An Obama Event

Regardless of one’s political persuasion, there is something to be said for experiencing a major campaign event. This one last June in Tampa was held in a community college gymnasium with a standing-room-only crowd. It seemed there were more people waiting in line than the place could ever hold. The press of humanity, the excitement and energy in the room, the warm up acts,…

Sunburned Canoes

Myakka River State Park is just inland from Sarasota near the west coast of Florida. It is a wide and shallow river basin with two lakes, the river, and a large forested area. The forest is thick and can be dark and damp underfoot, with palms, oaks and a canopy made dense with spanish moss and other epiphytes clinging to the branches. In the…

Illumination

There are many ways of seeing, sometimes with just the eyes, sometimes with the mind, and sometimes even more deeply. And what we see with our eyes may be different from what we see with our mind or our heart. As with life, art is about finding meaning among the fleeting visions.

A Pink Pelican and a Line to Cross

A pink pelican seems to dance atop the turquoise-green water, while in town those in charge have installed a line that begs to be crossed, yet no one does. Such is life in this well-behaved coastal town.

Back to Nature

The shapes and colors of natural things have always been an inspiration. Sometimes it is useful to return to that source to regain perspective on our modern world.

A Modern Fireplug in the Weeds

Next to a modern glass office building on a busy street was a small patch of weeds about the size of an executive’s desk. In the center stood a shiny brass fire hydrant. It looked almost like it had been put there on display, as though this were some sort of zoo. Urban details like this often provide visual clutter rather than interest. But…

In the Courtyard

A courtyard can be a magical place — outdoors, but enclosed and private, even in the center of the city. In many ways, the more urban the surroundings, the more magical that bit of private space and greenery seems. These images from a small courtyard here in Sarasota celebrate some of those feelings.

Floral Expressions

The Marie Selby Botanical Garden in Sarasota, Florida has a world-renowned collection of epiphytes, including many species of the orchids and bromeliads that inspired these images. There were yellows, reds and greens in abundance on this warm spring day in March, and the dramatic showy inflorescecne of the bromeliads complemented the more delicate and complicated statements by the orchids. As the days pass and…

A Fence and a Bench at the Celery Fields

Looking down the grassy slope, the wooden fence and shaded road beyond were a reminder of how fences can bring a sense of safety, but also restrict freedom of movement — and perhaps even thought. As counterpoint there was a simple bench made of new wood sitting high on the hill overlooking some ponds from a circle of white stones and shells. The bench…

Tension and Context

The little building had a single door with a turquoise frame and a narrow barred window. A few of those details provide tension and context for a reflection on this small piece of the urban landscape. In contrast, “Hooked”, below, is purely a landscape of the mind, with no detail left to link it to reality. That level of abstraction is disturbing to some,…