Impressionist Art, On An Autumn Day, In Sacramento

"When everything looks like a magical oil painting,

 you know you are in Autumn."

~Mehmet Murat ildan

Last weekend, while I was in Sacramento searching for public art, and early turning trees, I spotted a really interesting building, which was being torn down. The side of the building, with it's exposed brick and painting chipping away, kinda made me smile. Not because it was fun to see yet another beautiful old building die, and take with it a little more local history, but rather because the way the paint and bricks were coming off the building, it reminded me of Claude Monet's paintings of poplar trees in autumn. I don't know maybe you don't see it, but I sure do! I love Monet, Renoir and Manet, and I see their work in the deterioration of this cool old building. Do you see a grove of Poplar trees? And do they have bright orange and red leaves, some of which have fallen to the ground in little piles. And there are a few purple ones too? Or do you just see a wall of bricks that have overstayed their welcome? Oh well, it's probably just me, I always see the most unusual things in autumn!

Poplars on the Banks of  the River Epte In Autumn

By Claude Monet

Oil on Canvas 1891

Impressionistic Poplars In Autumn

Sacramento, California

September 28th 2019 
Impressionist Filter

#13 Leaf Of The Day

October 5th 2019

September 28th 2019

Stockton, California

Nikon

~Mood: Happy

~Me  :)

The Result Of The Trumpy Lumpy Winter Day Doldrums

"From December to March, there are for many of us three gardens: the garden outdoors, the garden of pots and bowls in the house, and the garden of the mind's eye."

~Katherine S. White

Last February, I decided to fight off the screaming Trumps, by venturing out with the camera. The world, after all, wouldn't end in the short amount of time it would take to drive around, and look for something, anything, that wasn't all about Trump! Or would it? Who knew, but I did know I needed a little while away from the crazy! As I sat behind the wheel of my car, I tried to think of one thing... just one thing... that he hadn't become completely, and irritatingly associated with! It has felt like he has insinuated himself into all aspects of day to day life, perverting most of them, but there had to be at least one thing that he hadn't managed to ruin! It took a moment, but then it occurred to me... flowers, yes, flowers... were the one thing he hadn't ruined for me!

But it was February! Where was I supposed to find flowers in February? I had a few roses by the garden fence, but they had a bit of winter chill burn on them. There were some silk flowers in my craft cabinet, but fake flowers, was a little too much like FAKE NEWS, to inspire any flight of fancy away from the topic I most wanted to ignore! What to do, what to do! Then I saw it, my neighbor's Magnolia tree was beginning to bloom, and the flowers were lovely! Eureka... there is my subject!

Did I mention while I sat in my car, contemplating which direction to go in, the sky opened up, and began to pour rain! The sky cried! Great, big, wet, tears of rain! Bigly! But not to fear, I simply picked up my Nikon, rolled the window down, and snapped away! I was photographing the Magnolias from a good distance, as it rained, and it was a bit foggy too, so the pictures didn't come out as nicely as I would have hoped for. The day I took them, I deemed them not worthy for posting, but upon a second look, I decided to work a little Photoshop magic, and enjoy them, and the memory of my day out of the Trumpy Lumpy winter day doldrums.

Thinking that my photos aren't good enough to post happens a lot. I put a ton of pressure on myself to get a preconceived end result with my photography, and when it isn't fully achieved, I let it sit in the file, until the end of the year when I have one last look with newly opened eyes. I like doing the occasional photo-shopped masterpiece, from photos gone astray. This year, I created a pretty nice Thanksgiving card, from a photograph that was less than perfect, and I got a couple complements on the artsy end result! And I also took a very blurry rural autumn country road scene, and turned it into an Impressionist painting! Again, with a few compliments.

The Magnolia in this post will probably be the last of the artistic disaster masters, for 2018. Well, at least I think it will be the last one, but who knows? There is always time for me to take my camera and veer off the rails again, but with a little luck, we will close out the "Oops Folder" with that pretty pink splash of late winter color! Imagine, beautiful shades of pink, against a deep blue cloudy sky! The only thing missing in the moment was New Age music, an aromatherapy machine, and a few well placed Omms.

Omm. Omm. OMM.

2018 Photo Editing Album

~Mood: Happy

~Me

Spring And Monet

"It's on the strength of observation and reflection that one finds a way. So we must dig and delve unceasingly."

~Claude Monet

It's officially spring, which means I am going to be searching out all things pastel and garden! I am planning a trip, very soon, to the central coast. Monterey, Pacific Grove, Carmel, all along to coast of Monterey County, which will be an all day long event. One of which  that will leave me completely exhausted, but very happy inside! It will be a physical and mental workout to be sure, but nothing brings me to life inside, like a really good day with the cameras! The picture above was taken in the spring of 2005, at the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. It's gorgeous there in the springtime. It should be absolutely stunning right now. I might pay a visit there this week or next. I will be in the park to photograph the tulips at the Queen Wilhelmina Garden, so I will probably try to take in as much as possible.

The following are some photos I did this past winter. Again I was inspired by Claude Monet and his attention to light and color. There is a small amount of enhancement to bring the original photo to a more artist feel. Most of the time I refrain from doing too much editing to my photographs, but when I set out to do something a little different, something slightly more romantic of just give the subject a softness, I will use the editing tools to create my version of impressionism. I am hoping to get the paint brush out later this year and do a painting, but then again I have been thinking of doing that for several years and have ended up procrastinating. LOL. We'll see if this is the year!

Three Of My Favorites By Claude Monet...

The Complete Works Of Claude Monet

Two New Original Photos From Winter

The Cliffs Of Pacifica...




I get excited just thinking about the outing with the cameras! The 17 Mile drive is full of amazing beauty, and the purple ice plant along on the cliff side in Pacific Grove is breathtaking, as is the Monarch Sanctuary! So much beauty! Spring may not be my favorite season, but it is full of a lot of my favorite things. If only we could drop autumn leaves in spring time, life would be just about perfect!

"Every day I discover more and more beautiful things. It's enough to drive one mad. I have such a desire to do everything, my head is bursting with it."

~Claude Monet

Mood: Happy, Inspired

~Me :)

The Brush Strokes Of Claude Monet And My Most Asked Question On AOL Journals

Claude Monet's "Water Lilies"
Legion Of Honor
San Francisco, California
October 2nd 2013

Every day I discover, more and more beautiful things. It's enough to drive one mad! I have such a desire to do everything, my head is bursting with it."

~Claude Monet



#1.
The question I used to get asked the most, regarding my blog in the old AOL Journal days was not really about my blog, so much as my screen name... OndineMonet. It's simple really, it's a combination of my favorite mythical creature, the mermaid, specifically, Ondine, and my favorite artist Claude Monet. I have been in love with Impressionist art since I was a small child, and one of my favorite teachers gave me some art books to look at and read. I love the soft pastel colors, and how almost all of the paintings looked just like places I would want to live.

 As a grown up I know that, in reality, nowhere looks like a Claude Monet painting, although sometimes we have sunsets here in the Bay Area that take my breath away, for the same reasons his paintings do. Monet is always on my mind when I take a photograph of a sunset, or of a beautiful garden or moving water.

 It is a real treat, and it fascinates me to think of what kind of photographer he might have been! But if he had been a photographer, instead of a painter, I wouldn't get to see his actual brush strokes. It's the one thing missing from photography, that small sense of the person on a different, more relate able level. By the way, the second most asked question about my blog was... What does Ellipsis mean?

#2.
Ellipsis
1 a: the omission of one or more words that are obviously understood but that must be supplied to make construction grammatically complete.

b: a sudden leap from one topic to another.

2 a: marks or a mar ( as ... ) indicating an omission (as of words) or a pause.

It would have been just about perfect if Monet had painted mermaids. LOL But not to worry, I still continue to look for them whenever I am out on the San Francisco Bay! :) And by the way, Ondine isn't just a mermaid, shes also a curse, oh and a medical condition! See, Ondine's Curse.



Mood: Inspired :)

~Me :)

Impressionist Photography In Late Autumn

"To my mind, a picture should be something pleasant, cheerful and pretty, yes pretty! There are too many unpleasant things in life as it is without creating still more of them."

~Pierre Auguste Renoir


The Japanese Bridge
By Claude Monet


For the most part I don't do a lot of editing of my photos. Oh, I might straighten an edge here and there, so sue me, I do a lot of photography here in the hills and in San Francisco. Unless you have lived here, you probably don't realize, there are NO straight lines anywhere! Something to do with earthquakes I think, or maybe it's just the fact that the earth is a ball... I have to admit... I don't know why it seems that way, but it does. I get straighter photos from the middle of the bay, than I do on the dry land of the city.

But when it comes to my autumn photos, I admit it, I sometimes put a little something extra into the editing of my photos. Not to deceive mind you, but to show you what I see, even if it is mostly in my imagination. I see everything around me with brighter colors, and soft twilight lighting. Although sometimes I manage to capture those amazing red sunsets we get in autumn, oh hell, what can I say? I am a total fool for autumn, and I just see it... well... differently than most folks do... through my crazy green eyes.

"For an impressionist to paint from nature is not to paint the subject, but to realize sensations."

~Paul Cezanne











I am an Impressionist photographer when it comes to autumn.

Now I need to work on the other 3 seasons.

Happiness. :)

Q. So tell me, when it comes to your photography, does any particular art form inspire you? Or does any particular artist influence you, as to what subjects you choose?

Tell me everything!

~Me :)

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 40: Snowy Egret In November

"Don't shoot what it looks like, shoot what it feels like."

~Alan David Harvey

As an amateur photographer, I do find myself doing a lot of editing with light and angles, and yes, at times with my photo editing software. In a perfect world I try to look beyond the obvious in front of me, to the impression behind it. It probably comes from my love for Impressionist art. If you ever visit me, you will find book, after book relating to Impressionist art. How about you? Do you prefer the raw image, without a lot of editing? Or do you find yourself going beyond the immediate with photo editing tools? Do you plan out each shot carefully, or do you shoot by instinct? Tell me, what motivates you to do your photography?

Opinions please.

~Me :)