Whenever Photo

Fence Detail in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Taken: August 2015

Whenever Photo

Fairy Door, Nickels Arcade, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Taken: August 2015

Whenever Photo

Autumn morning in Michigan

Morning Glories

What better way to start a Friday morning after a busy week? I went out on the balcony to water my plants and saw that nearly all of the morning glory buds were in bloom. The daily watering through the summer heat is finally worth it! :)

View from my screen door

Side view of the blooms hanging over the balcony railing

Closeup of a morning glory hanging out with the alyssum

Closeup of the balcony railing morning glories

Foggy Morning

It was a beautiful foggy morning! Here are some photos I took to capture it. All of them were taken on my iPhone 5. Click on a photo to see a larger version.

Morning glories on my balcony railing

Morning glories on my balcony railing

View from the School of Nursing Building, 4th floor

View from the School of Nursing Building, 4th floor (and a fly on the outside of the glass)

View from the School of Nursing Building, 4th floor

View from the School of Nursing Building, 4th floor

View from the School of Nursing Building, 4th floor

View from the 400 NIB Building, 4th floor

View from the 400 NIB Building, 4th floor

View from the 400 NIB Building, 4th floor

Whenever Photo 7.8.2014

Huron River & Kayak
Taken 7/8/2014

Whenever Photo 7.6.2014

Can you find the caterpillar? 

Simpson Garden Park, Bowling Green, Ohio
Taken 7/5/2014

This angle may help you see him!

Simpson Garden Park, Bowling Green, Ohio
Taken 7/5/2014

Whenever Photo 3.17.2014

Frost on Leaves in the Morning Light

Whenever Photo 3.4.2014

Hay peeking up through the frozen snow; December 2013; Martins Ferry, Ohio

Whenever Photo 3.4.2014

It's almost hard to believe that we haven't seen the grass since December. 

Creative Project: End Result & Gallery Show

Dad, me, and Mom, "Journeys" show opening, Main Street Gallery, St. Clairsville, Ohio
(Photo by Brad Schrum, June 2013)

In June, the gallery show opened as planned with beautiful works from very talented people in the Ohio Valley area. The show was held at the Main Street Gallery, in the back of the Hays Landscape Architecture Studio on Main Street in downtown St. Clairsville, Ohio.

The theme of the show was "Journeys".

Journeys can take many different forms... physical journeys from Point A to Point B, personal journeys of growth, etc. There was a mix of photographs, paintings, poems, and even a quilt that came all the way from Bowling Green, Ohio whose image documented a bird species that's nearing extinction.

Some featured artists wrote their own poem, while others had their poem accompany another artist's piece. Each artist had an opportunity to explain how the journey theme was represented in their piece and/or read their poem.

Although my piece doesn't encompass my 'talent' in photographic composition and detail, it tells a story - my story.

Some time ago, a friend pointed out that I take a lot of photos of my feet. Nothing spectacular in terms of photographic quality, but more like, "I was here," while capturing a small detail of the location. I decided to combine my self-portrait project into the "Journeys" theme and incorporate these photos.

Self-portrait for "Journeys" gallery show
(in progress, May 2013)

In my search, I found photos I took of my feet as far back as 2004, when I lived in Miami, Florida for school. The locations the photos were taken range from several locations in Ohio and Illinois, a cruise ship in the Caribbean, New York City, Wisconsin, etc. Looking at all the photos together, I could tell you details about the moment or the day the photo was taken and why it was taken.

Because none of the photos were of great quality, I chose to create one large piece with all of them instead of showcasing each one separately. I ended up cutting each photo into an oval shape and arranging them in a spiral (above).

To fill in the space around the spiral, I incorporated the names of most of the places I have either visited or lived over the course of my life so far. Hence the name of the piece: "So Far".

I also wrote a poem to accompany my piece in the show:

Her Feet
by Josie Pickens

Tiny feet waving in the air,
Wiggling and curling wrinkly toes.
She can make them touch her nose.
One day, those feet won their lifetime's role
Of having the floor meet their eager soles.
They carried her from mom to dad;
It was the most fun she'd ever had.
Over the years, her feet traveled much,
Through mud and creeks and grass and such.
They ran, they swam, they walked, they kicked.
On planes and trains and cars they tripped;
They crossed the ocean and went for a dip.
They carried her to all sorts of places:
Big cities, small towns, and huge natural formations.
In her old age, she felt content
That her feet had touched three continents.
Her feet don't travel far any more;
They're tired, swollen, callused, and sore.
Her journeys put them to the test,
And now, all they'll do is rest.

The experience of planning and preparing for this gallery show with some good (and new) friends was a memorable one. I consider myself fortunate to know such talented people.

Creative Project: Beginning Stages

For several months, I've had an idea for a creative project in the back of my mind. Now that some friends are collaborating on an art show in June, I finally have some motivation to do it.

I'm keeping the details between a select few until the project is complete, but I am excited to see the end result.

Below is a "toonified" sneak peak of what I've been working so far. ;)

In progress ~ 5/18/2013

Mark your calendars for June 6, 2013 at 5:30pm at the Main Street Gallery in downtown St. Clairsville for the gallery opening of our group's collaborative show!

Webs

Late Summer 2012

"Gramma's Hands"

August 2011

Whenever Photo

Taken in the Good Mansion in Wheeling, WV - 2.3.2012

Whenever Photo 8/18/2011

If I've learned anything from this crazy summer, it's that plenty of curve balls can come your way. I've decided to switch it up and remove the "weekly photo" from my now completely irregular routine. Instead, I'll just share a photo or two when I get the chance, making it a "whenever photo".

Clover on the Hillside, Taken on Scotch Ridge, Martins Ferry, Ohio - August 2011

Appreciate the Rain

Last weekend I went on a retreat with 5 other Notre Dame-AmeriCorps members and it was wonderful. It was close enough to Cincinnati to not be a long drive, yet secluded enough that it felt as if we left our busy lives far behind. The place is called Grailville and it's located in Loveland, Ohio. The property extends for about 300 acres and can accommodate several groups at once in its various farm houses. What really brightened my day was when I learned about their trails in the woods. I couldn't wait to go outside and "play"!

However, on the first day of the retreat it had stormed and continued to storm into the evening. Everything was wet and we didn't venture outside (much) for fear of being struck by lightning. I was disheartened and worried that my outdoor "play" time would be ruined by more storms. Luckily, only one more storm came on Saturday morning at 4am and the sun appeared for the rest of the weekend.

When we woke up on Saturday and made our way to the dining hall for breakfast, several things caught my eye and made me change my attitude towards the rainy weather. I had forgotten how rain makes ordinary things more photogenic and interesting, and I'd like to share some of the images that brought me joy - not only in taking, but also in sharing with the others on the retreat. Most of the photos below were possible because of the rain during the retreat... Therefore, I have learned to appreciate the rain because without it I would not have been able to capture these moments.

The word "play" is in quotation marks above because it is a word that now has a deeper meaning than it did before the retreat. Below is a quote from a handout we received during the retreat, and one I will remember.

“Play” By Pegge Bernecker

An antidote for suffering, play is healing and restorative. At its essence, play is free, dissolves conflicts, and builds connections. Life-giving, play leads us to appreciation and gratefulness.

When we play we discover our deepest self is seeded in creativity and generativity. Play is an act of restoration and remembering. Solitary and contemplative, or active and communal, play can occur anytime, anywhere. Planned or utterly spontaneous, play brings us into the present moment, embodied in time and place… Across gender, race, age, ethnicity, socio-economic status and geographical location, all people and creatures play. Play heals… We engage our senses and body, becoming refreshed and renewed.

Playing can be a catalyst for spiritual vitality to burgeon forth within each of us. It is through a spirituality of play –interacting with matter—that we encounter the sacred, one another, and our deepest self. Play is a gateway to skip through to increase our ability to be present, to heal, and to grow in gratefulness. Who will accompany you in  your next play date? How do you play?

Weekly Photo 6.5.2011

Lake Michigan, Lake Bluff Beach, June 5, 2011

Weekly Photo 5.2.2011

Taken 4.29.2011 in front of the Museum Center in Cincinnati, Ohio

Weekly Photo 4.23.2011

So, it's been about a month since I posted a "weekly photo". I guess time just got away from me!

Since there are only about 5 months until my trip to Brazil, I've been going through my old pictures and scanning them all. Believe me, this has been no small task as I have 2 large boxes of photo albums!
Here is a photo I took in 2002 on a trip with Belo Tours to Foz do Iguaçu, where we visited all 3 sides of the falls in Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay, in addition to 2 other cities in Brazil: Curitiba and Florianópolis. This is by far my favorite picture from that trip!

Taken in June 2002, Foz do Iguaçu
Photographed: Chris (NY) and Matt (OR)