Monday Moods: Hopeful for the Future

**

Saturday afternoon was the opening of the latest community art show. My co-chair had a schedule conflict so I was solo in hosting the opening reception and it was great fun. The theme is 250 Years of Red White and Blue. Some took this literally and included red, white and blue in their art, others interpreted this to mean things that celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. 

Many of the contributors talked about their work, I spoke for those who were not there. Everyone was brief, we moved through at a nice pace. 

One that I described is a photo of a car with political bumper stickers on the back of it. Why would we include that image? Well, what is more American than expressing our political opinions? The contributor explained in her submission, that she had parked at a shopping center and came out to find a note on her car, disagreeing with her political bumper stickers, and I have to think "what is more American than disagreeing with politics?" We can have differing points of view, we can express our political views, we don't have to agree - except to agree that others are allowed to have their views. When I said this in the reception, everyone across the political spectrum nodded and expressed agreement. This country was founded on political and economic differences. *

There is a four canvas mixed media work talking about the struggle for women's rights.  A really neat piece. 

I challenge our neighbors to be creative. The next show goes up in early August on a theme of "Explosion of Color." I urged those at the reception, if you don't have something for this show, you have a month to create something. Go for it. 

* A struggle on total freedom of thought, is at what point do we limit hate speech? And how do we keep those limits from becoming tyranny? 

** The sculpture above. The artist has a studio in the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, they meticulously cut layer after layer of fiberboard to form the shape, then paint the work in amazing colors. I should take a sculpture class someday. 

The Sunday Five: Tell Us About Yourself

1: Where do you hope to travel to in the next year? 

2: Is there a trip you keep putting off, that you know you really should take? 

3: What bloger(s) would you you like to have lunch with? 

4: What is your favorite way to travel? 

5: When I am in your area, should I make plans ahead, or just drop by? 

My answers: 

1: Where do you hope to travel to in the next year? Alaska. 

2: Is there a trip you keep putting off, that you know you really should take? A friends and family trip to Florida. 

3: What bloger(s) would you you like to have lunch with? Michael, Mitchell, John, Bob, Mistress, Sharon, Angus, Neil, Steve, Diane, Ken, Walt, I have probably left a few out. 

4: What is your favorite way to travel? Often, I enjoy flying, by ship, by train, driving needs to be in short intervals. 

5: When I am in your area, should I make plans ahead, or just drop by? Always plan ahead. 

Please share your answers in the comments. 

The Saturday Morning Post: The Gallery of Unmade Art

 We all have it, a gallery of ideas, of art we wanted to create, and just didn't. Some of the unmade art would have been brilliant, the best we ever made. It would have communicated a message, expressed our feelings, moved other to laughter or tears. Some of it would have been unremarkable. Some of it may have not worked. But we will never know, because we didn't create it, we didn't make it. 

Life gets in the way. Work, family, health, resources; we have more excuses than the art store has colors of paint. There is an old saying that excuses are like assholes, we all have one, and most of them stink. Fears and insecurities get our way. We don't start because we are unsure we know what we are doing. We don't start because we are afraid of the outcome. And we will never know, until we overcome all of this and start. It is time to not let excuses and fears get in the way. 

Inside each of us is a brilliant creative spirit, we need to let it free. Pick up a pencil, a pen, squirt some paint out and grab a brush, frame the photo with a camera or phone, go boldly into the kitchen and play with our food, open a blank document or blog post and start putting ideas on paper. At the end of the week, the month, the year, the end of our life, we want to look back a gallery filled with what we created, what we made, not an empty gallery of excuses, fears and regrets. 

Freestyle Friday: Travel Tips

I was once dropped off at the wrong hotel, by a London Taxi driver. London Taxi drivers are world famous for their knowledge of the city. They have pass a detailed test to become licensed to drive in the city, and there I was at the wrong hotel, actually on the wrong side of the River. And it was at least in part, my fault. The hotel I was going to was relatively new, and I didn't have the address handy when I got into the taxi. I have struggled several times with take me to Hilton, only to be asked which Hilton, there are three of them downtown? 

The solution is simple, before I leave home, no matter how simple or complex the trip, I find the address of the hotel(s), copy and paste them into a google doc, increase the font size to about 14, and print the address(s) out.  When I get in the taxi, I hand the driver the address of the hotel.  Even if I am renting a car, I do the same, then I have the address easy to find to program the GPS or satnav.  

I print out copies of all of the travel details and put them in order in a file folder before I leave home. Phones can fail, you can't always get a signal, but printed reservations don't require power or a signal.  I put everything on my calendar, this provides a cross check for dates.  

Especially with carry on bags, if I can't heft it in and out overhead bins, I don't pack it. It seems like everytime I fly, there is a small person overwhelmed trying to lift a bag into the overhead bins. If you can't lift it, don't pack it. 

On this topic, check a bag when flying.  I have traveled a lot, hundreds of flights, and I can count on my fingers the number of times I have flown without checking a bag. I have had bags delayed a few times, only three times on outbound flights, and two of those were delivered to the hotel later the same day.  I loathe that airlines have made checked bags an extra on most domestic flights. I get free checked bags as a credit card perk on the two airlines I fly most often.  Well worth the small annual fee. 

I avoid overnight flights when possible. If there is no way around an overnight flight, I book a hotel to check into as soon as I arrive. Even if it means paying for an extra night. In dozens of overnight flights, I have slept on just a few of them. 

What is your best travel tip?  

The Thursday Ramble: Cameras - would I Leica?

His parents were buying a new Leica. 

It is no secret that I enjoy good cameras. I have owned a long list of them, starting as a teenager - and I keep saying this will be the last one that I buy - and then buying another. Back in the 1970s I started with Canon, my oldest brother bought a Canon FTb in Asia in 1971 or 1972, and my father seized it in exchange for money he had spent bailing Dale out of a couple of tight spots in the preceding couple of years. I don't know as Dale intended that camera to be repayment.  Dad gave me the camera a few years before he died. I gave it back to Dale after Dad died. Closing the circle. 

I used the FTb a fair amount, and bought a couple of lenses for it. When it came time to buy my first good camera, I bought a Konica from a local shop in Florida. It was inferior to the Canon, I was never happy with it. About 18 months later, I sold it to a classmate (who dropped it down a flight of stairs a few days later,) and used my summer working on the farm money, to buy a Canon F1. The F1 at the time, this was the fall of 1975, was the top of the line professional camera in Canon's line up. It was an amazing camera, built out of brass and titanium, it was rugged, reliable, and fast.  I added more lenses. 

A year later I added a couple of medium format cameras to the bag, a Yashica 124G twin lens - a Japanese copy of a Rolleiflex.  And then a Pentax 67. This was a massive single lens reflex camera that produced 2.25 by 2.75 negatives (6 by 7 centimeters.) 

The real workhorse was the F1. It's only drawback was weight, it was very heavy and the high quality glass lenses were very heavy. A decade later I had a few really profitable years, and found a reliable used camera dealer in Maitland Florida.  I added to the collection a Canon AE1 Program with a motor drive, and a couple more lenses. The AE1 went to Europe with me in 1990 and 1991. I was young and fit, and part packmule.  

Sometime in the late 90's I traded all of the Canon gear on a Nikon N65. I had stopped using the Canons because I didn't want to haul around the gear. I still have the Nikon. I haven't used it in 20 years, but I still have it. At the time, the Canons were just a bag of old gear, the F1 was about 20 years old. Cameras had become much lighter and more compact, and also did more. Instead of the motor drive being a half kilo add-on that took a handful of AA batteries, the motor was built in, and driven off of two tiny batteries that lasted for months. If I had held onto the Canons they would be worth more today, but I don't regret trading them on a camera that I actually used, used a lot. 

I have never owned a Leica, I probably never will. They make some of the worlds finest film and digital cameras, but the price is frightening. And I could take better photos with what I have, a better camera won't make me a better photographer. Still they are fun to look at. 

Leica has retail stores in major cities. There is one here in Washington DC, on the recent trip I was in two stores, Milan and Vienna. The stores sell Leica cameras and lenses, and the two I was in also feature coffee bars and small galleries. I love looking at the works of great photographers. And the shops drip with elegance as they should when the prices start in the thousands and go up. I am glad I stopped in. Would I ever own one? If I won the lottery (unlikely as I don't buy tickets) I might, but I would probably buy a Hasselblad and then complain about how heavy and bulky it is. But their top of the line is now 100MP, with amazing lenses.  

My World of Wonders: June 17, 2026

 

Where have I been this week? Down to the Alexandria waterfront to tour three "Tall Ships." The grocery store, they gym, a walk to Wegmans, the indoor pool, the outdoor pool, the farmers market, out to lunch on King Street. 

What have I been up to in the kitchen? Hmm, a pork spanish rice dish, tortellini and salad, roast pork tenderloin with cheesy mashed potatoes and green beans - nothing terribly exciting. I started my second batch of dill pickles for the summer. 

Who have I talked with this week? Amy, Kevin, Jon, Giuseppe, Ruth, Paul, Renee, My Sweet Bear. 

When is the next adventure? Mid-July a few days to visit family. 

What is on the easel? A large canvas primed in blue, the theme for August show is "Explosion of Color." I need to create something. 

What will keep me busy this week? The current art gallery show comes down on Wednesday morning, the new show goes up on Friday and Opens Saturday afternoon. I have two paintings and six photos ready for this show.  I have printed the wall tags, and I am working with the graphic artist to finalize the program.  The PowerPoint for the opening reception is almost finished. Joan and Pratibha are curating the show after this one. I am organizing two more in the fall,  Still Life and Real Life, and Landscapes and Dreamscapes.  

Travel Tuesday: Milan Duomo Up On The Roof

We started our tour of the Cathederal in Milan, up on the roof.  We had booked tickets ahead of time, you go to the entrance at the right rear of the church, and the elevator takes you swiftly to the top. The stone work is simply amazing.