Arizona Relics

 

Arizona Relics

The Southwest is a great location for finding old treasures, relics from the past.  Here are three we came across while driving down a road close to where we were camping.

Deserted Home

This deserted cabin was set a bit back from the road, just like a nice home would be.  Although, to be honest, I’m not even sure the road I was on was even there when this place was built.  Still, I do like the way the tree sort of frames the cabin, and the green hills behind it.

Not so Easy Rider

This car was sitting alongside a road down which we traveled.  I think it was meant as a sort of advertisement of a junk yard back from the road by about a quarter mile.  I’m not generally drawn to old cars, but this one seemed to have a bit of character still clinging to it – like it knew it was “hot stuff” when it was in its prime, and didn’t feel like it lost too much of that!!  The lines are fairly classic, and it looks like it was a snazzy turquoise color – and a convertible, to boot!

Past Life

As my husband and I drove along a country road, we saw a deserted cabin, one of my favorite photography subjects.  I captured what I felt was the spirit of the cabin, and then decided to create a digital collage, because a simple photograph just wasn’t enough.  I can imagine someone living there in the past, perhaps reconciling the books of their small ranch in an aged ledger.  I can also see them writing to family in far away towns or cities.  As the seasons change, birds call out a welcome or farewell.  To us, a simple life.  To them a full life worth living.

Enjoy!

Note:  Each of these pieces are available in a variety of formats and finishes, from prints, to masks, to journals and everything in between!  Visit my online gallery at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

Texas Past

This piece is a tribute to the history of Texas.  I’m not talking actual history – rather, it’s the type of history that is apparent when one drives secondary or country back roads – deserted homesteads and cabins.  Whenever I see these deserted buildings, I can’t help but imagine how different the lives of those that once lived in those building were from ours today.  Handwritten correspondence, ledgers to keep track of sales and purchases, the ebb and flow of the seasons – all of these were very much different from what we experience today.  Time passes and the past is the key to our present and our future, however different they may be. Pay attention.

Enjoy!

Note:  This piece is available  in a variety of formats and finishes at my online gallery at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/texas-past-nadine-berg.html?newartwork=true

A Tattered Life

When I saw this battered cabin with the door almost falling off its hinges, it made me stop and imagine the life that once lived there.  It seems sadly ironic that somehow, through all that had befallen this place, there still was an attempt at niceness – the somewhat fancy, perhaps even lacy curtain that was in the window of the door.  

I  imagined a woman, most likely, peeking out from behind the curtain, hoping to see her husband or lover returning from his travels.  This cabin was along the Atlantic coast, so I imagine him to be a sailor.  What letters had been written and received?  Were her hopes still alive or had they been dashed like the waves along the rocky shore.  And, how did her life turn out?  Hopefully, a happy ending and not the tattered life that was the fate of this cabin.

Enjoy!

Note:  This piece is available in a variety of formats and finishes at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/Nadine-berg    

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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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.

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.

Deserted Buildings on the Cabot Trail

While we were exploring the Cabot Trail, we passed a few great deserted buildings – a house and a barn.  Take a look at some images that reflect the character of the places.

Clapboard House

While in the Atlantic Canada Provinces, I noticed that a lot of the older buildings had clapboard exteriors.  I really loved the look of the graying wood tiles!  Altho this house has regular plank wood siding, the front has that great clapboard – and the red really made everything pop!

Rusty Barn

This barn in Nova Scotia had a lot going for it, in terms of texture – the clapboard portions, regular slatted wood siding in other portions, and then the rusty metal on the side!  The red door molding just adds a great pop of additional color to the rust.

Clapboard Window

This window just really reflected a great difference in patterns.  The clapboard siding of the building is a sort of checkered pattern, with lovely shading.  Then, the window adds some lateral stripes in a bright color that really offsets things wonderfully.

Enjoy!

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

Magical Moments along the Way

While exploring Nova Scotia, my husband and I happened to see this abandoned boat on the shore of an area known as Sandy Cove.  I loved the look of the weathered wood, frayed rope and solitude of this boat.  It wasn’t clear why it was left on the shore to slowly decay and eventually return to the sea in tatters, but it certainly made for a lovely photo opportunity!

Ashore at Sandy Cove

It was a picture perfect lighthouse scene on Brier Island, in Nova Scotia.  The seagulls glided, dove and swarmed around this lighthouse on a tiny patch of land just off the island, known as Peter’s Island.  With the lighthouse on the island, and all the seagulls, there would hardly have been room for poor Peter!

Peter’s Island Lighthouse

Along several of the small harbors on our drive, one could always finds boats that didn’t go out to sea on that day.  This digital watercolor sketch of one of those harbors was one of those peaceful idyllic scenes.

Boats in Harbor

It was always the perfect touch when I would see one of the fishing boats leaving the harbor as I watched the day evolve from the shore.  It made me think of how a day that was so special and different for me, was truly just another work day for someone else.

Headed Out

While waiting for the ferry to transport us from one island to the next in Nova Scotia, I noticed this incredibly colorful supply building sitting on a pier, and the chairs sitting on the end of the pier, seemingly inviting someone to just come, sit and reflect on the water, when the next ferry would be passing, or just life in general.  The old buoys on shore added to the lighthearted feeling of the scene.

Colorful Pier Perch

Old deserted cabins or houses are some of my favorite subjects.  This old house, along the road on Long Island, in Nova Scotia, wasn’t any different.  I especially was drawn to how I could look thru two windows at the same time.  Buildings like this always make me wonder about the people who once called this home.

Through an Old Window

When windows are broken in an old abandoned house, it somehow strikes me more than if the window was gone or intact.  It truly emphasizes the fact that this building, which was once home to, most likely, a family, is totally unloved and is a sad statement.

Broken Window

Enjoy!

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

Fundy Trail Parkway Treasures

The Fundy Trail Parkway had lots of wonderful views, but there were a couple of treasures that made it to this blog.  There was something differently special about these two pieces.

Butterfly on Bloom

It was great to have lunch at a spot where we could look out over the water and see Nova Scotia (see my travel blog for more on that!).  But, when I looked down, I saw another treasure – a butterfly that gently flit from bloom to bloom.  I was able to capture it with my camera, and then converted the photo image to a watercolor pencil sketch.  It just captured the feeling of that gentle creature kissing those blooms…..or so it seemed!

Old Window

When we came back from a lovely day’s exploration, we turned onto the drive into the campground and I suddenly noticed a deserted building of some sort.  I don’t know what it was originally – part of it reminded me of a church, and another part of an old barn.  The thing that struck me the most was this window.  It looked like it had always been rather rustic, but the light sconce spoke to something a bit finer.  I loved the contrast of the two, found in this one building!

Enjoy!

Minister’s Cottage

In 1791, Reverend Samuel Andrews bought the island upon which this cottage stands.  He built this cottage, and the island was named after his calling, and today is known as Minister’s Island.  The island is off the town of St. Andrews, in New Brunswick, Canada, and can be reached by driving across a bar of land that becomes available during low tide.  I visited this island on a misty day when the fog hung low to the ground.  Looking at the cottage in this setting, in this weather, I could almost feel the minister inside looking out on such a day.

Minister’s Cottage

Enjoy!

Note:  This image is available in a variety of sizes and finishes via http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

Door and Windows

Here are some photo images that I took of the doors and windows of the old farmhouse that I used as inspiration for the recent photo collage piece I did.  There is an old saying that a person’s eyes are windows to the soul.  Well, I always feel that the windows of old deserted buildings are a way to see into what may be the soul of the past lives that were inside the building.

One of the things I like is when I can capture the old glass in a deserted building’s windows.  They are warped in a way that creates a sense of mystery to me – as if the house wants to hold close its secrets.

Warped Reflection

Another mystery is the missing pane of glass – when did it break and so cleanly?  It doesn’t look like a rock or something thrown at it broke it – after all, there are no jagged edges.  It would make it easier to catch a glimpse of what’s inside, except for the old curtain that still hangs.  Ah, the stories my imagination can make up about that!

Missing Pane

I love the character that comes through in this image.  The textures are a wonderful mix – smooth glass of the windows, rough finish to the material that once served as perhaps a bit of insulation to the building on the right side, the regularity of the siding that’s still on the left side of this outside wall of the farmhouse, the old, slightly warped wood of the door, and the rusty locks and doorknob that also serve to keep the secrets of the old house safe inside.  They all balance so perfectly, it’s strangely delightful.

Door and Two Windows

Enjoy!

The Path Home

There was something about this deserted house.  I first saw it as we drove to Acadia National Park, but I didn’t photograph it until a few days later.  It has been deserted for some time, and a no trespassing sign was posted on it.  I didn’t trespass in it.  I just stood out front to photograph it from a number of different angles.  The full-face on view won, and then I decided that I needed to incorporate it into a piece of digital art, what I call photo collage.  The end result reminds me of how often people tend to return to their base, be in where they grew up or where their soul came alive.

The Path Home

Enjoy!

Note:  This piece is available in a variety of print finishes and other items (pillows, tote bags, etc.) via http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

The Best of Traveling – June 1-7

This blog post will be highlighting some images that I created while on our June – July Atlantic Canada trip.  Altho I like these images, they don’t quite measure up to what I put on my Fine Art America.  Still, I felt like they are good and nice enough to share with all of you!

We were driving from New Mexico to our first stop in Amarillo, Texas, when Jeff noticed this ramshackle deserted homestead along the side of the highway we were one.  I quickly snapped a few images and chose this one to process for this blog.  If you look closely, the homestead is actually not very steady!  It’s leaning and odds are, in a few years, it will fall down.  This reminded me of a time gone by, and so I processed this with a vintage camera light leak effect – something I might have seen when I was a kid looking at some photos my aunt might have taken.  Altho, she was more in to people, and not into deserted homesteads!

Leaning Homestead

This scene was one I saw as we drove along the highway to Tulsa, Oklahoma.  There were a number of farm homes along the way.  I have a feeling that the highway was put in well after the farms were established.  When I looked at this image, it reminded me of living in the country when I was a kid.  That bit of nostalgia was behind the decision to convert the original photograph into a colored pencil drawing.  It reminds me of something Grandma Moses might have done.  Makes me smile whenever I look at it!

Country Life

As we were entering the highway from a country road, I looked to the right, and noticed this herd of horses munching and socializing with each other.  I quickly captured the scene and then thought of what it made me feel like when I saw the ponies.  It reminded me of days gone by, and the heart of the summer.  I processed the image to capture this feeling.

Vintage Ponies

This heron was captured on a morning walk around a pond in a campground where we stayed.  The morning walk did wonders for my psyche – the drive over the past several days had caught up with me and left me feeling like all there was to see in this country was miles and miles of road.  Of course, we know that’s not true!  This heron helped me remember that!

Take Off

Along the shore of the same pond, we came across about 3 goose families.  Here’s an image of one of them out for a family outing of a morning swim.  This family has 5 little goslings – another had 3 and the third had 6!  I think the color of the water set off the soft almost white color of the goslings really well.

Family Outing

Here’s a very nice shot of the heron in one of the previous images.  It seemed like I had finally gotten to the position where he felt I could capture his best side!

Profile

If you’ve read my other posts, you know I truly love deserted cabins and homesteads.  This one, along a road in Massachusetts, once again reflected the feeling of being sturdy and having weathered more winters and hardships that we mere humans could handle.  This one actually looks to be in pretty decent shape, so it may still be used from time to time. 

Barn from the Highway

Wow!  These are some of my favorite images from just the first week of our summer adventure!  To see other images, please feel free to visit my travel blog – http://travelswithnadineandjeff.blogspot.com.

Enjoy!