exists to create art which reflects the beauty and the glory of God, to use art to comfort and encourage people, and to inspire others to pursue the arts.
I am trying to work myself up to taking a nice long photo walk every day or at least every weekday and I have been on a few, lately.
On Monday, the 12th, I went to the Newark Earthworks, which is in the previous post. On Tuesday, we walked on the Kokosing Gap Trail in Mount Vernon:
An old power pole and mile marker from when the trail was actually a railroad track.
Then on Wednesday, we went to the Kokosing Gap Trail in Howard and took some nifty photos of the tunnel, among other things:
On Thursday, I was iced in and played around with taking photos through the windows and from the back deck:
This photo is actually a frame lifted from a video that I took which is on my “Videos” page.
Skipped Friday and on Saturday, Mr. Beloved and I went to Gambier and I shot photos while Mr. Beloved and the Wonder Dog wandered around. Then we walked the trail. I got a few shots on the trail, but nothing wonderful. But, the train photos! Now, that was a whole other story:
I had set up the shot and focused on the caboose. After taking one shot, I asked Mr. Beloved to pose for me and then I forgot to change the focus to him. LOL! So, that is why he is fuzzy and the caboose is not. I am still learning…
Okay, I am planning on walking, today, if the ice melts and it is not raining when I am ready to go. We will see. We are having beloved visitors for Thanksgiving and so I probably will not post again until next week.
May you all have a wonderful holiday with loved ones and overwhelming gratitude to our Heavenly Father for all his blessings and benefits to us who do not deserve anything good.
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
Toby the Wonder Dog and I stopped at the Newark Earthworks Park in Heath, Ohio, on Monday. I have decided to use photography as an excuse to get out and move, which I have been doing less and less of and suffering because of it. Drawing and Painting do not lend themselves to great physical activity and it becomes very easy to become a total slug, at least for me, because I am slug to the bone to start with.
First of all, the Newark Earthworks Park is on the way to the mall and we have passed it many times over the years, but never stopped. Monday, Toby and I were shopping around for backpacks. I have never actually used a backpack, but I thought it would be a better solution for carrying photography equipment and water, etc. And the Wonder Dog had outgrown the pack that I had gotten for him when he was but a youngster. We ended up in Heath before we successfully found what we were looking for. So, turning Bertha, the faithful truck, back toward home with the intent of going to Wolf Run Park I approached the Earthworks and spontaneously turned into the parking lot. We are both glad that I did. For more information on the Earthworks, check out this link.
Here are some photos from our walk:
It was a grey day and it was flurrying while we were there, but there was little wind, so it did not feel as cold as it could have. This massive tree is just to the left as you come over the wall from the parking area. I was surprised at how many trees still had so many of their leaves remaining.
As you go around to the left, you pass the gateway and the museum, which is outside the circle, and come upon this nifty crooked tree.
It is difficult to see, but the wall is a green strip under the trees to the left.
This tree was magnificent, but I couldn’t capture that magnificence.
Of course, we cannot have photos without showing the Wonder Dog in his new suit!
He carries water, treats, poop bags, and a fold up bowl, balanced between the packs on either side. He does really well with his backpack.
There was a man with another German Shepherd walking around in the park. He did not have his dog on a leash. I HATE THAT! That dog was very well behaved and he was not in the least interested in us, but I HATE THAT! I don’t want Toby to have the experience with a negative situation with human or animal, unless absolutely necessary. I would LOVE to be able to let Toby go without a leash, but there is a reason that there is a rule that all dogs must be on a leash in the parks. You never know what your dog will do. I cannot completely trust Toby, because he is a dog. Dogs are almost as unpredictable as people. Oh, I’m sorry for getting on my soapbox. We have never had a negative experience, even though we have come close with encounters with unleashed dogs in parks. I am not worried about injury to Toby, it is the other dogs I am worried about (the belligerent little boogers) and the unnecessary drama. LOL! (By the way, I love little dogs. I love medium dogs. I just love dogs. But, I like dogs that are controlled…) So, on to more trees!
This is that big tree that I encountered when entering the park. I had to take a couple more shots as we left.
All these photos are so orange! Such an autumn color. Orange is one of my least favorite colors, but I love it in the fall. Go figure…
Yes, I am still involved in the visual arts, but I need to get in some outings and photo shoots while the weather is still workable for me. My next post will be some shots from our walk on the Kokosing Gap Trail and, today, the Wonder Dog and I will be going to the trail in Howard and see if I can get some nifty shots of the tunnel. The sun is supposed to make a few brief appearances, today, then we are expecting some snow in the next few days. Yikes! I hope you all are enjoying your particular autumnal weathers.
It is no joy to me to sit On dreamy summer eves, When silently the timid moon Kisses the sleeping leaves, And all things through the fair hush’d earth Love, rest—but nothing grieves. Better I like old autumn With his hair toss’d to and fro, Firm striding o’er the stubble fields When the equinoctials blow.
Yes, I am still working on my commission, but I am also doing other things, like taking lots of photos and I have started a new portrait. An artist’s forum has a portrait swap every year where you put your name in the hat and you are randomly paired with someone. You do each other’s portrait and mail it to each other. Here is my initial sketch. I haven’t seen his sketch of me, yet. I told him not to worry, I understand. It takes real effort to capture the uncanny resemblance to Sophia Loren. He needs to take his time.
Also, today, Toby the Wonder Dog and I took a walk through Ariel Foundation Park and I was able to take some very nifty photos. Below is a sample:
No spring nor summer’s beauty hath such grace As I have seen in one Autumnal face…. ~John Donne, “Elegy IX: The Autumnal”
I was hoping to get to the park before all the leaves were gone. There were some, but I’ll bet they will be gone, tomorrow.
Toby enjoyed himself, today. Poor boy doesn’t get to the park very often.
If you look carefully, you can see, behind Toby, in the far background, the path to the red bridge and the red bridge itself. I took the bridge picture, above, from the same spot that I took Toby’s picture. That zoom really works very well, considering… You can see more of my photos on my Photography page.
There is this thing, called “The Artist’s Curse”, and I have it and I need to keep reminding myself that I have it and I am okay. LOL! Basically, it is the phenomenon that makes artists unable to see their art as any good, no matter what other people may say about it. There is a nifty video about it here. I watched it a long, long time ago, but I forgot about it and, just a few days ago, someone directed me to that video, again. And, once again, I was shocked at how well the artist who made the video knew me and was oddly comforted knowing that I am not the only one and that I will be okay with it. So, I am now ready to tackle this coming week.
I have been working on my commission, learning to use my camera, taking photos, and playing in my art journal and sketchbook. Here is what I can show you right now:
A barn across the road from us, taken in manual mode in a misty twilight with full 26x zoom, low f-stop, low shutter speed, and low ISO. I don’t know if I will ever take notes on my exact numbers.
Mr. Beloved on a bright sunshiny day. I used a high f-stop, mid/high shutter speed, and low ISO. I am learning and being amazed at what can be done by using the manual mode of my camera, which is nothing special: Kodak EasyShare Z981.I took this one late night, sitting in my chair with my lap desk and playing with the settings on my camera. I thought it was a rather nifty shot. Very low shutter speed, I don’t remember the other settings.“Stained Glass” because that is what Mr. Beloved said it looked like to him. Markers and colored pencil in my sketchbook.“Fly” because I see fly eyes when I look at it. Markers and colored pencil in my sketchbook.“Digestive Biscuits” because, well…, don’t they look like that? LOL! Markers and colored pencil in my sketchbook.
I will post some of my art journal pages in another post.
Well, my intention was to make a larger copy of my earlier “Trinity” abstract, but when I got going, things just happened the way they wanted to happen. I also got enamored of textures and applied little glass beads in the red, among other things. I have included a couple of close-ups to try to show you the texture. It is because of that texture that I am calling this “Bumpy Road”.
Below is a photo I took this morning of the beautiful sky over the chicken coop:
“Red sky in morning, sailors take warning.
Red sky at night, sailors delight.”
I am deeply involved in a large commission, so I do not have any new works to show, but I have been doing some thinking.
An art site in which I am active has a nifty forum in which artists are asked to submit a work from way back in the day and a recent one so that young or novice artists can be encouraged, knowing that hard work WILL help you improve, if you just keep at it. It is also an encouragement to the artists themselves, including me. I thought I would show my before and now. I won’t say “after”, because I hope I continue to improve.
When I drew this colored pencil self-portrait, sometime in the late ’80’s or early ’90’s, I thought it was pretty good. And it was, for where I was in my art at the time.
I actually did not pursue art very seriously for many years after the above portrait. Then, I decided to do it! I got serious and took lessons and it is amazing how quickly I improved. This is my latest graphite portrait:
He is displayed on my site in gray scale, but I originally did him on orange paper.
This, as most of you know, is my latest portrait in pastels:
I know I have a lot of room for improvement, but I am greatly encouraged when I look back and see how far I have come. Praise the Lord! I would like to encourage everyone, even if you are not an artist, to keep records of your work and when you are discouraged look and see how far you have come. It helps me to get the energy and motivation to keep going and I know it would help you.
Another attempt at an abstract. LOL! I watched a video on geometric abstracts and immediately wanted to make a HUGE painting for my wall, but after a little while, I decided to just use some colored pencils and marker on paper and see what happened. I like it. I think all the little trinity symbols are a bit much (they actually look like butterflies or gnats), but that is why I did it on paper. So that if I mess up, it is no big deal.
I think I like this part the most and I think it is rather nifty when cropped out of the whole:
After I was finished and I was signing the back, I found myself with thoughts I had to write down:
Why did I make this?
Because God is everywhere.
He is colorful and beautiful.
He is love and mercy.
He is wrath and justice.
He is the Creator and Judge.
He is the Redeemer and Father.
He is to be feared and obeyed.
He is to be loved and enjoyed.
If you don’t believe, you will be afraid.
If you believe, you will not be afraid.
Believe and be saved.
There is no other way, but by Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit:
I have been coloring in coloring books ever since I can remember and I didn’t stop and then start back up when the “adult” coloring books became popular. I love color and when I am tired or insecure in my art I break out a coloring book or even just make a simple line drawing and color it.
This little picture was a quickie for a friend who has just had colon cancer surgery and I hope it is cheerful enough for him. It is not my original drawing, it is from a coloring book, but I can’t remember which one. LOL! I have not had time for any serious art, but I have plans rolling around in my head. I will try to start it tomorrow.
Well, I finished this portrait. The scan is a little washed out. I tried to correct the color and contrast, but it is still not exactly like the original. Her coat is actually more of a blueish than it shows here and there is more green in the background. However, I am happy with it. I hope she is, too.
Virginia C. McCoy Fine Art 
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