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(photos by Elaine A. Russell)


Normally... I would be posting a review of a local gallery today. But, I woke up after only 2 hours of sleep with a fever and a sore throat.... so all bets are off at the moment. This is not an unusual event (having Lupus)... but I also know that it probably means that I will be "toast" for the rest of the day.. and not to plan on doing anything major. Tonight is the "First Friday" gallery events here in ABQ... so hopefully I will be better by tonight so that I can go.
Ah.. but enough of that.

As you all know... I have been taking photos forever... and have more than the average person's stash of photos lying about. It has been my goal to eventually get them all scanned and saved into digital files so that:
  1. I can access them more easily
  2. store them more easily
  3. not have a closet full of photos

Yesterday I was looking at a bunch of my photos that I have saved on my husband's computer from last year (*before I got my own laptop). The photos for today's blog are 2 shots that I took last February. In fact, almost to the day... a year ago. There is something so reassuring about the river area here in ABQ. I have always been drawn to water... but there is something majikal about the combination of river and the huge cottonwood trees down there that is just amazing.

And so... I will leave you to gaze upon the beauty that is the Bosque....

Living Simply Tip for the Day: Try to keep your collections small. If that is not possible (say you have a collection of several thousand photos---ahem... )... try to keep them organized and in one location. In my case... scanning and saving all my photos to digital files is a long and arduous task... but one that I will definitely reap the benefits of in the future.

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photo by Elaine A. Russell


Last night I was digging through some of my photos... and I came across this one. I took this back in 1990. I had just finished up my photography classes, and had gotten my diploma through the NYI. I had an old Nikon 35mm camera with a single lens; which I adored. We happened to be living in Biloxi, MS where my hubby was stationed with the USAF. At that time, I was shooting primarily with infrared black and white film, and was doing all my own processing and developing... and then I was hand coloring my photos for a unique look.

And here I am ... some 20 years later ... still in love with photography.

Tonight was my last night of classes with Cynthia Cook at the Harwood Art Center. It has been a wonderful ride. I have met some truly wonderful people; who also happen to be very talented artists... and I have really enjoyed the camaraderie. Cynthia is a fabulous teacher, and I hope to take one of her classes again in the future.

More than anything else; I think this class has taught me to trust my inner voice (at least when it comes to making my own art). No one can decide (better than me)... the paths I want to venture down as an artist. What I make may not be the most market-able, the most sell-able, the most appealing to the masses.... but it's mine. I make art because I cannot NOT make art. I take photos and make jewelry because I have to. It is in my soul. It is an essential part of my being. And I love what I do.

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(*all photos by Elaine A. Russell)



I've been thinking about this for several days now...

Last week I spoke with Jan Jackson of "Dreamscapes Gallery" on 5th street. I had gone down to take an outside shot of the gallery (to replace the one I initially had on this blog post..."Sneak Peak: Dreamscapes Gallery" ). She was kind enough to show me the new art piece she created to be the poster for GlobalQuerque 2010
(http://www.globalquerque.com/) .... and then told me that she will be closing Dreamscapes Gallery in the next month. How incredibly sad. She also said that she will be discounting some of her awesome art pieces over the course of this month... so you will definitely want to go down and get one while you can!

Today's economy is rough. It has been especially rough I think on art venues. People (in general) consider art a luxury item; and when money is tight... it is one of the things on a person's budget that gets cut. It is a vicious cycle, as art feeds the soul... and without art; one can become listless and grey, and life can seem even more bleak than it actually is. We may not be able to justify spending money on it... yet art may be the one thing we truly need to buy.

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." --- by Pablo Picasso




all artwork by Jan Jackson

~~~

And so today... I have been lazing about the house. I did some laundry, cleaned the house a bit.... put out about 5 pounds of loose bird seed, and one 20lb block of suet and seed for ground birds. ... and some fresh water in the heated birdbath. And I have enjoyed watching the birds ... and enjoyed the snow that fell last night.

What does this have to do with art? Nothing.. and yet... everything. Life is meant to be enjoyed... how you do that is up to you. Be it ... watching birds....making or buying art... drinking coffee and listening to some good music.


Living Simply Tip for the day:

"We have lost the art of living, and in the most important science of all, the science of daily life, the science of behavior, we are complete ignoramuses. We have psychology instead." --D.H. Lawrence

Live creatively. Make art. Drink good coffee. Buy fresh flowers. Enjoy.... life is too short to waste.

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What a busy, busy, day. I managed to get about 3hrs of sleep... and have been going ever since; in spite of having tried to take a nap at one point...

But it's been a good day. AND... it has been an even better one for my son... who bought his very first car today. He weighed all his options... figured out his budget.... made a plan... and went for it. All in a quite logical fashion... course... what he probably fell in love with ... is that it's a 5 speed and has a kick butt stereo and comfy seats. It is a super sexy... fuel miserly... affordable hunk of steel. Seriously. I hope he has as much fun with it; as I did with my first car.



First cars are like that. In fact.... firsts of any kind are awesome... (usually)... if only in the newness of things. I remember all too well the sheer joy in having new found freedom to basically go when I want; where I want... and not having to worry about catching a ride or whatever. And I am sure he will also feel the crunch when it comes to making his payments and buying his own gas and insurance... but that is part of life. At least... for alot of people. And it will make him stronger, and more independent... or more confident in his abilities and self sufficiency. And that is all good.


I feel like my kids are growing up so fast... and flying out on their own.... and all-in-all... doing OK.

Like the photo above... soaring high... and shining so bright.... and I couldn't be happier for them. I know... sappy....but true.

(*all photos by Elaine A. Russell)

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(photos by Elaine A. Russell)


Well... what I had planned on being a very busy day.... turned out very differently indeed. My old friend insomnia decided to change things around and spice things up a bit ... so I ended up sleeping through the major part of the day.

But... the hubby, daughter and I had a fabulous dinner at Chili's (a burger with blue cheese and fries for me)... and a post dinner white chocolate mocha from Starbuck's. ... so there is no way I am complaining.

Today is the first day of February... I am excited at the prospect of a full, new month.
"February was named after the Latin term februum, which means purification, via the purification ritual Februa held on February 15 in the old Roman calendar."...Wiki


Today & tomorrow are also traditional days to celebrate Imbolc... if you are so inclined...


"Imbolc is one of the four principal festivals of the Celtic calendar, celebrated among Gaelic peoples and some other Celtic cultures, either at the beginning of February or at the first local signs of Spring. Most commonly it is celebrated on February 1 (or February 12, according to the Old Calendar), which falls (three days before) midway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox in the northern hemisphere. Perhaps originally dedicated to the goddess Brigid, in the Christian period it was adopted as St Brigid's Day.

Imbolc is traditionally a time of weather prognostication, and the old tradition of watching to see if serpents or badgers came from their winter dens is perhaps a precursor to the North American Groundhog Day.

Fire and purification are an important aspect of this festival. Brigid (also known as Brighid, Bríde, Brigit, Brìd) is the Gaelic goddess of poetry, healing and smithcraft. As both goddess and saint she is also associated with holy wells, sacred flames, and healing. The lighting of candles and fires represents the return of warmth and the increasing power of the Sun over the coming months." ... from Wiki


... or you can celebrate Candlemas... http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03245b.htm .

So many interesting events at this time of year....

So sit back, enjoy a good fire, have a cup of tea... and be refreshed.

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January has simply flown by. This new year is moving so quickly.
I have had a lot of blessings this month...

For this year, 2010... I declared that the word I was going to focus on was the word "Potential." Who knew it would already have such a huge impact on me? By simply narrowing my focus a bit... so many wonderful happenings came into view. ..and keep on coming...

I have been asked to participate in a book that is being published... an account of photos from 2009 .. sort of a "day in the life" kind of thing. I was asked to include several of my photos; and I really couldn't be more honored. More news on this as things progress along....

I was invited to participate in 52 Weeks of Creations; an art project/ challenge...started by Julia D'Arcy. Each week, each of the participants is asked to submit a photo of an art piece that they have worked on. I am submitting photos... that will eventually be published in a book. I am concentrating these photos on the theme, "an exploration of religion, philosophy and spirituality.... through photography."

I am continuing with the ECHO project... a bi-weekly photo challenge where the theme changes every 2 weeks. I am partnered with the wonderful Brenda Seaholm-Wampler (an artist in Texas). Here is our latest submission... the theme was "Face."


And I have joined the 365: Daily Photo/ 2010 Year in Pictures photo challenge on FlickR. I am taking a photo each and every day for the year 2010. So far; some days are easier than others... but the point (at least for me) is to spend time on my photography every day. Having only a simple Kodak... sometimes the challenge is to get what I want to express within the confines of a point and shoot camera.... but ... even that is causing me to expand and grow as a photographer.
And I am grateful.

I revamped this blog-site... and have had lots of wonderful feedback from my readers. I had my first ever "Give-Away" in celebration of having posted each and every day for the past year....and I started a weekly review of local art galleries here in ABQ. You can see those posts listed in the sidebar to the left.

The windows of opportunity have expanded for me locally as well. I have been approached by several local businesses and organizations that want to use my photos for advertising and promos. It has been simply overwhelming... and I am so completely honored and thankful. As an artist... the most important thing for me is that people actually see my work, and through these organizations and businesses; more people will be able to see what I am creating.. and that is awesome.

I had the opportunity and pleasure of helping to teach and give demonstrations at an art venue. I haven't taught in a long time; and it was alot of fun.

And-- I had the awesome pleasure of taking some fabulous classes through the Harwood Art Center. Teaching and learning.... they go hand in hand.

On a more personal level... we have been fixing up our house with plans to sell later on in the year. It is going very well so far, and we are right on track with our goal to move to a more ideal house for just the hubby and I.

We have also made great strides in tweaking our finances, downsizing our belongings... and in general; lightening our "load."


...PLUS... I have had the opportunity to take a roadtrip or two. I am (after all).. a gypsy at heart. And I love to travel and see new places.. even if those places aren't really that far away at all. This month I got to go to Socorro, Bosque del Apache, and the VLA. Who knows where I will go next month... but ... I know I will be going.

Wonderful January..... thank you so much.

*all photos by Elaine A. Russell

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* all photos by Elaine A. Russell
(taken last night... and tonight)

Tonight's full moon will be the biggest and brightest full moon of the year.

This being the first full moon of 2010, it is also known as the wolf moon, a moniker dating back to Native American culture and the notion that hungry wolves howled at the full moon on cold winter nights. Each month brings another full moon name.
I love gazing at the moon... and tonight's is no exception.
Enjoy folks. See ya tomorrow... let's go do some howling ....

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*all photos by Elaine A. Russell


Art Gallery "Sneak Peek": 5G Gallery at the The Factory on 5th

The Factory on 5th has been a second home to local artists for about 6 years. It has seen alot of changes in that time... but the past few months have seen even more.
The main building on the property houses "The Kosmos" (home to the Church of Beethoven; as well as a new coffee shop), and about 30 artist studios.

And now; there is the new 5G Gallery towards the front of the property... which is what I am featuring today.

The 5G Gallery is a relative newcomer to the art scene here in ABQ.
Kudos go to RC Naso and David Cudney for the bulk of the work behind the scenes at the 5G Gallery. Recruiting fabulous artists from the Santa Fe area; they put together the premier show "Canyon Road Comes to Albuquerque," held in December.
Last month's show was entitled "The Peoples Art Show", and the next show starts February 26th--"Horsescapes."
(see the flyer at the bottom of this post).
Here are some photos of some of the fine artwork shown at these events:


artwork by James Jimenez



artwork by Alex Chavez



artwork by Annie Lindberg



artwork by David Cudney


~~~

~~~

I have always loved this grouping of buildings, and it seems the perfect local for a gallery space.

The premier show in December had quite the selection of vibrant and interesting art; and time will tell how cool and exciting this venue can become....


For more info: check out the following links....


Link to the 5G Gallery website: http://www.rcnaso.com/gallery/albuquerque.htm
Link to the Kosmos space website: http://www.thekosmos.org/
Link to the Church of Beethoven website: http://www.churchofbeethoven.org/
Link to the Factory on 5th website: http://www.factoryon5.com/

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One of the other things I was able to do this past weekend; was to visit the VLA.

"The Very Large Array, one of the world's premier astronomical radio observatories, consists of 27 radio antennas in a Y-shaped configuration on the Plains of San Agustin fifty miles west of Socorro, New Mexico."

Essentially, a friend of mine happens to work there, and I was able to get a tour! We set out around lunchtime, and even though it was the hottest time of the day; it was still only 28 degrees out... and there was alot of wind. It had been snowing off and on for a couple of days there.. and there was quite a bit of snow about. We saw fresh deer tracks (actually -- they were probably prongehorn antelope tracks), bird and bunny tracks... and one of the biggest jack rabbits I have ever seen in my life!

Anyway-- back to the VLA. We got an "insider" tour of the facilities and visitor areas... as well as the joy of getting up close and personal with a few of the beasts themselves. The antenna's configuration changes every few months to provide different data of the scenes they are viewing. When we happened to visit, the configuration was shut down... so it was actually a perfect time to see the structures.

"At the end of the VLA D configuration in 2010 Jan the VLA correlator will be turned off, and the VLA will not be available for an interval of up to 2 months while hardware is moved from the VLA correlator to the new correlator for the Expanded Very Large Array (EVLA)."

And yes, we even got to see photos of Jodi Foster from when she made the movie "Contact" there....link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118884/


--------->and so... here are the pix!






*all photos by Elaine A. Russell





For more info on the VLA; check out these websites:
Old website: (link:http://www.vla.nrao.edu/)
and their new website: (http://science.nrao.edu/evla/index.shtml)

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So... when I was traveling this past weekend... the weather was just incredible. We had just left ABQ proper; when it clouded over and became like this (*photo above)...dark skies and threatening looking formations....


The storm was so low to the ground, that from the car; it looked like it was actually rising up from the fields. It began to hail.... big chunks of icy snow came down... and then it just as suddenly cleared up...


And there was nothing but blue skies all around us. The scenery here in New Mexico really is unlike any I have seen anywhere else. You can literally see for miles. It's no wonder that so many artists and photographers come here...



I have been reading a book called "Art and Fear" lately. It's a fairly hard read... not exactly something that is easily absorbed into one's consciousness. But ... it brings up some very good points about being an artist. The authors (David Bales and Ted Orland) talk about "how art is made, the reasons it often doesn't get made, and the nature of the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way." For me (and I haven't finished the book yet)... the striking example has been... the fear of failure. The feeling that no matter what you do; it just isn't good enough. But the authors point out... that this fear itself is what makes artists give up. The fear of rejection by one's peers for example... when in reality... while they may not like your art; it's not really up to them to have a say over what you as an artist is making. That if we all waited for the perfect piece of art to present to the world; we would never get anything actually made. That no work has to be perfect... in fact... what is perfect to some; would certainly not be perfect to all.



It's an interesting take on an age-old issue. I think the "beacon of light" for me; is to give myself permission to just create... to just do... to just be. And hopefully; someone will be inspired and moved by it. After all; that is why we create art in the first place... to share some bit of our soul, some glimpse into our point of view, some feeling we are trying to convey... with someone else ...through the creativity of our hands.
I have been very fortunate these past few months to have been given some wonderful opportunities to further my art. I have taken some great classes by some very talented instructors, and I have had some of my photographs published and/or used by some local businesses. I am honored ... and grateful.

...and I am looking forward to a creative and interesting future.....


*all photos by Elaine A. Russell

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(...works of art that were available on auction...)


This past weekend, I attended a Fundraiser for the Performing Arts in Socorro, NM.
It was located at the fabulous Macey Center (http://infohost.nmt.edu/~maceyctr/).

As I said in a previous post; the events included hands-on arts and dance workshops, Brazilian music by the group "Saudade" and a silent auction. (link:http://www.myspace.com/saudadeabq).

There were 3 of us "manning" a table... giving demonstrations and teaching techniques associated with ATC cards. (link: ATC card info). Amongst the other demonstrations there were: tye dying, beading, wire-work, embellishing sunglasses and other accessories, egg decoration, gourd painting, clay work, tin work, book binding, Polish paper cutting, weaving, printmaking, making fruit sushi, origami, crocheting, pastel drawing, watercolor painting, pottery, and making stained glass mosaics.
It was quite the variety of crafts being demonstrated; and it just gives a glimpse into the amount of talent here in New Mexico. It always amazes me how different crafts and art forms there really are in the world.... absolutely limitless... when you think about it. There really is no end to the creativity that people can come up with if inspired.
And so... here are photos of some of the art techniques being demonstrated....





*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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*photo of the VLA.... by Elaine A. Russell





I won't talk much... cuz frankly; I am exhausted. I had a wonderful weekend... and will no doubt tell more about it this week. Suffice it to say, that I needed a roadtrip... and it was good.

Today's adventures took me to the towns of Magdalena & Socorro, to the VLA (very large array), and to Bosque del Apache... then back to Albuquerque.

Now ... 'tis time for a shower, a cup of tea, bed... and maybe a little Leonard Cohen (as sung by Jeff Buckley)..... Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

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*photo by Elaine A. Russell


So--- I am on a small roadtrip. We went from Albuquerque down to Socorro for a Fundraiser for the Performing Arts Center. There were hands-on arts and dance workshops, Brazilian music by the group "Saudade" and a silent auction with tons of gorgeous art available for purchase.

I had the pleasure of assisting with teaching & demonstrations on the making of ATC cards. Amongst the other demonstrations there were: tye dying, beading, wire-work, embellishing sunglasses and other accessories, egg decoration, gourd painting, clay work, tin work, book binding, Polish paper cutting, weaving, printmaking, making fruit sushi, origami, crocheting, pastel drawing, watercolor painting, pottery, and making stained glass mosaics.
Combine that with great food and great music... It was pretty cool.

Tonight I am staying in a lovely log home out in the wilds of "Hop Canyon"... just outside of Magdalena.
Deer, snow, winding roads and mountains.
More to come tomorrow....

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Art Gallery: Sneak Peek #4

Today I will be featuring Dreamscapes Gallery.


Dreamscapes is a local art gallery located on 5th street in downtown Albuquerque, owned by artist Jan Jackson.

"Jackson works in an original style she calls “Dreamscapes”. Her paintings of people, animals, and events are stitched to pastel paper or canvas with bright slashes of bold, pastel color. She also works in acrylic, oil and clay. Her most recent work is multi-media sculpture using animal bone, doll parts, fabric and found materials." ...ABQ ArtsCrawl review

I first went to Dreamscapes Gallery this past fall. It is a quiet, unassuming building; and at first; I think the tendancy for most people is to drive right past it. What a shame. While it has a fairly benign exterior; the inside is brimming with color and vibrancy. There are a series of little rooms (this used to be a house), and inside each one (*yes, even the kitchen and bathroom) are works of art to be enjoyed and purchased.

In December, I went for the opening reception of the "Vally of the Art Dolls" show. Wow. It was wall to wall people!!! ... .and the works on display were absolutely stunning. Here are some highlights from that show... which will give you an idea of the cool artwork offered there on a regular basis.


I highly recommend checking it out. Owner Jan Jackson is a very talented artist, and the gallery is one of ABQ's hidden jewels. Bright and funky art abounds here... :)

(*all photos by Elaine A. Russell)


artwork by Melody Mock (link)



artwork by Steven Art Watson


artwork by Michael C. McCormick


artwork by Mercedes Allen



artwork by Leighanna Light (link)

~~~

For more information; please check out the gallery website: http://dreamscapeson5th.com/


Here is the flyer for the next show at the gallery; featuring artist Nick Harmon.


(click on photo to enlage it)

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*all photos by Elaine A. Russell


Today was very much of a "life gave me lemons" ... kind of day... so... that was my inspiration for my photo of the day as well.
On the plus side... I am really enjoying my class with artist Cynthia Cook at the Harwood Art Center. It is truly an eye-opening and mind expanding experience ... both in terms of freedom of self expression ... and in the liberating use of various materials in our projects.

Art should be fun. Sometimes, we as artists; tend to get bogged down in the "business" side of making art. We worry about saleability, cost effectiveness, making things as pleasing to the largest number of people as possible ... to make things as marketable as we can. However; we (I), also need to occasionally be reminded that it is my art after all ... and that no one can really tell me what my aesthetic is. No one can direct my course of action ... better than me.

I am also in the enviable position of not really having to rely on the proceeds of my art to completely pay for my living expenses. As such ... I need to allow myself the luxury of really expanding my horizons and being adventurous with my art.

I am so grateful for the group of artists taking this class with me ... they are strong men & women with definite ideas about art ... and it is really inspiring me to be bolder and more confident.
I think this is something I really need to learn more; and incorporate more into my being.

Here are some samples of some of the art these artists are producing in the class....





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*all photos by Elaine A. Russell


My love affair with photography began at a very early age. I think at first, it was a self defense mechanism. See... I was very very shy. Painfully so. And I absolutely hated to have my photo taken. So ... at the very early age of around 6... I started volunteering to take the photos... rather than be in them. It worked out to my benefit... because my father (who had been taking all the photos up til that point.. for the most part).. had a nasty habit of cutting people's heads off and such when taking photos. So .. he was happy to let me take over.

My father had a Polaroid. One of the ones where you still had to peel off the picture... after letting it sit for a minute or so. I loved it. Instant gratification. The caveat; was that the film was expensive... and I think we only purchased less than a handful of packs a year.

My first camera was a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye. I loved it. It went with me to Girl Scout camp... field trips... school...fishing trips to Canada.... everywhere. When my best friend moved in 7th grade... I gave her my camera. It was my most prized possession. I have since gotten one just like it... and still love using it.

As an exchange student to Germany in High School... I bought the newest camera... a Kodak 110 with a macro function! Woo-Hoo!!! Course, it had to be replaced when both it ( and almost me ) got knocked over a castle wall and off of a cliff. Believe it or not.. I was still able to salvage the film.. and the photos were ok. .. even though the camera was shattered. I replaced it with a similar camera... and it carried me thru the next few years.

When I graduated from college... I spent my very first paycheck on a brand new Ricoh 35mm with a couple lenses and a flash. I also signed up; and started taking classes through the New York Institute of Photography ( and graduated a year or so later). In 1986; I started working freelance; and selling my prints. I even made it into some national magazines, calendars and cards...

A few years later... all my equipment was stolen while at a park in Omaha, NE. I then replaced it all with a Nikon set... and started filling my spare time with freelance photo gigs.... weddings, portraits, kid shots and more. I also did a few advertising shoots and promos for companies and apartment complexes.

My specialty became Infrared Black and White photography, with an emphasis on hand-coloring and re-touching of vintage photos. I became one of a handful of people in the US doing this kind of work... and I loved it. Still do.

I used Nikon equipment exclusively until this past summer; when it all either died... or was sold. It had been well loved, and well used... but it was time. Unfortunately, I did not have the money to replace it with more pro equipment... so I opted to get a simple Kodak EasyShare camera until I can save up enough to get a new Nikon.

So... these are the cameras I currently own:

  • A vintage Polaroid Land Camera with flash attachment, additional lenses and leather casing. It's cool... but it is mainly a decoration at this point. When my husband and I were on our honeymoon... I found a beautiful version of this camera, and bought it immediately. A few years later, I was forced to sell it for "diaper money." Yah, stuff happens. But .. last year I was gifted with this one... WOW!




  • A Kodak Brownie Hawkeye... just like my beloved one I had as a kid. Complete with flash unit and original boxes. I still use this. I was able to find this one off of Ebay... how cool is that?!




  • A vintage Kodak Duaflex... the original version. I use this for TTV photography. I love it. It is a really, really, cool camera. Very portable... and it has awesome effects. This was also an Ebay find. I am so grateful to have been able to get this one...




  • A Polaroid instant camera. I have had several different Polaroid cameras over the years... giving them away at different intervals to students, kids... lovers of photography. This one was given to me recently by a dear friend... she even gave me a pack of film... which is increasingly hard to find.


  • Finally --- a photo of my little Kodak EasyShare camera that I got for $140 last summer. It has saved me in so many ways. I do not think I could survive *as an artist/photographer* without a camera... and for a little point and shoot... it is freakin awesome.


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Today was pretty much a perfect day. I will admit... I have been fairly "down" for awhile. The holidays .. generally speaking.. are not the best time of year for me... although I am gradually getting better about it over the years....
But today.... I had lunch with my daughter at the BrickYard Pizza on Central Ave (http://www.brickyardpizza.com/) .. and had what was probably one of the best veggie calzones ever. Coupled with an ice cold Coke... and some great conversation... it was fab.
Plus... the decor was very inspiring to me.. and I came up with some interesting ideas for some new jewelry pieces... so TOTAL BONUS there...



Then I got to spend the afternoon roaming about the university area... taking in the sites, sounds, and all things cool (there was even a guy playing the violin in front of Satellite cafe!)... and I got some fab photos of some murals. I believe this one was done by the artist known as NESE and another artist known as AEON. Nese's art is incredible.. and he has some fantastic pieces in and around the city here. I have been following his work for a year or so now.. and I am always impressed with what he can do. I am not familiar with AEON... but I will have to look around and see if I can find some more of his art....


Tonight I got to make a fabulous dinner (a tender piece of London Broil .. with butter and mushrooms... fresh asparagus...cracked seeded rye bread.... and some coffee). ... and now I have spent the evening working on some of my photography.

As many of you know...I have been shooting exclusively with a small point and shoot Kodak Camera since last summer. Last summer... I had to part with all my pro photo equipment (which was old and very well used)... and I was able to sell the remains for just enough money to get the Kodak ($140). Having been a pro photographer since 1986... I considered it a challenge to see what I could do with a simple, affordable, mainstream camera. What a learning experience for me this has been! I have discovered that I can be just as creative.. if not more so... when limited (so to speak) by the constraints of a point and shoot. This new burst of creativity and enthusiasm; has in turn; opened me up to many more possibilities than I ever imagined.
I am sure that I will be able to share more on this ... down the road.... but for now-- I encourage you. Don't give up on your dreams. Believe in yourself. Believe in that wonderfulness that can come in the form of surprise and change. Believe that you are meant to be a creative soul.

Share. Hope. Wish. Dream. Believe.


*all photos by Elaine A. Russell

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photo by Elaine A. Russell




Today brings another week to a close... or to a start... depending on how you look at it. There are so many things I want to accomplish this year... and so many wonderful options of things to do.
I am excited at the prospect of an exciting future...of things to do... places to go... things to learn.
In turn; there are lots of things from my past (so to speak)... that I need to finish. Tons of photos that I want to convert to digital files... lots of fabric from my grandmother to turn into new items...a house to fix up and sell.

Today was a day of rest. Tomorrow will be busy again... but for today... it was tea... Chinese food... a haircut... and a scrabble game at our local Barnes&Noble while we leafed through some current magazines and interesting books. Awesome.

The photo for today was one I took way back in 1986 on a trip to Nova Scotia, Canada. I was out to sea on my first (and to date--only) trip on a big ship... crossing from Halifax, NS .. back to Portland, ME... and I saw this gorgeous seagull cruising along side the ship.
I scanned the old photo, and fixed it up ---took out scratches and such... and made it sepia-toned instead of color. I really like the results.

Living Simply: tip for the day.....Rest. Appreciate. Enjoy.

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time." - Sir John Lubbock