Fotograferen met een thema/Theme photography

This is a pre publication on the internet of an article for the May issue of Zoom Magazine, in which I am interviewed with two other photographers. So far it's only in Dutch, but I will translate it into English for everyone to read. Soon.

Purely Poetry

Clouds

Have you watched the clouds this year?
Have you noticed the many changes, the diverse colours, the drift
And dance and jump and falling away? Have you seen
The gallant scarlet, the gentle pink, the sky
Black and purple and almost green and always
Turning inside out,
Turning and twisting and writhing and seldom still?
But when it is a glory, a feast galore,
It is like the rolling over of foam on the shore,
It is like a mountain-range, the Alps, maybe,
It is what you want to see.
And what you never imagined could be, it is
A glamour, a glory of air, such bold sunsets,
Such risings up in the East. A folding of clouds
Is kind to the eyes, is a painted lullaby.
And there are few words to say why
Colours and ruffs and bubbles and bold balloons
Take our hearts, lift our spirits and glow
In our faster-beating hearts, in our minds also.
We need new words for the sky.

by

Elizabeth Jennings

'The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all of our lives.'
--Albert Einstein

Yesterday night I have made two new computer drawings which I would like to show you here.

Mandala's are usually geometrical forms, drawn in a precise, mathematical way. I have made mandala's in my own, more chaotic way, but there is still a center to look at. I hope you like them as much as I do.

This is 'Lilac Mandala 1'



This is 'Lilac Mandala 2'

Today four weeks ago I started this weblog.
That calls for a celebration!
What about a strawberry cake?

Yummy!!!

I will publish the recipe here from an American friend of mine who is a cooking and writing genius. The strawberry cake showed here was made by her in December 2001 and I took a picture of it.

On Monday March 22, just after the Spring Equinox, I received this recipe from Lisa:

'I can taste the cake, taste the time, with your photo, Flora. And here is the longawaited recipe...

Put on your favorite music, and pour a glass of wine.

Bake a yellow cake, any mix is fine. While the cake is baking, wash, then slice the freshest spring strawberries. Slice them and sprinkle with sugar to taste. In another bowl, whip heavy cream with a pinch of powdered sugar, until thick and voluptous peaks form.

Think of those you love, laugh and dance and drink some more wine.

Split the cooled cake layers in half, and spread with some whipped cream. Add enough strawberries to make a tasty filling, then top with other half of cake. Dollop the rest of cream on top of cake. Now play, arranging strawberry slices on top. Serve with hot, strong coffee, and enjoy...'

Thanks so much Lisa, it seems like a perfect recipe to celebrate the beginning of spring!

I am curious to know who reads these blog pages regularly, so I want to ask you to email me if you do, to info@floravanstek.nl

I would like to know how many times a week you are reading my weblog, what you like about it and what you are missing.

For a photography magazine in the Netherlands, called Zoom Magazine, I was asked a lot of questions for an article about theme photography, which gave me the opportunity and stimulans to think deeper about my work. Very enlightening!
I also had to choose three photos to be published with the article and next to two sand photos I chose a picture I made during my first trip to the USA, in March 2001.
Here it is:



This is a detail of glacial potholes, huge masses of stone with deep fresh water holes, full of salmon in former days, hence the name Salmon Falls. It is part of the Mohawk Trail, an old Indian trade route between Boston and New York City. There is still a trade post there, a very inviting Indian store packed with colorful stuff.

On my website you can see two more of these stone with water photos. Go to:

www.floravanstek.nl

and you will see them in the right upper corner.

I am now mentioned in the largest gallery site in the Netherlands:

www.galeries.nl

Here you can draw with colors and all kinds of figures. It's made for children, but who cares?

www.kidpix.com

If you like drawing or just want to see a whole lot of black and white computer drawings, go to:

www.youdraw.com

Five simple rules to be happy

Funny cats pictures and a moving story about a donkey... Who said donkeys were dumn animals? I never thought so anyway, but this story proves it big way!

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway, it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They each grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well.

At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer looked down the well, and was astonished at what he saw. As every shovel of dirt hit his back, the donkey did something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.

Pretty soon, everyone was amazed, as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off. The Moral: Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

O.K., that's enough of that B.S... The fact is, the donkey later came back, caught the farmer out in the field and bit him. Then kicked the shit out of him. Then he went over to each of his neighbors farms and bit and kicked the shit out of them too for helping.

The REAL Moral:: When you try to cover your ass, it always comes back to bite you.

Have a nice day. :)





www.reconnections.net