Monday, May 29, 2017

"Beauty the Brave"

Beauty The Brave - 2017  
Walk Into This Picture.

On this Memorial Day in 2017.  I feel deeply for those we have lost and those who are still fighting for our freedoms.  My words are not adequate to express my gratitude for this privileged life I lead.

So I will do want feels right for me - share a poem of beauty by Mary Oliver.  Imagine each flower holding the life and love of someone who has passed.

Enjoy this moment of mindfulness.

"Peonies: A Poem By Mary Oliver

"This morning the green fists of the peonies are getting ready
to break my heart
as the sun rises,
as the sun strokes them with his old, buttery fingers
and they open —
pools of lace,
white and pink —
and all day the black ants climb over them,
boring their deep and mysterious holes
into the curls,
craving the sweet sap,
taking it away
to their dark, underground cities —
and all day
under the shifty wind,
as in a dance to the great wedding,
the flowers bend their bright bodies,
and tip their fragrance to the air,
and rise,
their red stems holding
all that dampness and recklessness
gladly and lightly,
and there it is again —
beauty the brave, the exemplary,
blazing open.

Do you love this world?
Do you cherish your humble and silky life?
Do you adore the green grass, with its terror beneath?
Do you also hurry, half-dressed and barefoot, into the garden,
and softly,
and exclaiming of their dearness,
fill your arms with the white and pink flowers,
with their honeyed heaviness, their lush trembling,
their eagerness
to be wild and perfect for a moment, before they are
nothing, forever?"

from New And Selected Poems by Mary Oliver"


Limited edition reproduction available at

Sunday, May 21, 2017

Walk Into The Picture #7 - Bridal Wreath

Bridal Wreath, May 2017

Walk into the picture and enjoy all the delicacies of this floral arrangement.

I hope you treasure the fragile little bridal wreath stems.  They were trimmed today to make room for the peonies that were trying to grow below them in their shadow.  While I love the bridal wreath flowers I love the peonies more because they are so fragrant and colorful but have a short season.

Touch the tiny yellow buds and purple buds that are lovely accent colors that were picked specifically to add color to this floral arrangement.

Does that happen to you in your life?  Do you pick and choose and assemble things together so they'll be picture perfect, or at least a good fit?   Sit by this flower arrangement and remember a thing that has been sacrificed for a greater good.

Enjoy this moment of mindfulness.

Available for purchase at:




Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Walk Into The Picture #6 Cookies, Coffee and Comfort

Cookies, Coffee and Comfort
Walk into the picture and look at the beautiful table setting.  Isn't it inviting?

What are you drawn to first?  Do you want to enjoy the fresh coffee?  Do you want to nibble on the fresh out of the oven cookies?  How about flipping through the pages of the books?  Or do you simply want to get comfortable in a chair close by and let your full senses take in the whole scene, the sights, the smells, the touch and yes, of course, eventually the taste?

I invite you to take it all in and make the selections as you wish.  

Enjoy this moment of mindfulness.


Available for purchase at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/cookies-coffee-and-comfort-wendy-blomseth.html



Monday, May 15, 2017

Still Life For Cats

Still Life for Cats, May 2017
While my cat Sallie was feeling ill this weekend I created this still life portrait. 

Note the two ceramic cats, water to drink, treats and cat books. 

BTW, she's at the vet hospital getting fluids and more. Remaining optimistic until proven otherwise!!!

In case you are interested, I am available for commissioned work to create a still life for your special person, animal or special occasion.  

Secondly, this image is available for purchase at:
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/still-life-for-cats-wendy-blomseth.html


Sunday, May 14, 2017

Walk Into The Picture #5

Sit, Sip and Smell,  May 2017
Walk into the picture and smell the lilacs.  They are so irresistible aren't they?  In the spring when the flowers are blooming and the air is sweet and fragrant it's almost impossible not to harvest the flowers in the yard, isn't it?

 If you examine closely you'll see three different types of lilacs that have subtle differences, one from the other. The bleeding hearts are always so delicate that you may be afraid to touch them, so be gentle.

Can you help us name the little yellow buds?  My husband thinks they're yarrow but the pictures I see on the web don't match with yarrow.  We've been gifted with them for the first time this year.  Don't know where they came from or how long they're staying but I love them.  And given the decision to pull them or let them flourish, I opted for let them be.

Look at the three books from which you can choose, "Still Life," "Poem A Day," and "Michelangelo's Notebook."   Choose the one that calls to you.  Or, bring your own book and help yourself to the chilled glass of white wine.  Pearls always make any occasion better, in my opinion. You can pass or play.

I invite you to find a comfortable spot to sit and sip and smell the flowers.  Enjoy this moment of mindfulness.

 Fine Art Reproductions Available at Fine Art America:



Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Walk Into The Picture #4

May 2005, Lilacs for My Mother
Spring Lilacs will always remind me of my mother, Eunice.  She had several wide and tall lilac bushes in our backyard, in an area called "the North 40" even though it wasn't in the north boundary of our yard.  I think it was just a farm term she or my father had heard at one time and liked the sound of it.

In the spring we always monitored the blooming cycle of the lilacs in the North 40.

So I invite you to walk into the picture of these lilacs.  Of course you have to smell the lilacs because there isn't a better smell in the spring time.  Touch the tiny petals and notice the graduated shade of the color purple.  Some will appear darker, some lighter if they're affected by the sunshine.  That morning eastern light gives it a beautiful glow.

The vase is very special, too, because it is a collectors item from the Red Wing Pottery Company from Red Wing, MN.  People that collect these, love them.

Lastly, the little table stand was actually crafted by my husband's late father, Carl whom I never met unfortunately because he passed on before we ever met.

What do you think of when you see this image?  Does it remind you of anyone? Or, are you simply a fan of spring lilacs also?

However it calls to you, look at the still life portrait but feel the love of someone else and call it by their name as you enjoy the sight and smell of these spring lilacs.





Sunday, May 7, 2017

Walk Into the Picture #3

Just For You, May 2015 
Walk into the picture and feel the warm sunshine.  It's been a full day for you and this is your time.  Just for you, you've poured a glass of chilled white wine so you can decompress a bit.

Come closer and touch the fragile petals of the flowers.  Smell each bud and notice the different unique smells of each one.  Which flower is your favorite today?  Does that gerber daisy in the center call to you?  Just enjoy it for a few moments.  Don't think about anything else.

Pull up a chair in sun, if you wish, or just on the edge.  Put your feet up and take a break.

This is your moment of mindfulness.  Enjoy!

"Just For You" still life image available for purchase at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/just-for-you-wendy-blomseth.html?newartwork=true





Friday, May 5, 2017

Walk Into The Picture #2

From My Garden, May 5, 2016
Walk Into The Picture and you'll want to smell the freshly cut lilacs and touch the fragile, delicate petals of the bleeding heart plant that grows in our  urban garden in Minneapolis, MN.

You will doubt me and say you don't believe it when I tell you that the sheer veil is my actual wedding veil from 9/6/99. I use it almost every time I'm photographing at my home studio because it allows me to diffuse the intensity of the strong western light that we get on bright sunny afternoons.

You'll wonder how old the silver tray is and the story behind the acquisition of the silver urn.

I imagine you'll love the still life and want to sit down next to it with a glass of champagne or possibly fresh tea and biscuits.  Early in the morning you could look at it while stretching, doing yoga or writing in your journal.

Enjoy this moment of mindfulness with the flowers from my garden.








Wednesday, May 3, 2017

"Walk Into the Picture" #1

Life changes.  Goals change.  Your brand changes, hopefully, over time as you change, learn, grow.

I'd like to more intentionally and strategically share some of the photographic images I've created in the past and new ones as I create them.

Since I've been told numerous times that my photos "make me want to walk into them" those are the images that I will focus on.  Besides, for years my Instagram name has been @wendywalks.  So I'll leverage my pre-existing brand and deepen the experience. Play to your strengths, right?

The series name is a work in progress but let's start with

"Walk Into the Picture"
    Fine Art Photography
by
Wendy Blomseth
 
Why: I wish to share with a larger community my passion for photography that reveal a special memory for me, the photographer, or a "public" variation of an image made for a client's purpose, both with a universal appeal that "makes you want to walk into them."

When: Scheduled weekly on Wednesday's, at the minimum, possibly more as creativity strikes.
Where:  Social media platforms:  blog WendyHBlomseth.com, Facebook and Twitter, occasionally at LinkedIn if it seems appropriate to that community.

What's for sale? Some will qualify as limited editions for sale, some not, but the details will be shared as appropriate.

For the launch, I'm sharing a favorite image that Mark Roberts, master photographer and one of my photography mentors loves.

Come Into The Woods With Me, May 2016.

Available for purchase from my new account at Fine Art America. 
Link:




Hands Are Full

  petrichor   heavy in the air   fills our hands