This That and the Other Thing

Looking through the images I have complied to use here on Artistic Composition it occurred to me that my creativity isn't necessarily dormant but rather it is all over the board. So here it is a rather random post of my unfocused creativity over the last month.

We start by putting the camera away and pulling out the sewing machine to create this Sailor Moon costume for my granddaughter to wear on Halloween.

Next while trying to come up with a design to wish a young woman who likes the Harry Potter stories  a Happy Birthday on her Facebook page I came up with the above design and was inspired to create the motivational print below as well.

This next photo is actually a composite photo created for my Father-in-law.  At the end of October I went to visit him and my Mother-in-law in northern Arizona and they took me to see the Grand Canyon. He asked if I could get a good portrait shot of him as he has not had his portrait taken in some time. He is 6'8" so without a ladder to take the shot most of them wound up with more sky than canyon in the background. While he liked them we both decided a composite with the canyon in the background would be just right.

With so many beautiful shots of my trip to Arizona I have been working on creating some new inspirational print designs to add to our gift shop.

Of course it occurred to me that a new year will soon be here so the past couple of weeks I have been working on various designs for scenic and inspirational calendars which I am now adding to our gift shop. The design below is from a photograph of a statue of Merlin the Magician that stands in a shopping center in Sadona, Arizona and can be found in the Arizona calendar collection.

Do you ever find that your creativity becomes unfocused?

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Sunday In My City: Arizona Vacation

As Hurricane Sandy pounded the East Coast I was thankful that we were fortunate to have only gotten heavy rain and wind in Norfolk. My heart goes out to those who have been hit hard by this vicious storm and very thankful that I was lucky enough to completely miss the storm by enjoying a warm vacation in Arizona with my Mother and Father-in-law.

The days were spent exploring the beautiful area surrounding their home and the evenings talking and learning more about my husbands family history. I also spent a good amount of time playing with their fluffy little dogs. This one was so darn cute I was rather tempted to hide her in my pocket when I headed home.

 It was relaxing to sit in the yard and watch the deer meander through their property. My in laws warned me that they also get wolves, coyote and fox that come through the yard but I didn't see any of them.

One afternoon we went to see the Red Rock Mountains. It was a gorgeous day and deep blue sky made a perfect backdrop for the beautiful mountains.

On another afternoon my Mother-in-law took me to Sedona where we visited this amazing shopping center that until I read its' history I was positive had been a small Mexican village.

 Sedona is considered to be a very spiritual location with a number of Energy Vortexes this belief is strong among the residents and can be seen in the many varied businesses and in statues depicting spiritual or magical figures. 

 Of course a trip to this area would be incomplete without visiting as my nephew called it "that big hole in the ground" the Grand Canyon. I have to admit that while I have been through Arizona many times this was the first time I had actually visited the Grand Canyon. It is absolutely gorgeous!

 We also visited Montezuma's Castle. Hearing about and seeing photos of the ancient cliff dwellers homes has always fascinated me, however seeing them is an experience I will never forget. The construction and forethought that went into these homes is truly amazing. This dwelling is safely tucked high up on the cliff in a picturesque valley near a river.

Now that I am back home in Norfolk Virginia far from the warmth of the high desert of Arizona I am hoping the experience has pulled me out of my doldrums. I look forward to sharing some of the photos I captured while visiting this beautiful area over the next week or so on my photography blog.

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