Category Archives: Art

Capturing my last 12 months

After taking thousands of photos and traveling throughout the United States, these twenty-five photos resonated with me the most from 2018-2019. Some capture beauty, while others remind me of stories from my journey.  For example, I stumbled on to the little town of Ferndale in California. After enjoying a peach scone and a coffee at the local cafe, I found a map to the black sand beaches of California’s “lost coast”.  The long slow drive over the coastal mountains brought me to a wide open view of the ocean – and cows. They surprised me.  I surprised them.  The photo captures our mutual interest.  The beaches of black rock were stunning.  At the conclusion of the drive, I ended up in a Redwood Forest of Humboldt State Park.  I took hundreds of pictures – but I ended up cutting the best of the tree photos.  Ironic I think.

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Quest: Six new national parks

On my quest to visit all the National Parks in the United States, this summer I was able to explore six in Alaska and California.  I will post one photo from each park. Out of 60 parks, I have now visited 40.

 

Denali National Park, Wrangell-St. Elias, Glacier Bay, Redwoods N.P., Kenai Fjords Exit Glacier, and Lassen National Park.

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A few stops along the Russian River – Wine Country California

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August 1, 2018 · 11:59 am

The Final Frontier – Alaska

I managed to make it to Alaska to visit my 50th state in the U.S. during my 50th year.  The near 24 hours of daylight and the perfect weather hovering around 75 degrees provided the perfect escape from the intense heat and humidity of the Midwest.  I am told that I am lucky to have spent a full day basking in the majesty of Denali’s peak.  The drive up hwy 3 from Anchorage to Denali is sublime.  The crushed rock of hwy 8 (the Denali hwy) provides even greater beauty, and the drive through Wrangell-St. Elias to McCarthy wraps up the perfect trifecta. As of right now, I have been to 41 out of the 60 U.S. National Parks.  I think Glacier Bay ranks in the top 3.  The Bay, woods, ponds, wildlife, lodge, cabins, trails, sunsets, and exhibits create a world you won’t want to leave.

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Mt Denali on a clear day

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Solitude on the Denali Hwy

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Rushing rivers into the plain

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two beavers swimming

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perfect summer weather

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Wrangell-St. Elias NP

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Mountains, Glacier, River – Alaska

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Beaver dam

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The sentry

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America’s Best Idea

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Tlinglit culture in Glacier Bay

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Margerie Glacier

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Solitude part II

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Looking for a moose, but found this

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summers provide unending beauty

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cormorants all lined up

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A grizzly patroling the shore

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A black bear looking for dinner

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the blue glacier

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a pseudo sunset

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solitude pt III

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The moose-less pond

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Where to now?

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Porcupines love Cottonwoods

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Exit Glacier

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in Seward

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King Crab in Seward

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Photos from all Seasons

Every year I sort through thousands of photos and choose my favorite twenty or so to turn in to a little art show in my classroom at school.  Then I turn them into cards and mail them home to students.  These are my selections from June 2017 – May 2018.

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First Ice

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West Side Market – Cleveland

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Battlefield Warriors

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Mysterious Path

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Boone Plantation

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Sullivan’s Island

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Charleston

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Botany Bay

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Edisto Island Sunset

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Remnants of Hunters in MO

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Fall Sunset

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Ice Daggers

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On the Missouri River

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The Master at Work

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Solitude before the camera

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Birthday Cranes

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Smoky Mountain Peace

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Last Gasp

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Fall in Illinois

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Soul Survivor Fort Sumter

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Power and Beauty

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Ice Stalagmites

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June Flowers 

A week of flowers from my evening walk…


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Ice Webs – Wind Cave NP

Wind Cave National Park ranks highly among the US Parks.  I stumbled on to these beauties while driving through the backroads of the park.

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Emerging Spring

A single image…

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Museum of Contemporary Religious Art

Hidden on St Louis University’s campus, the MOCRA shines. Open to the public. 

From the balcony

The shadows accentuate this piece

A special collection

La Pasion – Michael Tracy

Bernard Maisner – this is hope

Maisner. Inspired by cytokinesis

Jonah inside the Whale

More shadows

Pieta – Thomas Skomski

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Digging Deeper into Missouri

I continue my journey to see all of the 90+ Missouri State Parks and Historic Sites.  Some of these places are incredibly remote.  I just can’t imagine many people visit Clark’s Hill or the Osage Village. I am pleased to say that I have.

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State Capitol and Historic Site

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Clark’s Hill: Confluence of the Osage and Missouri Rivers.

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Along a glade

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Coffee in Cole Camp

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Looking for the Bison

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Prairie State Park

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Truman Lake and dam

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Harry S. Truman

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February Forests Filled with Flying Birds

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