Daniel Ruf

More Of Winter

"I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape. Something waits beneath it; the whole story doesn't show."
Andrew Wyeth 

Another 3" to 5" of the fluffy white stuff last night, which meant an early rise to shovel out walks and driveways, cleaning off vehicles, and enjoying being in this white landscape of our small town.  I can hear the plows moving about the town and the snowmobiler's beginning to run the frozen lakes.  It's a good time...another time of the year to enjoy.  While it brings with it the biting chill and brisk winds it also reminds me that the earth is lying in wait for that burst of Spring we all await.  In our case, we will anticipate the arrival of blooms from new bulbs that we planted last fall...the crocus, dwarf iris and others will be a welcome addition to the flower beds in our yard and will also provide early flower photography opportunities for me.

Christmas is around the corner and a part of our family is home for a short holiday celebration, while our oldest will be busy with the Baylor football team at their first bowl game in years, and our youngest will be attending hospital duties as an RN.  In our family Christmas chores are not an unusual event since living on a farm always brought with it a certain amount of work routines that had to be tended.  Whether the regular milkings or just keeping a close eye on other livestock, the celebration of the Christmas season was secondary to the welfare of our livestock.  Tending livestock can be a chore for some, but can also be a reminder of some sacred skills that have been part of humanity for ages, even during the first Christmas.  

It is my wish that all will have a blessed Christmas season and properous and safe new year in 2011.   Let the peace that you live in your life infect those around you and then those throughout the world.

For more views of my work visit;

"A Piece Of Work", Spirit Lake, Iowa  http://www.apieceofworkinc.com

Lanesboro Art Center, Lanesboro, Minnesota  www.lanesboroarts.org

http://www.betterphoto.com/Premium/Default.aspx?id=251674&mp=V1

On The Road...again and again and again

"We are still in transition from the notion of man as master of the earth to the notion of man as part of it."

    Wallace Stegner

It was a cold and dreary trip to northern Minnesota and Wisconsin this past week and finally ended up with my coming home earlier than expected.  All was not totally lost, however, and a few photographic opportunities did surface from the cloudy conditions.  The blog image was taken at "Wisconsin Point" which can easily be missed unless one knows where the turn off is hiding.  Looking down the road a person would not be impressed by the fact that the asphalt is pock marked with holes the size of craters.  In the end, however it is well worth the trip.  In this particular case I was on the beach before sunrise and noticed this freighter in the open water.  The difficulty was deciding if it was at anchor (I'm not a sailor or boat person) or moving.  After much squinting I realized it was aimed for the harbor opening and I had to really get a move on to make it in time to take advantage of "dawns early light" and the ship entering an opening in the breakwater.

After doing the initial processing in Adobe Elements 8 I went with my Nik Color Efex Pro plug in and clicked on the "midnight" tab.  While this adjustment doesn't always produce the desired effects, with the right image it can be stunning.  With a few adjustments of the provided slide bars things began to take shape.  A heavy duty crop was necessary since a little water and sky goes a long way to making a set of bookends for the finishing touches.

This weekend will find me in Lanesboro, Minnesota for the art festival on June 20.  I'm new to this kind of event and this is part of the market testing that goes on with many artists to find outlets for their work.  It is my hope that this will go well, the skies will bless us with clarity and a bright sun, and I return enlightened from the experience.  As they say...nothing ventured,  nothing gained.

A couple of days after I return from Lanesboro I'm off to Dallas to be with my mother while she undergoes surgery to insert a stint in an artery to improve blood flow.  This is all kind of new to me since my experience with hospitals and surgery has been pretty limited.  My sister is mom's caregiver and we'll be anxiously awaiting the results of the surgery.  I suspect that we're in the same boat as many adults our age, with aging parents and the reminder that we often take for granted their presence in our lives.  It's times like this that remind me that our parents influence was very much a part of who my sister and myself have become.  It may seem like a simple statement, but in the course of a lifetime it's a huge reflection of their character and presence in our lives.

Take time with your family and thank you for coming to my blog.

For more views of my work visit;

"A Piece Of Work", Spirit Lake, Iowa  http://www.apieceofworkinc.com

"Art On 16th"  http://www.hankhallarton16th.com

Artisans Road Trip www.artisansroadtrip.com  

http://www.betterphoto.com/Premium/Default.aspx?id=251674&mp=V1