nancyridenourartist

National Soaring Museum in Elmira, NY

2012-01-29T08:23:00.000-05:00

The welcoming reception to the art exhibit, "Gliding" sponsored by the Arts Council of the Southern Finger Lakes (http://www.earts.org/) was held yesterday at the National Soaring Museum in Elmira, NY. (http://www.soaringmuseum.org/). I had never been to the museum other than to drop off my two pieces of art, but found the display of gliders fascinating. The art show by local artists was focused on the theme of gliding and represented an interesting selection of interpretations of that theme.

For my entries, I chose an osprey that was leaving its nest, which I caught while in Ft. Myers last winter. The other entry was taken from the window of the plane when we were gliding into JFK early one morning at sunrise. For once, the stewardess did not tell me to put away my camera!

In the glider exhibit, I was drawn to the glider used during the war to bring the military into Germany. How did they get the glider out of there again? The other glider that caught my attention was a replica of the Wright Bros. glider. Their actual plane was just a modification of the glider. Such brave souls to fly that instrument!

WW II Glider

Wright model

Pulled the gliders

Osprey leaving the nest in Ft. Myers

Gliding into JFK

nancyridenourartist: Cornell University Mann Library Mushroom Exhibit

2012-01-26T19:27:00.000-05:00

http://events.cornell.edu/event/opening_reception_the_other_side_of_what_mushroom_photography_exhibit

Cornell University Mann Library Mushroom Exhibit

2012-01-26T19:24:00.000-05:00

Tonight was the opening reception for the Mushroom Photography show. A while back, they sent out a request for images of mushrooms in the local area to have in a show at the library. They received the digital images, printed them, mounted them in various sizes, and produced a very pleasing show. It is well worth a trip to the library to see it this month.

I have one image in the show and am pleased with how they printed it. The mushroom was found on the side of the gorge along a trail near the suspension bridge. I used my point and shoot Nikon to capture it.

Enjoy the show!

My image

Charisma Amarylis

2012-01-12T16:19:00.001-05:00

A couple weeks ago, I purchased a large Amarylis bulb at Cayuga Landscape in Ithaca, NY. It was pricier than those at the large box stores and I wondered what the difference would be. Well, to my delight, the larger bulb was much more productive than the cheaper alternatives! Two firm spikes rose from the bulb, with 5 flowers on the first one. The second stalk is a bit behind, but I am sure it will also have several blooms. This is a spectacular flower and unique in coloration. I took several photos in the house with limited lighting, but the results are pleasant.

Several of the images below have been altered by some of the artistic filters of Photoshop. I find the alterations interesting and fun to do.

Hope you enjoy this winter floral display.

Buddha tiles

2012-01-06T08:59:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I produced some designs for porcelain tiles with a Buddha accent. One of my customers had asked for such tiles for a kitchen wall, so I designed several to choose from. Most of the tiles include the lotus flower, which is closely connected to the Buddha.

Many Buddha statues find the Buddha sitting on a lotus flower, since the lotus flower is considered very pure.

I found these Buddhas during travels and at home. Each was taken with my digital camera and transposed to the montage that is now a tile image. I have found Buddhas in the San Francisco Japanese Tea Garden, The Selby garden in Sarasota, Florida, in the yard and home of friends, in my own collection from travels to Thailand and Laos, from a store in Sedona, and from a poster.

These tiles can be produced in the dimensions 4x4, 6x6, and 8x8 and can be used for trivets, coasters, wall hangings, and back splashes in the bathroom or kitchen.

Chicago, 2011

2011-12-30T16:01:00.001-05:00

Can you imagine Chicago in December warm and sunny? This has been a unique year with all the global changes in climate.

I went to Chicago for Christmas and my daughter's birthday. She was born 43 years ago in Bangkok, Thailand and of course we had Thai food to commemorate the connection. On Christmas, we had Chinese food in Chinatown, which was excellent.

My favorite part of the trip, in addition to spending time with Sheryl and helping her celebrate her birthday, was our visit to Millenium Park with the steel "cloud" or "bean" and the new wing of the Art Institute. Here are some photos of both showing some views of the cloud and the many reflections from the city and people who are attracted to the site. The museum is an architectural achievement and houses some lovely artwork as shown here.

There are also some photos here from the Bahai church, which was a beautiful building.

Lee Bontecou

Under the bean

Bean and tourists

Bahai church

Inside Bahai church

City scape from museum

Picasso

Inside the new wing

Chagal windows

Bean

Ithaca Garden Club Holiday Decor

2011-12-07T12:28:00.002-05:00

The Ithaca Garden club decorates one member's home as part of the holiday celebration and income producing event. I was assigned to the master bathroom and chose a team to help me convert the bathroom into a winter lotus pond. We used a lot of natural materials, sprayed silver for one room and gold for another and embellished the scene with locally purchased snow person and skaters.

I think the result is very lovely and the party is this afternoon. Enjoy the images.

Snow person in the shower

Large arrangement in master back

Left side of the Tub area

Lotus pond with skaters and lotus pods

Lotus pond and right hand side of the pool area

Panorama of the pool that was converted to a winter lotus pond

Rochester

2011-11-08T18:22:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, I attended a science teacher's conference in Rochester, NY. The Science Teachers Association of New York was celebrating its 116th conference and met at the convention center along with the two adjoining hotels.

My responsibility was to "man" a booth on "Science matters" which is an electronic network for science teachers to increase the connections for them in professional development and grant writing. It was a good conference and an opportunity to visit with professional friends developed over the past 20 years.

Sunday evening provide a beautiful sunset and I took several images of the buildings and sculptures across the river from the balcony of the convention center. The black specks in the sunset are a flock of birds! Interesting! Very pretty weekend with lovely weather to enjoy during the trip up and back and during the conference.

October in my yard

2011-10-25T16:43:00.000-04:00

Ithaca varies from nasty rainy days to luscious warm ones. Today was one of the latter. After driving to Aurora and back, with glorious colors on each side of the car, I decided to spend some time with the camera in my yard.

There are pictures here of the ever present lotus leaves that are changing rapidly from their robustness to somewhat somber, waiting for decomposition and a new spring. I love the back lighting and venation that shows here.

The grasses are majestic centerpieces of some of the perennial gardens. Their tassels glow in the sun.

Look up and the oak leaves sparkle in the sun. Many have fallen, but the brightest ones are still vibrant at the top.

The seeds of the Bears Claw are bursting, ready to be planted.

Then there is the vining fall clematis that has very fuzzy flowers, with total translucency.

What surprised me most was to find some forsythia in bloom. I have no idea what caused that.

Lastly, there are some colored leaves dotting the azalea. I just noticed that the computer placed the pictures in the reverse order. Ah, something else to learn about.

Enjoy.

Asian Art tour at the Cornell Johnson Art Museum

2011-10-06T15:45:00.001-04:00

Curator Ellen Avril shared her expertise during the "Art for Lunch" today at the Johnson Museum. The 5th floor was renovated this year, providing additional space for much of the collection that had been in storage. It is an amazing resource for studying the art of China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, India, among others. The art objects are well laid out, with meaningful connections from one exhibit to another. The view from the 5th floor on a sunny day is also one of my favorites in Ithaca.

The collection include pottery (one piece was 6,000 years old), scrolls, sculptures, woven goods, and many tomb objects.

Here are some images from inside the exhibit and through the windows of the campus and Cayuga Lake. If you want more information about the museum, visit http://museum.cornell.edu/

Museum facade

Naga and the Buddha

View of Cayuga Lake

Dormitories

Tomb artifacts

Guanjin

Laquerware

Practice caligraphy

Japanese room divider

Picture that generated the Tea Garden

Japanese fisherman made from ivory

Cornell

Chinese porcelain

Puppets

Indian sculpture

Judy's Day at Cornell Plantations

2011-09-18T19:00:00.000-04:00

The sun was warm and children of all ages took part in the Judy's Day celebration at the Cornell Plantations. Judy was a mentor, teacher, and friend of the Plantations and this event honors her many contributions.

Children were taken back in time to experience life as it was without ipods and pads, where life seemed simpler. They learned how to knit, tat, peel applies with a metal peeler, make baskets, move stones with a horse drawn sled, quilt, stuff mattresses, roll candles, and so many other skills. Everyone seemed quietly festive while they lived life for a few hours as our ancestors had done.

Here are some photos taken today.

Cornell Flower Research Field Trip

2011-09-14T18:51:00.000-04:00

The Ithaca Garden Club visited the Cornell Horticulture research facilities on Maple Avenue in Ithaca to learn about the flower research taking place at the site. There were both field plots as well as plastic greenhouses they called tunnels. The structures were named that because they did not have ends on them and allowed air movement. They protect from frost, allowing for a longer growing season.

The plants we viewed today included black berries, raspberries, tomatoes, sunflowers, cosmos, bushes of rose hips, curly willow, very bushy basel, ornamental peppers, and many others. It was an enjoyable tour, topped with some free cut flowers for home arrangements as well as berry picking.

Chris Wien was in charge of the facility and has a web page detailing his research and some findings. Check out http://hort.cals.cornell.edu/cals/hort/research/wienresearch.cfm.

Attached are some photos I took while we visited the facility.

Paradox Paradise

2011-09-12T10:28:00.001-04:00

After my 50th High School Reunion in Niskayuna, I drove up the Northway to Paradox Lake, where my cousin and her husband have a "camp". I have never been to that 4 mile long lake and found it very attractive, private, ecologically protected, yet not totally islolated. I say "camp" since it is a lovely home that can be all seasons, with a gorgeous fireplace and panoramic view of the lake.

The Schroon River had overflowed, which covered their dock and the beach, but it was definitely not severe. NYS is certainly blessed with many lovely retreats, many of which are in the Adirondacks. Here are some of the photos I snapped while there.

Rear focus

2011-09-04T11:23:00.000-04:00

The assignment today from Ithaca Art Mission was to take photos with the rear in focus and the foreground out of focus. I typically do the reverse, but was up to the task. The following are according to the assignment but one is the reverse assignment. Which do you think is more appealing?

Frogs and Lotus in September

2011-09-03T11:04:00.000-04:00

To my surprise, a frog came up from the pond to the garden where there is a pool and fountain. It had to travel about 50 feet and then hop vertically 2 feet to get to the little pool. How cute he/she was balancing on the side of the rubber liner. Here are a few shots before he jumped into the water. So, why did he make that long a trip when the pond is large enough for hundreds of frogs? Who knows.

Then I wandered down to the pond and hundreds of frogs squeaked as they were startled into a leap back into the water. There are still a few lotus in bloom, so I photographed them. Lovely sunny day thus far.

Enjoy the holiday weekend!

Cute Cat

2011-08-30T21:46:00.000-04:00

Lucy is my neighbor's cat, but she spends a lot of time hanging out at my house. What was most intriguing was the fact that she showed up shortly after the disappearance of my daughter's cat, Tiggy, who looked just like Lucy except that Tiggy had long hair.

We enjoyed all the Tiggy antics for 19 years, but she finally became very ill. When I left her outside after rocking her in the hammock, one of her favorite activities, she disappeared. I thought at the time that she had determined enough was enough and never reappeared.

Shortly thereafter, Lucy showed up with many of the friendly antics of Tiggy and definitely the appearance. She is an incredible cat that goes between the two homes and takes the best she can get from them. Here are some pictures taken over the years.

End of the Season Lotus

2011-08-25T17:29:00.000-04:00

The sun has changed its angle, which influences the vitality of the lotus pond. Most of the flowers were in bloom in late July and they outdid themselves. Now, there are very few in bloom and I feel the season coming to an end. I cut two flowers and one pod to photograph inside in front of a black screen. Here are some to enjoy.

Dahlia Delights

2011-08-22T11:16:00.000-04:00

This is dahlia season and I found a lovely specimen in the garden to photograph. Using the 60 mm macro lens with the flower in front of a black background, I photographed these parts of the flower. I think they have potential for the abstract flower image collection. What do you think?

Lazy Days of Summer in Auburn

2011-08-20T16:29:00.000-04:00

It is a day for boats, swimming and relaxing. The sun has that August angle, with a softness not felt earlier in the summer. Many Auburn residents and guests are enjoying the water in a variety of ways as seen here in the pictures.

The park is at the upper end of the lake, unlike what is true in Ithaca. Emerson Park contains the Merry Go Round theater, a beach, and pavilions. There is a paved walkway out along the dredged inlet, which affords a very nice leisurely walk. It is impressive how much has been invested to make this a pleasant recreation site.

Tiles and more tiles!

2011-08-16T23:12:00.002-04:00

I have developed designs for over 40 tiles that can be printed 4x4, 6x6 and 8x8, with a variety of uses. They can be used as trivets, wall hangings, mosaics on trays and tables, and as back splashes for bathrooms and kitchens. Lots of possibilities. Let me know if you are interested in any of these designs.

NYC Montages

2011-08-15T17:34:00.000-04:00

Flowers are lovely, but now and then it is important to work on other subjects for my montages. When I travel to NYC, I take many pictures that can be used at a later date. Here are some to view and react to. Which are your favorites?

Cornell Plantations Botanical Garden Tour

2011-08-09T20:47:00.001-04:00

This evening, I gave a tour of the Botanical Garden for the Cortland Garden Club. With a light mist to start the tour, it ended with a rainbow. The Brian Nevin Welcome Center was closed this evening, but is open during the week other than Mondays.

We toured through the Container Garden, the Ground Cover gardens, talked about the Rhododendron garden that blooms in May, discussed the giant Magnolia that is unique to this climate, then moved into the herb garden with 17 different sub gardens. On to the Young Garden that focuses on plants and our senses and celebrations. We finished in the Winter Garden with its huge millstone. While there, we talked about the Heritage Garden and the Barbara McClintock shed and her research. One hour went quickly!

Here are some photos I took prior to the arrival of the club members.

Lotus after the rain

2011-08-08T14:45:00.000-04:00

The lotus season changes by the day. Many more pods showing and some turning the typical brown. The end of July was probably the peak and now the numbers are diminishing. The quality of the flower remains gorgeous. I picked one, with great difficulty and slipping into the muck, and brought it inside for a photo shoot with the black background.

I do enjoy this approach!

Six Mile Creek Watershed Celebration

2011-08-06T10:00:00.000-04:00

Last night was the opening for the Year in the Life of Six Mile Creek Project. There was music, slide shows, art and the display of the banners I designed for the event. The banners are tightly attached to the light poles along Six Mile Creek behind the Library in Ithaca, NY. This is an extended project that will include hikes up the watershed, poetry, music, and connections with schools and communities.

I would be interested in designing similar banners for other communities, so please let me know if you have any suggestions. The banners here are artistic interpretations of plants that live near the watershed and include the Jack In the Pulpit, Trillium, Marsh Marigold, Hellebore, and Bloodroot.

Also pictured here are creek views behind the Library and other buildings on Green Street in Ithaca, people who gathered for the event, and a map of the watersheds in this area.

Macro on Black

2011-08-01T18:40:00.000-04:00

Each new flower that emerges for the season has potential for photographic artistry, especially with the black background. I think this is a very effective way to show the beauty of the aromatic lily, hydrangea, and the gladiolus. What do you think?

Artists Market in Ithaca

2011-08-01T13:55:00.001-04:00

Last Friday was the Ithaca Artists Market, held at the Farmers Market on the inlet. Over 50 artists shows their work and the attendance seemed very good. My art tiles were a big hit as people envisioned them for hot plates, coasters, trays, mosaics, and back splashes in the kitchen and bath. Lots of possibilities.

The rest of the display here includes framed and unframed photo montages on paper and canvas.

On Saturday, my gardens were part of the Pond Tour in this area sponsored by Totalily in Spencer, NY. Pond enthusiasts wandered through the gardens for 4 hours and also bought some of the artwork on display as shown in the last picture below.

Busy weekend, for sure!

Tiles for many projects

2011-07-26T13:55:00.000-04:00

The first project was to make 6x6 inch tiles for hot plates, wall hangings, and trivets. Then, it seemed a good project to produce 4inch square tiles for coasters and bathroom and kitchen projects. The brochure will not load, but attached are some images of potential mosaics.

Any of my artwork can be converted to attractive tiles that can be used for tables, backsplashes, mosaics, and a variety of other things. Let me know if this interests you.

Garden Glory!

2011-07-26T13:33:00.000-04:00

I can't get enough of the early morning beauty in the garden and the lotus pond. The soft light gently touches the flowers and also provides some nice back lighting. Here is what I took this morning of the lotus and the fragrant lilies. The latter are very aromatic and the scent wafts for many yards to be enjoyed while sitting and contemplating the day.

There was a much needed rain last night and one of the lotus looks a bit wheepy with the moisture.

Lotus, light, lovely early morning photos

2011-07-21T08:44:00.002-04:00

The early light is seductive. Everything has a gentle, soft appearance and is fresh for the new day. In the present heat, it is one of the few times to photograph in the garden.

The lotus are in abundance in the pond and many other flowers are coming into bloom. The aromatic lilies are incredible.

Enjoy the images.

Lotus with black backing

2011-07-13T22:09:00.000-04:00

I seldom cut the lotus flowers, but could not resist with thoughts of testing the black background with the images. There has been a light breeze lately that makes photographs very difficult to achieve. Here are some images taken in two different qualities of light. I really like the black for the drama.

Tiles for tables and walls

2011-07-13T09:20:00.000-04:00

I am producing some ceramic tiles with my photography that can be used as hot plates on the table, hanging picture on the wall, in mosaic trays or tables, and as back splashes on a wall. There is an infinite potential for transferring my floral images to different sized tiles. Some sizes include 4"x4", 6"x6", 8"x8".

Let me know what you think of this venture.

Day Lily Days in Enfield, NY

2011-07-11T08:54:00.000-04:00

The day lilies are gorgeous in the gardens of Ann Rider in Enfield. She has many varieties of cultivars and most are in peak bloom right now. She does have a visitation schedule, which you can obtain from her directly. daylilyann10@yahoo.com

Enjoy a few shots here that I took last evening. The sun was perfect!

First Lotus of the Season

2011-07-09T15:56:00.000-04:00

I have been watching the lotus progress over the last month. First are the flat leaves that mimic those of water lilies. Then the upright leaves emerge that resemble umbrellas with the stem in the middle that allows them to sway in a slight breeze. The bud comes later and starts to enlarge.

This morning, I found 7 in bloom! This is always an exciting time of year, since the lotus is a gorgeous flower and because it is the name for my artistic studio, Lotus Studios.

Here are a few photos to enjoy, along with one of a mini water lily.

Fireworks over Owasco

2011-07-04T10:27:00.000-04:00

With a telephoto and tripod, I tried taking some pictures of the fireworks display produced in Emerson Park on Owasco Lake. Many other displays took place following the "official" display. Here are a few of the shots.

Poppies to Pops!

2011-07-03T16:40:00.000-04:00

Tonight are the fireworks on Owasco Lake, which are always very colorful and entertaining. This year, I will try some pictures, using the sports setting on the Canon Rebel.

While en route, I stopped at the Cornell Plantations and took a few shots of the lovely Poppy. Since the flower that was in bloom was not near the path, I had to reach over the wooden fence to capture a few shots. Perhaps another will be in bloom tomorrow that is closer to the path.

Mr. Toad greeted me as I got out of the car and was very patient for a few shots.

Some sporty folks were riding a jet ski on the lake. Looked like great fun.

Then there are some Day Lilies in bloom, with heads erect and proud to be celebrating the 4th of July!

Enjoy the pix.

Cayuga Nature Photographers and the Cornell Plantations

2011-06-25T14:26:00.001-04:00

Today, the Cayuga Nature Photographers held a photo shooting workshop in the Cornell Plantations as part of a join class in photography. Last Wednesday was an introductory session and next Wednesday will be for follow-up on post processing and sharing images with the group. While helping out, I took some pictures with a Nikon Cool Pix camera. We avoided serious rain and finished the session just before the breezes started interfering with flower stability.

We started at 7 AM, with heavy moisture still on the flowers. Here are photos of a Rhododendron, Hosta (2), the Giant Magnolia (2), Allium, Lilies (2), Poppy, Catalpa flowers, Foxglove, and an iris.

Flowers on a Foggy Day

2011-06-22T12:04:00.002-04:00

The rain was much needed and actually more would be helpful to the thirsty gardens. Photography on a foggy day avoids glare, but requires a higher ISO setting. I used 800 for many of these outside. The waterlilies are more prolific by the day and are beginning to be crowded by the emerging lotus leaves.

If you compare the image of the hibiscus outside and with a black background, both are attractive but the black is more poignant. What do you think?

Father's Day Vintage Car Show

2011-06-19T21:26:00.000-04:00

There were hundred os vintage cars along the shore of Emerson Park, Auburn, today to celebrate Father's Day and the car show. I am not typically a car enthusiast, but had to marvel at the condition of the cars and some memories that streamed back from those good old days. Remember the tray on the side of the car at the drive in? The dice in the window? Each car was incredibly clean, so could not possibly be driven very often.

Anyway, a nice sunny day on Owasco Lake with lots of memories bubbling to the surface. Here are some of the images I took today.

Mallards, Monet, and Soft Sun

2011-06-17T08:53:00.000-04:00

This is a lovely time of year in the Fingerlakes region. The soft sun in the early morning illuminates the best of nature. I went out this morning, following an evening rain. The water lilies were just opening up, the rain water was puddled on the leaves, and the ducks were navigating the vegetation in search of food.

With patience, I was able to photograph the Mallard pair as they exited the pond and headed for the gardens. Handsome male! The pair were not successful in raising a family due to other wildlife, but have remained residents of the pond for now.

The photos here include Echinacea, Water Lilies, resident Mallards, unknown flower, Foxglove, and Hibiscus. I hope you enjoy today's share.

Tiles/Trivets/Back Splash

2011-06-14T12:52:00.000-04:00

I have been experimenting with several designs to be printed on ceramic tiles by a local artisan. Several of another batch of tiles are in the gift shop at the Cornell Plantations visitor center. I will have many tiles with me at the Ithaca Artist Market on July 29th at the Ithaca Farmers' Market.

The tiles are heat resistant, satin in finish, and can be used under hot items or hung on the wall. An excellent use of them would be for a decorative backsplash interspersed with white tiles. The tiles come in 4-6-8 inch squares. Please contact me if this is of interest to you.

Cornell Reunion at the Cornell Plantations

2011-06-12T12:18:00.000-04:00

On Friday, I spent three hours in the Young Garden of the Plantations. This garden focuses on the meaning of flowers, their cultural history, and how they are involved in our lives. The florist motto is "Say it With Flowers", which is an apt description of this garden.

In the garden, there are weather protected books that describe the characteristics and cultural importance of the major flower in bloom at the time.

I welcomed visitors and gave some background to the garden when appropriate. When I offered to photograph a Chinese family, they insisted I be pictured with the mother of the group. It was a nice day and pleasant event.

Here are some pictures I took while "on duty". I especially like the one of the Tulip Tree, which was in full bloom near the patio. Other pictures are of the Lewis Center, the descriptive book in the garden, the elegant iris and the peonies.

Water Lilies and Lotus Leaves

2011-06-11T13:47:00.000-04:00

It is always very exciting to see the emergence of the Lotus Leaves scattered around the pond. The first leaves to emerge are the flat ones that are similar to those of water lilies. The real indication that there will soon be a lotus flower is the upright leaf.

Right now, there are many pink and yellow water lilies decorating the pond, with several small vertical lotus leaves emerging near them. Hope you enjoy these images.

Magnificent Coral Peonies

2011-06-08T09:06:00.000-04:00

My friends in Lansing have an exquisite selection of peonies, both regular and tree peonies. My favorite is the coral peony that is magnificent in display each year. Here are a couple shots from this week, one of which was an unadjusted image while the others were "played with" in Photoshop.

Macro photography of peonies

2011-06-06T10:47:00.000-04:00

I set up a photographic arrangement inside with access to ambient sunlight, using both black and white screens for background. This was one way to avoid the heavy winds this week that prevented outside photography. I used a 60mm macro lens on my Canon Rebel camera. Let me know what you think of this approach.

June 1 Garden Flowers

2011-06-01T15:16:00.001-04:00

After weeks of rain and a soggy backyard, the perennials are coming into bloom. Early! Today, I took pictures of the pink and white peonies, the orange poppies, giant allium, and the blue and purple iris. The pond is encircled by yellow iris that have spread by their own methods of distribution from the original plant. On the surface of the pond are many first leaves of the lotus flowers, which look very similar to water lily leaves, but are too numerous to be the latter.

Hope you enjoy these images.

Rhododendron Collection of the Cornell Plantations

2011-05-27T15:12:00.000-04:00

Let’s take a tour of the Comstock Knoll and the Clement Gray Bowers Rhododendron Collection of the Cornell Plantations. I am a docent for the plantations and want to share a few highlights with you.

About 12,000 years ago the glaciers receded and Fall Creek carved out the surrounding area, leaving the mound that is now the knoll that houses this garden. The knoll is named after John and Anna Comstock, famous professors at Cornell University. John Henry Comstock was a professor of entomology. Anna Botsford Comstock was a professor of nature studies and wrote the Handbook of Nature Study: A Guide to the Variety and Beauty of the Natural Universe in 1911.

Dr. Clement Gray Bowers, considered a world authority on rhododendrons, bred varieties that were suitable for the cold winters in Ithaca. The knoll is a well-drained and sheltered environment that enhances a mixture of shrubs, but the rhododendrons and azaleas are the highlight at this time of year.

All azaleas are considered rhododendrons but not all rhododendrons are considered azaleas. The latter are usually deciduous and the former evergreen. The rhododendrons have 10 stamens per flower and the azaleas have only 5. Check this out on your next visit to the garden.

When visiting the knoll, you can find 302 accessioned plants that represent 123 different classifications of rhododendrons, many of which are hybrids. There are also perennial ground covers and canopy trees. I hope this information encourages you to visit the Cornell Plantations.

Cornell Plantations Grand Opening

2011-05-22T15:33:00.000-04:00

Today was the grand opening for the new visitor's center at the Cornell Plantations. The "green" building has been cited for architectural awards and is very attractive. The Brian Nevin center fits nicely against the Rhododendron Knoll, with wheelchair access to the bottom of the knoll from the second floor of the building.

As a docent for the Plantations, I volunteered to help out today and enjoyed seeing so many people come out to enjoy the new facility.

The Rhododendrons are in excellent bloom and were hybridized to handle this ecological region. Attached are a few images I took with a point and shoot camera, since I did not bring the Canon Rebel with me.

There is always something to enjoy at the Cornell Plantations, with drop in tours on weekends and scheduled events for other times during the season. The Botanical Gardens include the Rhododendron Knoll, the Herb Garden, the Ground Cover Garden, the Young Garden, the Winter Garden, and the Container Garden. Extending outside of the Botanical Gardens are the Arboretum and the Wildflower Gardens, in addition to several other gardens on the main campus.

Check out the website for visitor information and other programs. http://www.cornellplantations.org/

Where is the Lotus Pond?

2011-05-17T11:20:00.000-04:00

The constant rain is great for the gardens and lawns and is quickly filling the Lotus Pond to overflowing. The mist is poetic, but I yearn for the sunny days for photographic moments. While out capturing images of the pond, I also took some shots of the tulips and bleeding heart. Hope you enjoy them. Always interested in your feedback!

Backyard Blues on a Rainy Day

2011-05-15T11:54:00.001-04:00

After a week of luscious sunlight, the forecast is for a week of rain. Actually, the gardens needed the moisture and the plants are sprouting quickly early in the season. Right now, the garden has a blue hue of Forget Me Nots and will continue with this color scheme for about a month with various perennials in bloom.

I also photographed some Bleeding Hearts and the Crab Apple tree. I do prefer the image with some backlight, but there is none of that today.

Montages for an art project

2011-05-12T15:03:00.000-04:00

I just designed some montages for an art project and would like to ask some help in deciding which are the best 5 pieces for a public art show. Please vote soon and let me know since I need to have them printed. Thanks for any help you can give.

Flowering Cactus in May!

2011-05-11T19:54:00.000-04:00

This plant would be absolutely stunning at the holiday season, but blooms in April and May. My friend from Cornell Institute for Biology Teacher Days, Rita, gave me a cutting of this plant a few years ago. Time passes and I do lose track of such events. After rooting the cutting, it was several years before a flower was produced. Well worth it, however!

Right now, there are over 20 magnificent blooms on the plant, each close to 4 inches in length. I took these pictures with a macro lens and tripod during the afternoon light. I think they look delicious!

Montages of Six Mile Creek Plants

2011-05-09T21:10:00.000-04:00

My artistic bent is to play with the digital images to produce montages that are artistically pleasing to me. The process is done in Photoshop, but can be done with any software. It involves extracting portions of a digital image and arranging the portions on the digital canvas in Photoshop.

The Photoshop software is powerful and I feel I have just scratched the surface of the learning curve. I find it rewarding to develop new skills each time I use Photoshop.

Here are some montages I produced from the digital images I took on my walk last week. Would love any response and opinions.

The montages below, in order of presentation, are of Blood Root, Marsh Marigold, Ferns and Skunk Cabbage, Hellebore, Jack in the Pulpit, Skunk Cabbage, and Red Trillium.

Six Mile Creek Watershed

2011-05-05T14:33:00.000-04:00

The Six Mile Creek Watershed in Ithaca has it origins in the Caroline community and reflects much of the glaciation that was prominent in this area. It spans the very rural communities in Caroline to the very urban in the city of Ithaca, where the creek flows behind the library and eventually into the Cayuga Inlet.

I took a walk today to photograph the creek and some wildflowers. After two hours of crawling on the ground to get some good shots, I ran out of digital space and returned home. The photos include two types of ferns with their opening fiddle heads, Dutchman's Breeches, May Apples, and Jack in the Pulpits.

Sunny morning after the rain in Ithaca

2011-05-05T09:13:00.000-04:00

The soft sun lured me out into the garden this morning with macro lens and tripod. I had purchased some tulip bulbs from Aalsmeer market in Amsterdam last year and was anxious to see how they bloomed. The parrot tulips are blooming later than other varieties, but are exquisite. Here are some shots of tulips, a Rhododendron and a White Bleeding Heart.

Ithaca Spring Flowers

2011-05-03T18:24:00.000-04:00

The sun comes to Ithaca only infrequently this spring. When it does, I dash outside with camera and tripod to capture some of the beauty of the emerging flowers. There is a significant difference between bloom time in the heart of the city and at my home on the hill. When I photographed these plants pictured here, it was a bit windy. Wind and macro photography do not work! To save the day, I shot some of the pictures with the sports setting on my Canon Rebel and was able to obtain better focus than in the other settings.

The Center of the Magnolia was taken near BJM elementary school, the Flowering Cherry trees were near Bangs Funeral Home on Green Street, the Magnolias were in front of the Court House on Court Street, and the Tulips were in front of Temple Beth-El on Court Street.

East Shore Festival of The Arts, Lansing, NY

2011-05-02T11:23:00.001-04:00

The Second annual East Shore Festival of The Arts (ESFOTA) will take place at the Lansing Town Hall, 26 Auburn Road, Lansing, New York, with an art opening on Friday, May 13 from 6-9 PM. There will be entertainment and refreshments that evening. The show will remain up until July 18th.

I have the following montages on display at the festival and hope to see many friends from Ithaca at the reception.

Two of the montages were produced from digital images of the cement sculptures at the Cornell Plantations. Those sculptures were designed and produced by architecture students at Cornell ion 1961 as a senior project. I find the sculptures excellent photography subjects during all seasons and lighting.

The lotus montage is one of my favorites with the artistic compilation of flower parts from the lovely lotus flower.

The fourth montage is a street model in New Orleans. Many people making a living as painted characters, this one being of silver tones.

Flower Workshop in NYC with Barbara Bordnick

2011-04-26T19:48:00.000-04:00

I just returned from a very educational workshop under the direction of floral photographer, Barbara Bordnick. We first went to the flower market in lower Manhattan and chose flowers to photograph. Then we learned a great deal about sophisticated lighting with strobes, much of which I do not think I will be able to duplicate. Barbara and her assistants gave instructions on lighting, floral arrangements, and processing of the images for printing. Once again, it is apparent the power of Photoshop!

The flowers photographed included tulips, peonies, poppies, and phalaenopsis orchids.

Here are a selection of the images I photographed this weekend. Please give any comments and suggestions.

Spring Daffodils

2011-04-21T17:50:00.000-04:00

The daffodils, crocus, and scilla are the only flowers brave enough to bloom in this ever changing weather in Ithaca, NY. I took some pictures of the daffodils and made one montage to celebrate the season. Hope you enjoy it.

East Shore Art Festival

2011-04-18T13:53:00.000-04:00

This is the second year for the Art Festival at Lansing Town Hall,

29 Auburn Road, Lansing, New York. There will be submissions from several Ithaca and Lansing Artists, hung in both the town hall and the nearby library.

Mark your calendars for this event, with the opening

Art Opening- Friday May 13, 2011, 6-9 PM

The show closes on July 18th. I have four pieces that will be displayed this year. Hope to see you at the opening.

Ithaca Unitarian Church photography show

2011-04-18T13:25:00.000-04:00

Ithaca Unitarian Church show, Ithaca, NY.

The show in the parlor at the church on the corner of Buffalo and Aurora streets is up until May 26th. On Sundays, entrance to the parlor is available during the church coffee hour, 11:30-12:30, with easy access from Buffalo Street or the garden entrance between the church and the parsonage. During the week, the parsonage is usually open between 9 and 4 and Mark will guide you to the parsonage.

Hope you have a chance to see my work if you are in the Ithaca area. It contains flower and sculpture montages, Cornell montages,some macro photography of flowers, and selection of both canvas and fine art paper prints.

I would definitely appreciate any feedback you would like to share about pieces selected for the show. Also, are there subjects you would like to see as montages?

Spring Wildflowers in Ithaca, NY

2011-04-14T18:32:00.001-04:00

The day was sunny and warm, so I took my Rebel and tripod for a tour of some wildflower gardens. First was a stop at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology trail, with many skunk cabbages emerging under the bridge that spans a swamp. Fortunately, there was nobody to watch me lying on the bridge to take some photos.

Then it was off to the Cornell Mundy wildflower garden, where several wildflowers were in bloom. I found more skunk cabbage as well as Hepatica, trout Lily, and Blood Root. Again, the best view was flat on the ground with a macro lens.

Hope you enjoy the pictures. Please give some feedback.

Spring Tulips

2011-04-03T15:30:00.001-04:00

Last year I had the opportunity to visit Keukenhof in the Netherlands. It had been on my "bucket" list for a long time, but there was never an opportunity to travel to see the tulips while I was teaching. The gardens are extraordinary, with fields and fields of research tulips nearby. I spend three hours photographing as many tulips as possible and fortunately had a sunny day to do it.

My florist grandfather was Dutch and my family has been in the florist family since the 1800's. So, of course I had to go see the tulips!

Here is a tulip montage I made last week.

Free Goldfish!

2011-03-18T15:39:00.001-04:00

Several years ago, I put some "feeder" goldfish into my pond in the back of my yard. To my surprise, they survived the winter and have since proliferated. Each spring, hundreds come to the surface after spending the winter hibernating in the muck. They gulp for air and have produced some bubbles along the surface of the pond. This is always a neat sign of spring and takes place as soon as some of the ice melts.

Right now, there is still ice on most of the lotus pond, but enough space for the fish to congregate. Soon the blue heron will visit for lunch, but there are more fish than the appetite of the heron. Once the lotus sprout in late May and June, the pond is covered with vegetation and the fish are hidden from view. So, the time to enjoy the fish is now.

Anyone with a quick net who lives in Ithaca can come by to catch some. Let me know ahead of time, however.

Art Behind the Scientist at Tompkins County Public Library

2011-03-17T15:12:00.001-04:00

I was invited to have a show and a talk about my art as part of the Art Behind the Scientist series. I look at it equally as science behind the artist. I truly believe that my experience and training in science has contributed greatly to my productivity as an artist. The scientific method has been very important for trying out new techniques and pursuing them in my art. And of course, there is the primary subject of flowers in my first few years of photography. Then there is the digital dissection of the flower pictures to produce the photo montages.

My show is up at the library until April 8th and my powerpoint presentation will take place at the library on March 31st at 6 PM. I hope those of you in the Ithaca area will come and see my show and to come for the talk and reception.

San Francisco Tea Garden

2011-03-15T22:13:00.001-04:00

While taking a tour of San Francisco, I stopped at the lovely Tea Garden tucked into the Golden Gate Park. The garden was gorgeous, with azaleas in bloom, winding trails, secret gardens, ponds with creative rock gardens, and the serenity that takes one away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Hidden in a back pathway was a gorgeous statue of a Buddha. I photographed the Buddha and made a new montage with lotus. Notice that the bronze Buddha is sitting on an open lotus flower.

San Francisco 2011

2011-03-15T21:48:00.000-04:00

As a retired biology teacher, but still active with the New York Science teachers, I attended the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) conference in San Francisco last week. The site was excellent with the hills, cable cars, Golden Gate Bridge, the diversity of people, excellent food, and of course the conference. I took over 300 images and am now trying to decide how to use them in montages. Here is one idea using several layers of extracted buildings.

Florida birds

2011-02-26T16:16:00.000-05:00

While on vacation in Florida, I enjoyed walking in marshes, along the beaches, and in preserves to capture images of various wildlife. The most prominent were the birds, always alert to securing the next meal.

Here are some.

Chile and Argentina Montages

2011-02-26T11:46:00.001-05:00

While traveling with Grand Circle Tours in Chile and Argentina this winter to escape the cold North and to enjoy the South American culture, I took over 1000 digital pictures. Now it is time to do something with those images and I just finished creating some montages from them. They include two from Valparaiso, which is a port city where 17 hills tower over the basin city. They mentioned that it was their San Francisco. The highlight of the trip for me was the visit to the famous poet Pedro Neruda's home on the hill and to see how he was inspired by the incredible views of the city and harbor.

In Buenos Aires, we visited the cemetery that contained Iva Peron's mausoleum. At night, we enjoyed dinner and the Tango, which was an incredible display of talent.

Let me know what you think of these montages.

Florida Birds

2010-12-31T16:04:00.002-05:00

The Florida birds were a delight to view and photograph. Here we have the white egret, the blue heron, and and a pelican taking off after a lunch of fish.

Fast forward

2010-12-28T08:01:00.000-05:00

The sports setting on the Canon Rebel was very handy when photographing some mobile animals during a vacation in Florida. At 10 Thousand Island park, the motorized boat took us out to the islands covered with red, black, and white Mangroves. As the boat moved along, the dolphins swam to the boat for a "free ride" in the wake or in the front of the boat. It appeared to be great fun for them and was definitely entertaining for the passengers.

Osprey nests are numerous near the beaches and many were inhabited by fledglings. Here is a picture of one parent leaving the nest to secure the next meal. The sports setting was also useful for photographing flowers moving in the wind. The wood stork posed for a while, then started walking away. The camera caught the motion without any blur. Great setting to play with!

Sunsets

2010-12-26T19:43:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since I have seen Southern sunsets, so the holiday escape to Florida was a real treat for such viewing and photographing. I vacationed in Ft. Myers and visited the beach as often as possible to capture the sun during its final stages of the day. Here are some of my favorites.

Abstract Cement Sculptures

2010-11-21T11:45:00.000-05:00

The sun was perfect today in Ithaca to photograph the cement sculptures in the sculpture garden of Cornell Plantations. With no leaves on the trees, there was little distraction from the magnificent cement objects. I am continuing to work on a series of abstract montages, which are a distinct diversion from my focus on flowers over the years.

Here is one of the montages I produced today. Would love to have any feedback.

Shagbark Hickory Tree

2010-11-01T09:57:00.000-04:00

This was a submission to a blog on the Cornell Johnson Art Museum website.

Each day, this tree greets me as I view it while walking to pick up the paper or mail. It has grown in its present position for years on the golf course and I cannot remember a time when it was not there.

The tree changes its hue and expression depending on the time of day and season. Right now, the gold leaves are brilliant in the autumn sun and announce the beauty of the season. In the early morning, the sun shines through the leaves from the East and in the afternoon, the glow of the setting sun illuminates both the leaves and the irregular bark.

Each season, the tree is interesting to view. In the winter, the rugged bark is poignant against the harshness of the climate. The many grays of the shagbark denote the sculptural lines along the trunk and branches.

From winter to spring to summer and then to fall, this tree has been a visual reminder of both change and consistency.

Artistic lotus pods

2010-10-07T18:13:00.000-04:00

There are many ways to use the lotus in artwork in addition to photography. I made cement molds from the leaves and use them as stepping stones, garden decor, water fountains, and bird feeders. The pods can be used for swatches for the door, arrangements, and holiday wreathes. With a bit of spray paint, you can transform the pod into a very crafty object. The attached photo shows me at a garden club event with my silver sprayed lotus pods arranged among Artemesia.

End of the season

2010-10-04T16:10:00.000-04:00

Even the lotus leaves turn color at the end of the season. They lose their chlorophyll and the yellows and browns in the leaves show through. Eventually, the leaves shrivel and die and fall into the water to decompose. With the amount of leaves in the pond, one would think that the pond would fill with decomposed matter. Fortunately, the process does not quickly change the pond and the spring will bring renewed growth. It has been a gorgeous season with about 500 lotus blooms decorating the pond for 2 months.

Another cement abstraction

2010-09-22T14:04:00.000-04:00

I made several versions of the cement sculptures before I settled on this one to submit to the State of the Art Gallery for a show in October. I am on the Greater Ithaca Art Trail open weekends in October in Ithaca, NY and the gallery show is intended to help advertise the trail and its artists.

Would love any feedback. This one was printed on canvas, 20 x 30 inches.

Abstractions in the Cornell Sculpture Garden

2010-09-06T08:18:00.000-04:00

One of the architecture student projects in the '60s was to produce massive cement sculptures. Nobody wanted them to be placed on the central campus, so the decision was made to put them in a remote area of the Cornell Plantations. At that time, the area was agrarian. In the '80s, the managed area of the Plantations expanded and the sculptures are now part of a large sculpture garden in the arboretum.

I find the sculptures very photogenic during all seasons and all angles of light. The warm morning and afternoon light, however, give the best hues on the cement.

As a project for an upcoming art show, I chose to produce an abstraction from some of the pieces. What do you think? Would love to have some feedback! Thanks.

Morning Glory Montage

2010-08-30T19:31:00.000-04:00

After a busy day of taking photos and running errands, I sat down and produced this montage, using manipulative tools in Photoshop. How do you like it? Would love any feedback.

Magnificent Morning Glories

2010-08-30T11:58:00.001-04:00

This is the time of year to enjoy Morning Glories in Central New York. Friends of mine have them growing on the side of a barn, along with some very pretty Diplodenia. The sun was perfect for some late morning photography. Attached are two images. Next time, I will pack my tripod!

"Magic Beans"

2010-08-27T09:51:00.000-04:00

My daughter and I refer to these beans as the Magic Beans, because of their magical qualities. The Hyacinth Bean Vine, Ruby Moon, twists its way up any support system and looks especially interesting twisted around my copper sculptures. This photo was taken after a two day rain, which we desperately needed, with the water drops still clinging to the vine. The bean grows well in sunny locations and has flowered much of the summer. I usually save the bean seeds to replant another year.

Playful Photoshop

2010-08-12T18:35:00.000-04:00

Much of my artwork involves some manipulation in Photoship to extract parts of flowers and then to produce montages. There are so many functions in Photoshop that I have not begun to explore, but started playing with some of the artistic filters the other day. I chose one of my lotus pictures and then applied some different filters. I like the result and hope others do too. This is yet another approach to digital photography. Would love any comments and feedback.