Watercolour by Bodhi Smith

Nov 06, 2020

"watercolor" a brand new impression and blog from me...
 
"listen to a colorful leaf as it lets go and falls slowly down. listen as it softly lands in the stillness of the pond below. listen as it floats in the reflections of all the colors of all the other leaves. the sound is beautiful, the silence is perfect. you can hear the watercolour, listen to its lesson" ― bodhinku, colorful silence 
 
"i felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees, all the watercolors. i thought, "this is what it is to be happy" ― sylvia plath, the bell jar 
 
"every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree" ― emily bronte    
 
"climb the mountains and get their good tidings. nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. the winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of autumn" ― john muir, the mountains of california
 
"the sun shines down upon us, the lucky ones...you're the radiant autumn leaves, so bright and vibrant, so vivid and ablaze with warming colors...i'm your reflection in the pond, only just a bit darker, and hazy opaque, and slightly blurred, more cooled by the watercolours... we're complimentary mirrors, such beautiful simplicity, two incomplete parts of the perfect whole, we are together one the same...one love in the glowing light" ― bodhinku, the lucky ones   
 
"autumn is the time when nature takes her watercolor to the trees" ― laura jaworski 

"winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting, and autumn a mosaic of them all"― stanley horowitz
 
"last time you felt like this, it was in a movie. last time you felt like this, everything was perfect...sounds like watercolor" ― kevin moore, watercolor
 
here is such a lovely love song, read the lyrics and you will be able to connect this tune to my current feelings and this impression you are seeing today: "watercolor" by willy porter ... (just click on any of words in the blue links to listen to the song) ...  

"she, she really loves simple things. can't afford no diamond rings, and wouldn't wear 'em if she could. she, she hits me like a cool summer rain, then she's gone on the wind. i can hear her whisper in the wood. i can hear the ocean, when i look into her eyes...my heart is swept away like a paper boat on the tide. i'm destined to run aground with her by my side. together we'll wake up to a watercolor sunrise...she, she's been running in the rain. she's like whiskey on my brain. she makes me feel so high. she, she's got holes in her stockings. now she's up and unlocking the door for me. no one really knows where she's from. she comes and she goes like a watercolor bleeds and runs away. what am i afraid of? here she comes...she, she really loves simple things. can't afford no diamond rings, and wouldn't wear them if she could. she, she's got holes in her stockings, now she's on the back porch rocking the baby to sleep" ― willy porter, watercolor  
 
"just as a leaf know it is time, in the autumn, it embraces change, as it fearlessly lets go of the safety of the tree, falls and dances to where it needs to be...such a beautiful metaphor for all of us... just let go, dance, and fall in love with life's changes" ― bodhinku, beautiful metaphor 
  
"looking back over my memories, my life is like watercolours that have bled and faded. but sometimes i find my blurry reflections are so much more beautiful than a focused reality could ever have been" ― bodhinku, watercolours  
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MEANING
"who cares if you're over 50, live and be alive! learn a lesson from the trees, and be like the leaves...quietly breathe it all in as autumn speaks to you, listen and go with the changes...and like every falling leaf, let go of what you are holding on to and land where you need to be....then float in the hues of all these watercolours reflecting your life, and moments lived" ― bodhinku, watercolours lived
 
for the title of my image i chose the english spelling of "watercolour" instead of the more traditional american spelling of watercolor...most because i just dig the spelling of the word color as colour...the addition of the "u" adds something more beautiful to the word imho...
 
"watercolour" is defined as: a picture painted with water-soluble paints rather than oil, using a technique of producing paler colors by diluting rather than by adding white giving it more of transparent color
 
and the reason for me choosing this title of "watercolour" for my impression here is twofold: first this truly looks like a watercolour created by an impressionist painter. i consider myself an impressionist photographer, and the impressionist artists have always held a big influence in my photography, in particular the use of colours and reflections in masterpiece impressions painted by claude monet (although his were all oil paintings, not watercolors)...and the second reason for this name as the title is the simple fact that there is so much color reflecting in the water of this eastern sierra mountain tarn (pond) from the autumn colors in the leaves of the trees...thus, colours in water = "watercolour"
 
i also carry the belief inside me that a watercolour is a metaphor of the life i have thus lived...parallel feelings of impermanence...just as things can shorten the life of a watercolour, so can they with my life...a watercolour's longevity can be cut short by the elements of weather, especially water can make the colors bleed and run. heat can warp the wood frame backing the canvas distorting it. sunlight will make it fade and gradually erode...i too have been weathered, wrinkled and warped, distorted and faded from all of my experiences, illnesses, travels, and loves...
 
looking back over my memories, my life is like watercolours that have bled and faded. but sometimes i find my blurry reflections are so much more beautiful than a focused reality could ever have been... 
 
and my photography might be the only lasting thing left of me when i am gone, only thing really showing that i lived and loved, that i made a difference for having existed... 
 
and furthermore, this impression of autumn trees reflection in the water is another metaphor for my life...like leaves on trees in autumn and like colors in a watercolour, nothing in my life has been permanent, but that doesn't make it any less beautiful  
 
another beautiful song to give listen, read the lyrics (just below) and you will be able to connect this tune to the meaning of my impression today: "watercolor" by kevin moore ... (just click on any of words in the blue links to listen to the song)...    

"laying in my bed, i got this feeling. only silent pictures talk to me this way in my head. by my head, sits the soundtrack to the movie, and the voices fade the moment i hit play. sounds like watercolor, anything to drown me. i will sleep until i sing myself awake. and i always liked it better when the morning rises sooner, and i can't recall a single word i said. it's not like i can't stop, pull back the playback in my head. i could lie here, i could lie you know. maybe i can find a place, where them old movies never go. i could try it (doesn't matter). i could try it though (it doesn't matter). sounds like watercolor, anything to drown me. i will hide until i find myself awake and it sounds a little better. when it gets a little louder, by the morning if i make it, i'm okay...(pack your bags it's time to panic, 15 years in automatic, cellar door leads to the attic, what was jesus thinking? get there faster if we drive, 12 short steps to the sunny side, got a backstage pass and a bitchin ride, and everything comes easy. that was easy)...last time you felt like this, it was in a movie. last time you felt like this, everything was perfect...sounds like watercolor, anything to drown me. i will sleep until i sing myself awake. and i always liked it better when the morning rises sooner and i cant remember anything. well it sounds like watercolor. it sounds like anything, anything. it sounds like watercolor, and it sounds like anything, anything. and it sounds like watercolor. well, it's all like anything, anything" ― kevin moore, watercolor   
 
"together
our colors sing,
ablaze with a
melody of passion hues
drenched with reds, and
yellows, and oranges,
mellowed by greens, and
cooling blues...
floating silently upon
the morning breeze,
we're autumn's leaves
falling from trees,
landing in the pond
floating quietly away, upon
still waters,
wrapped around
colorful sighs,
a simple, single, infinite
moment of living to
love" ― bodhinku, floating colors  
 
"like hues bleeding through a watercolor, so are the days of my life" ― bodhinku, days of my life
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MORE BODHIKU QUOTES
and now here are a few more quotes from bodhinku from past blogs to help add to the deeper meaning of this blog today...
 
"if i were the trees, i would have my leaves transform to yellow and let them light up the sky with golden shade at sunrise, and then they would circle about your head as they float down, falling in piles at your feet, so that you might know this wonder of falling in love" ― bodhinku, falling 
 
"our life is a coloring book...together we color our world onto the vibrant pages with our radiant hues, saturating and warming our lives with a beauty that's so filled with colorful luminosity, just like sparkling sunbeams shining through a thousand colorful leaves ablaze on autumn trees" ― bodhinku, ardiendo 
  
"just as a autumn transforms a beautiful tree, fully ablaze in only its best colors, and blooming in full wisdom from all the seasons, so will the words well spoken bring out the best in the one who puts them into practice" ― bodhinku, ablaze in practice
 
"my therapy is found somewhere out in nature, behind the lens of a camera...each time the shutter opens and closes, i am breathing in, and breathing out" ― bodhinku, my therapy 
 
"what you see pictured here from my point of view is eleven seconds of pure awareness...eleven seconds of curling my toes in the soil, breathing in and out the crisp autumn air, in tune with the pink clouds and green grapevines, the sunset...in touch with everything that matters, for eleven seconds i am exposed...from the moment my shutter opened for those eleven seconds until it closed, i am totally aware, and enlightened" ― bodhinku, eleven seconds of pure awareness 
  
"each evening, take the time to slow things down and drop everything you are doing, stop thinking and go take in the sunset. take a picture so you can remember clearly these ordinary moments. take the time to just be. breath in, breathe out, feel those eleven seconds of perfect awareness" ― bodhinku, therapy  
 
"i do not need any scientific study to prove being in nature is great therapy, and is good for me on many different levels...i know it empirically through first hand experience. when i am out in nature, everything is better...my mood, my heartrate, my stress levels, my inner serenity. i feel more love and connection, direction and purpose. plus, later at night after being out in nature, i sleep better, dream more vividly and peacefully...and when i revisit old faithful scenes where beautiful memories abound such as this, it is nothing short of pure therapy for me" ― bodhinku, pure therapy
   
"life, living is really just one never-ending therapy session" ― bodhinku, neverending therapy
  
"my therapy is standing out in the wilderness under a canopy of beautiful clouds, contemplating nature" ― bodhinku, contemplting nature
   
"true therapy--the art of healing, comes from nature, not from a doctor" ― bodhinku, dawn after the darkness 
  
"i come to this spot often. it is a spot that never lets me down, never disappoints, a place i can rely to uplift my spirits. it has become therapy for me" ― bodhinku, therapy for me
 
"shhhh...can you hear it? its peace? the silence of the light, and if you truly listen, it will surely guide you to where you need to be..." ― bodhinku, shhhh   
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STORY BEHIND THIS IMPRESSION
"like leaves on trees in autumn, and like colors in a watercolour, nothing in my life has been permanent, but that doesn't make it any less beautiful" ― bodhinku, a watercolour 
 
back in 2014, i found this tarn (small pond) by luck in the eastern sierra while i was driving around in the mountains looking for places to take pictures of aspens in autumn adorning fall colors. it first caught my eye because of the stark reflection of all the colorful leaves in the water. however upon further review, i was smitten with the way the trees were lit much brighter than the much darker mountain slope backdrop that stayed in the shadows longer in the morning light...
 
i knew this was a wonderful spot, and i knew i would be returning to this scene for years to come...my first efforts with capturing the light at this spot resulted in my popular 3:1 panoramic impression, which i entitled "monet aspens" click here to see this photographic impression i took back in 2014
 
fast forward to this autumn on october 10th, 2020...a very special friend dear to my heart and super talented photographer, leah horstman went up into the high eastern sierra mountains in search of fall colors, her favorite place in the world, and she too happened to luckily stumble across this breathtaking location...she scouted out this spot after it also caught her eye in the light same as me, but before i even sent her the gps to have her check it out...
 
she sent me some pictures of her and her doggie, and i knew at that point i really wanted to go up and revisit this spot asap this year. so the following weekend on the 17th of october, that is exactly what i did, i left socal late friday evening and arrived saturday in the morning before sunrise, because this location is extra special in the morning light (as i learned from my past experiences here)
 
i was greeted with perfect windless conditions, which i need for my longer exposures so things like leaves do not move in the breeze, do not blur, and remain sharp. plus, waves are not kicked up in the pond by winds...creating instead, still waters which provide reflections that are more smooth, bold, and colorful...and i also scored a little luck as i got to capture my images here before the smoke from the creek fire across the sierra floated in and settled over the lake later in the morning and muddled everything up...
 
as i was taking this picture, i wanted it to give the impression of a colorful silence (and that was almost the name of this impression)...just listen to a colorful leaf as it lets go and falls slowly down. listen as it softly lands in the stillness of the pond below. listen as it floats in the reflections of all the colors of all the other leaves. the sound is beautiful, the silence is perfect. you can hear the watercolour, listen to its lesson.
 
i think i succeeded in my goals...hope you love this new impression of mine  
 
to go along with this, here is a tune that paints a wonderful impression of a woman as a watercolor, in only a style that he can create: "hula girl at heart" by jimmy buffett ...(just click on any of words in the blue links to listen to the musical selection)....

"she owns a window to the ocean. she has a pipeline to the sky. but earthly creatures rarely notice when guardian angels pass them by. like a gecko behind a painting with hidden wisdom to impart in a world that needs more dancing, she's a hula girl at heart...photograph shows, she is lovely. her bare feet are a work of art. her fragrance speaks of frangipanni. yes, she's still a hula girl at heart. with her pen and watercolors drawing fish and butterflies, children always seem to conjure images they recognize. in the land beside the ocean where romantics seem to dwell, destiny can set in motion ripples that turn into swells. she knows how to face the music. she knows where the magic starts. in a world that needs more dancing, she's still a hula girl at heart...song sing slow, days gone by. time can't keep her, nor can i. she has worn a wealth of costumes: hula skirts to wedding gowns. lived in cities, walked through jungles, always sees the sun go down. in this age of teeming tourists, fellow travelers know her well. the darling of deserted beaches, adds her rhythms in a shell. her sensual and easy motion seems impossible to chart, in a world that needs more dancing, she's still a hula girl at heart" ― jimmy buffett, hula girl at heart 
 
“the leaves 
are changing, 
art is in the air! 
feel all the watercolors, 
so breathtaking, 
with nature in 
her season finale, 
painting a true 
masterpiece with flare!" ― bodhinku, art is in the air  
 
“don’t ask what love can make or do! look at the colors of the world" ― jalaluddin rumi  
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HISTORY OF IMPRESSIONISM
"i'll find the falling star. i'll fall in love with the eyes of a dreamer, in a dream worth believing. seems i've been running all my life (all my life), like watercolors in the rain" ― roxette, watercolors in the rain  

impressionism was a radical art movement that began in the late 1800s, centered primarily around parisian painters. impressionists rebelled against classical subject matter and embraced modernity, desiring to create works that reflected the world in which they lived. uniting them was a focus on how light could define a moment in time, with color providing definition instead of black lines. the impressionists emphasized the practice of "plein air" painting, or painting outside. initially derided by critics, impressionism has since been embraced as one of the most popular and influential art styles in western culture.

impressionism coalesced in the 1860s when a group of painters including claude monet, alfred sisley and pierre-auguste renoir pursued plein air painting together.

american john rand never joined their ranks as a preeminent artist, but as a painter living in london, in 1841 he designed a device that would revolutionize the art world: paint in a tube. his clever new technology offered easily portable, pre-mixed paint, and allowed painters to bring their process outdoors.

rand’s technological leap allowed spontaneity and a casual quality to the work of impressionists. over time, other artists joined in the practice, and their exploration together moved from indoor studios to outdoor cafes, with regular get-togethers to discuss their ideas.

the movement made its official debut in 1874 in a show hosted by the paris photography studio of felix nadar. this show was an alternative to the academie des beaux-arts’ salon de paris, which had been the official exhibition and overseer of art world standards since 1667.

comprised of works submitted to the salon that were rejected by the academie, the group calling itself "the cooperative and anonymous association of painters, sculptors, and engravers" featured 30 artists showing work, including some of the most now-famous names in art: claude monet, pierre-auguste renoir, alfred sisley, paul cezanne, edgar degas and camille pissarro.

the impressionist took their name from an insult hurled by the press at one of monet’s paintings, "impressionist sunrise" as contemporary critics heaped scorn on the work presented in the show as “unfinished” and compared it unfavorably to wallpaper.

claude monet was a leader of the movement, and his brief brush strokes and fragmented color application found their way into the works of others.

he was particularly interested in the passage of time in his portrayal of light. his series of paintings capturing rouen cathedral at different times of the year and day offer clear examples of monet’s ideas on how a subject can be transformed by properties around it. his most famous of this series is 1894’s "rouen cathedral: the facade at sunset"

monet expanded his impressionist practice throughout his life, culminating in his obsessions with reflections in multiple studies of the waterlily pond in his backyard, produced from 1898 to 1926, of which the later works in the series (done just before his death) achieve an almost abstract quality.
 
pierre-auguste renoir was considered the other leader of the impressionist movement. he shared monet’s interests, but often preferred to capture artificial light in places like dance halls and directed his studies of the effects of light on figures, particularly the female form, rather than scenery, and he frequently focused on portraitures rather than nature like monet.

everyday life was renoir’s preferred subject matter, and his portrayal of it is drenched in optimism. his 1876 painting "moulin de la galette", which depicts the crowded dance garden on the butte montmartre, utilizes both artificial and natural light to portray a jolly party atmosphere and highlights many of renoir’s interests.

edgar degas is often considered a part of the impressionist movement since he did exhibit with them, notably in the 1874 show, but he did not consider himself a part of it. oddly, he preferred to be thought of as a realist. his relationship with the impressionists was a supportive one meant to help the group combat the narrow objections of the status quo. his fascination with the human figure, particularly in the form of dancers, has aligned him thematically with the impressionist.

his protege, mary cassatt, an american living in paris, was one of the major female artists prominent in the movement. like degas and renoir, she was interested in portraying people and is best known for her images of women and girls in private moments, best exemplified in her 1880 painting "girl sewing"

another prominent woman in the movement, berthe morisot, was manet’s sister-in-law, and he served as one of her mentors early on. morisot’s embrace of a lighter palette, in alignment with other impressionists, is considered a large influence on manet’s later work.

painters like james whistler and winslow homer brought impressionism to america following their european travels. whistler particularly took the lessons of the japanese influence on impressionism to heart, while homer embraced the lessons of light and color but preferred strong outlines, often focusing on his favorite subject, the sea.

an offshoot of impressionism, pointillism, otherwise known as neo-impressionism, was born in 1886 when georges seurat displayed his "sunday afternoon on the island of la grande jatte" and declared the original impressionist movement out of date...seurat’s style is defined by small dots of color that appear more separate when viewed close-up but blend into a cohesive image as the viewer pulls back. seurat developed this style along with painter paul signac.

camille pissarro, long an important figure in the movement, aligned with the neo-impressionists in his later years thanks to his fascination with optics, though this was not received well by the public. his son lucien had longer time as part of the neo-impressionists, though he is not as well known as his father.

paul cezanne lurked at the edges of the impressionist movement and was pivotal to post-impressionism (a.k.a. "expressionism"), which also included major painters like paul gauguin, henri de toulouse-lautrec, edvard munch, gustav klimt and vincent van gogh.

never a consolidated movement, post-impressionism was more a reaction against impressionism, which it considered too stifling. post-impressionists chose to portray not just what was tangible, taking a more symbolic and emotive approach to their subject matter, especially in color use, which was not required to express realism.

"aluminum kites, a cold dark sea is warmer than my eyes. paper van gogh watercolor art. i play my feelings on my origami harp" ― shelby lynne, paper van gogh  
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MORE QUOTES FOR EXTRA MEANING
the following song is another really cool tune to give listen. it has great lyrics that make you contemplate the idea of a watercolour, but it is the beat and driving rythmn that make this song special. it has a building intro and then busts into bass driven techno rock, a throwback to industrial rock like nine inch nails: 
"watercolour" by pendulum ...(just click on any of the words in the blue links to listen to the musical selection)....

"when i'm falling down, will you pick me up again? when i'm too far gone, dead in the eyes of my friends, will you take me out of here? when i'm staring down the barrel, when i'm blinded by the lights, when i can not see your face, take me out of here. take me out of here. take me out of here. take me out of here...all i believe and all i've known are being taken from me back at home. yeah do your worst, when worlds collide. let their fear collapse, bring no surprise. take me out of here. feed the fire. break your vision. throw your fists up. come on with me. feed the fire. break your vision. throw your fists up. come on with me. feed the fire. break your vision. throw your fists up. come on with me...just stay where you are. let your fear subside. just stay where you are, if there's nothing to hide...feed the fire, break your vision, throw your fists up, come on with me..." ― pendulum, watercolour 
  
"true change is within; leave the outside as it is" ― gautama buddha, sayings of buddha
 
"another glorious sierra day in which one seems to be dissolved and absorbed and sent pulsing onward we know not where. life seems neither long nor short, and we take no more heed to save time or make haste than do the trees and stars. this is true freedom, a good practical sort of immortality" ― john muir, my first summer in the sierra 
 
"the clearest way into the universe is through a forest wilderness" ― john muir   
 
"going to the woods is going home...and into the forest i go, to lose my mind and find my soul" ― john muir 
  
"the sun shines, not on us, but in us. the rivers flow not past, but through us. thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing. the trees wave and the flowers bloom in our bodies as well as our souls, and every bird song, wind song, and tremendous storm song of the rocks in the heart of the mountains is our song, our very own, and sings our love" ― john muir  
 
"god has cared for these trees...saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods. but he cannot save them from a fool" ― john muir 
 
"in our life there is a single color, as on an artist palette which provides the meaning of life and art. it is the color of love" ― marc chagall
 
"as the leaves in the fall let go of their resistance to the changing seasons, to their branches, to their pasts and fly into the fall air, so do we all in the autumn and this one is especially so with a vibrant changing tapestry during this time which has the power to bring about an entirely new landscape into our lives....the energy of the autumn mirrors this inward journey as we shift our attention from the external world and begin to make our descent into the darkness once more. this is not a time to mourn the end of summer, but to embrace the changing of the tides; the death and rebirth in the seasons, and of the self in a colorful and vibrant way. autumn leaves tumble to the earth below and show no fear in the dance from branch to ground. they know the time has come, they feel it deep within; the time to evolve with the changing season is here. in the coming twilight, we open to the transformation that flows and surrender to this time of celebrating what was, grieving what has ended and opening to all that has yet to be. so they let go of the branch and fly into the unknown embracing the icy winds and uncertain horizons. the time to surrender to the fall has come once more. i wish you much love and light upon your colorful journey" ― c. ara campbell
 
"this is me saying that i would set myself ablaze to bring color to all of the dark places within you" ― beau taplin
 
"i want only five things, five chosen roots...one is an endless love. two is to see the autumn ablaze in color. i cannot exist without colorful leaves flying and falling to the earth. the third is the solemn winter, the white snow i loved, the caress of fire warming in the rough cold. fourth, the summer, plump as a watermelon, green as moss. and fifthly, your colorful eyes, my dear love, i won’t sleep without your eyes, i won’t exist without your gaze, i adjust the spring for you to follow me with your eyes. that, is all i want. next to nothing, close to everything in the love within the color of your eyes" ― pablo neruda, i explain a few colorful things
 
"lovely one,
with a nest of copper entangled
on your head, a nest
the color of dark honey
where my heart burns and rests,
lovely one" ― pablo neruda

"love is a feeling completely bound up with color, like thousands of rainbows superimposed one on top of the other" ― paulo coelho

"beauty is present in all creation, but the danger lies in the fact that we allow ourselves to be influenced by what people think. we deny our own beauty because others can't or won't recognize it. we try to imitate what we see around us. we try to be what other people think of as 'pretty', and little by little, our soul fades. we forget the world is what we imagine it to be. we stop being the sun and become, instead, the pool of water reflecting it" ― paulo coelho, manuscript found in accra
 
"do not let intimacy disappear. do not be afraid of deep intimacy. find it, go deep into the colors of each other's being without fear...for the other's pool of being will reflect you" ― osho, book of wisdom  
 
"the whole world may say there is light and there is rainbow in the sky and the sun is rising, but if my eyes are closed what does it mean to me? the rainbows, the colors, the sunrise, the whole thing is non-existential to me. my eyes are closed, i am blind. and if i listen to them too much, and if i start believing in them too much, and if i borrow their words and i also start talking about the rainbow that i have not seen, about colors which i cannot see, about the sunrise which is not my experience, i may be lost in the forest of words" ― osho, a bird on the wing
 
"he especially liked to look at the trees and their reflections in the river. trees are beautiful in deep autumn: greens, yellows, reds, oranges, every shade in between, their dazzling colours glowing with the sun" ― nicholas sparks, the notebook
 
"i wish i had the talent to paint the way i feel about you, for my words always feel inadequate. i imagine using red for your passion and pale blue for your kindness; forest green to reflect the depth of your empathy and bright yellow for your unflagging optimism. and still i wonder: can even an artist’s palette capture the full range of what you mean to me?" ― nicholas sparks, the longest ride
 
"there is no envy, jealousy, or hatred between the different colors of the leaves in the autumn. and no fear either. because each one exists to make the others’ love more beautiful..." ― aberjhani

"it’s too bad if a heart lacks fire,
and is deprived of the light
of a heart ablaze.
the day on which you are
without passionate love
is the most wasted day of your life" ― omar khayyam, the ruba'iyat
 
"if i were a pattern, i would be the pattern of paint that a bird would make if you dipped a bird’s wings in watercolour and then set the bird loose inside a paper lantern. i’m pretty sure that’s it!" ― c. joybell c. 
 
"embracing our challenges and shortcomings illuminates the vivid pigments of our unique watercolor of life. with each stroke of difficulty and dribbles of weakness, we paint a beautiful masterpiece that is truly one-of-a-kind and stunning in its own way" ― tina leigh
  
"i think that i shall never see
a poem lovely as a tree.
a tree whose hungry mouth is pressed
against the earth's sweet flowing breast;
a tree that looks at god all day
and lifts her leafy arms to pray;
a tree that may in summer wear
a nest of robins in her hair;
upon whose bosom snow has lain;
who intimately lives with rain.
poems are made by fools like me,
but only god can make a tree." ― joyce kilmer
 
"the world is full of magic and colorful things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper" ― w.b. yeats 

"a kind of light spread out from her. and everything changed color. and the world opened out. and this day was good to awaken to. and there were no limits to anything. and the people of the world were good and handsome. and i was not afraid any more" ― john steinbeck, east of eden
 
"how beautifully leaves grow old. how full of light and color are their last days" ― george burns  
 
"before you came,
things were as they should be:
the sky was the dead-end of sight,
the road was just a road, wine merely wine.
now everything is like my heart,
a color at the edge of blood:
the grey of your absence, the color of poison, of thorns,
the gold when we meet, the season ablaze,
the yellow of autumn, the red of flowers, of flames,
and the black when you cover the earth
with the coal of dead fires.
and the sky, the road, the glass of wine?
the sky is a shirt wet with tears,
the road a vein about to break,
and the glass of wine a mirror in which
the sky, the road, the world keep changing.
don’t leave now that you’re here—
stay. so the world may become like itself again:
so the sky may be the sky,
the road a road,
and the glass of wine not a mirror, just a glass of wine" ― faiz ahmad faiz, 100 poems 1911-1984
 
"shining with craving, his sapphire gaze penetrated her soul. "i desire you so much". his whisper melted her heart. his soft touch set her ablaze" ― chris lange, blade heart
 
"you know what autumn looks like...the trees go all red and blazing orange and gold, and wood fires burn at night so everything smells of crisp branches. the world rolls about delightedly in a heap of cider and candy and apples and pumpkins and cold stars rush by through wispy, ragged clouds, past a moon like a bony knee...to feel the mellow, golden sun on your skin, more gentle and cozier and more golden than even the light of your favorite reading nook at the close of the day" ― catherynne m. valente, the girl who circumnavigated fairyland
 
"fall colors are funny. they’re so bright and intense and beautiful. it’s like nature is trying to fill you up with color, to saturate you so you can stockpile it before winter turns everything muted and dreary" ― siobhan vivian, same difference
 
"in october, the sun filled the world with mellow warmth...the maple tree in front of the doorstep burned like a gigantic red torch. the oaks along the roadway glowed yellow and bronze. the fields stretched like a carpet of jewels, emerald and topaz and garnet. everywhere she walked the color shouted and sang around her...in october, any wonderful unexpected thing might be possible" ― elizabeth george speare, the witch of blackbird pond
 
"cyrano: the leaves...
roxane: what color...perfect venetian red! look at them fall.
cyrano: yes...they know how to die. a little way from the branch to the earth, a little fear of mingling with the common dust....and yet they go down gracefully, in a fall that seems like flying!" ― edmond rostand, cyrano de bergerac
 
"i loved to be alone in the woods, especially in the late fall when everything is crisp and golden, the leaves the color of fire, and it smells like things turning into earth. i loved the silence..." ― lauren oliver, before i fall

"leaf! you are so big!
how can you change your
color, then just fall!
as if there were no
such thing as integrity!" ― frank ohara, lunch poems

"you brought to me life, you open my eyes. and how did we become greater than we are?...i'm seeing colors vivid and bright, how did, how did you do this?...my feet are up in the sky, heaven's so close, i could kiss it. and maybe it's you, and maybe it's me too. maybe, i wish we could hold our breath until we know what's next. i wish i could open my chest and show you everything" ― skylar stecker, how did we?
 
"i will have sweet patience. bright flames inside make a soft glow without. enlightenment knows how laughter hides inside grief. only if you love, can you feel absence" ― bahauddin, the drowned book
 
"love what you have, enjoy what the world gives you. like the first day of fall: bright flame before winter's deadness; harvest; orange, gold, amber; cool nights and the smell of fire. our tree-lined streets are set ablaze, our kitchens filled with the smells of nostalgia: apples bubbling into sauce, roasting squash, cinnamon, nutmeg, cider, warmth itself. the leaves as they spark into wild color just before they die are the world's oldest performance art, and everything we see is celebrating one last violently hued hurrah before the black and white silence of winter" ― shauna niequist, bittersweet: thoughts on change, grace, and learning the hard way 
 
btw, if you would simply love to hear another song i have selected to go along with my blog here, this tune is a much more modern and moody tune to listen to as you read (just click on the song title, it is a link to the lyric video), it ... "coloring outside the lines" by misterwives  

"they say time slips away when you're having fun. that's why you said, let's change our life to a dull one...don't wanna blink one day and this will all be over, if only time could stop so we'd never grow older...yet in the same breath i look forward to the day, when our skin has aged i'll love you just the same...our canvas will have endless hues and shades, because of all the vivid colors that we made...say, what we wanna, do, make it all come true, because nothing is impossible with you...open my eyes to see you and i, can't believe this is life. open my eyes, saturated sunrise doesn't seem as bright when we're coloring outside the line....so matter the day, no matter the night, our love will keep burning, keep burning bright. no matter the low, no matter the high, my darling our love will never run dry...we're coloring outside the lines" ― misterwives, coloring outside the lines

"open up a window. all the air, all the air is falling out. eyes vacuum up light, sound gets trapped by the mouth. what to do with the remainder when the dents, the dents get hammered out? then we'll travel through time. the world's an inventor with its work crawling, running, squirming 'round. trees drop colorful fruits directly into our mouths. the world's an inventor, we're the dirtiest thing it's thought about. and we really don't mind, we'll probably never get there. bring your sightseers, schoolteachers down, it's a watercolor weekend. all the trees are turning colors now. we'll probably never get there, bring your candy taster time wasters around. and we'll fuck with their minds. the world composes with his shirttails wrinkled, hanging out. bang us together, see what sort of sounds we make right now. the world plays music, playing skin on teeth inside of the mouth. what sort of sounds? what lovely sounds come about?...we greased all the roads, we're floating in the light. we're gonna break these borders, we're gonna move in time. we greased all the roads, we're floating in the light. we're gonna break these borders, we're gonna travel time...we're gonna throw a party, all the ghosts of trees are coming out, don't move in any direction, wait until the light's inside of the cloud. you're gonna wanna see this, don't bring your camera around. watch sun and sawdust align. we greased all the roads, we're floating in the light. we're gonna break these borders, we're gonna pulse in time. we greased all the roads, we're floating in the light. we're gonna break these borders, we're gonna travel time...hold up a window, all the air, all the air is falling out. eyes vacuum up light, sound gets trapped by the mouth. our predecessor left this box, and something's clawing around, i think it really wants out" ― modest mouse, the ground walks with time in a box
 
"heart beats fast, colors and promises...how to be brave, how can i love when i'm afraid to fall? but watching you stand alone, all of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow...one step closer...i have died everyday, waiting for you...darling, don't be afraid, i have loved you for a thousand years...i'll love you for a thousand more" ― chistina perri, a thousand years
 
"and i see colors in a different way
you make what doesn't matter fade to grey
life is good and that's the way it should be..." ― echosmith, bright

"if i had to paint a picture to show the world how true love can really be, i would use the brightest colors to create a vision of harmony. and it would be a reality, because it's only what's inside of my heart, and you would see i've always loved you right from the very start...and the colors of the rainbow turn grey whenever you're so far away. it changes like the seasons. you're the reason it happens that way--what you see are colors of emotion reflecting what i feel deep inside. tell me what is the color of love? what do you see? is it warm? is it tender when you think of me? i see the color of love when i'm thinking of you as a picture perfect painting of love forever true...and though many may try to keep us apart, the colors that i see in you will shine a light to see us through, no matter what the world will do i'll always love you."  ― billy ocean, color of love
 
"words are small shapes in the gorgeous chaos of the world. but they are shapes, they bring the world into focus, they corral ideas, they hone thoughts, they paint watercolors of perception" ― diane ackerman, a natural history of the senses
  
"i like to work in watercolor...i like the unpredictability of a medium which is affected as much by humidity, gravity, the way that heavier particles in the wash settle into the undulations of the paper surface, as by whatever i wish to do with it. in other mediums you have more control, you are responsible for every mark on the page, but with watercolor you are in a dialogue with the paint, it responds to you and you respond to it in turn" ― alan lee  
 
"if we experience life thoughtfully and bravely, we discover the journey doesn't end in a watercolored sunset on the horizon. rather, we keep finding new roads with even greater challenges. our ambitions expand because our courage soars, one success at a time" ― karen henry clark 
 
"their own life together was like a subtle watercolor sketch, invisible to other people. they gave the world what it required of them. and for the rest of the time, were content to be forgotten" ― andrei makine, the life of an unknown man
  
"when you get a watercolor working right, the feeling of illumination is like a deeply spiritual thing" ― robert i. eaton, i will lead you along 
 
"someone asks me, what is love? do not look for an explanation. dissolve into me, and you will know when it calls. then respond. walk out as a lion, as a rose. inhale autumn, long for spring." ― jalaluddin rumi, a year with rumi 
 
"inside each of us, there’s continual autumn. our leaves fall and are blown out over the water. a crow sits in the blackened limbs and talks about what’s gone. then your generosity returns: spring, moisture, intelligence, the scent of hyacinth and rose and cypress" ― jalaluddin rumi, the soul of rumi
 
"don't flounder in the preambles of the past, wounded with regrets; don't let autumnal nostalgia blind you to the sounds and scents of the present's spring; make it infinite beyond the curving snake of passing time and space. learn to die in the infinitely elusive moment" ― jalaluddin rumi, the essential rumi
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ABOUT THE IMPRESSION
"i also carry the belief inside me that a watercolour is a metaphor of the life i have thus lived...paralleling feelings of impermanence...just as things can shorten the life of a watercolour, so can they with my life" ― bodhinku, watercolour metaphor 
 
this impression is a 2:1 panoramic composition created by using the photomerge function in adobe photoshop cc to stitch together 5 separate long exposure compositions all taken in succession of each other (in a portrait orientation), each shot with the same exact camera settings (f/11 at 80mm for 1minute 51 seconds, iso-64). this was captured just as the sun was rising high up in the eastern sierra mountains on 10-17-2020...
 
in my photography, i always use filters to create longer exposure effects, saturate colors naturally, and balance the light in my composition in-camera. and this composition is no exception...i often use as many as four filters at time, and i always use at least one filter...for this exposure, to get the effects and balance i was looking for, i used two progreyusa filters along with the progrey g-120z magnetic holder in the capture of this composition...  
 
with this being a series of long exposures put together, i needed the great set of filters and filter holder from progreyusa to help beautifully block down the light 10 stops. and as with all longer exposures, a stable and sturdy tripod is an absolute necessity in order to keep the 4 sepatate exposed images in perfect line on the same plane with each other, and in sharp focus in the places i wanted sharpness (the colorful leaves and trees) and permit for accurate motion blur for anything moving in the image (water and reflections in the pond)...for this i used my faithful induro phq3 series 5-way panhead mounted on my dolica tripod 70" carbon fiber tripod, because it is sturdy, tall, and perfectly compact for travelling  
 
and for this impression, i chose to use a 3.0 nd progrey antarctica filter to slow down the morning light 10 stops and permit the long exposure time of 1min & 51sec to create the smoothing effects of the tarn water plus naturally extra saturate in camera all the red, orange, yellow, green, and blue colors in the composition. combined in tandum with a 0.9 gnd progrey aurora filter to help balance in-camera overall the image the way i envisioned it...in this case, to stop down the light an extra three stops and help make the mountainside in the background even darker and help bring out the colorful tress as extra glowing and brighter, along with the progrey g-120z magnetic holder to hold the filter and secure it to my nikon d810 mounted with a nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8 lens (shot at 80mm in a portrait orientation)...
 
i wish to openly thank my sponsors who have always supported me through both the good and bad times...for truly this long exposure impression would not be possible without the use of my faithful induro phq3 series 5-way panhead mounted on my dolica tripod 70" carbon fiber tripod, in combination with the progreyusa filters which i use with every photo i take...
 
"if nothing else...if i open my eyes, if i cry, if i think, if i sigh, if i giggle, if i dance, if i love, if i breathe, then i have lived a full days worth of life...nothing is wasted, nothing" ― bodhinku, if nothing else
 
"contemplate without thinking. be certain only in your uncertainty. stop the world. slow down everything. let it all be. shut off the noise. relax. seize this moment. reconnect. feel and sense what surrounds you. listen to all the colors of light whisper as they envelope you. see the melody and harmony that float about unnoticed. taste the solitude of all this wonderment. smell the beautiful silence. now discover your peaceful serenity. then, reach out and touch your faith with all your senses. this is my world. awaken!" ― bodhinku, my world
 
"my photography is my way of keeping a diary" ― bodhinku, my diary  
 
i leave you today wishing that bright joy and spiritual peace fill your life...
imploring you to make every moment count, no matter what, always and forever,
for that is the only thing that truly matters... 
  
and above all else,
i hope this message and impression find you well.
 
namaste,
bodhi
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