Dreams
Baseball — where dreams can flourish or die hard.
Photo taken at Palisades Park in Burr Ridge, Illinois.
Triangle of Hay
The old barn stands guard over the triangle of hay on a winter day.
Photo captured in Somonauk, Illinois.
Wagon Wheel & Wreath
A rustic wagon wheel is propped up against a slightly ajar barn door, while the holiday wreath hangs proudly overhead.
Photo captured near Maple Park, Illinois.
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