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elated surrender
I embrace nourishing warmth
spring blossoms
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Tag Archives: haiga
Spring Is Here!
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passionate wingsongs
carry loving nourishment
spring nesting
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Happy Spring to those in the Northern Hemisphere!
Today is officially the first day of spring here, yet it is a gloomy, rainy day, which will turn into snow for the next few days. Snow is still on the ground, and the deer are still sporting their heavy winter coats, however, yesterday was a nice sunny day and the American Robins arrived with their beautiful songs. A sure sign of spring!
The Western Scrub Jays are gathering food more frantically lately and we hear the constant flapping of their wings as they visit the feeders and beg for peanuts continually through the day – breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. We also see the male feeding the female, which we learned is a way for the female to get used to the male feeding her while she sits on the nest for about three weeks straight, incubating their eggs. Nesting should begin soon!
The photos above were taken yesterday and are of the same male scrub jay. The second image is a combination of two different photos.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Journey
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Embarking new seas
memorable escapades
New sketchbook journal
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What journey will be in your next sketchbook journal?
This is the ferry boat that took us to the Greek island of Santorini. I took the original photo as it was leaving the island, on it’s way to pick up another group of passengers starting their new journey. (I applied a sketch effect to the photo using Photoshop Elements.)
Related article: WordPress weekly photo challenge
E! Challenge: Etegami – Wisdom
Etegami – Wisdom, a photomanipulation by Fergiemoto on Flickr. (Click on image to enlarge).
Linking up with Creative Exchange and Our World Tuesday.
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Organic antique
Increasing its worth with age
Wisdom’s patina
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I’m posting this for the “E” Challenge by Frizztext (“E” is for Etegami).
Old tree & canyon —> Age —> Wisdom —> Patina (figurative) —> Increases value
The original photo used for this photomanipulation was taken at Dead Horse Point State Park in Southeastern Utah, USA, near Canyonlands National Park. The discovermoab website states that “The view from Dead Horse Point is one of the most photographed scenic vistas in the world,” the panorama of the Colorado River Canyon.
Etegami 絵手紙 – Japanese word meaning picture letter/message, traditionally done in a postcard size meant to be mailed.
Related articles:
A Chickadee’s Dilemma…or Not
In my last post, I wanted to get feedback on what your caption would be for this image or what this bird was thinking. The response has been really great with a lot of variety! Many thanks to those of you who visited or participated. It was fun to see your ideas come in!
As for the short history, this bird really amused me. He hopped around the peanut several times and examined it in great detail. At one point, he just stood nearby with his back to the peanut as if he were pondering how to eat it. Within a couple of seconds after I took this photo, he snatched up the peanut and flew away with it so fast that I didn’t have time to snap another picture. It took me a few seconds to realize what had happened. Clever little guy. He has since been back for more! Here is the haiku I promised:
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Adorned in disguise
Impossible quandary.
Clever evades con!
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Waiting
I posted this image a few months ago on another blog, but it also represents what happened yesterday in our area, “waiting out the wicked winds.” We experienced the equivalent of level 2 hurricane force winds and our city alone had 92 mile-per-hour gusts. Continue reading
Etegami – Vanity
Etegami – Anemone, a photo by Fergiemoto on Flickr. (click on photo to enlarge)
Also linking up with Illustration Friday’s topic of Vanity.
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Autumn has risen
I’m still determined to shine.
Blooming vanity
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Etegami 絵手紙 – Japanese word meaning picture letter/message, traditionally done in a postcard size meant to be mailed. Continue reading
Creating My First Digital “Etegami” and “Hanko”
Etegami – Dragonfly, a photo by Fergiemoto on Flickr.
(click on photo to enlarge)
Also linking up with Illustration Friday’s topic of Fuel. “Food = Fuel” “Creative Juices = Fuel”
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Crimson wraps and gleaming beds
Meditate on autumn beds
Awaiting fast food!
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I recently came across a blog called Dosankodebbie’s Etegami Notebook that really intrigued me and has inspired some creative juices to flow in a slightly different direction. It involves another form of traditional Japanese art called “etegami”. Etegami is a Japanese word which means picture message/letter, which are “simple drawings accompanied by a few apt words.” According to Dosankodebbie, the blog author, the size is generally 10cm by 14cm (roughly 4 inches by 6 inches). There needs to be both an image and words, and be mailable, like a postcard. There are few rules for etegami, which are traditionally done by hand. I have broken a rule already by producing a digital adaptation of etegami…..but…..I’m pursuing new creative avenues! If I size my image to 4×6 and print it, it would then be mailable. I have made many greetings cards from my photos and images in the past and mailed them.
Perusing her blog even more, I found that she has carved her own personalized Japanese hanko stamps that she uses on her artwork (click here). A hanko is a name stamp, or a name seal, which is pressed into a document or, in this case, artwork in red ink. It is a way to sign your name. Continue reading
Creativity Aroused 