Thursday, July 28, 2016

Faces in unlikely places


One of the "seeing" assignments I gave my students was to look for "faces in unlikely places," and they came up with some great stuff. It's my only hope that they continue to look, find, and see the humor in discovering faces where no one else would.

The concept has certainly stuck with me, so that in the first photo, THIS DOO look like a face I found on the side of a railroad car in Toledo, Oregon. And the second picture, taken in South Carolina, looks disturbingly like a menacing yet happy dog face, or a clown face (shudder).

So today, as you're out and about, look twice. Something just might be watching you...


©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.


Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Around the island . . .




A recent visit to the marina in Langley gave me a variety of photo possibilities, including this extremely large Dungeness crab caught by an extremely happy fisherman.

Off to the north the sky was overcast and bright, giving me the opportunity to purposely overexpose the shot, keeping the lightness and brightness intact.

Two women began paddling out, unable to see the drama below them. What they missed, and what we were able to see from the dock above, was a huge "herring ball." Millions of herring, their gills showing a bright red, were swirling in a densely packed ball, sometimes splitting apart, but quickly coming back to center. The fish were moving fast, in tandem, seemingly as one large organism.

One of the dock workers told us that "there are two harbor seals in the area that sometimes swoop in for a quick meal, and that's always fun to see."

No seals in sight, the herring ball slowly moved away, and so did we.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

Monday, July 25, 2016

Latest work: "Below Sea Level"

I combined a streak of black ink with a collage made of old papers and then added acrylic paint and brown paper to come up with this abstract image. I like the warm/cool color combination of light brown/blue as well as the little surprising strip of brightness at the bottom.

Friends coming to the island today! Hoo ha!

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Local signage


In my days of stock photography, I trained myself to look for (and photograph) signs. And they sold. Some still do. I've sold a "No Parking" sign I shot in Breckenridge, Colorado a number of times. Same with tsunami evacuation signs I shot in Waldport, Oregon. "No Pets" signs. "No Minors Allowed."

So if a sign seems interesting to me, or humorous, or colorful, I tend to photograph it. It's become a habit.

Here are two I found lately. The "Antiques" sign was in front of a shop in Langley on Whidbey Island. It was a bright, sunny day, so I was looking in the shade for possibilities, and I liked how the light was rather muted, letting the warm colors of the oars and the basket stand out when combined with the greyish blue and green colors of the metal sign and the old wicker. (And look at how everything diagonates from upper right to lower left. Love that.)

And then the "Welcome to the Third Room" is a terrific sign I found inside the Marine Hardware store in Anacortes. We bought a bag of old rusty flanges. And of course you're thinking, "who wouldn't?", right? Chris and I are going to be making some assemblage art and yeah, old rusty flanges will be just the ticket! We shall see...

I should make a large print of this sign and put it on the studio door. "If we don't know what it is or what to do with it, it's in here." Open the door and there I am. With the cat.

Perfect.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Summer pinks




Walking around Whidbey Island these days is fun -- flowers growing everywhere. These four come from Langley, the perfect place to be early in the morning, before the crowds arrive, when it's quiet and, apparently, PINK!

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Latest work: "Wind River Collage"

I'm 2/3 of the way finished with a very large wall installation and this collage is just a tiny bit of it. Working hard, having fun, and will show the final piece in place once it's done.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

Summer flowers



It's summer here on the island and man, there are flowers everywhere! We've got hydrangeas blooming in the front yard. In downtown Coupeville there are geraniums in window boxes. And down a little walkway, also in Coupeville, I found a vase of flowers sitting on a table.

I began in photography by shooting flowers. I'll probably end up with flowers as well -- so hard to resist. So beautiful. So apolitical. Even the orange ones.

 ©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

Friday, July 15, 2016

Latest work: "Prayer Flag Lineup"

Brightly colored prayer flags run across the canvas in this fanciful image. I used photos of my hand-painted papers as well as a painterly effect to create a colorful, breezy look that makes me happy.

 ©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Nautical bits . . .



I recently finished re-reading The Shipping News by Annie Proulx. Each chapter begins with some sort of nautical/maritime information, and is how and where I learned that these coils of boat lines are called "Flemish coils" or "Flemish flakes."

I always thought they were simply aesthetically cool (which they are), but they're actually a practical way to keep lines neat and tidy and flat (hence the "flake") so that people can easily walk on them and not trip.

And how interesting is it that the main character in the book is named "Quoyle?"

Wishing you a day free of tripping hazards . . .

 ©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.



Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Around the island . . .






A very good day yesterday. We went exploring.

For the past year we've looked across the passage into the distance to see a large-ish mountain. Looking at maps, we couldn't quite find it, didn't know what it was, so we just referred to it as the "un-mountain." As in, "Look, there's some snow on the un-mountain."

Turns out what we've been seeing is Mt. Erie off in the distance, and yesterday we drove up to the top. It was high noon, so please forgive the first two awful photos, but they do show you the lay of the land. We live way out there on the horizon line (red star in the second picture).

The views from the top are quite spectacular, stretching from Naval Air Station Whidbey and the coast along the west side of the island, south toward Coupeville, and then the Skagit Valley to the east. This is a prime sunrise location. Prime.

Back down the mountain and then to Anacortes to meander among the boats. "Red" was the theme yesterday, apparently.

Returning home, we saw a regatta taking place in Penn Cove -- 56 sailboats with spinnakers billowing out. I texted my friend Paige, "Sailboats in Penn Cove! Sailboats in the cove!" I get a very laconic "Yep. They were there yesterday, too. Stop by for a beer?"

We detoured to the wharf, but the race was almost over and the boats kind of too far away. No matter. Colorful and fun. Walking back to the car, bumped into Eric, husband of the woman who cuts my hair. He's an excellent photographer, had a longer lens than I (damn!), and had also been shooting the boats. He was off to Oak Harbor to see if he could photograph them arriving at the marina. Meanwhile, there was a beer waiting for us at Paige's house, and that's where we ended our day.

The best part of the day? Sitting quietly on top of a mountain hearing/watching eagles soar above and below us. Watching a raven soar, then suddenly tuck in his wings, flip almost upside-down, chortle, then right himself only to do it again. And again. Having a bird's-eye view of this land where we live.

And then, of course, serendipitously encountering a fellow photographer. And having a beer with Paige wasn't too shabby either!

Wishing you a moment of silence today, as you watch something miraculous right in front of you.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Around the island . . .




A couple days ago Chris and I went exploring, hoping to find some lavender fields we'd heard about. Who knew they were only about 15 minutes away?

The Lavender Wind farm features acres of brilliantly purple lavender fields, a cabana where bundles of lavender are hung up to dry, and a small gift shop where we could buy lavender soap, caramels, bath items, and more.

They also grow catnip on the property, and so we left with a present for Abby -- a small "pillow" of catnip, guaranteed to delight. And it did.

Lavender Wind has a larger shop in downtown Coupeville that we'll have to check out as well, but the fields nearby were spectacular, exceeding our expectations. The purple level is currently a "6" (on a scale of 1-10), so it's just going to get better and better.

Will we go back again soon? We'd be foolish not to.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.



Monday, July 11, 2016

Huh?

What? You mean the bell will just ring? Without a bell to warn me that the bell's gonna ring? Do people in downtown Portland, Oregon really need a sign like this?

There must be a company out there making a bloody fortune creating signs that warn us something is going to happen without warning. Such as . . .

"CAUTION: Refrigerator light will come on without warning."

"WATCH THIS SPACE: Stupid signs will appear with no advance notice."

And if the sign painter is getting paid by the letter . . .

"ATTENTION: Stupid blog posts will suddenly show up for no apparent rhyme nor reason today or any day for that matter. Without warning."

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Consider yourself warned!

Saturday, July 9, 2016

Around the island . . .




We spent a terrific afternoon earlier this week walking around Langley. No particular destination. Just walking. Just looking.

The bright red Dog House Tavern is empty and has been, apparently, since at least 2012. But they still leave the neon light on . . .

Down at the marina, during an EXCEPTIONALLY low tide, little things caught my eye, such as boat lines around a cleat, detail on a brilliantly red boat, and a retro-looking plastic fish below the marina office.

A good day. Wishing you one as well.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

Thursday, July 7, 2016

Latest work: "It All Adds Up"

I photographed the cover of an antique Japanese ledger book as well as some of the pages themselves. Put 'em all in a blender and this happened. I'm solidly pleased with it, so am feeling good at the moment!

It's currently available at my "Asian Influence" gallery at Fine Art America.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.



Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Selfie alert . . .

Can't believe I'm actually using the word "selfie." Sigh. But I was playing around with some camera apps the other day and I like how this one came out -- a combination of apps that makes me look 30 years younger!

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

Monday, July 4, 2016

Happy Independence Day . . .


Life is just a tire swing . . . or is it a boat bumper?

The tire swing was photographed in Brownsville, Oregon back in 2011. The tire hanging off a metal fishing boat in Anacortes, Washington was shot a month ago.

Two old tires. Both put to good use.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

Saturday, July 2, 2016

Point Wilson Lighthouse

Early morning clouds at the Point Wilson Lighthouse, Fort Worden State Park, in Port Townsend, Washington. Nice bit of sunlight coming in from the right.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

Friday, July 1, 2016

Around the yard . . .


Looking out the living room window to the back yard, I'm seeing three Columbian black-tailed deer, enjoying the grass. Actually, they seem to particularly like the dandelion "bases" or "pads" in the grass, keeping them closely cropped, so that although yes, there are dandelions, we rarely see them actually produce flowers and puffs. The three rabbits out there do the same thing. Nice.

That's Antler Boy on the right, Doe-Doe in front, and Dody-Doe back left. Doe-Doe is attracted to Antler Boy, but Dody-Doe won't let her get near him, so next we see Doe-Doe relegated to the front yard, where she mends her broken heart by keeping the fuchsia bushes trimmed.

Do we have a problem with deer/rabbits eating our plants? Not this year. Last year they ate a LOT of the big hydrangea bush out front, and totally decimated the hostas next to the house in back. We have since discovered a product called "Liquid Fence," a foul-smelling concoction that we spray on the plants we want to protect. Deer/rabbits don't like the smell and keep their distance. We can't smell it within minutes of applying the spray, so it's a win-win product.

So this is what it looks like around here at the moment -- deer, rabbits, a lone raccoon the other day, three pairs of California quail, a family of at least two or three juvenile ravens who make a huge ruckus begging to be fed, towhees, juncos, lots of robins, a few Steller jays, nuthatches, brown creepers, northern flickers, a pair of pileated woodpeckers with one youngster, and (to the robins' dismay) occasional barred owls and great horned owls. It's a veritable jungle, and we are loving it.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.