Winter time is coming

So, today November 29th is the day we have first true snowfall in this Autumn to Winter change.
There had been a little bit of snow already on October. The palm tree in the garden had to be covered fast.

The first snow in October.

Now it's better prepared for the snow - all caged in.

Now caged in and leaves bound together to help it survive the winter,

To give you a sense of what it is like when it snows here (wet snow though at around 2°C above zero / freezing) I made a short video:

Enjoy it - snow is fun!! Have a great day.

Dream Influences Reality - you can choose

I had a dream.
A short dream.
A strange dream.
I woke with one image strong in my mind.
And a short message that felt like a last plea from someone else.
Of things unfinished.
Just one more thing to be done.
And he could have gone in peace.

Yes, it was a man from what I felt and heard.
A photographer.
He had made beautiful photos all his life.
Now, he had the idea for a new kind of photo.
An artistic photo.
Simple, yet also with a message.
He had it all set up.
He only had waited for the right moment to make the shot.

But that moment never came for him.
His life ended before he could take this one photo.
Now, he was restless.
Searching.
Asking for help.
Anyone that would be willing to help.
That would be able to hear him.

He sent out his idea of the photo as the last thing on his mind.
Not his name.
Nothing of all that he had achieved in his life.
No.
Only the image and that, please, someone make it for him.
That was what I could remember from that dream.
And the image he had wanted to do.

That dream was in April 2010.
The next morning I went into my garden and set up the photo as I could remember it.
And took the photo too.
There was something missing though.
In my dream, I had seen something scurry across the image.
A thin black thing like a spider.
I had waited a few hours for a spider to come.
To no avail.
Before I, too, would not get to make the photo, I just took it without the spider.
Maybe, I could add it later with some software.
I never got around to doing that though.
I did not have the right software.
And to me it felt that a spider would be somehow a bit out of place on my photo.

It wasn't until a year later approximately that I had the idea of adding a poem to the cropped version of this photo.
Yes, the message was still not "out there".
Taking the photo alone was no help at all.
So I wrote the poem.
I even made a German version to it.
I had it placed in the calendar of the art club in my village together with the photo.
Still not many took notice of it.
Then I joined G+ and also got a blog.
I posted it there.
But, I still did not have many followers.
So again only a few had seen it.

Today I had the urge to add a story as to why I took this photo.
This one I had been requested to help in doing in my dream.
And now, I think, I know that the spider was not to be IN the photo at all.
That it most probably was only "he" that had fled from the image.
The image was the important thing for me to remember.
Not him, or anything else about him.
Just that one image.

And the "message" he had wanted to express with it.
I had to use my own words to express this message.
It is not his message alone anymore.
But also a part of my message.
That there is more to the eye than can be seen. 
A whole world hidden.
It is up to each one of us to discover this world.
And all the others.

Here the link to the post I had made now 9 months ago:
Beneath

and the photo:

For my art exhibition I had used this photo again; printed on canvas.
And placed a nest with a white clay bird on top of it.

So, as you can see, this photo has gone through some changes.
Like life goes through changes.
But one thing is certain: you will never find the right moment.
If you feel you have to take a photo, make a painting, be creative, 
then don't wait for the right moment to comer along.
No.

Just do it as soon as you can. 
Right now if necessary.
That too is part of the shared message from his plea.
That had been in my dream.
And now is part of my reality.
The dream has influenced my reality.

Do your dreams influence your reality too?
Don't be scared about it.
It's a gift, a wondrous present for you.
Embrace it.
Use it.
Or ignore it, if that's your wish.
You can choose.
I chose to use it.
Whenever I can.

The Exhibition 11.11.2012

After all the preparations I was ready to go; all packed on Friday night. Grabbing and adding a few more items that I might be able to sell as well as some of my older drawings on paper. In case anyone should ask about other art I have done so far. It's good to be prepared for everything; though seriously I did not think that any "experts" of art would come to our tiny exhibition.

I even found the time Friday night for making a self-baked cake to donate for selling.

On Saturday morning, starting at 10.00, it was all transported it to the exhibition place: an old gym now used for all kind of sports of various groups and larger events, like theater plays from our local theater group, in the village. This time it was our turn to use it.

All my things just before setting them up.

One corner of the gym as seen from the entrance.

Additionally, a dead tree was decorated with knitted bands, leaves, flowers and butterflies to attract visitors. Two members of our art club had the idea for this and got the permission too for it; until the tree would be exchanged for a new one next Spring.

The tree decorated with the knitted works in front of the  gym.

Below a few shots showing all busy getting their booths ready; as well setting up the eating area and the children's drawing corner. 

decorating the walls too

eating arrangement and tent in back for the children's drawing place

half way done

the central display walls

My first set-up:

I did not like this! All of my framed photos so low and sort of out of view. I wished, they could get a place on the display walls too. Well, since I wasn't alone doing this show, democratic overrule had it that mine are too small for the big display walls and the others get all that space.

So, to "help me", they put two sitting banks over one another and, after covering it with some cloth that I got from home right then, I could place my photos there. They could be seen; but not as close as could have been possible to see all the details. People just don't ask to have framed photo handed to them to have a closer look. :(

(I wouldn't dare to ask for that too. )

By now it was 13.00 o'clock and we had a little lunch there: soup, cheese bread and meat bread.

As the others were already signing prices to the things they wanted to sale, I had to re-set up my booth.

All done!

By the time I took this photo, it too was time for me to go to work at the grocery store for me. I did invite a few more people personally that I met there. And coming home late in the night I did bake another cake, as one seemed not to be enough.

Sunday, 9.30 we met again to prepare the food and drink for selling, display the cakes (too many to fit on the tables) and I took the time until it officially started at 11.00 to price a few things I had for selling: books, bags, photos, knitted scarfs.
Right after church, the first visitors trickled in. It was cold, foggy and raining outside. In the hall I didn't notice any of it, having the heating right behind my booth.
It wasn't until 14.00 that we had more visitors, for coffee and cake time too. This "storm" lasted about two hours only. It then started to grow dusk and it was still raining, so not many more came after that.

Some drawings were left behind when they children went home.

Having a closer look and talking about the art creations.

Here you can get the yummy food before you go inside.

By 17.00 we finished officially. Packed all our things back into the transport boxes and cars and had a meal together from the leftover bread and sausages and cheese dips we had offered.

Some expressed their disappointment of not having sold as much as they had hoped for. There were just not enough visitors of the "right" kind.

To this, I must say that it was planned as exhibition; not as sale. And for that I, on my part, had enough feedback from the visitors. Lots of OH and AH and WOW so colorful!!!

One woman, asked me why I write in English. I told her that I had been to Australia for a few years as teenager and that to me it was like my mother tongue. She smiled and said that, yes, it is noticeable that I'm different than the typical German (artist); my paintings are so much happier than what you usually see in Germany and that I should keep that. 

Oh yes, exactly that kind of feedback is what I wanted and needed. =))

I will certainly keep my happy style in art, even if I experiment with different techniques. And no one wants any of it in their homes. It's for me I create art and not for a market. Though, if asked, I CAN do commissioned work too. And have already done it.

Funny thing was too, that I finally sold my hand-knitted bags after three or so years - to children. My best customers. They still appreciate bright happy colors!!

Now, that the event is over, my things back home, I don'T feel like unpacking them yet. More feel like creating new art first. Happy, colorful paintings and photos and stories too.

Back home, still unpacked - ready to go to the next show??
Yes, why not!! It was not only a lot of work but
a lot of FUN!!

Before the Exhibition on 11.11.12

Well, to do an exhibition is hard work. And so much fun.

The art club at my village decided to do a show this year - after a longer pause.

I do not make my art just for those shows; but I have done a few new and different things compared to the last show.

So, to start off, we had a meeting in which we decided what kind of show we would have. As we are all doing different arts we did not decide on  a theme for it. Everyone can show what he or she wants to. Additionally, we can sell our works too. In the last show we did this was officially not allowed until the show was over and we had left the building. :(

And to finance this and our club a little bit we will also offer food and drink. At low cost. And cake or two as fee from each of us that participates to sell as well. 

And everyone of us will do a bit of the work for the general decoration; and of course ea ch for his or her own display, depending on what will get shown.

In the last 18 months or so since the last big show I hadn't been idle. So I have works to show too:

A different style in painting, a new book, and lots of photos. 

The art (paintings) was the easiest and first I chose. All my new acrylic paintings will go, and some other older drawings too to show the different styles I do. 

Then came the book; in paperback. A collection of all my poems and the short stories I have written by now (some of them are in this blog). Included is a completely new story; too short for a paperback book of it's own. Additionally, as there was enough space on some poetry pages, I included some of my art and photos.

This gave me the next step. To present those photos as single works. 

Some photos I knew instantly that I wanted to show; others were added bit by bit. Thanks go to all on G+ that "helped" me through their likes and loves and pluses to select some of the photos. 

Going through my shots from the last year (yes, it's only been a year I have been into photography to this extent) I realized how many they actually are. Too many to show them all; some are of "bad" quality too. Yes, you get spoiled about what is a good photo and what is not through seeing so many online from all sorts of people.

It's the downside of digital photography: you get so many shots in nearly instant time to enlarge on your monitor at no cost. Not like it was years back, as teenager, when I had my first little pocket camera and took photos. Back then you had to decide if you wanted to "waste" this shot from the 24 or 36 you have on the film. And then came the time you waited until they were developed and you held a print of it in your hands. The disappointment of a failed shot, of one that you didn't take as memory of the event faded. And the joy of one having turned out so well you treasure it for the rest of your life. =))

Finally I ended up with 75 images I could get printed. Now, three days later I have them in my hands. And think that I could have exchanged some of them for others, "better" ones. Oh, well, maybe for the next show. ;-)

Five of these photos I had enlarged to small poster size. They arrived today, and I framed them behind glass without frame (seamless so to say). I chose some more art-like images; not the ordinary landscape or flower shot you see as posters so often. And again, now that I have them, I feel that one or two could have been different images with more "power".

I guess, I will get some better feedback than my own opinion at the show. ;-)

And then of course, I do also have some extras to sell: cloth bags I had seen from scrap material. Simple ones, for shopping; some knitted scarves and socks; postcards left over from the last show etc.

Now all I need to do is think on how to display the art works best, how to place the other tings on the table we are getting each, have some sheets of paper ready to note down wishes for "posters" that I have not done and of course spare change. All of this until Saturday when the setting up of the show is.  (And go to my daily work as well, of course; I can't live from my art yet).

So finally, I will show you those five images for the posters - as a small teaser fro my part of the exhibition  knowing very well that most probably none of my readers will ever show up on Sunday 11th November 2012.

As 30 x 40 cm poster

As 30 x 40 cm poster

As 30 x 45 cm poster

As 20 x 30 cm poster in 24 x 30 cm frame; laid out at the sides with light green paper

As 21 x 30 cm poster, also laid out with paper, light blue - looks like sky now.

Additionally I should add that the watermark got cut off partially on all of them on the prints. It IS too close to the edge. So, should anyone order a re-print of these I will move the watermark to better fit inside the photo or maybe even make a new watermark with just name and year. Some things I still have to figure out as to what suits my wants and needs.

Now that nearly all is ready I can start or continue with my other projects: writing another novel, getting a difficult painting done, sort my photos and upload them to the various pages I use and simply enjoy myself. And of course keep everyone updated on how the event was.

=))

Butterfly - Variation of a Theme

I once made a drawing of a butterfly,

all lines first in black and saved them,

so whenever I wanted it again

I could print it out once more

and re-do the coloring.

Now I have multiple butterflies.

A whole butterfly armada!!