OMA

Went to the Oceanside Museum of Art as I previously said. Saw Chris Rainier's exhibit, "Ancient Marks The Sacred Origins of Tattoos and Body Marking"

The show is free for students...its tiny...but amazing photographs. Beautiful people, beautiful art. My favorite was the Buddhist with the elephants tattooed down both his shins. Go check it out if your into body art.

Artists

I have been to many exhibits this semester and have done much enjoying of art, especially some work by some amazing photographers. All of those kinds of field trips can be read about on my primary blog--the peanut bucket.

I feel saturated. In a good way...and inspired to get really creative and continue to learn about new artists and ways of doing things, in my photography, as well as my other art.

Cover For My Plant Book

As One Of My Closing Remarks

So I was peeking at my classmate's blog sites tonight and let me just tell you...
...some of the photos really blew me away. I mean really.

It wasn't all that long ago that I actually decided to "become" an artist, even though I have been doing art for some time...and looking at these sites make me realize that I don't think I have really found my niche or my exact style.

I am definitely inspired now more than ever to exercise my creative side as much as I can and really push to do the art that I know is up in my head.

Tell Me Why...

..the one time I actually DON'T bring my camera someplace I regret it?
I recently went (April 13th to be exact) to the San Diego Museum of Art down in Balboa and caught their Art Alive exhibit.

At first I wasn't quite sure what was going on, but as I walked around I realized...there was the normal collection--but then, artists had made these big beautiful bouquet things based on the work that had inspired them. Plants everywhere! And--photographing was allowed! Everybody in the museum had a camera (except for good ol' me of course.)

It was a really neat show...and I didn't have that much time to really explore...but some of the pieces were really breathtaking.

Interestingly Enough

After finishing my plant book (which I figured would only be about 40 pages and ended up being 80)...I have come to the realization that I might be onto something here.

At first plants seemed kinda boring (I'll be honest), but now--I see them everywhere! And not just see them--really see them up close and as a perfect photo opportunity. I think that I might continue photographic plants and trying out some new cards and really seeing where it takes me. Wild animals are still my muse of choice, but hey--plants are wild too right?

A Couple Cards Heading My Way

A Few Nursery Photos

Quail Botanical Gardens

Pics From The Lake

Dixon Lake

Some Photos From Santa Rosa PLateau

Just A Quick Note

...went to the Las Pilitas nursery today.

It's a nice little place.  Easy to find, yet I missed 2 turns.

I liked it for the fact that it is a Native plant nursery so I felt confident on the shots I was getting. Now I am super behind on my posting of pictures, but shortly, there will be a big crop of them.  Get it? Crop....haha.

Fieldtrips

Spring break proved to be productive for me.

Not the actual week, but this weekend. The week itself was spent in North Carolina and although I did do a lot of picture taking, I couldn't really full fill the requirement of CALIFORNIA native plants.

Yesterday however, I went to Dixon Lake here in local Escondido and had much success as well as today when I journeyed to Quail Botanical Gardens in Encinitas.

Today at Quail, I was caught up in some beautiful flowers just to learn that they were from all over the world. I finally consulted my map and headed to the California section just in time for my battery to die. Luckily I had another one. Not so luckily, it was in my car and the parking lot is the farthest spot away from the California section. Never fear though, it was a beautiful day and I needed the exercise, so after back-tracking a bit I was able to get some great shots there as well.

Pictures will be uploaded soon. On a side note though, I know everybody is saying that this is a great year and that there are bumper crops of wildflowers--I would just like to say also that it seems to be a bumper year for lizards as well.

Santa Rosa

So...me and the fam went up to the Plateau yesterday. Weather-wise it was a bit breezy and somewhat overcast, although the sun did peak through a couple of times.  We stopped first at the visitors center and after a brief look around, and the paying of our $2 each, decided to check out the vernal pool.  It was a nice walk of about a mile to get to the pool, which looks more like ooze filled swamp....but I highly recommend it.  Apparently, they are only active after springs filled with heavy rain, and the aquatic life that is in them is incredible.  The frogs/tadpoles/shrimp/snakes are special only to such pools, which are becoming increasingly rare, and the neat thing is that when the pools are in a dry season, the animals that inhabit them stay dormant.  

Check it out...seeing things like this, that aren't always available are really special.

Pictures to come later....

Not Sure If These Are Even Native--I Just Thought They Were Pretty

And Last But Not Least...

Yet Another...

Another Photo

First Photo

Blogger Hates Me

I can't seem to upload any of my images from Pechanga. This is the second night in a row I have tried. Cross your fingers that I get them uploaded by 3:00 tomorrow...

Will These Pictures Load?

Crap. No. I'll try again tomorrow...

...Alright Then

So it posted what I just typed. Let me give ya'll a little recap on the trip and then I will try to load photos again.

The furthest trip we've been on so far...I was slightly apprehensive about the carpooling caravan.  The nursery, although nice, and where I met my lizard friend, was not as impressive as the second place we visited.  I had fun driving there...everybody in my car was goofing off snapping shots as we putted our way up the dusty road.  I enjoyed the scenery at that spot, but was sad that by then we had started losing our light.  I wish we could have gone there first when the sun was out more.  Still, I got some good shots.

Despite the fact that I had worked that day which meant I had been behind a camera since 9 am, I was glad to be outdoors.  Plants don't scream their heads off posing the way some children do.  

Pechanga

Alas...my trusty blogger keeps failing me and I can't get my images loaded.  Let me double check that it loads this before I type any further...

Sad To Say

Missed class today...despite my best efforts I got really sick this week. It was touch-and-go for a couple days there. (Not really, but I tend to get really dramatic when I'm ill.)
Looking forward to catching up and the next field trip...

Not My Average Day At Rincon

After the last 3 and 1/2 years of making the glorious drive into the boonies, I must admit, taking pictures at Rincon was a different experience.  I have been to that area a couple of times before (the health center is where Harrah's sends it's employees for drug testing), however, I have never been out there with my camera. 

 I found it slightly difficult to shoot plants.  I found myself off topic with such subject matter as rocks, barb-wire, and a very busy red ant.  I almost had a heart attack when a squirrel leaped out one of those holes that I kept expecting a snake to slither out of, and jumped back into another one like right next to me.  Was kinda hoping to see whatever made the tracks, but considering the size of some of them, it's probably better that I didn't.

What The Blurb?

So I was looking at blurb.com today and started pondering my own tumble down the book-making rabbit hole.
I'm excited...but at the same time, a bit dis-heartened by the fact that these days, everyone is an artist and everyone a photographer, and thanks to sites like these, everyone a published author.

I suppose I can really use this as a lesson to push myself in my own creations. Afterall, it would be kinda cool to make their "staff picks" list.
I am also excited because I KNOW FOR A FACT that people will buy my book (even if those people are my mom and my grandma).

My Pictures From "The Rock"

...and I don't mean Alcatraz...

VHB Rock

After some driving around the block multiple times (typical for me when finding a new place), I finally made it to Indian Rock. It wasn't what I had expected--not neccessarily in a bad way though. For one thing, I didn't realize it was in the heart of suburbia...houses all around, basically nestled into a neighborhood.

As a sacred site, I think it's really sad how tagged up it is. I mean, its one thing for a gang to mark their territory on a fence that can be painted over (thats bad enough)--its quite another to bring ugliness to something that should continue to be held as sacred.

On a side note--my eyes were definatley opened a little--after having taken a number of plant portraits and then finding out that they weren't excactly native. This may be harder than I thought.

Janel Munoa And Company

I know its been a week since last class and some of my thoughts have escaped me by this point. I just wanted to quickly comment on the goings-ons of class last week. The music video by Janel literally gave me goosebumps--I know that sounds lame to say--but I think it was really powerful. I have spent all week trying to put some images or even a sound clip from it on this posting but alas--I am not as technologically advanced as I thought I was.

As you guys know, we watched a video during class also that although didn't give me the bumps...was still pretty intense as it showed graphic images that had been captured throughout the various battles our poor world has been a part of. They give me frown lines across my forehead just thinking about them--I'm glad there are people out there that have the balls to show the truth.

More Buckets Than A Girl Knows What To Do With

I find buckets to be very useful.
They are good for storage, good for hiding things away, good for keeping things tidy--all in all--a way of containment that I like.
Blogs are kind of like buckets. Little cyber-spaced receptacles for thoughts and notes and commentary that are normally lost to the little scraps of paper that fill my house and purse and automobile. Post-its move over--the buckets of blogs that now occupy my time are moving in.

I realize that this first posting might not make much sense. But at least if you are reading it and making faces at me...I cannot see you and therefor don't mind. In the not so distant past I barely knew how to even turn a computer on (candlelight helps). Now I'm am becoming such a "tech-y" that it scares me. However, yet again, I have gotten side tracked and I have to leave this posting with the promise that my next post will be more relevant and I can comment on the music video.