She sells sea shells on the sea shore!

Shells, we all look out for them when we are walking along the beach, and when we find them it is like finding a piece of treasure.  It is a bit like holding onto a memory or a hope and making it tangible like a photograph.

I like to think my camera does this, and looking at the photo of Dexter I am laughing (and cursing because I just missed getting the photograph because I was so surprised/dazed/hypnotised, although that too makes the memory) a strange dog came up to Dexter and cocked his leg up very close by but must missed his leg although not by much and it was literally over in a split second!

Muscle bound....

Time to get up and stop reflecting and do!

That is the end of the holidays (except for schools) that marks the end of the festive period, and back to work!

Weak spot!

My mind and body parts have been well and truly rested and they are up for challenge and success - they feel invigorated!

Body parts

Muscles are rested

Time for rest and relaxation is over!

Bummer!

Head, shoulders.....

knees and toes, knees and toes!

The body......

Yesterday I went Ice Skating with Dexter after having spent an hour at the Botanics taking photographs of plants.  It was a great day, my head was buzzing with Imogen Cunningham inspiration, and then to go to ice skating with Dexter was just such a lovely start to what was the second last day of the official Scottish holidays marking the festive season.

We had a great time there, I have not been skating for at least 20 years, and Dexter and I had a ball so much so we are going to do it again today as it made us both so happy.  

Unmade bed

So as I awoke this morning to my unmade bed, I thought about how I had used my body in ways that I had not done for some time and in celebration of that and still thinking about my muse of January, Imogen Cunningham, this is what I captured and it made me happy:-

My feet can still skate even though they have not done so in the last 20 years!

My feet, they might not be pretty but I do love what they can still do!

Even though my skating days were a blur of the past, I quickly remembered how to do it, it is like riding a bike, you don't forget! 

My frilly knickers!

I like this photo of me!

Self Portrait

Destination Unknown - inspired by Imogen Cunningham

Fairy Lights

I am so excited.  Why?  Well I am inspired, that is why.  Anika over at ACoLab has put up various "extra inspirations" over there and she has picked ones that I just love.  

Innocence

For January, I have chosen Imogen Cunningham as my extra inspiration:  

Imogen Cunningham was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest.  She began her photographic studies at the University of Washington and went on to become one of photography's early pioneers and commenced what became one of the longest photographic careers in the history of the medium.

Temptation

In the 1920's, Cunningham turned her attention to artistic nudes of friends and family and the study of plant forms found in her garden. The results are staggering; an amazing body of work comprised of bold, contemporary forms.

soft and hard

I love the work she did, and because she had various subject matters, I am going to use her as my muse inspiration for this month and try and tackle a number of her subject matters which is going to be hard because she did nudes, plant forms, and portraits and they were incredible.  

Mother Nature sees all

I don't for one minute think that what I will produce will be as iconic as what she did, what it will do however is provide me with a focus in which to experiment and challenge and educate myself, after all that is what the early pioneers of photography did, and photography to me is my own way of exploring me, what I see, what I want to express and I do love contemporary art a lot!

Tired

This is so exciting, and I hope that you enjoy what to me feels like the start of a journey to Destination Unknown - although maybe for me that will be getting to understand Imogen Cunningham a little more and tackling subjects that I have not!

Ripe

So firstly, thank you Anika for coming up with such stunning inspirations for 2011, I feel like 2011 is the start of a long journey for me......

Soft to the touch

Past it's prime

Propaganda

Bamboo Garden

Dangerous

V is for ...

Hanging fruit

Fanny Fan Fan...

Shiny