24 January 2011: Blue

24JAN2011, originally uploaded by blueathena7.

Another lame photo, but at least I didn't drop the ball today on my Photo A Day project. The least I can do is explain why there's a pile of fabric. I make fabric collages from time to time. I need to make a bunch this weekend, but I have a bunch of other little promises and tasks to do as well. The fabric collages usually depict a scene, like three trees by a lake with mountains in the background, or five trees on a hill, or birds in flight, or a deer near a red barn, etc. I have organized my fabric (recycled from old shirts, skirts, jeans, etc) by colors so I can find swatches easily to fit the need of the scene. This is a stack of blue. :)
If interested, you can see the collages I have for sale in my Etsy store: Athena's Arthouse

Also, whenever I think of the color blue I remember that song that was popular in 1999 (in the U.S.) by Eiffel 65, "Blue". Here's a video:

23 January 2011: Reading

23JAN2011, originally uploaded by blueathena7.

22 January 2011: Mystery

22JAN2011, originally uploaded by blueathena7.

21 January 2011: Snowflakes

21JAN2011, originally uploaded by blueathena7.

20 January 2011: Ice

20JAN2011, originally uploaded by blueathena7.

19 January 2011: Abandoned

19JAN2011, originally uploaded by blueathena7.

18 January 2011: Waterfall

18JAN2011, originally uploaded by blueathena7.

17 January 2011: Wine and flowers

17JAN2011, originally uploaded by blueathena7.

16 January 2011: Land Run

16JAN2011, originally uploaded by blueathena7.

15 January 2011: Dusk

15JAN2011, originally uploaded by blueathena7.

14 January 2011: Eischen's Chicken

14JAN2011, originally uploaded by blueathena7.

13 January 2011: The Steel Wheels

13JAN2011, originally uploaded by blueathena7.

Music: Oz

Back in December 2010, before Christmas, I went to a house concert where this guy Oz Davidson was opening for the evening's main act. Oz is half of a band called Lands Bejeweled, but he certainly sounded great all on his own this evening. I haven't yet been to a concert for the band itself, so I can't judge entirely, but have a go at some videos I recorded from the house concert and see for yourself. Talented guy.

Click here for a playlist of 5 videos or just watch the one linked here:

12 January 2011: Lydia

12JAN2011, originally uploaded by blueathena7.

Meet my banjo. At first I called her Lydia, but for a while there I forgot what I named her and I think I told someone she was Lucinda once. Who knows?

In any case, my banjo is a Gold Tone Cripple Creek 100. She came with a resonator, but I don't play with the resonator on; Its too loud, too bluegrass, too twangy. Instead, I have a few towels tucked in the back of the head to absorb some of the sound, much like many old-time banjo players do when I watched them at string band festivals in Appalachia. It creates a softer sound, melodic with just enough pluck to sing.

I have forgotten the songs I mostly learned 3 years ago, but I like to try to make up a tune sometimes on it. I've got to look for lessons again but I am really particular about wanting to learn Clawhammer style, aka, frailing. Neil Young, Gillian Welch, Mark Knopfler, Dan Levenson, Ken Perlman, Abigail Washburn, etc., all play songs on banjo in this style. I'm not keen on the Earl & Scruggs style. Take a listen to this NPR story: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5293105

11 January 2011: Gloaming

11JAN2011, originally uploaded by blueathena7.

I have taken many, many variations of this same scene because one could probably say there are no two sunsets just alike, but I could stand at the same exact spot and click the shutter at exactly the same moment in the sunset passing... None of those photos would ever be the exact same. Clouds and light play.

10 January 2011: Snow whisps

10JAN2011, originally uploaded by blueathena7.

It snowed just a tiny bit this morning and early afternoon in Oklahoma City. Much of it melted away around lunchtime, but I managed to capture a few images in the gardens at my workplace. This is a Japanese Maple with just a dusting of snow. I liked the subtle color contrast of the faded red leaves against the green holly bushes in the distance.

9 January 2011: Books and Birds

9JAN2011, originally uploaded by blueathena7.

I see this little bird every morning and evening. This stack of books and this little bird are on a small shelf by my mirror where I dry my hair in the mornings and take off my jewelry in the evenings.  Sometimes I notice the titles from time to time, other times this space is overlooked, blending into the white walls of the bedroom.  How does red blend into the environment of a room? Your eyes become blind and see only patterns of routine.  I want the title "Lust For Life" to remind me that is what I should have in my being every morning... an energy that propels me through the day for every aspect of living.  "The Stranger", as a title, should remind me that, one, I am a stranger to some people, and two, that I should meet a stranger to make them no longer a stranger from time to time.  And maybe every "twelfth night" I should do something out-of-the-ordinary.   Why not?  And why not let that little wooden bird remind me that my creativity should fly and sing?  Isn't it in a bird's nature, after all?

8 January 2011: Cars

8JAN2011, originally uploaded by blueathena7.

I took this somewhere on Hwy 8 in Oklahoma. I had driven down to Anadarko by way of Hwy 8 (Hinton, Lookeba, Binger, etc) and back again. It is now the 12th of January and I still have to edit and upload the pictures I took on this drive. There should be quite a few interesting ones. I kept driving down side roads for a mile or two before turning around and coming back to the main highway. A few of those diversions gave me ideas and images, but sometimes I wanted to stop but was afraid that a homeowner might storm out on their porch, shotgun in hand, and holler out some curses and shoot at me.

Once I stopped at a cemetery because I noticed it was kinda on a hill. I could get to the top of that hill and get some wide landscape photographs. I also liked the idea of a one tree hill image. I got lucky because some cows were out to pasture and decided to go drink some water at a nearby pond, so I snapped a bunch of pics of them. If I had a bigger zoom I would've gotten close-ups of their faces. But nonetheless, I think the shots of those black cows standing on red dirt by the pond that was reflecting the big blue sky should make interesting images. Good color, at least I hope so.

I also pulled over and took some pics of hale bales, a creek, fields. At this one spot I could hear someone drumming way across the field. I couldn't see anyone, but I was seriously tempted to walk into that mowed field towards the trees where I thought I could hear the drumming, but leaving my car unattended was less than desirable. Besides, what would I have said when coming upon the drummer? Hey, I heard you.

7 January 2011: Fire

7JAN2011, originally uploaded by blueathena7.

A couple of co-workers and I went to Anadarko, Oklahoma, to pick up some pictures. On the way back we spotted a terrible and heart-wrenching fire taking place off Hwy 62 near Chickasha, Oklahoma, on one of the county roads. Fire trucks and EMTs were screeching down the road to the fire. It moved quickly and the energetic wind gusts certainly didn't help stop it. I shot this picture to include the sky to show the cloud of smoke in contrast with the partly cloudy and sunny blue sky. Very sad event. I am hopeful that all persons and animals on the property survived unharmed.

6 January 2011: Coffee

6JAN2011, originally uploaded by blueathena7.

Coffy's Cafe
1739 Northwest 16th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73106-2067

Pretty cool place to hang out, go to open mic night, enjoy coffee and gluten-free snacks, etc. I stopped by for a moment and snapped this picture from the inside. Yep, I flipped it horizontally so we can actually read the sign, but I kinda like it this way. :)

5 January 2011: In the Land of the Water People

5JAN2011, originally uploaded by blueathena7.

In the Land of the Water People
Richard Greeves, sculptor
Sculpture, bronze, 62 x 34 x 27 in.
1977 Prix de West Purchase Award.

I like reflections and I am constantly aware of trying to figure out how to take a picture of a reflection without being in it and making the image as sharp as possible to appear as if it is not a reflection. Is it possible? Surely, but I've yet to accomplish it. I like this photo, though. The sky was nearly a royal blue, the kind you love because it makes water appear blue and pure. The sculpture was reflecting nicely in the garden pool, so I had to snap-snap-snap until I thought I captured it. I never was satisfied with the pictures that included both sculpture and its reflection. This one, flipped, will have to do.

4 January 2011: Acoustic Oklahoma

4JAN2011, originally uploaded by blueathena7.

So, there's this cool guy named Casey who's documenting Oklahoma musicians and helping them meet, play, jam, share talents, and show them to the rest of the public. Acoustic Oklahoma just took flight like a red hawk on a summer day.

This young lady, KeriLe Blossom, was playing in the Acoustic Oklahoma Tuesday night lineup at the Prohibition Room in Oklahoma City. I really liked her powerful voice and energetic style. She had a diversity of vocal range. I really enjoyed her set, so I look forward to hearing her again soon. Oh, and she did play her song "Lucky" which she recorded with Casey for the Acoustic Oklahoma video clips. Give it a listen.

3 January 2011: Seagull

3JAN2011, originally uploaded by blueathena7.

I took a quick drive over to Lake Hefner to shoot some pictures by the lake. I didn't want to meet another evening of trying to find something to take a picture of at home after dark. I had the treat of seeing the seagulls huddled in small tight groups bracing the wind and retaining their own warmth. It is truly fascinating to watch nature and see how it copes with change. How often do people bare down within themselves and retain inner strength when the world around them changes and becomes cold and harsh? Not many because now it is more popular to whine and complain.

In any case, I wasn't entirely ready to drive back to work but I had tasks to complete!

2 January 2011: Bird Necklace

2JAN2011, originally uploaded by blueathena7.

When I lived in Mississippi I had the opportunity to visit New Orleans more often than I do now. On one of our excursions to the French Market I bought a necklace that consisted of glass beads in an array of many colors. It was a long necklace that I could either tie in a knot to have a small pendant of beads or loop around my neck twice to have two necklaces in one. Somehow I lost that string of glass beads around 2 years ago. So this year while wandering around the aisles of Micheal's craft store I decided to snatch up a case of multi-colored glass beads, plus some little silver beads, wire, and a silver bird. I would replicate the necklace I loved and add a touch of what I love now. Hence, this necklace. Yep, it is my new favorite necklace. Here's hoping I don't lose it.

1 January 2011: African Violets

1JAN2011, originally uploaded by blueathena7.

I have "tried" to unintentionally kill this little plant and thought I had until yesterday I saw that a little purple bloom had returned. It made my day. I didn't want the African violets to die, but to share their dark purple flowers all year long.

This is the first photo of my attempt to complete a 365 Project, a photo a day with my new Canon EOS Rebel XS. Enjoy!