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April 7, 2012 by Kat

Buddy and the Bay Bridge

Oh, the beauty of a big city with mild weather – scooter sightings galore! All around San Francisco, I noticed a new brand of scooter I hadn’t seen before. These “Buddy” brand scooters are very cute with classic styling and colors. How fun to find this one parked where I could get a reflection of the Bay Bridge in as well!

There are many more scooter sightings from San Francisco to come. I’ll try to not overwhelm you with them all at once, or you might think I have an obsession with scooters or something…

Filed Under: The Kat Eye View of the World Tagged With: bridge, Buddy, California, reflection, San Francisco, scooter, scooter sighting

February 27, 2012 by Kat

Redefining My Art

In my newsletter article over the weekend, I wrote about redefining productivity. How I haven’t been feeling productive recently, but that feeling was based on an old definition. I’m not sure where the old definition came from exactly – my old artistic practices combined with external influences, perhaps. It was a reminder that I seem to gather these definitions and rules up as I go along in life. I think we all do. Sometimes we need to reexamine them and redefine them.

What was more important in that article than redefining productivity, I realize today, is the redefinition of my art. I wrote, “My art is using photos and words to explore the connection between heart and the world around us.” Up to now, I haven’t quite figured out where I “fit” in the photography world. If you look at what I practice and write and teach it’s not standard “photography.” It’s something different. Something that doesn’t have a word for it. I’m an artist that combines photos and words together. For me, they can’t be separated.

Realizing that brings freedom. I can remove the labels from who I am, what I do. I can just be me, as I have been, but without trying to figure out where I fit. I don’t fit any standard mold. I can be the seamless blend, like building and sky in this photograph, if I choose. (And no, the photograph was not edited to look this way.)

It can be uncomfortable, though, being without a title. Being without name that defines me, in the eyes of others. It makes it harder to communicate what I do, what I care about. That makes it all the more important to keep using the “words” part of my art. Maybe someday I’ll come up with one word that communicates my art to others. Until then, I’m going to memorize this phrase:

My art is using photos and words to explore the connection between heart and the world around us.

I have a feeling that this moment may be as important as when I claimed myself an artist a couple of years ago. Time will tell.

PS – If you missed it yesterday, I announced a new class coming in April: A Sense of Place. Visit the link here for more details.

PPS – Only THREE DAYS to the next Photo-Heart Connection link up. I can’t wait!

Filed Under: The Kat Eye View of the World Tagged With: architecture, art, artist, blue, claim your artist, clouds, eugene, Oregon, personal growth, reflection, sky

February 3, 2012 by Kat

Two of my Favorite Things

Sing along, to the tune of My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music:

Cute vintage scooters and red wine with dinner…

That’s all I have written so far, but these are two of my favorite things from Italy. Found here in one photo! Today’s market/wheels photo is from Pavia, a smaller town just outside of Milan. We visited this town for a day trip in 2009, early in our two years in Italy. It’s so fun to look back and see this early capture of two things I came to absolutely love later.

It’s also the perfect image to share today, for our Mosaic Muse link up at Mortal Muses. We are finishing the theme Looking Out, Looking In. I love the texture and depth that is added to this photo by the reflections in the window I am looking through. Another cool thing – if you look closely, the graffiti that is reflected in the window is also reflected in the Vespa side mirror. This was a fun discovery of “looking out by looking in” as I edited the photo.

Wherever you find yourself today, enjoy the view, whether looking out or looking in!

Filed Under: The Kat Eye View of the World Tagged With: Italy, market/wheels, Pavia, reflection, reflections in glass, scooter, vespa, window, wine

January 4, 2012 by Kat

Tiny Clues

What is it about windows that attracts me? Maybe it’s because I just like to wander around places, outside with my camera, and they are what I see from the street. Maybe it is the perfect frame within a frame opportunity. Maybe it’s the glimpse I see of the lives that go on inside.

Whatever the attraction, I’ve been capturing them a lot lately. This one is from one of the buildings I was scoping at Oregon State University the other day. I think it was one of the shop or maintenance buildings, there was just enough to see in the windows to make me curious as to what was inside. The books only offer a tiny clue.

What’s attracting you these days?

Filed Under: The Kat Eye View of the World Tagged With: black and white, book, Corvallis, Oregon, reflection, window

December 17, 2011 by Kat

To Surprise or Not to Surprise

That is a really good question…

Do you like surprises? Or do you want to know what is going to happen?

There is a part of me that delights in surprises. The kind of surprises that are truly a surprise – where you had no idea it was coming. At all. This could be a surprise in an image, as you look closer. It could be a surprise twist in a book, that takes the plot to an unexpected place. A surprise letter in the mail, or a package you weren’t expecting. I love those kinds of surprises.

I also hate surprises. If it’s something big, like a trip or an event, I like to plan. I like to anticipate. It’s half of the fun. If you spring a trip on me at the last minute, I will probably have fun, but I will have lost out on some of my enjoyment by the loss of anticipation. It also might mess up other plans I made, without knowing about the surprise. I don’t usually like “event” surprises.

I enjoy giving surprises, when I have a good idea. You know those ideas that are perfect for someone? Where everything clicks and you just KNOW that is what you need to do and they will love it? These kind of ideas can be few and far between but they are the ones I have to act upon when they come to me. But it can’t be all the time, that’s too much pressure. When the ideas don’t come, that’s what wish lists are for. Thank goodness for wish lists!

I guess I don’t have a good answer to the question, “To surprise or not to surprise.” Sometimes yes, sometimes no. How about you?

Today’s Many Muses Musing prompt is SURPRISE. Tomorrow’s prompt is WONDER. Come on over and join in!

Filed Under: The Kat Eye View of the World Tagged With: door, Jacksonville, Many Muses Musing, Oregon, reflection, window

December 12, 2011 by Kat

Window to the Heart

I’ve been struggling for the last week, with this whole hibernation thing I’ve got going on. I went from crazy-busy-overwhelmed to almost nothing on my plan. It feels really weird. It feels like something is wrong. I was looking forward to this time, when my commitments eased up and I would have space to breathe. Instead of enjoying it, I’ve been fretting. Argh. What is wrong with me?

Deep down, I know the problem. I’m a “doer” – I like to have a goal, a plan, to be moving forward. To sit and be free of a plan is uncomfortable to me, especially after months of intense activity. This is definitely an area for my personal growth.

One evening last week I got together with some friends, and talked about it. They all agreed, I need this time of nothingness. I need to just sit with it and see what comes. This is how new ideas are born. That night, as I was getting ready for bed, this thought popped into my head: Your photos will show you the way. They always do.

The truth of that thought instantly resonated with me. For it has been my photos that have shown me the way, every step of my creative journey. It is my images where my inner heart is revealed, sometimes in surprising ways. So that’s what I will do: Focus on my photography. From there I’ll find the way through this time of hibernation, to whatever new adventures lie beyond.

Filed Under: The Kat Eye View of the World Tagged With: Ashland, Oregon, reflection, vine, window

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