Lascaux Bark

Nature is full of surprises and design is everywhere one looks, and at all levels of the cosmos. For me, finding pattern, design, or a pictorial quality in unexpected places makes my life rich with the adventure of "looking."

The bark of this tree reminds me of the cave paintings in Lascaux, France and other places. It has a primordial feel to it--I can see a boar or a bull charging. What do YOU see? Image c Lynda Lehmann.

"Lascaux Bark" is available at www.lyndalehmann.com or you can contact me through this blog for more information.

Ablaze

This rose seems to glow as if it holds the sunlight within. Isn't it amazing how light literally and figuratively brings things to life, gives life?

Image c Lynda Lehmann. Matted archival print available in several sizes. Thank you for looking at my work. Please visit http://www.lyndalehmann.com/ if you would like to see more of it!

Or purchase this image framed at http://lyndalehmann.imagekind.com/

Solitude

I just wanted to share this beauty of a Maine sunset with you. The backlit clouds and their reflection on the lake surface were just glorious!

I love being in a place where the fabric of the land is not torn and tattered, where the Earth's skin is still (relatively) healthy and brimming with life. No litter, no crowds, no noise: just the gentle wind on your face, reflections silver on the smooth water, and a panorama of the heavens unfolding on the twilit sky. You can have a sense of yourself in relation to the universe, and tune in to your thoughts in a meditative way that's not often possible, with all the distractions of modern life.

How will we preserve what's left of our natural heritage, for future generations? Please look into joining one of the environmental groups I have listed on the sidebar of this page, or one of the many others concerned with Earth stewardship, to make your voice heard!

Image c 2007 Lynda Lehmann.

Peacock Elegy

Of course, when you look at an abstract painting you can take whatever you want from it. The interpretation is yours to make. I think about our ailing planet a lot, and that's how this title probably surfaced in my mind. If you want to help preserve biodiversity like I do, and you know that the presence of squirrels and Blue Jays or Robins in your yard does not mean we are not losing precious species every day, why not check out the action alerts of some of the reliable environmental groups. I have some posted in the sidebar on this page. Let's all be part of the solution!

This flowing abstract expressionist painting is done in acrylic in shades of blue, mauve, purple, and orange, 36 x 48 inches on gallery-wrapped canvas, with an Oriental look. It reminds me of a tapestry. Image c 2007 Lynda Lehmann. "Peacock Elegy" is available at www.LyndaLehmann.com

My Apology to Everyone...And the Latest Twist

This morning I was embarrassed to report my discovery that I seemed to have nominated myself for the "Blogger's Choice Award"for Best Photography Blog. I had gone to the site to see who had nominated me, and indeed, I must have clicked a button or link to nominate myself. So my excitement turned to dismay, I was embarrassed by my mistake, and I apologized to those who had taken the time to vote for me.

Now I've read (after all this) that self-votes are invited and okay, so I'll leave the badge on my page. Maybe all of us with multiple sites need to slow down and read the fine print more carefully! Thanks for your understanding and if you vote for my blog, thanks for your time in doing that!

"Iridescent Blue" is available at www.lyndalehmann.com. Image c Lynda Lehmann. All rights reserved.

WAITING

A long line of slatted wooden porch chairs in an abstract pattern, seems to be waiting for sitters, or perhaps something else!

A large part of our lives is spent waiting for one thing or another. How much time we spend waiting is probably due to our expectations of life: do we believe in predestination or waiting for the hand of a higher power to intervene in our behalf, or do we take responsibility for our fates in spite of our varying beliefs in Deity?

Many of the world's cultures have, I believe, a myth of a sort of Cosmic Jester embedded somewhere in their mythology. According to books I have read, whose titles escape me at the moment, this notion is so prevalent, almost universal, that we have to question why this is so. It seems the Jester is seen as a sort of intermediary between the physical and spiritual worlds, i.e. between man and God. The Jester is the force responsible for synchronicity, or what I would call "meaningful coincidence." When one's life takes ironic turns and "special" or remarkable events seem to coincide with personal milestones or rites of passage, this becomes a tantalizing notion. Most of us have at least a few recollections of events in our lives that seemed to present us with some unique personal meaning, especially "fitting" for us as individuals living in the greater cosmic soup.

Which moves me into thoughts of energy, the eloquence and organized chaos of the universe, etc.

No matter where each of us stands on these issues, it's fun to speculate. No one knows the answers, and I suspect that truth is as fluid as the ocean. If only we could see the whole picture....

Which activities and passions we choose to pursue during our short lifetimes, determines who we are and shall further become, while we wait for answers.

Text and image c Lynda Lehmann. "Waiting" won a Special Recognition Award at a Period Gallery juried exhibition. A matted archival digital print of "Waiting" is available at www.lyndalehmann.com, on the last page of the site.

Oceano

Colorful, bright abstract with lots of organic form in motion, with a nautical feel. Arylic on gallery-wrapped canvas, 40 x 40 inches. Does not require framing. Image c 2007 Lynda Lehmann. Available on www.LyndaLehmann.com .

Amazon

Biodiversity is important for the continuation of life on Earth. Every species that becomes extinct effects every other species in the food chain, either directly or indirectly. If you are not already a member of a reputable environmental organization, I recommend the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Union of Concerned Scientists, or the Sierra Club. If you would like to learn more about earth stewardship issues, please visit one of these organizations on the web. Or join one of the many others that deal with environmental issues, from how to store or dispose of nuclear waste, to biodiversity, food safety, fuel efficiency, depletion of of Earth's resources, Global Warming, etc. I'll post some of these sites on the side bar of this blog, just as soon as I can get to it. You and I have only one precious life to live, and collectively, we have one planet to protect. Indeed, it is our home--and our children's home. Our only home.

"Amazon" is an abstract expressionist painting that to me, suggests a jungle teeming with foliage and all manner of organic form; sunlight filtering through the lush canopy; and perhaps the gift of fresh rainwater swirling into the river. Acrylic on gallery-wrapped canvas, 36 x 48 inches. This painting is available at www.LyndaLehmann.com . Image and text c Lynda Lehmann.

Lovely Lady Lily

"Lovely Lady Lily," basking in the sun. A magnificent flower, poised in light and loveliness. I hope you enjoy her! Image c Lynda Lehmann.

This is just the second time I've been able to get a blog post to upload, in the past two weeks. So much for a slow dial-up connection that is making it nearly impossible to post to my sites! For me, a good opportunity to practice patience....

You can purchase this image at www.lyndalehmann.com or at http://lyndalehmann.imagekind.com. Thanks for visiting. I hope you are taking time to enjoy the lush beauty of the summer season!

Primeval Wood

The woods deep and dark, beckon with a play of sounds, smells, and textures, calling us to open our senses and refreshing our spirits. Deep inside us, there's a chord that is touched in each of our hearts; we know by instinct that this tender arbor is a sacred place, where life begins and ends in a tapestry of ever-unfolding beauty and mystery. Light and shadow preside over the blossoming and waning, the pouring forth and fading away, in an immense and awesome saga of life.

Image and text c Lynda Lehmann. "Primeval Wood" is available at www.lyndalehmann.com .

Glory Sky

My husband and I are in Maine, where he is trying to transform a log cabin of sorts into a livable house with modern heating and plumbing systems, new rooms and exterior, etc. The whole nine yards. All with his own labor--a monumental task!

But it's not all work; we take every opportunity to smell the roses (well, okay, the musk of the forest). We love Maine because in this state, the land still stretches in all directions, fertile, lush, and unspoiled by the excesses of people and civilization. Right now it's cloudy and cool up here, but I'll gladly take it over the heat of most of the northeast. Of course the ugly effects of global warming often reach into this region, and will surely do so more often in the future. But that's another story.

When we live here among the pines, we often retire early. I like to watch (through the window) the light of day fade from the lake and far shore, as the silence of the Maine night sets in like a balm to my soul.... Never have I heard such a profound and deep silence. A total silence, smooth and deep and calming. It's a silence you can count on. I like to wake up, just to listen! Of course, sometimes the plaintive calling of loons on the lake is a special treat. Or the wind, wailing out of the hills of New Hampshire's White Mountains, to the west of us.

I think it was Nietzsche who said "The one and only voice of God is silence." I believe he had that right.


If you like my photo and would like to purchase it, please feel free to ask me to post it on my Imagekind site. Text and image c Lynda Lehmann. http://lyndalehmann.imagekind.com

Depraved Indifference

Depraved Indifference - Image c 2007 Lynda Lehmann

"Depraved Indifference" is part of my "Urban Wallpaper" series. Image c Lynda Lehmann.

We condemn murderers for depraved indifference, and well we should. But what is it when society lets people who are mentally ill, fall through the cracks? Is it being humanistic and highly evolved? Is it being civilized?