Openings Connecting: about US, for ME

Monday, December 26, 2011

about US, for ME

living in the now is the anthem.

but, appreciating the moment in reflection

also brings the past into the equation

of blessedness, appreciation,

gratitude.

WE were once in kindergarten, both of us thrilled with life and our new roles in it.

a few years and miles separated us.

it seems it took a long time to explore the world and our souls before we met

finally, we landed, in the same place.

serious about our professions, and celebrating our coming together.

many decades have passed, and our work has changed to 'play' in a way...

his guitar and my camera take us to many places,

with mutual support and encouragement

many things change in life: our appearances, our circumstances....

but we both realized that making a home in each other's arms is the

sustenance~

~and knowing the importance of balancing the separateness

in our togetherness is the secret.

cheers, Dear!

and, of course, a kiss.

12 comments:

TeriDecember 26, 2011 at 8:37 AM
What an incredible love story you have "told" here, Neva!! I am envious in a way, of the love that seems so deep, so close, so open and also inviting...inviting us in to share a bit of it too. How lucky you are to recognize the differences and yet see the similarities. Happy holidays to the two of you and much joy in the new year.
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mansuetudeDecember 26, 2011 at 9:13 AM
What a Love poem!

Happy New year to you and your "love"
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henrietta (aka ani aka zani)December 26, 2011 at 12:30 PM
what a fabulous post. such love...can't fight destiny. thank you for sharing...
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ooglebloopsDecember 26, 2011 at 1:56 PM
This is one of the most wonderful and endearing posts I have seen in a long time!! What a lovely tribute, cute couple, and wonder-full paths thru' life, that joined to become one.
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Kelly M.December 27, 2011 at 8:55 AM
A lovely trail of words and images that trace two lives lived as one, Neva. What a wonderful gift you've shared with us, a reminder at this time of year of what is truly cherished. Thank you.
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ValeriannaDecember 27, 2011 at 6:27 PM
Beautiful, I was moved by the obvious love and deep respect that sings from you both.
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SethDecember 29, 2011 at 6:24 AM
What a beautiful and heartwarming post. The perfect post for the period of reflection that the end of one year and the beginning of another brings. I wish the two of you a wonderful 2012!
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Two Graces, 105 Barela Lane, Taos NM 87571December 30, 2011 at 8:29 AM
Beautiful, Happy New Year
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ELKDecember 30, 2011 at 7:46 PM
such a magical post ..love the photos and poetic words to go with them ... many more years together !!
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Renee HowellJanuary 2, 2012 at 9:44 AM
Aww. This is just the sweetest!
Love to you both,
even though I know just one.
But would recognize the other.

xox
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ELFIJanuary 5, 2012 at 9:19 AM
une belle tranche de vie...
plein de sensibilité! bonne année!
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rivergardenstudioFebruary 6, 2012 at 4:33 PM
Oh! You and your beautiful love, it sings out and warms my soul.
roxanne
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FOUR DIRECTIONS/FOUR VISIONS: Two Graces: First showing for me, JUNE 3, 2011

With no directions home, I found Taos in the late 60s. It felt like home immediately. It still does. I know this sentiment is familiar to countless others.

The mountain stopped me in my tracks, and I stayed for several years. Since that time, I circle back annually.

To me, that circle is symbolic of this body of work at Two Graces. This is a time in my life when I've been fortunate enough to experiment with art making. Not surprisingly, I found myself drawn back to the images in the Ektachrome slides that I'd taken in the early 80s of Chaco Canyon, the San Francisco de Asis Church, dusty roads, and the ever changing skies of Northern New Mexico. The spirit of this adobed land lingers in my core and manifests itself within these works.

This past Michigan winter was spent creating enlarged negatives from my thirty year old slides, pulling part of my past into the present via today's tools of scanner and computer. Using traditional silver-gelatin darkroom processes, these resurrected and modified negatives acquired a new life. The majority of these prints are the result of this mediated reincarnation.

The smaller images took me into photographic processes from the mid-1800s. These handmade platinum/palladium prints are created coating vellum, for translucency, with these metal salts and exposing them to ultraviolet light. They are then bathed in the alchemy of the darkroom. The tonal qualities are unique in each print. Finally, 24k gold is layered to the backs of the prints, emanating the warmth, glow, and depth of these beloved places.