Virginia A. Spiegel

A “sister” to this photo was chosen for the exhibit Eye of The Quilter:  Inspiration to be held at International Quilt Festival – Houston, November 4 – 7, 2010.

The theme for the exhibit is Reflections. My artist’s statement:
This photo reflects my artwork in that it appears to be pretty simple, but is actually quite complex. The photo captures the sun reflecting off the black water of a lake sliding toward darkness. The water changes by the minute, by the second; the colors shifting and flashing. My sister and I are alone on this wilderness lake and celebrate that fact. This photo represents freedom, peace, and the the most beautiful kind of silence.

My sister and Mom were here this weekend to assist in hanging this changeable Inspiration Wall in Studio B.  Ingredients:  A box of recycled clipboards with funny labels on them that I acquired for free, a willingness to stand on the Ikea dresser, a long level, and a fair amount of math by three women armed with hammer and nails:

Just back yesterday from the Boundary Waters on the Canadian/Minnesota Borders after another inspiration canoe wilderness camping trip with my sister, Nancy. We both thought this trip would be an easy paddle in, a set up on our favorite campsite on a small lake, and a week spent day tripping here and there.

But Mother Nature knows how to keep you humble and on your toes.  About two minutes after launching the canoe, I took this photo:

And then it really started to be interesting.  It was honestly the biggest and nastiest water I have ever paddled in for so long.  So finally we said, “That’s it” and beat back to a campsite we had visited before.  We were one lake short of where we hoped to be, but very happy to be safely ashore.

Engineer Nancy set up with this tarp wind break that was a great place to cook and be out of the roaring wind and rain:

And so we spent the week on that one campsite with plenty of time for naps, lovely meals, sketching and a daily photography challenge. And in every kind of weather we had coffee break in the afternoon; you know that made me happy:

We also had two sunny days that let us survey our big lake and see mink, eagles, beavers, loons, and more.  Sometimes life gives you just what you need.

My August e-newsletter will be coming out before the end of the month with more exclusive photos and stories from the Boundary Waters .  Not a subscriber? Just send an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE as the header.

These maple seeds just turning pink were very interesting to me.  I photographed them again and again at different times of day and in different light:

I wouldn’t want Maggi (thanks to you and Melanie for the comments) to think my last post was all that I appreciated about England.  Every day out walking brought new delights:

The joys of being a little bit lost.

A fine place to stop for lunch.

The beautiful stone walls (Andy Goldsworthy explained)

And now my thoughts (and efforts) turn to Trip #15 to the Boundary Waters.

Wild at the Edges:  Inspiration from a Creative Life evolved by keeping in mind the kind of book I like to take to bed with me (maybe with a glass of wine or a mug of hot chocolate) and peruse as the spirit moves me.

You will find encouraging thoughts about life and art, hidden treasures of poems, close-up photos of art and nature and, last, but not least, a very personal view of the driving forces behind my creative life.

Preview Wild at the Edges here.

25% of all profits from this book will be donated to the American Cancer Society through Fiberart For A Cause.  Fiberart For A Cause has donated more than $190,000 to the American Cancer Society.

Photo by Nancy J. Spiegel Rosman

When I am in the Boundary Waters I try to keep my mind blank, but open.  A terrifically hard thing for me personally.  But art will out.  We were having “rock time” and I started pushing “stuff” around with a little stick.  The time floated by as the little stick worked its magic in finding and arranging things found on the rock.  I wonder what the next person who arrives on these campsite rocks will think of this found-object collage.

I’m always looking, looking, looking from the canoe, on the portage, and in camp.  Here are some of the themes I am, once again, contemplating with these new images as inspiration:

The juxtaposition of hard and soft; the timelessness of nature, the ephemeral nature of humans.

The beauty of decay, the cycling of all things in life from life to death.

The abundance of everything in nature, even spawn upon the shore.

The power of water; the mystery of reflection.