Why snapshots are important

Perusing my archive, which I do from time to time, mainly with the aim of purging the crappiest images, I came across this photograph, something I captured over a decade ago. I never did anything with the image in the moment, at least that's what I thought, since I never posted, printed, exhibited, or even showed it to my closest friends for their nods of approval or their tacet 'meh's. But, I did keep it rather than chucking it in the bin. It is beginning to seem as if my archive is doing double duty as a kind of default sketchbook. I think I need to come up with a better way to keep an actual sketchbook, not that I haven't tried. In the meantime, it is good to know that I am attracted to large piles of wood. I mean, just look at those lovely pallets!

Enjoy the weekend light! 

You're not an art factory!

The other morning I was browsing the news and drinking a cup of coffee when I noticed a shaft of light illuminating part of a single crepe myrtle in a poetic way. All of the other trees were still in darkness. My phone was in another room charging, so I grabbed the ever dependable, albeit now rather long in the tooth Canon Powershot G11 to make some visual notes, or sketches, you know, before the light evened out across the yard. Working freely like this can be very enjoyable even though it's unlikely that any of the images will end up as portfolio pieces. Hell, they may not even be Insta-worthy. As it turns out, though, the results of this little exercise were the highlight of my day. My efforts in the studio amounted to little more than polishing turds. Turds happen. I just try to show up every day, is all.