This is an old December pic – from 2007 to be exact. It’s from one of my favorite cemeteries in NM, it’s in Bernalillo,it’s right off of I-25. And below is a “reflected” view – this is one of the first things I played with in Photoshop back in 2000 – I loved flipping images and creating digital Rorschach tests.
you cannot silence me
not with your sneer
not with your force
definitely not with your wit
cover my mouth
I will scratch out my missives to the world
bind my hands
my eyes can still sing my story
you cannot silence me
My gut instinct is this woman – beneath her prim and proper clothing and respectable updo – was fiery and passionate.
One of my favorite things in the world is playing in Photoshop – textures, layers, colors, filters – I seriously can’t get enough!! Here’s what I did tonight – took a boring photo and made it say what I want it to say!
Original
My version
My show is up! and I’ll be away from the computer all day tomorrow bouncing between The Wooden Cow and Chroma Studios, so I decided to post early for VPF. Last Sunday as we were hanging the show one of our artist from last month’s show came in to pickup her work. She was very excited by my “Familia de Burque” show and asked if she could send me some vintage family photos from Hawaii. Of course I said yes!
I haven’t had any time this week to play with them (I been up almost round the clock getting ready for tomorrow). But I had a few moments to breathe today and opened them up. And they are fabulous!!! I fell in love instantly. Here’s my first stab a “Hawaiian Style Vintage”
Waikiki Tandem Surf 1931
Tandem
For more vintage photos go to “Vintage Photo Friday.”
I’m going through my glass negative images – preparing for my show in July. And, though I should be just choosing images and hitting print, I’m falling in love again and editing and cropping and reimagining and I don’t know how I’m going to be able to stop!! Here’s what I did tonight-
The original image
Became this last year
and became this tonight -- gotta love a square!
We went to Galisteo, NM on a lark yesterday. It’s a tiny town with lots of charm. These mailboxes were directly across from the church – which seems to be the center of town. I think the mailman only makes one stop in Galisteo – and this is it.
At the State Pen on Easter. The guy is my friend and neighbor – Ramon. I asked him to be my model for the day — my first shoot with a model and it was a blast!
So I recently read How the Dead Dream, by Lydia Millet. First piece of actual literature I’ve read in a while – and it was intense, sad, wistful, and ultimately satisfying. My awesome friend Sarah, started an online book club – and this is the first selection. I’ve already posted my comments about it on her blog, so I won’t go into details here – but it spoke to me on several levels. The other book I’m still reading is Poemcrazy by Susan Woolbridge – I’m actually rereading it – I love it so much and can open it to any page to get a little inspiration to get me through the day.
So here’s by piece inspired by both of these books.
little shell – do you see me?
does your soul feel my compassion,
can your husk hear me weeping,
the walls are covered with rusty tears
upon learning of your passing,
take care little shell
i bid you peace
-and dreams of ocean blue skies
This poor bird was tied to the bars of one of the cells at the old state pen – this was in the area where the really bad stuff in the riot went down – things I can barely stand to think about. It was already a spook-filled place – and this little creature’s death was more than I cared to see – but I did. His tether was rather long with lots of room to move about – I can imagine him flying back and forth – trying to break free.
Dream Life – one of my favorite books – and yet I’ve never read it. It’s a tiny book that fits in the palm of my hand perfectly – and lays on my mantle every day. I bought it in Seattle somewhere and love it dearly – one of the only things to survive my many moves. I don’t even WANT to read it – would rather imagine the secrets it might want tell me.
I’ve been thinking about this little red book recently – I scanned it a few weeks ago. Today Katie was singing Row, Row, Row your Boat – and the phrase “life is but a dream” struck me and reminded me of my little book. And this evening – after a fun daytrip/photohunt to a mission a few hours south of here I made this.
All the images in this are from our trip today. The ladder is from an old house by the side of the road that I stepped into on a whim (there are so many old houses by the side of the road here). The turquoise shading on the left is from an afghan that was being used as a curtain in that same house. The rock wall is from the old mission we explored. Add some obsessive photoshopping and a couple of hours later - voila – my dream life.
Let there be light!
