So I went by Petco the other day to pick up puppy supplies and figured I might as well grab some flowers from Trader Joe while I was there. I really like the abstract look of these dancing sunflower petals and the added texture just added to the painterly look.
Today’s thought from John O’Donohue:
In its encounter with us beauty invites our dignity and graciousness.
This week’s assignment was about backgrounds so I went back to the Red Poppy garden with a wide angle lens to get some out of focus flowers in the background.
From John O’Donohue:
Beauty is not to be captured or controlled for there is something intrinsically elusive in its nature.
One of the new tricks I learned this week was shooting a flower on a lightbox and then adding a texture to replace the white background. Since my tulips from last week were going south I thought I would give it a try.
From John O’Donohue:
To experience beauty is to have your life enlarged.
The first Echinecea of the season. The colors were a little pale so I decided to go with black and white to emphasize the shapes of the petals.
From John O’Donohue:
Beauty touches and renews our hope when it takes us out of the grid of ordinary time and brings us to another place, a place where history ceases and the weight of memory relents, a place ever ancient and ever new.
Here is another one from the red poppy series as we enjoy some much needed rain.
Today’s thought from John O’Donohue:
The graced eye can glimpse beauty anywhere, for beauty does not reserve itself for special elite moments or instances; it does not wait for perfection but is present already secretly in everything.
The red poppies are finally blooming at North Mountain park. I got up extra early to avoid the wind but I seem to need to go even earlier to avoid the crowds.
From John O’Donohue:
When the soul is alive to beauty, we begin to see live in a fresh and vital way.
This is one of the many poppies I found at North Mountain Park last week. I am going back tomorrow in hopes of finding the red poppies a little more abundant than there were last week.
Today’s thought from John O’Donohue:
The beauty of nature is often the wisest balm for it gently relieves and releases the caged mind.
Here’s another one from the rose garden.
And From John O’Donohue:
Even amidst chaos and disorder, something in the human mind continues still to seek beauty.
I spent an hour at Harry & David’s rose garden this morning. Then I spent two and a half hours editing and processing images for my class assignment. This one did not make the cut but I probably spent the most time on it so I decided to give it a place here because I still really like it.
From John O’Donohue:
Beauty does not linger, it only visits.
Can’t believe I have made it to day 80 already. And now the lavender is finally starting to bloom.
Today’s insight from John O’Donohue:
Our deepest self-knowledge unfolds as we are embraced by Beauty.