100 Day Project 2021

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Be Still 52 - Week 36


Every time I think the Be Still 52 exercise is challenging, the next one challenges me even more. I have learned to let the challenge roll around in my head for a few days before I even begin to think of how to complete it. For this week's challenge we were shown a magazine spread to inspire us. Well, it took several days before anything on the page inspired me. I studied it every day, looking at the composition, the colors, and the textures; nothing happened. Not even a little spark. Then, this weekend my eyes kept going back to one picture on the spread. I decided what really appealed to me about this picture was the tone on tone with a little color added and the similarity of shapes.

My starting point was the similarity of shapes.


Then, I decided I wanted to do something with bits and pieces of nature using the colors shown in the spread.  This was my first attempt, but I wasn't too happy with it. I did like the heart-shaped piece of bark I found, but the outcome was not really impressive.


I've just recently discovered a nature blog that I thoroughly enjoy. Mary Jo Hoffman creates art with nature, beautiful art. I hope you'll take a moment to hop over to her blog and have a look. One of her recent images was a half wreath. I loved it and decided to try and create something similar using the colors in the magazine spread.


Okay, so this was fun.
This was more than fun!
This, I enjoyed!!


 The beauty of nature fills my heart with gratitude.


So, now you have the journey that my mind took all from looking at a magazine spread. It's an exercise that I will try again. Inspiration is personal. My eyes will see one thing and yours will see something entirely different. I am learning to celebrate my own uniqueness.

beyondlayers

19 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing how you thought through this. I love what you ended up with.

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  2. I am so flattered to have been your inspiration. Wow! It looks as thought eh student has surpassed the teacher! Bravo!!

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  3. I was so pleased to see you write: "I'm learning to celebrate my own uniqueness". I feel this is the key to be who we truly are and to let that shine through! Your final compositions are lovely and I like the natural colours of nature and how you have gone with the shapes and movement to create something harmonious!

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  4. Love the images you created from the inspiration you received!

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  5. I have been in the same boat with this prompt but I can say you nailed it with your own unique style and it is beautiful....I love the wreath.....

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  6. Lovely photos and thoughts today, Cathy!

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  7. This. is. beautiful! You need to come give me lessons.

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  8. I love the progression of your ideas for this exercise and the way you took inspiration from multiple sources to arrive at something uniquely you.

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  9. I loved getting the inside story on your process, and the final image is simply gorgeous. I've been following mjh for over a year now - her blog and IG - she's beyond amazing ...

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  10. I think you found the "key" to your own inspiration, Cathy! I like the quiet colors and the textures in the photos.

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  11. It is awesome the way you think things through, the best and a true Be Still and Listen exercise. These are wonderful Cathy, all so different and all beautiful.

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  12. What an exercise in finding your own inspiration, and interpretation of the prompt...It was a challenge, in a good way. I LOVE your wreath, and the story behind it...the curve and the bits of nature in the wreath are stunning!

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  13. Cathy! I'm glad you took your time and I loved reading about your thought process. Your final results are simply gorgeous - I love them so much. I'm longing to be able to go outside and find bits of nature again. We're still buried under three feet of snow and another storm is on the way. You give me hope that spring will come.

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  14. Great job! Thank you for sharing your thought process too.

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  15. You are doing a wonderful job with this. I think that I would "suck" at it. I really enjoyed your bits of nature.

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  16. Cathy, I really enjoyed reading about your process and loved your results. It is fun to have our "photographic minds" tweaked like this, isn't it?

    Barbara Carroll

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  17. Wow! Wonderful interpretation for this assignment, Cathy! You were inspired, I wish I could say the same. I love all these images -- the tones and composition are all so lovely. Brava!

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  18. Still is probably my all time favorite blog:) Love your takes on the prompt!

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Thanks so much for stopping by!!