Flowers

Self-Expression as seen in Orchid Interpretations – Picture to Ponder – Vol 4 – Issue 9

by Sheila Finkelstein on March 18, 2009

yellow cattleya orchid

close up of yellow cattleya orchid

Orchids in jewelry and Japanese Woodblock pring

Today’s Picture to Ponder Photos
Peachy Yellow and Rose-colored Cattleya Orchid from American Orchid Society greenhouse – first two photographs

Th top orchid represents fun, for me, in the lyrical, curvaceous lines of the edges and the linear patterns of the orchids behind. The middle photo draws us in with the lushness of color and smooth, almost silky textures of the orchid. And for those who like to find faces and other images in orchid photos, there are some here also.

The bottom is a composite of three photographs showing amber and silver Jewelry Orchid Jewelry by Dr. Sumner Silverman, a clinical psychologist and artist, and a Japanese Woodblock Print by Carol Brown, playfully entitled “.Japig”

The Story
In recent weeks I’ve visited the AOS gardens and greenhouse a few times, two of them for workshop demonstrations as part of the March Exhibition – “Four Fine Arts in the Garden – A unique opportunity to view art techniques revolving around the beauty of orchids,” as described on the AOS site.

During both the jewelry-making demonstration and the Japanese Woodblock one, thought I knew not exactly what, I was photographing with the thought of sharing something with you in Picture to Ponder.

Today’s Cattleya Orchid has been stating that it wanted to be with you, so I decided to combine the real orchid and the interpretations of other orchids. Very often in Picture to Ponder I speak of reality and interpretation in a metaphysical way, so it is interesting for me to have a different type of analogy. Actually the photographs are always interpretations in and of themselves, despite thinking that they are “real.”

If you check both sites – Dr. Sumner’s and Carol Brown’s, you’ll read that their individual art forms bring them to meditative states.

Today’s Self-Reflecting Queries
I speak above of reality and interpretations. I could invite you, once again, to look in your life at what you call “real” and where you “interpret.” And, as I reflect, I’m reminded that I have been looking at various forms of self-expression.

One of my missions in life is in supporting people in being freely, fully and authentically self-expressed. In addition to that, it is with both the camera and writing that I find myself most revealed, often pieces and parts of me of which I am not fully aware.

I invite you this week to pay attention and notice where you are most self-expressed. The examples above of today’s artists show examples of two different forms in the arts and yours may be totally unrelated to the arts.

I also invite to look and see if there is anyway in which you think I can support you into further recognizing and tapping into you own strengths. I have been considering reviving teleclasses again, perhaps incorporating photography and writing with coaching.

I had intended to put together a survey asking you to identify any interests you might have for my working with you. Should you have any thoughts, prior to my creating the survey, I’d appreciate an email with your feedback. Simply put SURVEY in the subject and address it to me, Sheila [at] picturetoponder.com (Note the link will work. I simply typed it this to forestall spamming.)

As always, when you’re finished, I invite you to share your experience with today’s photos and writing on the blog. See the instructions below if you need help.

And do have fun with this today.

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Wild Irises in Wakodahatchee – Comparisons and Connections – Picture to Ponder – Vol. 5 – Issue 7

by Sheila Finkelstein on March 3, 2009

center of a dying wild iris in Wakodahatchee Wetlands

Today’s Picture to Ponder Photos
Centers of “fading” Wild Irises in Wakodahatchee Wetlands

I love the folds and textures in the top photo and the total mystery of it. Feeling like I’m looking at fabric, there is no way I would think, “iris.” The lower photo is a little more obvious, as a flower center. In the full image the two petals on the side at the top of the flower look like they are waving at you in full greeting.

See WILD IRISES for views of the complete flowers.

The Story
Last year was the first year I had the delightful surprise of happening on wild purple irises as I walked along the boardwalk in Wakodahatchee Wetlands. Heretofore my experience had only been with garden irises in the Northeast.

Last week, I was thrilled that there was once again a showcase of iris blooms. This time I had the pleasure of sharing them with my cousins. Since the battery on his camera had died, I lent my camera to Michael, one of our younger generation of cousins. I loved a couple of his iris photos, but “of course, I couldn’t use them.” (My rules and today I did resize one for you. See Michael Klein’s Iris.)

I went back a few days later, walking with a friend a little earlier in the day, and took several photos, two of which I used in the header I created for the GARDEN OF THE SOUL promo mailing I did last week. In her book, as I mentioned, Lynn refers to the iris as the symbol for “receiving.”

After I looked at my photos on the computer, I made the decision that Michael’s were better. Usually, when I compare and I come out (in my opinion) on the “lower” end, I’ll put the differences in cameras down as one of the factors that might have me “not measuring up.” This time it was MY camera on which the picure was recorded!

A few days later I made the decision that perhaps it was the difference in lighting. So I went back yesterday at what I thought was approximately the same time. What I neglected to do was check the actual time on the photo record on the computer. I realized as I was writing Picture to Ponder today, I was still one half hour off. I spent a lot of time in my head “working out” the time and never thought of the much simpler solution – simply check the records.

Finally, what I was faced with yesterday was that nine days later the flowers were past their prime, many dying off, or in the final stages, as was the iris featured in the upper photo today.

I am sharing this whole “story”, not for you to compare, reassure me, or agree that Michael’s IS better (smiling). It’s simply that I want to remind both you and me of the processes and stories we put ourselves through as we go through life.

By the way, there is still one more justification for why Michael’s photo might be better than mine. He is about a foot taller (maybe less) than me. He physcially brings an entirely different point of view, one there is no way I can replicate.

To conclude, as my friend Marifran pointed out when reading this, things change from moment to moment, person to person, and are never exactly the same.

Today’s Self-Reflecting Queries
My story on the photographic experience discussed today went into much more detail than usual. Mainly I wanted to emphasize the humor, or the irony, of what we put ourselves through.

1 – I am inviting you today to look at your life. Is there a place where you have been doing a lot of comparing of yourself with another and, in your estimation, coming out on the “less-than” end of the picture? If so, I invite you to pause to reflect on your assets, your uniqueness, what you bring to the “picture.” I also invite you to write down YOUR attributes so that you remember what they are, especially at low times.

2 – One more quick story related to the Iris Walk and then a second self-reflecting query – Last week, when I went back for a Wakodahatchee walk with a friend, I paused to take some more iris photos. I sensed my friend’s restlessness and, after we moved on, she commented that sometimes she likes to walk without her camera so she can be fully with the walk.

Reminded about the exprience yesterday as I was walking in the same place, I realized that for me it’s the camera that at times is what aids me in being fully present with a situation, people, nature or myself. It often is my unconscious way of communicating with myself, my soul, as well as with what I am photographing.

I invite you to look at what methods you use for being fully connected with yourself. Are the people with whom you may be interacting at the time fully aware of what it is for you?

As always, when you’re finished, I invite you to share your experience on the blog. See the instructions below if you need help.

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Orchids, Magnolias and Intuition – Picture to Ponder – Vol 5 – Issue 6

by Sheila Finkelstein on February 25, 2009

Magenta orchids in AOS greenhouse

Magnolias in Dallas Arboretum

Today’s Picture to Ponder Photos
Orchids from the American Orchid Society greenhouse and Magnolias from the Dallas Arboretum

The Story
Life has been rich and full with amazing, transformational courses and, even more importantly, with visits and time spent with family and friends.

The top orchid photo was taken when I was sharing my beloved AOS gardens and greenhouse with cousins from NJ and their two sons, one of whom lives in San Francisco and the other, in Vienna. What a delight it was to spend the day with them sharing my local Nature paradises.

Back to the orchids – I had been drawn to the image, not sure why, when I downloaded it into my computer. I was “testing” it out for use in Picture to Ponder and set it aside. Then yesterday, it popped up on my MacIntosh monitor, seemingly out of nowhere, while I was working on my Windows laptop. So, I’m trusting that there is a reason it wants to be with you.

The lower photo, magnolias, opening and reaching out, was taken in the Dallas Museum during a tour with Rebecca, my wonderful and generous hostess and friend. The flowers themselves seem to happily be welcoming Spring, officially here in three weeks and a couple of days.

Both photos work together compositionally in colors and opposing directions of the linear patterns.

Today’s Self-Reflecting Queries
Recently, I have been coming more aware of my intuition, a somewhat alien field for me since I’ve always said I wasn’t very intuitive. Despite that, throughout the years of publishing Picture to Ponder and selecting photos for it, I’ve often said that particular photos “wanted to be with you,” a form of intuition, I’m sure.

Experience and hearing from you has me know that a photo or photos, and sometimes the writing, in each issue will have a profound impact on at least one of you. So I started trusting that if something “pops” out at me, it is meant to be here for you. I therefore am especially curious if today’s orchid photo has a elicited a particular response in any of you.

In querying myself, I decided to print out the photo, to move away from the computer and use it as a journaling, writing prompt. I invite you to do the same. I will point out that, for me, the experience of the photo was quite different when printed out, so I wrote also from memory.

Not wanting to “color” your response, should you choose to take on the journaling exercise, I will not discuss the photo further and should you wish to blog on it, I’d be glad to share some of my writing experience in follow up comments.

All of this is evidently coming from my intuition. Are you tuned into yours? If you think not, I invite you to pause from time-to-time today in whatever you are doing and notice if your thoughts suggest a particular action… could be something very small, such as pick up something, move across the room, or any one of hundreds of things. If so, pay attention in a way you might not have done before and have fun with it.

Moving on to, perhaps, a totally different conversation – In the last issue I mentioned “gratitude.” Once again I am very present to it, after a week away consisting of two days with like-minded businesswomen and five days with friends and family, then visits with more who have traveled here to Florida.

I invite you to express gratitude for that for which you are currently most appreciative. Sometimes it may not always be so easy. If for some reason you are in that space, I invite you to look around you, find a color, a shape, something which attracts your eye. Be with that for a minute or two and find the gratitude that you can pull from it.

As always, when you’re finished, I invite you to share your experience in the COMMENTS section of this blog. And, remember to have fun, or if this got “heavy” at the end, to find peace.

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