Andei is BloGGin!

Check out my daughter Andei’s Photographic Blog. It showcases some great photographs of her time in Sicily.

She has a unique personal vision as an image maker – notice how she photographically explores and investigates her subject matter using a variety of creative vantage points, angles and perspectives. Keep shooting Andei! Click Here for Andei’s Blog – tell her what you think of her photographs.

Here are a few of here photos…..

On Family…..

My daughter Andei just sent me some photographs of her in Sicily. Anyone who follows my Blog knows she has lived there with her Mom and Step-Dad for over a year now. I would also be lying if I said I didn’t miss her terribly. Thanks to technology I communicate to her almost daily via Instant Messenger and call her at least once per week.

Families have evolved and changed dramatically over the past 50 years. This has become very evident to me as I compile my second blurb book for my mother’s 78th birthday present.

I’ve gained great insight into my family researching this book for my dear old Mother and contacting friends and family all over the country to contribute to it. Not only have I learned about my family, I also am getting a glimpse into just how much things have changed in my lifetime.

My mother is only a little more that 20 years older than me, but her childhood growing up in the 30’s and 40’s was incredibly different than mine growing up in the 60’s and 70’s on Long Island.

My parents are still together and most couples from that generation did stick it out even if their marriages were troubled. I on the other hand have been married three times (yes three) and been single now for eight years and counting. The one thing I’ve noticed researching this book project is the incredible love we as family share for one another.

We may not see certain family members for many years at a time, but the love is still there and that is what these two very different generations have in common. My daughter Andei left North Carolina to move away with her newly married Mother over three years ago. It hasn’t been easy for either of us, yet our love for one another has not dwindled because of the time we are separated or distance there is between us.

I left home to go in the Army right after college and have not been back to New York to live since 1975. Thirty eight years ago. I only see my folks once per year and sometimes not even that much, BUT we still have a great and loving relationship. So time and distance are not huge factors when it comes to family relationships if the foundation for the relationship has been nurtured and built during the early years.

I am absolutely amazed at the outpouring of love our extended family (and her friends) have shown to my mother as I organize and compile this memory book for her upcoming birthday. I could only hope that I impact half the amount of people my mother has in her lifetime. Catherine Keough touched people by her genuine and sincere love and compassion she has for the people that cross her path on this journey through life.

Isn’t that what its really about? She never finished High School and never held a career position although she did work for many years. She stayed married to the same guy for almost 60 years, raised four children and has always put her family in front of herself.

Yes…things may be very different in 2008 from those days my mother grew up in, but there are certainly things to be learned from the generations that came before us – I think we can easily lose sight of this because of the constant demands placed on us in this fast paced, technologically saturated – commercialized society.

Life doesn’t have to be overly complex if we learn to put others first like my Mom. That sounds so easy doesn’t it? Why is it so difficult? I admit that I struggle with this yet the older I get the more aware I am of how life is NOT about me – it’s about others. It about nurturing relationships, its about family, friends and faith– not me.

I’m blessed in so many ways even though I miss my daughter and wish I had done some things differently in my past. Sure…I could have been a much better husband than I was – a better father and a better son to my parents. Weird how we figure this stuff out when we get older and life has beaten us up and jerked us around.

It’s about the LOVE. What more needs to be said? Thanks Mom for helping me realize this through your example.

Final Page of Mom’s Memory Book

We are ALL Artists in our Own Way

I have absolutely no idea WHY I’m driven to express myself – my innermost thoughts and feelings about the world we live in, and my place in it through writing, photography, mixed media and the occasional painting. It’s like I have this empty void inside me that has to be filled via some medium for self expression. I have this constant desire to put pen to paper, camera to my eye and brush to canvas.

Weird thing is, I really don’t know WHY I have this constant itch to communicate through my writing, photography and art. Life would feel incomplete if I didn’t write, photograph and create in some way. It’s something deep down inside of me that screams (begs) to come out – emerge from my innermost being – that artist within me. I can’t keep it from surfacing nor hold it back – it takes on a life of its own and I have to just go with it when that creative tsunami takes hold. I’m not alone though…I’m in good company because artists through the ages like Giotto, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Picasso, Matisse and Jackson Pollock were also driven to express themselves through art too.

Van Gogh Painting Sunflowers

Jackson Pollock “Jack the Dripper” Action Painting

Pablo Picasso

We are all artists to some extent – everyone wants to leave their mark and/or communicate (express themselves) in some way. It may be through cooking, gardening, painting, writing, scrap booking, pottery, sewing or even home brewing. I can’t imagine not writing, photographing or even blogging for any long period of time. It’s who I am and what I do as a creative being. The creative process challenges me every waking moment because I have to carve TIME around my real “paying” job to do what I love and that is expressing myself through some type of art form. It doesn’t really matter if it is composing an interesting photograph, writing in my journal or blog or working on a new mixed media piece. Its in the conceptual and creative process that feeds and nurtures the artist within me. It’s in the creative journey that brings me joy, not so much the finished work hanging on a wall or published in a book.

What feeds you? What nurtures your creative spirit? I’m interested to know.

Changing MY Attitude – Trying Anyway….

I must admit I was extremely disappointed and even a bit angry yesterday when my daughter Andei mentioned during one of our instant messaging sessions that her visit would be delayed possibly into September. I haven’t seen her in seven months and was really looking forward to spending some of my time off between semesters with her.

Yes…I miss my daughter and there is nothing wrong with that in my opinion. I’m not going to go into details concerning the WHY behind her not coming back from Sicily next month – that’s not the main point of this blog post. It is the catalyst for it. It has to do with the Navy dragging there feet with her Step-Dad’s retirement and orders to be discharged and come back to the states with his family. I can understand this and its a viable excuse. Plane fare is extremely expensive right now from Europe and putting Andei on a plane to see me would be costly especially when the military will fly her back for free hopefully later in August or September.

Andei’s self portrait underwater

With that said…Everyone is faced with disappointments on this journey through life. That’s a fact. What’s taken me so long to figure out is – its the way we handle the set-backs and disappointments that come our way – our attitude about them and how we react to them. Two years ago I would have been really upset about my daughter’s visit being delayed and probably would have made a big stink about it with her Mom. I no longer want to live my life like that – filled with angst, anger and anxiety.

Lately (see previous blog posts) I’ve yearned to travel, possibly get back to Ireland or retire and move to Wilmington – get out of this little coastal town that I’ve lived in for 22 + years. The news I got about Andei yesterday made me sit down and realize just how lucky (blessed) I am in so many ways. Sure I miss Andei and she knows that. I can still talk with her on the phone, chat with her on IM and communicate through e-mail as well. At 55 years old it’s finally starting to sink in to me that I must appreciate what I do have. Instead of yearning to go back to Ireland I can be enjoying my beautiful home overlooking the water here in Morehead City. Appreciate that I have my health and great friends and a wonderful and supportive family. I think its just a matter of realigning ones attitude. What good does it do for me to be bent our of shape about my daughter’s visit being postponed a month? I still have a few more years of work before I can retire. Why look forward to retirement? I can be enjoying the challenges of my teaching and administrative job up the road at the college. Yes…it is about ATTITUDE. We can chose HOW we react to the set-backs (crosses) that come our way.

I came across these thoughts on attitude –

it says it as good or better than I can!

It’s difficult to truly live in the moment. To be “present” and not constantly be looking to the past or thinking about what the future may hold. All we really have is the present. I’m sitting outside in my yard typing away with the breeze from the water keeping the mosquitoes at bay. Even though I’ve carried my fair share of crosses since leaving New York for the Army 35+ years ago. I must admit though, that things always seemed to work out in the end. Its just a matter of trusting in God. We really don’t have that much control over our lives and destiny – sure we can work at making good choices and decisions for ourselves, but in the long run we really don’t know what that next challenge is going to be.

There is apparently a reason Andei isn’t coming in August. Sure…I am disappointed but it is not the end of the world and I will continue communicating with her until she does come to see me. I look around me – so many people I know must struggle with all kinds of problems and issues that are stressful and difficult for them. My little problems are nothing compared to some people and when I look at the bigger picture – people in other parts of the world – my God, I have it made living in the great FREE country of ours.

Bark and Vines 7/08

I guess it goes back to the little saying….”take time to smell the roses” – as an artist and image maker I do savor the little things around me like the way light activates a flower or the texture and colors in a vine growing up a tree. My last blog post was about learning to SEE and I suppose this one is about developing a better ATTITUDE. Put them both together…get your heart and mind aligned and life can be more pleasant for everyone.

Weathered Tree in the Marsh, 7/08

Learning to SEE as an ArTist and Image Maker

I teach my Photographic Portfolio class every summer and always find myself preaching to my students about developing a personal style in photography and giving them some strategies for developing and nurturing their creative “personal” vision. I also enjoy that I get to go out photographing with them on photographic field trips. One thing that I continue to realize as I make photographs and teach photography. You DON’T have to travel far to find and make dynamic, unique and creative images. They are to be found all around us – it’s just a matter of developing a heightened awareness – a sensitivity to the world around us and learn to look beyond the mundane external subjects  breaking them down into basic lines, forms, colors, values and textures. To abstract (frame) these commonplace external references into new and visually interesting compositions. Its all about learning to SEE. The great photographer (and mentor to Ansel Adams) Edward Weston said it best when he critiqued young and upcoming photographers work. He would say “GOOD SEEING” . Not everyone has this talent, however with practice it can be developed in anyone.

I’m talking about photography here, however these techniques can be applied to any art form. True artists see differently than most people. I’m not putting artists on a pedestal or anything – just making a personal observation based on my experience and research from 25 years of teaching art history and photography. I continue to be amazed how you can frame a subject and with the right LIGHT, ANGLE and VANTAGE POINT capture something very special that goes beyond what I call “snapshot mode”. Light activates subject matter and can take a relatively mundane “commonplace” subject and make it truly expressive and unique.

Flowers in my Front Yard Activated by Setting Sun 7/08

I believe creativity has many levels (layers) to it. The more one makes art (photographs) the artist/image maker learns to explore and break into deeper levels of the creative process. First its a matter of training yourself to become more visual aware (sensitive) to the world around you. Then once this sensitivity is developed you learn to EXTRACT the visual elements of design out of the subjects you are exploring in your art. Now the artist is starting to scratch into the surface of the creative process, BUT don’t stop there!

Old Fishing Net and Tire in the Weeds – MC Boatyard 7/08

The next challenge for the artist / image maker is to add (incorporate) his/her personal vision (artistic sensibility/style) into the image. This I believe is our true challenge as artists / photographers. Many people can take a pretty, nicely composed photograph. Not everyone can connect with the viewer on an emotional / intellectual level where that viewer can literally feel what that photographer was feeling / experiencing at the moment the image was framed and captured.

Boat Hull Abstraction 7/08

This is what I strive to accomplish in my photographs.  I’m well aware that I don’t always hit the mark. In fact, these magical moments are few and far between. I do believe it’s possible and that’s what separates the good photographers / artists from the great. I mean look at Van Gogh or Caravaggio. They certainly were able to tap into the human heart and address a wide range of emotions that communicated and laid bare the “human condition” in their highly expressive paintings. I want to do the same thing in my pictures and this is possible without having to travel to far away “exotic” locations. Some of the best images can be found in ones own yard. It’s just a matter of teaching your self to SEE!

Wheat field with Crows by Van Gogh

Lilly’s in Late Afternoon Light 7/08

Rusted Boat Supports MC Boat Yard 7/08

You can check out more of my latest photographic abstractions on the KeO Photo Gallery Link of this Blog – I just updated it with more images – scroll down for the latest Boat Yard Abstractions.