Ave Maria, Gratia Plena…

A Study in Water

  

Frida Kahlo

This vibrant mural adorns a sea wall as you disembark from your cruise ship in Costa Maya, Mexico. It pays tribute to one of the most renowned Mexican artists, whose influence has endured through generations. Her presence continues to be felt across various forms of media whenever Mexico is represented—even making a cameo in Disney’s Coco. I often wonder what she would think of her lasting legacy and how she continues to embody Mexican culture with such grace and beauty.

Of the Seas

 

Funday

 

I took this action shot at the Dallas Alan Ross Pride Parade on 17SEP.   I loved it... I hope you all enjoy it too!

Market in District 1

Part of: 

Wordless Wednesday

Colors of Love

Love comes in all forms and colors.  It is easy for some to tell you that you are wrong… as long as you are in it for the right reasons, how can you be?

...Thoughts...

We must take time to sort through our thoughts and clear our minds of unnecessary clutter to see things we would normally miss.

Failings

Words can fail to express the beauty of what lies within sight… sometimes we fail to see the importance of what is in front of us when we focus on the wrong things.

Aftermath

A tree showing the aftermath of a storm. 

So much loss, limbs and leaves; time to take account of what remains and figure out how to begin again. 

When Ya Gotta Go...

Sometimes, you just have to smile and let go of what is serious.

For another fun pop art photo, click here. 

Breaking Dawn

I never expected this,

to be captured by your eyes.

Not even a little wish,

to cut through the old lies.

All it took was a single smile,

and all my walls fell down.

I thought it would take a while,

before I knew it all was lost,

And I was surely under a spell.

You came in and it’s gone at all cost,

and deeper and deeper I fell.

Before I knew it I was not alone,

and my heart, it was gone.

Fascination

Machines have always fascinated me.   From the lowly workhorse car to the space shuttle, machines have entered our lives relatively fast and changed our world.  Personally I am one of the most mechanically dysfunctional people on the planet, though I have improved a bit over the years, I am still just bound by fascination and amazement that a hunk of metal placed together in such a way can do so much. 

Something Beautiful

From the darkness and the debris of that lost...  come a new arising… reaching for the light.   Something beautiful. 

Randam Art

I’m not one to get caught up in jewelry, I always see it as something a bit impersonal… created en masse to be given as gifts and although beautiful no real love was put into it.   It was created for the sole purpose of being purchased and used… not much different than a TV or anything else. 

One of my dearest friends has changed this perception.  Miranda creates some of the most creative and beautiful necklaces, among other items, that I’ve ever seen.  She puts so much into it, she puts herself into the items and each one tells a story.  I like this, it makes them special and one of a kind… qualities that you can't find produced en masse.  I’ve always admired her artistic touch and I’ve showcased some of her work on here before.   She truly is one of the most talented people I know and I am privileged to have some of her work in my own home. 

Find the Color

The trees are bare, but the air is starting to warm.  The trees are slowing awakening from their long winter sleep.   Back home in Mississippi the trees are never as bare as I have seen them here in North Carolina.   When I first arrived, I commented that they looked dead.  I was soon informed that it was just “seasons” and that it is normal for trees not to have leaves during the winter.  In Mississippi the leaves did fall however the pine trees stayed green all year, here the pine trees are not near as numerous and the world is lacking in that magical hue. 

Lately however hints of color are poking through, not just green…. But pink, white and purple.  The trees are flowering well before they have leaves it is a wonderful surprise for a world that has been grey since my arrival. 

Back to the Start...

Through our lives we encounter endings constantly, whether it is just the end of a day or something much larger.  We must take the chance to embrace these endings, they may be something sad… however, in the same sense they can be immensely beautiful. 

Primary

Simple, basic, made up of the same things as every other thing… however totally unique at the same time.

This Pollock-Esque splatter painting was done specifically for postcrossing.  I wanted to do something different, and this is something that could never be duplicated exactly.

This is Postcrossing: US-1411258

Figuring It Out

So, I came across where a stream meets the ocean. Though the sand looked solid through the water, I lifted my pants legs and stepped in to cross. No! the sand and water bogged me to my knees, so I had to backtrack and find another way around. Now I am at the other side a little sandier and wetter... And a bit cold. But I made it. Now to do this on a larger scale.

Find the Color

The world is filling with color, the leaves are turning and the shades of green are slowly being replaced with different hues.   I’m familiar with this cycle, it is one that continues on and on through our lives… and in us as well; we all grow through cycles, some more beautiful than others.