Friday, August 18, 2017

Foto Art Friday – August 18, 2017
Ghosts
The old deserted house stands in the ghost mining town of Kennecott, Alaska.  It speaks to time gone by, when the town was a hub of ore mining activity.  Now, the town is a tourist town, altho the way there is just difficult enough so that it will never become a tourist trap.  This house reminds me that we all have ghosts, so I inserted some into this piece.  Ghosts have a somewhat negative reputation, so another way of thinking about them is as history – sometimes our own and sometimes as society’s.  As much as we sometimes would like to forget the past and focus on the future, the danger in  that is that we will lose the lessons of the past, and in the words of an old saying, “Those who do not learn from the past, are doomed to repeat it.”  So, let us remember the lessons, the ghosts of our past.  It may sometimes be a bit difficult, as is represented by the wisps of memory clouds in this piece, and the faded words as well.  Here’s to the good ghosts, the good memories, and the lessons worth remembering!
Ghosts
Enjoy!
This piece is available in a variety of formats and finishes at www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg

Friday, August 11, 2017

Foto Art Friday- August 11, 2017
Reality
Sometimes, life is harsh.  This piece has, as its focus, a cabin called the Beeman’s Cabin, in Alaska.  Life certainly can be hard, and harsh, in Alaska.  This piece is meant to capture the reality of how hard can be.  In today’s world, it seems many want to make life unrealistically easy for younger people.  By doing that, they are doing a disservice to those individuals, because that’s not what life is.  I won’t go on, but life will hand all of us reality, which may be exactly what we want….or not.  Here’s to having the strength to survive and thrive in reality.
Reality
Enjoy!
This piece is available in a variety of finishes and formats at the following sites: www.etsy.com/shop/photoimagerybynadine and www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

Friday, August 4, 2017

Foto Art Friday – August 4, 2017
Homestead of Old
This piece has, as its focus, one of my favorite photographic subjects – an old deserted cabin.  There’s something about it being a living history, in a way.  Yes, it’s deserted and left standing until it falls over.  But, as long as it is standing, it serves to remind us of a life, or lives, that lived there.  Of a time in our history when brave souls faced the unknown in order to make a better life for themselves.  The image that is the base of this was converted to a sepia toned image to enhance the historic feel of this piece.  Vintage handwriting enhances the intention of this piece, as well as other brushes and effects.  It’s a homestead of old, our living history.
Homestead of Old
Enjoy!
This piece is available in a variety of finishes and formats at my web site at www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

Thursday, August 3, 2017

Sunflower Festival Art Exhibit
This year, I was once again accepted in the art exhibit that begins with the Sunflower Festival in Mountainair, NM, on August 26, and continues thru the month of September.  I am truly honored to have my work accepted in this exhibit.  Here are the pieces that will be on display at the Manzano Mountain Art Council Building at 101 E. Broadway in Mountainair.
Beautiful Monarch
It’s always a treat to be able to capture a butterfly in repose.  That this one happened to land on a lovely flower was a true treat not to be missed.  I processed the image as I did to add to the ethereal feel of the moment.
Package of Three
Three daisies at my feet as I walked along a trail in New Mexico were the inspiration for this piece.  I layered it graphically with a piece of vintage handwriting and then used a variety of specialty brushes in my photo imagery software.  The photograph was converted to a colored pencil drawing to enhance the soft and gentle feel.
Window in Adobe Wall
There’s nothing more Southwest (or New Mexican) than an adobe wall.  I loved the feel of the image of the adobe, with all its nuances of color.  Much like our lives – no matter how simple, there are still complexities in every one.  The significance of the window?  It’s a mystery – like the rest of our lives.  What we’ll see is what we make of it.
Old Fence
This image was taken close to my home in Edgewood, NM.  When I looked at the starkness of it, I decided to convert it to a monotone, and then added the texture to it.  It reminds me of the days when life here in the West wasn’t as easy as it is today and I wanted to honor those folks who made a living and their lives in this area.
Times Past
I saw this old windmill on the drive from Moriarty, NM to Mountainair, NM and knew I had to capture it.  When I began processing it, I realized that to truly what life may have been like when this was part of an active homestead, I needed to convert it to a black and white print.  I then added the other elements – the birds represent the fleeting nature of life, the handwriting reminds me of a journal perhaps someone kept, and the clock in the lower corner represents how time keeps passing.
Enjoy!