Observing—for longer than you think

  • Start in the same place: by naming what you see. Observe and describe.

  • Add context with additional information. Maybe the title of the picture, the location or date, the photographer’s name, or other context like the weather or the genre of the work. Whatever the new information you’ve added, go back and look at the photograph again.

  • Do not begin to assign meaning to the art, until you have observed the photograph for at least 10 minutes. That’s a long time in the world of Instagram scrolling. But this is how we begin to see our photographs tell stories.

  • Practice slow engagement with the work. Here we begin to interpret the art. I used to worry that my photographs were superficial, that they lacked some secret element that made for pictures that were truly moving. But now I see that there is no secret. Any photograph can be meaningful if we let go of the stories we hold onto, the ones we tell ourselves over and over again, and begin to write new stories based on our observations in the here and now.

“Slowing down our sensory input is essential to processing our experiences into stories. Because when we rush to decide what something means, we’re often not only missing details, but also the opportunity to connect in an authentic way.” —Stephanie Fallon, What Stories Are You Telling Yourself? (And Are They Harming Or Helping You?)

Why It Matters

I am trying to live from my personal foundation up, rooted and solid. Caring for the earth in the ways that I can. This often means celebrating the things that come easily for me, like buying clothes and household items second-hand and donating from the abundance in my life. This looks like holiday wrapping paper and decorations from the thrift shop. Those adorable tiny glass snowmen at the bottom of a bin. The carefully crocheted stocking, starched stiff and ready to hang on the tree. Floral supplies (picks and foam and tape) for flower arranging from stores long since out of business.

But it also means learning as I go. I recently learned about the problems with floral foam (how it is harmful to the environment), and I’ve been investigating sustainable alternatives like flower frogs and hairpin flower holders. I was delighted to learn that the only US manufacturer of flower frogs is right here in Virginia, Floral Genius. I’ve ordered the Kenzan Variety Sampler as a Christmas gift to myself.

The Floral Genius Story

“Floral Genius is the only US manufacturer of pin and cup-style flower holders and is the only maker in the world of Blue Ribbon Hairpin Holders. Also known as flower frogs or kenzan, pin holders are a timeless floral design mechanic that was the precursor to floral foam. Today, flower frogs are sought after by floral designers, at-home arrangers, and vintage enthusiasts across the globe, largely due to a shift towards sustainable floristry.”

My Own Unique Brand of Magic

“Art is subjective. Creating to be the best is a waste of energy. Instead, create to connect to the people who need you, because they are out there. Create in your own way, because there is no right way. Take the pressure off and focus on your own unique brand of magic.” —Amie McNee, We Need Your Art

  1. Family photo at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens the night before Thanksgiving. (A beautiful tradition to see the holiday lights, walking through the garden, the four of us, together.)

  2. Unfinished knitting projects found at the thrift shop. (I really wish I could knit well enough to complete that little hat.)

  3. La Petite buttons, a seam ripper (for the inevitable mistakes and mishaps), and sewing hoop (for embroidery).

  4. Rita’s Italian Ice trailer (Parked for the season).

  5. Persimmons and pottery at Be Just in Charlottesville. (The owner was gracious and allowed me to take a few photographs in the gorgeous shop.)

  6. Shirt buttons (to replace lost buttons on collars, fronts, and sleeves), a Dritz tracing wheel (for transferring patterns to sew clothes), and a tiny crochet hook (for repairing snags in knitted clothes).

Bathroom Art

Yes, we decorate our bathroom with art. I am referring to our downstairs bathroom, which is used frequently by everyone who lives here and everyone who visits here. The bathroom is a tiny room with a sink and a toilet. There is a window for streaming light and a blank wall for hanging art. The whole room is about 6 x 7 feet. I love that our bathrooms are all small. Small means cozy. Small means less to clean. Small means spare and functional, but it can also mean joyful and comforting.

We added a gallery rail to the open wall and hung a few of my photographs (still life scenes of a front porch and some cut figs) and a few thrifted oil paintings as well. I love to use vintage photos for decorating, too. I recalled an interesting one from the collection of childhood pictures I have squirreled away—one that might fit in color and theme.

This is a photograph of me in March 1961, sitting on the toilet, in what is clearly an attempt at potty-training. In this picture, I would have been only 11 months old, very early for potty training by today’s recommendations. I am holding a huge wad of toilet paper and looking bewildered. On the floor, I see something that at first, I thought was a hotdog, but on closer inspection, I think it’s the tube that holds the toilet paper roll in the holder. As any one-year old would tell you if they could, pulling all of the toilet paper off the roll is incredibly fun.

My original photo is about 3.5 inches square. Not particularly well composed. Faded to magenta over time. I scanned the picture at a high resolution and set about trying to restore the picture in small ways (not wanting to take away the subtle vintage aspects but still wanting to clear away dust and scratches, maybe tone down the purple cast, and sharpen the image a bit). I gave it my best shot, aiming to warm the magenta tones so the photo would better coordinate with the existing art on the wall. The results were pretty good. Then on a whim, I researched Photoshop’s latest features and found, under Neutral Filters, a Photo Restoration filter. And just like that—a remarkable improvement, though maybe a little too improved for my taste. I’m still playing around with the picture to get the look I want, but mostly I’m just delighted that my parents had a camera and used it so much during the first year or so my life.