i woke up to look out my window this morning.  i could see as far as the garden as the rest of the world was swallowed in grey grounded cloud.   the yard has green grass right now.  it is so wet that the ground can handle no more rain.  some dark brown wet leaves still gather around the apple trees.  all branches and vines are dark and wet.  the douglas fir stand firm in their dark green prickly needles.  the wind has stopped and it makes it seem like everything is holding it’s breath in some kind of solemn grief.

later in the day the sun gave up some rays for damp bones to warm themselves.  and as a true oregonian, i went outside to catch some while the getting was good… and took a walk down the road and the nearest lane.  as i walked, the dog that barks was in the house, the three horses were out with their coats on, i saw buttermilk clouds with blue sky, and i saw one of the neighbors actually doing something in his his garden.

i am here at my computer now…thinking of all that i need to do, as i read blogs and check my mail.  i have label art to finish working on in the next few days, i take peter to the airport tomorrow…  i saw that l.l. has her “around monday” post (nice snow and long blue shadow photos) and decided to join-in.

chicken is on the weber, with forty-five minutes to cook, and there is some reading i would like to do.  i am going through “the knowledge of the holy” by tozer.  i think i will finish this in the next few days.

the grey sky is now looking like it’s getting ready to swallow up the day.  time to light the lamps.

.

i have a lota trash
i even talk trash

i’m in and out trash
taking out trash

sometimes i keep trash
keep getting more trash

surrounded by trash
in more and more trash

no matter what
i know someday
i’ll be without trash

.

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thematic photographic . blue

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 •   tatters

 •   exposed

 •   leafstorm

 •   good links

 •   carol prusa

 •   the gardener

 •   decostruzioni

 •   art: where we speak of holy things

 •   introducing photographer susan etole

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what is the difference between an amateur and a professional?  what are distinctions that the world uses to classify?  are they opposites?

two artists can be just as caring about their art, just as serious, just as hard working, the same in skill and taste.  they can be the same in all ways, and yet if one sells, he might be classified a professional, and if one does not sell, he is usually classified as an amateur.

both artist are making art, that is very much the same.  but, what about motive?  now, the one that sells as well as the one does not sell, can still both have the motive of doing art that they think is only worthwhile because it “could” sell.  or they could both be doing art with a motive that does not include the motive of worth being related to money.

if a person gets an idea that they like, and they don’t do it because they think it’s an idea that will not sell, they are passing up that idea because are deciding the worth on money.

my question is, does that make a  person a professional?  if someone gets an idea and does it because the worth is in the idea itself or in the doing, does that make a person an amateur?

if the person sells his work, no matter why it was done, does that make the person a professional?  if the person does not sell his work, no matter why it was done, does that make the person an amateur?

what if a person dedicates his life to God and the other dedicates his life to his art?  does that make a difference in the classification?

what if one person does his art three days a week and the other does it five days a week?  does that really make a difference in the classification?

if you saw art from two different people in the same place, if you did not think of it’s worth, or know if it was for sale or not, who did it, or why…  would you be able to classify that art, or the artist, as amateur or professional?

if not for money, would it matter?

what matters to you?

~
photograph “glass in pane”

.

i have been
seeing
feeling
change
here
happening
gradually
yet surely
for months
friends
change
planning
moving
reasoning
commitments
moving on
moving over
change
moving up
letting go
joining forces
going alone
image
self
heart
change

and i know
nothing will ever
be the same

change

.

God be with you always

LOve
n

~

my heart it is not true
it skips a beat or two
jealousy
thick as mud
in my veins

~

just a slight problem
with this design…

the wet soap sticks to
the rocks
and lifts them up!

great…
if you want to gather rocks.

soooo
looks like i can play with this
idea a bit more.

broken pieces of green tossed
in large blue ocean waves taken
washed by water and sand
edges made smooth
full and round
land peacefully on shore
to be found shining
light reflecting

~
for one word . broken

since i have a problem with the reasoning in this book.
i thought perhaps it would be a good exercise for me to attempt
a kind of mini rewrite in blog style.

it might help in some way for me to do it.

though i don’t want to do it in a way of comparison.  because
i don’t plan to talk about the work as it is now, at all.  i am only
planning to use it as a starting point.

i would like to see the ideas in a new light, and what happens in
the process.

~

today, i read to page sixty-eight in this book.  all the while
thinking that i could go on and read while disregarding the
parts that don’t sound, to me, like a life of faith in God.

i was beginning to choke on the reasoning that s. pressfield
serves up with the main course of simple advice to just sit down
and do the work.

i’m done with reading this little piece of work.

~

most people have come down
off of the holiday high, have turned
around to face the new year head on,
and there, sitting quietly in a corner,
are the resolutions,
determined not to leave the party. 
there are always a few ornery ones
that just can’t take a hint.

~

from week 1

1.  first he was . at andrea tachezy

2.  starting here, starting now – at transit notes

3.  in winter waiting . at faith fiction friends

4.  all art friday . writing without paper

5.  the nance marie daily . my bit of fun this week

~