St. Augustine

My sister and I decided to go to St. Augustine for a mini vacation in the chilly month of March. It wasn't the typical Florida blue skies and sunshine, but we did enjoy ourselves. 

A group of teenagers overlooking the water from the edges of the almost 400 year old fort.

A shot of my sister admiring the view. 

We had booked a hotel on the beach in order to watch the sunrise, however, a thick fog had rolled in. We slept in a little hoping the mist would clear but it held on well into the afternoon. We took a walk on the beach somewhere around 10:00am and I turned around to capture this haunting shot of the residence behind us.

Subtle lines in the sand from the receding tide the night before. 

Primordial

I took this photograph of my best friend's back yard. They normally enjoy a lush view of a lake but on this particular early morning there was a thick fog. The vibrant colors were muted from the heavy atmosphere and the slow rising sun was just beginning to bake it off. 

And for a brief moment this landscape suddenly looked so ancient. As though I had been transported back in time the moment before our ancestors were about to take their first steps on land. In the few short minutes before the fog dissipated this pretty backyard felt like the oldest place on earth. 

Pear

The is a rediscovered drawing from a college art class. The goal was to create a line study of an object. Not by simply outlining it, but looking closer at planes and structure. 

As simple as it is I've always loved this picture. It has a sense of texture and mass without any shading. It forces you to see the object in a completely different way while still feeling like you could reach out and grab it. It is abstracted yet solid, tangible, and strangely elegant. 

Feminist

My best friend, who is a man and strong supporter of women's rights, ask me if I was a feminist.

"I don't know, I guess so"
He was a little shocked. "What do you mean 'you guess so'? You're a woman! You are supposed to be a feminist!"

Being woman can be perceived in two different ways: biologically and through society. There is always going to be a difference between the sexes and that starts with biology. As far as humans are concerned you need a male and female to procreate. The female will carry and nurture the child, and in order to do so her body and her emotional attachments will be adapted differently. There are differences that exist between genders as a result of biology. That is the world we in.

Society, on the other hand, is the world we create. Society tells us how we should look and how we should act. Society tells me that I should wear certain clothes, be a certain weight or wear certain kinds of makeup to be perceived as feminine. But I have always identified more with the biological factors.

I like being a woman and the inherent power that comes with it. And I'm not talking about dressing pretty so he can buy you a drink. That is the opposite of feminism. What I'm talking about is the endurance and fortitude, the physicality of it all. I love my curves and softness. It has nothing to do with makeup and clothing. Those things don't define who I am. When you walk through museums and you look at most nude sculptures of women they look more like me than the models you have been accustomed to seeing. I'm not exactly sure when society decided that a work of art should fall out of favor, but I'm here as proof that good things don't go out of style.

To me being a feminist is about where you put yourself between biology and society without anyone else defining it for you. For example, I love to cook and I believe in the power of a home cooked meal. But I've got goals that are more ambitious than making you a sandwich. My mother, who is the most loving and nurturing person I know loves to tell me that it's not lady like to swear. To which I reply "Well that sounds like bullshit."

Every woman has had to deal with some form of discrimination. Being a feminist allows you to set the terms of your own life, which is a privilege that was offered all to rarely to the women before me.

I remember a college class I had where we were discussing a piece of feminist literature. I was only girl who didn't raise her hand and my curious professor called on me. "What did you think?"

"Honestly, I think it's outdated"

I could feel everyone staring at me.

"I'm sure this piece was important when it was written but we've come so far since then. There is always going to be bias and discrimination but what I have now is the ability and education to fight it. At a certain point it has nothing to do with gender, biology, or society. What ever you are up against is just an obstacle and I have everything I need to move it, get around it, or destroy it."

To my best friend who asked if I was a feminist: "Yes, just not the way you were expecting."

I love who I am. I love that I can take control of my life. I love to be the force they don't see coming. If you are only seeing me a just a woman then you are missing the point. My definition is bigger than that.

Oleaginous (Part 3)

My 1997 Nissan died for the last time early in January 2015. It was my first car and I rode it for thirteen years.  The 230,000 miles were a testament to its toughness. One persistent problem was the oil leak and as annoying as it was I couldn't help but turn it into art. 

Feeding Time

On a visit to St. Petersburg, Florida I made a stop at one of my favorite places: The Sea Bird Sanctuary. I found my favorite bird, the Red-Tailed Hawk, but to my surprise we caught her right at feeding time.

Between her talons and beak she made short work of the rat while two of the sanctuary's free roaming Vultures waited by the back of her enclosure; tantalizingly close to the scraps.

To view additional photographs from a previous trip to The Sea Bird Sanctuary please click the following link: http://currentsandcolor.blogspot.com/2011/08/sea-bird-sanctuary.html

Succulents

My best friend has a little collection of succulent plants on her patio table. I was over letting her dogs out early one morning and the colors were just beautiful. 

I could see little gems of dew tucked neatly among the cradling arms of the plant.

Protected by red, spike tipped leafs the glittering beads are safe until the sunrise.