Beauty in Demise: An Example of Paradox and Dichotomy

Beauty in Demise - Photo c Lynda Lehmannn 2014

This is a studio setup inspired by some beautiful, lush branches of an orange tree that a good friend brought me to photograph.  I did a series while the leaves were still lush green, with bright, juicy oranges and delicate white blossoms attached.  
A week later, when the leaves had dried out and withered, I was stricken by the beauty/ugliness dichotomy and how the simple curling of individual leaves conjures "life" as a whole as well as some possible bird or animal forms.  I then contemplate "the wholeness of things," as I like to call it, when one example or kind of form evokes another, at another level of being.  From atoms to cells to tissues, organs, and organisms, similarities abound on a grand scale.  From the micro level to the vast universe, underlying principles that can't be articulated but only vaguely perceived, bind the cosmos into that elegant "Oneness" that scientists and quantum physicists refer to. 
If you would like to read a book that explores formal and functional similarities in biology and the greater universe as well, and will pique your sense of wonder, you might want to try The Lives of a Cell, by Lewis Thomas, M.D.  It's a fascinating read that affirms Dr. Thomas' subtitle: Notes of a Biology Watcher.  And it will give you prickles of what C.S. Lewis calls the feeling of "the numinous," that exhilarating and just slightly eerie feeling of awe and wonder that informs your spirit and lets you know that you in your humble human capacity, can still perceive great and mysterious things that are beyond our full apprehension.
I tried to arrange these leaves to get the most pleasing negative space, because I have always enjoyed negative space as well as the forms contained within.  As my painting style has most often been frenetic, full of furiously looming form and texture, working with photography to achieve a more minimal composition is a welcome move in another direction.  Have you done any minimal drawings or photos or penned a "minimal" poem lately?

Note: You can click on each photo to see a larger version. All images and text on this blog are copyrighted material, and may be used only with written permission, except where syndication rights have been granted. All other rights reserved. Please visit my sites listed in my sidebar if you would like to see my paintings and more of my photography and digital art, or make a purchase.

November Flame: The Hope of a Golden Rose

November Flame - Image c Lynda Lehmann

This afternoon I was fortunate to get out for a walk.  The day was brilliant.  Golden with sunshine, mild and dry.  
I came upon this yellow rose and had to photograph it.  I thought it was outstanding for its beauty, still intact and golden in the third week of November.  Although its prime is past, it endures.  The beauty of its soft petals and brilliant color in the gleaming afternoon light made me think about the nature of the life cycle, and loss.  
We're born.  We live.  We die.  But what's in between can shine for us in joy and beauty as we choose our priorities, act out of love, and move through our days.  We all endure misfortune, sadness and loss, but infinite beauty remains to offer comfort and inspire us to move on. 
May your life be bright with the power of creative passions, the solace of natural beauty, lasting love for those present and past, and hope for our individual and collective futures.  This holiday season and always.

All images and text on this blog are copyrighted material, and may be used only with written permission (email is okay) by the author/artist, except where syndication rights have been granted. All other rights reserved. Please visit my primary art site at http://www.lehmann.myexpose.com/gallery if you would like to see my paintings and more of my photography and digital art!

Ode to Earth: Peace on the Lake

Almost Twilight - Image c Lynda Lehmann

Crimson and Indigo - Image c Lynda Lehmann

Sky - Image c Lynda Lehmann

The Poetry of Twilight - Image c Lynda Lehmann

Beneath the Surface - Image c Lynda Lehmann

A Pristine Land - Image c Lynda Lehmann

River Winds Towards Twilight - Image c Lynda Lehmann

Autumn Bliss - Image c Lynda Lehmann

Path of a Cloud Shadow - Image c Lynda Lehmann

O crystal blue sky dome,
fill my lungs with fresh air.

O sparkling clear waters,
dazzle my eyes.

O lush, waving grasses,
cushion my feet.

O fragrant soft blossoms,
delight my nose.

O gurgling river,
sing joy to my heart.

O steadfast boulders,
inspire my strength.

O crimson sunset,
stir me to prayer.

O precious Earth Mother,
nurture my life!

Image and text c 2009 Lynda Lehmann


All images and text c Lynda Lehmann. If you would like to view more of my art or make a purchase, please visit Lynda Lehmann Painting and Photography or my gallery at Imagekind, where you can choose from several sizes and paper types or buy my prints plain or matted and framed.