Dear Readers,
After two years of blogging, I have finally accepted the responsibility of a declared mission statement. The following statement has embodied my goal from the beginning, but a lack of self-confidence as a newbie in the blogosphere was a growth edge. Thank you for sticking with me while I figured things out. Here is the statement:
Hosting often overlooked wonders
with photography and writing
What are wonders?
Objects and scenes of beauty that lie outside our frame of reference and then at the same time elicit these four emotions:
- Joy
- Surprise
- Curiosity
- Confusion
Where might these often overlooked wonders be hiding?
Anywhere including streetsides, construction zones, walks around the neighborhood, pockets of wildlands in urban settings, and desertscapes. Or they might be in plain sight.
Why photographs and writing?
Effective photographs tell stories on their own, but verbal descriptions deepen appreciation.
Will I continue to post about food?
In a way. I will still post about food, but with an emphasis on extraordinary tastes. The taste may come from an already prepared artisan chocolate or cheese, or the taste may come from my own labors, e.g., pureed soups, breads, and pastries.
Now, here are four objects or scenes that have recently brought me wonder:
Lichens on Tintic Quartzite – 15 March 2021
An outcrop on the north end of Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake. The quartzite is 540 million years old, and the lichens is a few hundred years old.
Cherry Blossoms – 9 April 2021
On 200 West near 700 South in Salt Lake City.
Predawn Old Moon and Mt. Olympus – 8 April 2021
The 12% illuminated Moon was 60 hours from new. I first spotted the crescent still half hidden below the ridgeline.
The Five Classic Odori of Italian Cuisine – 18 Apr 2021
My intent in presenting this photograph is not food. These aromatic ingredients of onion, celery, carrot, parsley, and garlic, on their way to becoming a Tuscan meat sauce for pasta, just happened to make a pretty picture.
Your blog host,
Michael
I think that this post has been my favorite of all your posts so far! I felt such joy in reading the reasons behind your photography and writing. I don’t know – it just made me feel happy! I really connected in a visceral way with the four scenes you posted. I felt as if I could smell the skillet, feel the chill of the pre-dawn morning, scrape across the rough lichen and reach up to touch those blossoms!
I am thrilled that you connected with all four scenes and in a multisensory way. I have told you many times how much I love your paintings all of which are exquisitely multisensory. Just one tiny example is that, when you paint anything metallic, I can taste and smell the metal besides see its gleam. Thank you!
The lichens and the skillet both present mesmerizing patterns. The lichens in particular, as they remind me of fractals.
Until now I have known nothing of fractals beyond the rote dictionary definition. I did not realize that the lichens and skillet scenes were fractal until I looked at them again. As soon as I read your comment, I hypothesized to myself that fractal scenes are esthetically appealing to humans and that Jackson Pollock’s works are fractal. A quick internet search confirmed both. Wow! Your comments always open new worlds for me. I love the way your mind bridges art and science.