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Archive for the ‘Absurd’ Category

Styro-Storm Bird

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, birding, creativity, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged , , , on May 28, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Styro-Storm Bird, 5/09

Styro-Storm Bird, 5/09

In my attempts to photograph the illusion of a flying bird, I’ve resorted to some low-tech solutions.  I first tried suspending my polystyrene models using cast-off fishing line found all too commonly on the riverbank.  Fishermen, please take your waste monofilament with you!  But, this solution was too obvious in the pictures and the models did blow around in the wind.  Then I hit upon using long thin skewers whittled  from local wood.  In the above photos, you can’t see that the bird is pinned to the branch behind it.  I call this the Styro-Storm Bird because it was made during a rain storm.  Materials used include polystyrene foam, wood, coal eyes, and plastic for the collar and part of the bill which came from a fishing bobber.  I’ve made a few of these birds recently and saved them. 

During the time I was working, this Eastern Kingbird hung around my site.  It didn’t seem too afraid of me.  I’ve noticed that there are a couple pairs of them currently at the Falls of the Ohio State Park.

Eastern Kingbird, 5/09

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Baby Sun with Rattle

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, birding, creativity, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged , , on May 28, 2009| 3 Comments »

Baby Sun, 5/09

Today was one of those days where the objects I found really directed the figure I made.  I came across the broken passifier and baby rattle and wondered what our star would look like personified as an infant?  It is afterall almost summer.  I used pieces of bark to frame the head.  The eyes and nose are fishing bobbers and I’ve imbedded a yellow light into its body.  The bottoms of aluminum cans form the ears.

Silver-spotted Skipper, 5/09

Butterflies are starting to appear in greater numbers and diversity.  This is a Silver-spotted Skipper sunning itself.  Today I also saw Red Admirals and a Red-spotted Purple. 

Yellow Warbler, 5/09

I had one opportunity to photograph this Yellow Warbler and here is the result.  The restless nature of warblers makes them challenging subjects, but when you get a good image it makes your day.  About an hour later we had a pretty good thunder shower…I’m more concerned about keeping the camera dry than if I get wet.  I left the Sun figure behind and thought it was one of the stranger ones I have made recently.  I’ll close with a detail of this odd image.

Baby Sun with Rattle, 5/09

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Orange-collared Thickbill

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, birding, birds and birding, creativity, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged , , , , , on May 25, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Orange-collared Thickbill, 5/09

The shoe/figure from the previous post wasn’t the only piece I made that day.  Here’s another in my Styro-bird series I call the “Orange-collared Thickbill”.  It  wouldn’t surprise me to learn that somewhere among the world’s 10,000 plus bird species is an actual bird called this!  All the elements came from this day’s walk.  The blue bill is the nose cone of a bottle rocket.  The eyes come from sycamore seeds.  I wanted to create another image with the willow fluff before the expected rains wash it away.

Orange-collared Thickbill and fluff, 5/09

I’m seeing fewer actual bird species now and feel we are settling into our summer time mode.  Cedar waxwings are still around…taking advantage of a bumper crop of mulberries.  The resident Eastern Kingbirds are back flycatching from their willow posts.  Orioles still flash through the treetops as they pursue their own kind relentlessly.  Closer to the ground, I came across a small flock of American Goldfinches.  Their bright yellow bodies, black wings, and orange bills add a color note to the muted tones of sand and gravel.  I remember seeing once, a small flock of about twenty goldfinches their numbers doubled by their reflections in the shallow water they were bathing in…now that was beautiful! 

male, American Goldfinches, 5/09

Last shot is of one of these amazing willow trees that survive being immersed and battered by the river’s currents.  It’s like walking through this habitat of giant bonsai trees. 

willow tree, 5/09

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Magic in the Air

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged , , , , , on May 25, 2009| 3 Comments »

hair brush and willow fluff, 5/09

Today was one of those unusual days were you couldn’t tell the color of the sky.  Neither blue nor gray it just seemed heavy with humidity.  Wafting on the air currents…fluff from willow catkins formed drifts against the landscape.  I have never seen so much out at one time.  I came across this brush in the fluff and thought it summed up the magic.  Are these seeds for the willow trees?

little guy pulling shoe, 5/09

Or, is it some kind of organic pixie dust?  Today was full of odd moments.  I was listening to the Belle of Louisville’s steam calliope…the music carries from its dock on the waterfront to the sands of the Falls.  When a particularly rousing rendition of the theme from “The Sting” finished, I then heard the Beatles “Can’t Buy Me Love” kick into gear.  Simultaneously with the Belle’s concert was a bit of strangeness Louisville calls “Abbey Road on the River”.  It’s a three day Beatles festival that also takes place on the waterfront and draws tribute bands from all over the world.  I wondered which Beatles group I was listening to…the one from Norway, Japan, or Germany?  Oh, and then there was this Little Guy pulling a shoe…

Little Guy pulling a Shoe, 5/09

He was struggling mightily and I give him credit for dragging  it as far as he did.  He also wasn’t much on conversation and I can only speculate what was so special about this particular shoe.  Perhaps, for whatever reason, it was just his size.

Shoe Rider, 5/09

After a bit, the Little Guy did something astounding!  He climbed into the shoe and started hopping which made the shoe cover the sand more efficiently.  Sort of sack-racing style if you know what I mean?  I soon lost sight of him…my mind swimming to the odd musical amalgam of Stephen Foster melodies meets John Lennon lyrics.  Anyway, I hope that shoe fellow didn’t hop to the river’s edge….the mud there is over your ankles.

Riverscape, 5/09

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