A Summer in the Arts

On May 20, 2014May 20, 2014 By AngeliaIn Life..Camera...Action!24 Comments

$\© Angelia's Photography 2014$

One of my favorite hang-outs The Arlington Museum of Art hosted their very first photography contest. Aptly named, the “Image as Art Photo Contest: The Landscape”. The contest allowed entries for a fee during the early winter months. Anonymous judges screened art-worthy photographs to display in the final part of the contest. Over 200 entries came in and only sixty reaped a place on the museum walls. These finalists display in the downstairs part of the museum just in time for the Ansel Adams opening – May 3rd, 2014.

Of course, I entered. I mean, why not? We encouraged everyone in our Chics Who Click photography group to do so. Go beyond snapping the shutter and FRAME it. Be proud. Let others see. Let others judge. It takes a lot of work to go from camera to wall. Be fearless.

And the girls did not disappoint.

Many of the Chics featured an image to display as a finalist in the competition. Too many to even count or keep track of. But if I had to guess, I believe the number of finalists (just chic who click finalists) were around fourteen. About fourteen of us get to show with other artists in the museum. All we had to do is take our digital image selected by the judge and have it printed, framed, and delivered ready for the wall.

And I just made it…

I mean like heart-hammering, overnight shipping on the framing, and dropping the image off as they are hanging the others.

Thisssss close…Phew!

I could kick my procrastinating self, and maybe I will do that tomorrow. Heh.

Images as finalists in the contest.

One of my all-time favorites by a sweet friend and super talented travel photography.

My sister from Houston enjoyed seeing the exhibit and her sister’s work of art.

My work of art “Sol de Flare” or back of the sunflower.

A reception at the end of the display week is held to decide the winners – by one judge – for first, second, third, and fourth place, along with eleven honorable mentions. ALL winners, places and mentions, will display ALL summer with Ansel Adams.

This is quite the honor. I mean….Ansel Adams? And one of us? Or maybe not one of us, but to already be hanging in the same museum at the same time as his works of art?

How incredible is that?

Let me tell you, more than you can imagine, and you know what? I already won. I don’t care what the judge says, or who he picks. I have WON.

My image is on the wall of a museum, and not because I bought space, but because someone PICKED me as a favorite.

But it gets better, it is not just the prestige, but monetary prizes too.

Amazing.

So, do you want to know what happened?

Well, I got super sweaty. Nerves. Excitement. That darn glass of red I should NOT have had, because red wine makes me an inferno from the inside out. I love it, but I need to just accept our relationship must end. It’s just too hot for me.

So while, I am dabbing the sweat off my brow, and holding my daughter’s cold coke on my neck. I hear it…my name…they said…MY NAME. I hear lots of hooting and hollering. Then, my photographer teacher is next to me and escorting me on stage to accept my win as an honorable mention. Me? A winner? But, I already won. I am here and that’s enough.

But nooooo, I win. Officially, as in all summer, with my buddy Ansel. I take home prize money and have a chance to sell my image.

GET OUT.

All this for something I love to do. I took this photo at a local park after a client session. Of course, I couldn’t just leave, I had to explore and take photos. I found a lovely bunch of sunflowers.

Seven us from my photography group took home prizes and places. Seven of us will show all summer.

I don’t know who was more thrilled, the seven of us on stage holding our certificates, or the photography teacher who got so fired up, he dropped his camera (and broke it!).

Now, that is some kind of show.

I hope you enjoy my exciting work of art, if you would like to see more, please visit this week’s WordPress Daily Post- Weekly Photo Challenge – Work of Art for more fabulous works.

When Photography is a Gift

On April 3, 2014April 3, 2014 By AngeliaIn Angelia's Photography, Life is what you make it.20 Comments

It did not even cross my mind the first time I picked up my new Nikon D3000 what gifts it might bring to me, and not to just me, but to others as well.

At first the gift of sharing seemed good enough. Share the digital image, record the moment, and bundle those up in albums to display across Google and Facebook.

And that has been fantastic! Maybe they weren’t always the best images or the most technical, but I was learning and sharing and photographing (I still am!).

So I gifted what I could, as much as I could. Gifts I love to give.

But as the years have gone by and my camera has upgraded to the next model and my lenses have upgraded to sharper glass. Well, it got to be something more…

More from the heart. More concrete. More right now.

Maybe it was my first canvas that sparked a new world of photography within. I wrapped it myself at a canvas wrapping class hosted by the Chics Who Click at Arlington Camera.

I made a terrible error while wrapping, but I saved it by re-ordering the way the picture shows. It is only noticeable on the side. I gave the canvas to my mother to put on her wall at the apartment in her Assisted Living Community.

She LOVES it.

This is the only photo I have of it from my iPhone.

See, my mom really enjoys gardening more than anyone. She had a tremendous garden filled with a variety of flowers when she lived in her house. Her thumb is fantastically green. She has a small patio container garden where she is now. I think the image helped bring a little more of her gardening love indoors. Plus, she gets to brag to all her friends that the canvas was done by her daughter.

I was disappointed I had messed it up. She beamed with pride.

And so, I stopped being so critical and I accepted the gift for what it is. It’s a choice. A choice to give and a choice to receive. My photography is not a gift of talent, but a gift to gift others with.

So, that is exactly what I did.

And when the critic in my head cringes over a hand cut-off, or a color not quite right. When it shakes its ugly mug at the print that didn’t come out exactly as it had envisioned. Or when a big frown emerges over a portion of the photo being slightly blown out.

I tell that critic to get out of here. I don’t need their comments.

The only validation I need is right here in these faces. No matter what I think about these photographs, they think something totally different.

And that…

…makes my heart soar.

I think I will continue to gift my photography.

In every way that I can. As much as I can.

What can you gift of yourself? I promise it will be received and it will be amazing.

Signs of an Art Deco Child

On November 6, 2013November 6, 2013 By AngeliaIn In the lives of children, WINNING!20 Comments

When children find a full roll of butcher block paper…

When they wake up about two hours before you do…

When the art cabinet is in the kitchen…

When you find pieces of tape, paper, and markers…

When you find works of art displayed on their bedroom door…

Well then…

You just might have an art deco child…or two.

And maybe, it’s not the definition for “art deco” in your home. But it is certainly the definition and style of ours.

The girls erected this sign for their door.

Impressive isn’t it? See the girls decided their bedroom door needed a sign. The first sign said Bri’s Room. And since Molly and Bridget share a room? Well….Molly was not so happy about that.

So, she made her own sign which, of course, included her sister. Because she is ~~sweet~~ correct like that.

Now you might see a sign for the bedroom door, or you might see a work of art, or maybe you see a few stories or two.

Whatever you might see….

You have to give them an A for vocabulary and points for the extra notations. Those embellishes just make it so much more…

I’m sure there will be more signs before the butcher block paper meets its end.

Until then, we will continue to look in wonder at a child’s art deco display.

Silly girls.

Linking up to Wordful Wednesday with:

and Dude Mom.

Arlington Museum of Art

On April 2, 2013April 2, 2013 By AngeliaIn Angelia's Photography37 Comments

It’s official.

The work has been hung on the wall with great care, in hopes that lots of art lovers, soon would be there.

I LOVE this museum, not just for our work on display, but for the graciousness of the board members and the heart of the volunteers who keep it open.

They do not charge any kind of admission fee to enter. The first and second floor are filled with art from local schools in the area.

And then….the rooftop gallery where our show is. It normally features local artists (or whoever rents it), but I hear they will be displaying Ansel Adams in the next year.

So! A wonderful place to check out now……and later.

Here are some photos I took of the walls.

Chics who Click front of invitation.

The entrance to the exhibit features one of our founders Michelle who has been battling breast cancer. We used one of her photos for a canvas.

A talented group of ladies exhibit at the Arlington Museum.

Exhibit at Arlington Museum of Art.

One of the exhibits on the walls of the Rooftop Gallery.

The photography being displayed by the Chics Who Click at the Arlington Museum of Art.

Without her, this would not be possible. Photographer veteran, and curator Lora Phillips. One of the founders with me when we started the Chics Who Click group.

Here is the museums website Arlington Museum of Art.

Here is our show invitation and reception.