Author: Mark Wade

I make photographic art in many forms....without adherence to any philosophical tyranny. Love to paint, mixed media 2D pieces at my leisure. Still working on some pieces that have evolved over a period of years. Art for me is not on the clock (mostly). Sites that do not show up with GRAVATAR for some reason: FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/bluemarblearts/ Deviantart: https://www.deviantart.com/markus43 REDBUBBLE: https://www.redbubble.com/people/markus43/shop PRINTS: https://bluemarblephotography.smugmug.com/

The Life of an Artistic Life

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Sometimes intentionally
Life is breathed into the artistic work
Other times
You search for components
That cry out to each other

All art is based on tension and resolution. It tells a story and demands a response from the viewer. Sometimes the story is as simple as presenting abstract elements to evoke a primal upheaval.

Cover Photo:
Spring is on its way and flowers are popping like crazy. Our peach tree is in full bloom with rich pink/red tones.

Using an old Nikkor 105 without the extension tube allows “regular” photography as well as micro work.

With this knowledge, the photographer can employ multiple photography techniques to capture something unexpected. No longer is the intent “take a picture of something.” Thoughts drift to imagining the possibilities. Some structures are purposefully left behind for color impact only, reimagined to something new.
This is a double exposure result of that mind journey.
“Cotton Candy Crows”

Fluent In Two-Hundred Languages

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No words are spoken
All paths are in song
Not sure what I’m saying
Don’t care if I’m wrong

I sing all day
Standards and others
But I don’t sing new
‘Cause I only know covers

The scientific identity of life is so far beyond my little gray cells. We a have a “tree” that has shaped up more like a bush, that has a eucalyptus scent but is not eucalyptus. Perhaps chokeberry or camphor, more investigation needed. Mockingbirds love these berries, which might not even be berries.

From Africa With Love

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Spring starts March 19th
Like it’s a thing
Say the African daisies

Cover Photo: Ramona looking eastward. This patch of non-indigenous daisies has become a source of colorful joy.

More:

In a nearby deep ravine flows runoff from several days of rain. Seasonal creeks may last a week after a good soaking. Multiple weeks will create flows up to a month.This year, we returned to typical scarcity for water.

All phone candids

San Dieguito River Park

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Winter succumbs at 78
Off the 78
Water, grass, oak, flower and fern

Spring begins March 19th and in typical southern California fashion the climate is reluctant to act like it’s still winter. Yesterday we hit 78 degrees and as we have discovered, the African daisies are already popping in color. (These are near our property).

We hiked a little with our daughter near her home. There is a place called San Dieguito River Park near her house. It is just off highway 78, down a dirt road, then onto a narrow-paved road to the trailheads. The entire park is massive and we have explored only a small section. The cover photo is a phone panorama looking south through a stand of oak and rock outcropping.
This section of trail is an old ranch road of decomposed granite (mostly). The terrain is fairly easy with a little up and down in the mile or so we traveled in.
The ascent follows a gorge and there is currently a stream running. Currently, oaks dominate the scene, but the gorge is filled with sycamore skeletons waiting for leaves (as seen in this photo looking east).

This area is definitely on my future visit list. We were there for a little over an hour which is fine for a short hike, but barely a “creative loosening up” for me.
Along the way, we found an outcropping of north facing granite, with ferns growing out of them. Immediately I started channeling Alex Kunz and his mastery of isolating life overcoming adversity. Plants that pop out of the most unlikely places are not only intriguing but encouraging to the soul.

Here is a link to the map, we were in the Pamo area (#12).
https://www.sdrp.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/SDRP-Park-Map-002.pdf