Edgeworthia and Other Posts

I have been reworking the blog today, converting a short-lived garden/nature blog into the Art Photos blog, and updating the Painting blog to be just for painting again.

I did make a series of Art Photography posts there (April to July 2012) that I would like to keep track of here:

"Canna: Learning to Subjugate Color" demonstrates the artistic journey with color.

"Using Digital Tools for Artful Purpose" illustrates how an image with spirit but value issues, can be converted to art by emphasizing texture and line, pushing values, changing colors.

"Consider the Story - Trumpet Vine with Canna" Why did I take that shot? What was I responding to? How a hot spot puts the 'eye in motion' through the image in order to reveal the subject....not a flower, but attitude.

"The Spirea Series" In December of 2010 I was thrilled to learn of the early work of Joseph Raffael in which he made wall-sized paintings of the smallest things...natural patterns, no specific subject, no traditional rules of composition, yet the play of light and color and shape was mesmerizing. I went into the yard and commanded myself to see with the eyes of such an artist: seek the shapes of negative spaces, the energy of shape, then see what you can do with it. The result was the Spirea Series, which continues to excite me.  Yet I have long been troubled over how to present these in an appealing way..and a way within my means. this post covers a proposed solution.

"For the Love of Cabbage" displays the best of a winter exploration in the beauty of cabbage leaves. Surprising color and value changes create exciting images.

"Life is a River" shares a beautiful, nearly abstract photo from the Nantahala area. It is rich in metaphoric possibility.

"Reflections in Old Nantahala" is a beautiful shot of colorful reflections in the sleepy and sandy Nantahala River headwaters.

"Nantahala Aqueduct" shares two photos of the aqueduct that follows the Old River Road long the Nantahala just below the lake. It's a beautiful hunk of pipe.

Finally, I will share Edgeworthia, from the Atlanta Botanical Garden 2011. Edgeworthia chrysantha, aka Oriental Paper Bush,  is a large, rhododendron-looking shrub with thick branches. The specimen in the ABG is 6-8' x 6-8'. In winter, it blooms in scattered, heavenly fragrant bundles of fuzzy yellow or white tubular flowers. The 'plain' photo is fine...just green leaves...but there is nothing about it to hold your attention for even a fraction of a second. With adjustments it becomes exciting enough to linger over. Notice the poetic arrangement of the foliage, the pale veining of the leaves.

Nikon Cool Pix 5700, taken 2011.

Wayah Bald and Dicks Creek Falls

For the past couple years I have vacationed in a quiet, unassuming little area of western North Carolina near Franklin. From my base along Wayah Creek, one of my early explorations was to drive left on Wayah Road up the mountain. The key attraction is down a long forest service road to Wayah Bald. As you near the ridge top the trees are noticeably short and thick as if they are crammed against the sky. In 1937 the Civilian Conservation Corps built the fire tower which commands a sprawling view of the region to the north, east, and south. More views from Wayah Bald Lookout Tower.

Back at Wayah Road proper, there remain several more choices: so many in fact, that it took two vacations to explore most of them.

Wayah Road from the Franklin, NC side winds up and up like a private Blue Ridge Parkway through gorgeous forest. When it finally slips down the other side of the ridge you are passing Nantahala Lake. The waters that drain from the dam below the lake are unmarked. It's easy to assume this is the famous Nantahala River, but locals refer to it as Dick's Creek.

True to its Cherokee name, the Nantahala gorge is narrow, deep, and dim even at noon.  Just below the man-made lake, Dick's Creek twists around bends and crashes over boulders. Trout fishermen cast a line at every calm opportunity. The original Nantahala River rejoins Dicks Creek before it gets to the power plant. As I recall, this fall was after the two waterways had rejoined, putting this on the Nantahala River...but I have to admit, I have YET to find a map that actually names all the creeks and roads in that area. It seems to be the provenance of local lore.

Here is the largest falls, called 'The Cascades' very near the bottom of Dicks Creek.