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A mundane image as inspiration



Today I added a new collection to the my website.

The lead image, in a grouping titled "evolve," is shown here and centers around a tree and a luminous field.



  •  The tree itself was photographed in the San Luis Valley of south central Colorado.  It is neither an exceptional tree or a remarkable photograph. 

 

But I repeatedly return to this image as a base for other ideas.

 

The first time I used it was in a clumsy mystification of a beautiful flight of wood steps in Pindaya, Burma.  While the resulting image was not a success, I began to recognize in that tree something of myself.  And it became an artifact for creative conversation about myself and my relationship with the changing world.

I'm sure other image makers experience a similar recurring attraction to a thematic image. You can see this image used again in other efforts; although it's original structure seems to change, the centrality of the image is a constant.  It's valuable to understand how creativity can be sparked by the mundane and as artists, it's important not to ignore the attraction of things which do not have the 'bling' associated with commercial images.

 Here the image was at the center of a idea in which it represented the land tying together sky, the ocean and the subterranean aspects of our environment.


This was a mixed media presentation celebrating autumn.  You can probably see how this image led to the one at the top.

There have been many permutations of the Valley Tree.  I'm sure you'll see it again.  In the end, whatever can drive our creativity is a good thing.

 

 




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