Magical Winter Morn

Last weekend, there was an unexpected snowfall on Saturday night into Sunday.  When I saw the snow in the morning, I threw on some clothes, grabbed my camera and took off in my car to photograph the magic of a winter morn.

Winter Tree Stand

There was something about the textures and shadows of all the trees gathered together that just begged for this to be a black and white image.  Color would only get in the way of the pattern that the trees created.  Even the fence posts, with their caps of snow, and the wire fencing added to the overall textural effect of this image.

Winter Barn

On a snow covered dirt road, I happened upon this quintessential winter scene.  The snow that remained on the trees perfectly framed the old red barn, which seemed to glow in the soft morning light.  The tops of the grass still showing above the snow line adds a bit of warmth to this image and gives you the feeling of looking at it from the inside of a nice, warm home.

Early Winter Morning

The sky was especially photogenic on this winter morn.  It was shades of gray, with some almost cream color in the sky.  You can even see the sun rising just above the horizon.  It, too, is shrouded in cloud cover, so its light is muted.

Long Hard Winter

This poor little cabin has been a favorite photo subject of mine for several years, and it’s now in such a state of collapse that you wouldn’t know it used to be a cabin unless you’d seen it in better days.  It still has plenty of character and reminds me of how hard winters could be on the plains in years past.

Barn in Field

This barn just caught my eye – a bright spot in the midst of grey and other neutral colors.  I liked the texture of the fence, weeds and old grass peeking up from the snow.  I feel like altho this is a quiet moment, activity lies just around the corner when the rancher’s family wakes up.

Pale Blue Winter Sky

There’s nothing quite like the pale blue that a winter sky can be sometimes.  I liked that you can see it thru the delicate pattern of the winter trees.  The fence in the foreground serves to ground us so we don’t all float away into the blue!

Tree Line

While driving on a seldom traveled snow-covered dirt road, I noticed this different sort of tree line.  I’m not certain if someone planted them in this way years ago, or how they happened to be lined up so perfectly on the side of the road, but they remind me of soldiers lining the route of some dignitary.  That would certainly not be me!

Enjoy!

This images are all available for purchase in a variety of sizes and finishes via https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.html.

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Napier Sunset

When leaving Napier, we had another lovely sunset!  We have been so lucky on this trip to see so many.  So, without further ado, let me share this latest beautiful ending to the day.

I love the way the sun is dipping behind the cloud front on the horizon.  You can really see the texture and shape of the clouds as they are silhouetted against the bright setting sun.

Things seem to quiet down, and the colors are becoming more subtle as the sun continues to set.  I also love the little wisps of clouds in the upper right of this image.

I’ve always heard about the “afterglow” when the sun sets, but never saw such a pretty illustration of that.  I felt the impression of the sun’s rays in the sky, without actually seeing them.  Just a perfect end to the day.

Enjoy!

Artful Blooms in Wellington

There were some beautiful blooms all along the city of Wellington, altho most were found in the Botanic Gardens.  It was spring there, and provided a lovely counterbalance to the autumn we were experiencing at home.  Take a look ~

This lovely bloom was found in Old St. Paul’s Church, in Wellington, New Zealand.  The lighting was naturally dramatic, coming in thru a window next to the flower.  It truly accented the beauty of this bloom.

Poppies were blooming in force and served as the perfect subject matter for this digital watercolor sketch.  You can almost feel the breeze that they were swaying in.

I’m glad I noticed the layers of petals that this rose had.  I felt that I needed to capture it from the side, showing off all the layers of its being. Having it be a digital watercolor sketch softened the look a bit.

The name of this waterlily is St. Louis Gold, and it certainly is standing tall in the pond at the Botanic Gardens.  The subtle shading of it adds to its delicate beauty.

The dramatic coloring of this Black Prince Waterlily really highlights it.  It makes a quiet, yet bold statement in the pond.  Nothing else there could quite match these striking colors.

Enjoy!

Photo Imagery at Christchurch

There was certainly a lot to see at Christchurch and some of the images just begged for a more creative process to be applied.  Hope you like the results –

New Regent Street is a very cool section in Christchurch.  It has quite a few shops and cafés and the hop-on, hop-off trolley runs right down the middle of it.  Altho there still some earthquake damage, it’s more charm than damage, and I found it to be a great subject for a digital watercolor sketch.  This is the section of the street showing several shops.

Here’s one of the beautiful flowers we saw today, and this one really fit with this quote. It’s true all the time, but when I think of what this area went thru with the earthquakes, the damage and the deaths, this thought really becomes powerful.

Back to New Regent Street, this time to have a look at the open air cafes.  I know it was early November, but remember, that’s spring down in the Southern Hemisphere, and today was a great day to have a bit to eat, a cup of coffee or tea, and just soak up the lovely warm weather.

Here’s a more formal painting type effect of some of the lovely pink blooms at the Botanic Garden.  The fragility of the petals is accented by this effect and the image seems to reflect the soft breeze that was slipping by at the time.

One of my favorite things about the Botanic Gardens in Christchurch were the benches along the Avon River.  This scene just seemed to want to be more of a sketch than a photo, and that was ok with me.  I don’t know how to draw, but I could imagine sitting on that bench actually sketching this scene, in an artistically perfect world!

 These tiny little blooms were very low and close to the ground.  It would be easy to miss them, with all there was to see in the gardens.  But, how much richer my experience for having looked down to see this little treasure.

Enjoy!

Low Church Gems

As we walked the road thru the village of Easo, on the island of Lifou, in New Caledonia, we came to a wonderful old Catholic church.  Altho it is obviously cared for, it no long seems to be used.  There are other photo images of it in my travel blog (http://travelswithnadineandjeff.blogspot.com), here are some sort of hidden gems within the overall scope of the church that I thought generated more art-like images.

Low Church Side Door

There was another church that sat high on a bluff in this village, and consequently, that church is commonly called the “high church” and this church the “low church”.  The side door of the low church was a true hidden gem.  I’m sure most people missed it, because they were so wrapped up in the front of the church.  But, this side door, tells the tale of those who worked and prayed at the church – the priest, alter boys, church caregivers, etc.  I’m sure this was there “main entrance” when they came to do the business related things that go along with prayer.

Low Church Front Door

The front door to the church is also something somewhat easily overlooked, as it sat with a very deep entryway.  But, when one focuses on it, the carving of the doors, an art in itself, becomes like a beacon welcoming all.

Low Church Window

This window was off on the far side of the church.  Again, most people would notice the series of windows on the other side, as they approached from the direction where a good number of villagers would come from.  But this singular window, aged and weathered from whatever storms may visit the island, has its own wonderful character to share.

Enjoy!

A Pretty View of Apia

There were some views of Apia that fell more into the category of art, than travel images.  Hopefully, you will agree!

As we walked down Main Beach Road, we approached what I thought was most likely an old estate home that was now a hotel.  I was certainly surprised to find out that today, it’s a casino!

In a previous post, I talked about how bright colors were used in slightly unusual ways.  This clock tower is such a bright pink color – most unusual, but somehow, appropriate in Apia!

This image of the colorful flowers found in town just seemed made for a watercolor sketch, and so that’s what it became.  It is one of my favorite images from this day of all the lovely ones I took.

I have no idea what this flower is, but I absolutely love it.  The shading of the orange apricot petals offset by the green foliage behind the tiny little blooms is almost delicious.

And, finally, this great image of a palm tree with coconuts up high.  I made sure to stand so that if a coconut fell off the tree, it didn’t hit me, and I couldn’t help but think of the song that talks about the lime in the coconut!

Enjoy!

Samoan Sunrise

When we got to the town of Apia, on the island of Upolu, in Samoa, we had the most different sunrise that I believe I’ve ever seen.  It seemed like the sky was trying to decide whether or not to rain or storm.  So, the sunrise was a bit muted, yet sort of golden, and then even sepia toned before the clouds decided to let the sun begin to shine thru.  Take a look.

Enjoy!

Picture Perfect Kona

When we visited Kona, on the Big Island of Hawaii, we decided to just wander the main street and enjoy people watching and check out the scenery.  We had been to the Big Island of Hawaii several years ago, and thoroughly explored the island and Kona then.  I thought the sights we saw today was worth converting to some watercolor pencil sketches!

The shoreline of Kona is very pretty, altho you won’t find sandy beaches in this area.  I think those are to be found more on the other side of the island.

I always enjoy the bright colors that we find along the shops on the main street.  It was bustling, due to so many cruise tourists being in town, along with the Ironman competition that was happening in town.

There is a lovely old church along the main street.  I can’t recall what religion it’s affiliated with, but if memory serves me correctly, it is the oldest church on this island.

Enjoy!

Slice of History

When I photographed the old buildings below, I felt like I was photographing a slice of history – the history of the area that I now call home.

Days Gone By

The barn reminds me of what life in the country may have been like in days gone by.  The rustic wood, corrals for horses or cattle, dirt roads providing paths to town, and the wide open expanse of one’s land.  This sense of yesterday is enhanced by the handwritten ledger in the background – perhaps one kept by the rancher, or perhaps kept by a shopkeeper in town.  Life, I feel, in those days was simple, yet complex, easy and hard, all at the same time.

Old Homestead

When I saw this homestead, I couldn’t help but imagine what life was like when this was a new building.  Could this have been one of the first homesteads in this area, before the town it’s now a part of existed?  The area where the town exists was first settled in 1887, and many of the homesteaders were cattle ranchers.  I imagine what it must have been like to look out the windows and see cattle grazing.  In the background, you can see the remains of an old windmill, used to draw up water from underground.  Some handwritten notes were added to hint at the records kept of the operation of the ranch, and also letters to family back east.

On the Plains

When people think of life in the Old West, most of them think of cowboys wandering thru the mountains, on rough terrain, and perhaps through forests in the mountains.  However, some of the west is made up of plains before one reaches the foothills of the mountains.  And, many of those who settled on these plains became cattle ranchers.  There isn’t enough rainfall throughout the year to have managed to grow crops, but cattle were more adaptable to the lack of rain that often makes up the weather here.  This may have been someone’s home, or it may have been a cabin built to house the ranch hands as they worked to move the cattle from season to season.  Whatever its story, you can almost feel the history in its walls.

Enjoy!

Note: These pieces are available in a variety of finishes and formats by visiting http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

Backroad Drive in Moriarty

There is a small town not far from where my husband and I live in New Mexico, called Moriarty.  One morning, just as the sun was coming up, I decided to drive down it to check out an old barn and homestead that I saw several days before.  I thought they might make some wonderful images and I was right!

Day Break on the Farm

One of my favorite times to capture images is early in the morning.  The first rays of the day’s sun on the tall grass in front of the barn, as well as along the fields behind, create a feeling of good things in store for the day.  For the family associated with this barn, maybe it’s a leisurely morning – most likely not, but perhaps.  Or, perhaps just a day when all the chores get accomplished in good time without anything going wrong or being overly complicated.  Whatever might make a day a bit brighter. 

New Day Dawning

Sometimes, in the mornings when I’m out photographing the day as it begins, the air is amazingly crisp and clear smelling.  It’s one of my favorite times to be out, doing what I love to do, and not bothering anyone doing it.  The peacefulness of this image captures how I feel when I’m out capturing the early part of the day to share with everyone.

Barnyard

Something caught my eye as I kept looking at this barn, and then I realized it was the barnyard off to the right in my field of vision.  There was a simple grace about it, something that is well worn from use, but well cared for, with a simple elegance that is sometimes elusive, when we strive to achieve that impression.  This barnyard seems to do that effortlessly.

Thru the Fence

As I drove down the country road, I noticed this wonderful framing of a deserted homestead.  I love the feel of the rough fence posts, contrasted by the new freshly hewn log, made to fit and complement the barbed wire fencing.  Late summer grasses add some color to the scene, and ironically, the homestead becomes a supporting character to the fence put up to surround it, and protect its land.

Enjoy!

Note:  These images are all available in a variety of sizes and finishes on http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

Prince Edward Island (PEI) Watercolor Sketches

Altho the day was gray, I did find a couple of scenes that made for some wonderful digital watercolor sketches!

Birch Stand

I purposefully accentuated the mistiness of the scene with this sketch.  The colors were vibrant, but also muted by the mist that hung in the air at this point.  

Village on PEI

This is one of several villages that we drove thru in the western portion of PEI.  What a charming picturesque place!

Enjoy!

Prince Edward Island Treasures

There were a couple of images that I was lucky enough to capture on our drive around the western portion of Prince Edward Island.  I believe they are worth highlighting on their own.

Birch Stand

I admit I have a weakness for a stand of similar trees.  In this case, they are birch trees.  I love how the tree trunks are mostly parallel.  And, those trees that aren’t, they add some dynamic tension to the image.  The different shades of green are very complimentary with the trees.

Tattered Life

When I saw this doorway to an abandoned house, I had to highlight it in its own image.  I feel like I could make up any number of stories about people who lived there – the state of disrepair, the slight opening of the door, the worn curtains on the door window - each of these can serve as a springboard for tales from the past.

Enjoy!

Note: Each of these is available in a variety of sizes and finishes at http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

Cape Breton Trail Watercolor Sketches

There were some wonderful views along the Cape Breton Trail that made for some nice digital watercolor sketches.

Pleasant Bay Wharf

I love the different shades of blue in this scene.  It left me with such a peaceful feeling.

Along the Beach

That’s Jeff walking along the beach at Halibut Head.  I thought it was amazing that there were so few people around.  Just as we got to this area, another couple were leaving, and we didn’t really see another soul while we were there.

Nova Scotia Daisy

Again, along the Halibut Head coast, I noticed some daisies.  They made a lovely little sketch.  Just a happy little snippet of life.

Enjoy!