Art Becomes Water

I was asked by John Craig to comment to his posting on his blog, Craig Photography in which he asks, "How do you define, or better yet, how do you outline a conversation about art?" 


For me art is like water, it can be hard to hold in the palms of your hands but yet it exists, I was thinking about this because It just so happens a few days ago I had read an article in the newspaper about Bruce Lee, martial artist, philosopher, actor, he talked about how we are like water and how when water fills a vessel it becomes that object. That analogy of water becoming a created object or for that matter art is how I think art can best be best defined by us mere mortals, if that is makes any sense. For myself this idea of transforming ideas into art  becomes a common thread in my life where I take an idea or vision , transform it in my mind and make some kind of art which is for me are mostly photographs. The hopeful outcome of my work is that others viewing my images might find some appreciation of my vision, but that of course is strictly up to the viewer to decide whether it resonates with them. For myself I try to understand the language of art not by words but by being open, seeing and listening.  

The Image posted was taken at Spotted Lake in South Western B.C. with my 8 x 10 view camera and a 270 mm lens.

Galiano Driftwood ( On A Rainy Day )

I made this image of drift wood floating at high tide in Montague Harbour Provincial Park on Galiano Island in October of this past year on a very wet and rainy fall day. On my way over the Island while travelling on the ferry I watched a steady rain fall while sitting in passenger area which was beading up on the outside windows of the ferry I was beginning to wonder what I was going to be able to photograph with my 4 x 5 view camera which I don't like using in a heavy rain fall all that much, but I did not want to go away empty handed as I only had a couple days on the beautiful little island and did not know what the latter days would bring ( forecast was for more rain ) I had brought along a heavy duty black garbage bag and used that in place of my dark cloth thus keeping my head dry and my camera my camera dry at the same time, which allowed me make what I thought were some pleasing images.