Browsing Tag

still life

Photo of the Week No. 37: Bouquet of Brushes

September 12, 2018

I could stare at this bouquet of brushes for hours. This Photo of the Week showcases the simple, effortless beauty of a jar of paintbrushes. For some reason, the brushes as a metaphor for people came to mind. Think about it. They’re all intertwined, each unique but experiencing this shared circumstance. The paintbrushes have varying degrees of wear and tear, and exude their own style. Which one are you? Maybe you’re the thin blue brush that’s just over it. Maybe you’re the exact opposite: The skinny white brush — poised, unblemished and ready for action. Or maybe you’re more of the strong, silent type like the brown brush directly behind it. Or the one completely out of place, on the table top. I think I identify with the wild-bristled little brush with the slightest flecks of white paint. It’s been through a lot. Its bristles are unruly but it’s standing tall. It still has work to do. Still has some fight in it. Here’s to seeing the extraordinary in the smallest, ordinary things.

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Photo of the Week No. 31: “Yaaasss to Yarn”

July 30, 2018

This Photo of the Week features a bright basket of yarn that made me fall “thread” over heels. See what I did there?! LOL. This image was captured at a crafting corner. Though the subject is something so simple, upon closer review, it captures a pretty complex scene. There’s a lot going on with the patterned tablecloth and tools, but the yarn in the foreground steals the show with its vibrant hues. And there’s a stray orange string ever so gently draped across the front of the basket. I also appreciate how the polka dots (I love me some dots!) get a little love, too. Alternate titles: “Cooler Threads Will Prevail,” “Darn That’s a Lot of Yarn,” “From Thread to Toe” and “Thread-to-Thread Format.”

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Photo of the Week No. 27: “Plumes of Peonies”

July 2, 2018

I haven’t met a peony that I didn’t like, and seeing these here peonies was love at first sight. That’s why they’re the star of this Photo of the Week. At first glance, my mind takes me to tropical settings, thanks to the popping pink color on the flowers, the vibrant green leaves and the red branches in the arrangement. These flowers look like they’d be in the lobby of a swanky hotel, but reality this image was taken at a café. Always take time to ~~smell the roses~~ photograph the peonies!

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Photo of the Week No. 23: “Langa Landscape”

June 4, 2018

This Photo of the Week is one of many from my recent travels to South Africa — the Langa township, more specifically. You guys, it really was a treasure trove of unique sights and sounds. Saddle up, because this isn’t the last of township images that are bound to make the cut as future Photos of the Week. This image is one of the stark reminders of beauty being any and everywhere. To the lay person, this is an unkempt lawn rife with reminders of scarcity. To me, it’s the manifestation of life at odds. It’s where beauty meets struggle. The colors, the half cab of the truck — they demand your attention. I couldn’t look away. Hopefully this image moves you in some way or makes you see things from a different lens.

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Photo of the Week No. 18: “Fresh Cut Calla Lilies”

May 1, 2018

This Photo of the Week, titled “Fresh Cut Calla Lilies,” stars a beautiful bunch of, well, fresh cut calla lilies. I captured this image while strolling through the Santa Monica Farmers Market last Saturday with my guy. I love the juxtaposition of these pure, white, delicate blooms in the foreground against the harsh, cracked, grey concrete in the background. These flowers have always spoken to me. In my dad’s house growing up, there was a print of a Diego Rivera painting, “The Flower Vendor (Girl With Lilies),” that featured the slender, stately, curved flowers. When I see them, they remind me of home.

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Photo of the Week No. 16: “African Art-ifacts”

April 17, 2018

This Photo of the Week, titled “African Art-ifacts,” was captured while on a walking tour of the Langa township in Cape Town, South Africa, last week. I love the juxtaposition in this image between the traditional African art (masks, sculptures, bowls, etc.) and the modernity of the handcrafted boombox with the Coca-Cola branding, bottle caps and metal wiring. This artsy boombox is definitely the one that got away, as I ran out of Rand while shopping in the township. Womp womp. I’m determined to return for it, among other missions I’d like to complete in the Motherland.

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Photo of the Week No. 12: “Welcome to Waco”

March 19, 2018

I made it to Texas for the first time last week — Austin, specifically, for South By Southwest, and then Waco for the Spring at the Silos event on Friday. This Photo of the Week No. 12 was taken at Magnolia Market, owned and operated by Chip and Joanna Gaines of HGTV’s “Fixer Uppers.” It being my proper first time in Texas, I was struck by all the quintessentially “Texas” sights and sounds — the massive silos, the thriving flowerbeds, the stately typography on the signage, the Southern twangs of the attendees who came from far and wide to experience the Magnolia they’ve fallen in love with on TV. I was eager to capture it all with my trusty Canon. The image that I settled on for this Photo of the Week — what I call “Welcome to Waco” — frames all of the aforementioned magic in one simple shot. It’s like a postcard. Stay tuned for more snapshots from that day in an upcoming Out and About post!

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Photo of the Week No. 10: “Flower Power”

March 5, 2018

This Photo of the Week No. 10 is from the archives. This beautiful flower arrangement was adorning a table at a summit hosted by my job, and at the time it was just an object to document to get a sense of the event’s scenery. But on second viewing, it proved to be more profound in meaning. As you know, this month is Women’s History Month and when I was looking through the folder where this image was resting, I was reminded of how these flowers are symbolic of women. Think about it. They’re each beautiful in their own right, but when pulled together, their beauty is magnified. The same could be said of women and their power. Also, it’s OK to be independent and have different opinions. It’s diversity that helps solve the world’s issues. It’s variety that provides a sweet fragrance in the atmosphere. What comes to mind when you think of this Photo of the Week, titled “Flower Power”? Let me know in the comments below!

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