Category Archives: Small Spectacles

Flowers, Glimpses..., Photo Art, Small Spectacles

the back of the rose…

May 5, 2016 stweedale@gmail.com Leave a comment

At first when I noticed one of my roses nodding its head, I was disappointed to miss seeing the glory of it's opening blossom, but after a closer look, it occurred to me that perhaps it was a good gift that the rose was offering: the display of the detail and texture of its oft ignored side.

The gentle curve, the delicate shading of the petals, the texture of the sepals with their furred edge... I wouldn't have noticed had I been distracted by a more ordinary perspective. This other side of the rose was intriguing, and stunning in its simple beauty.

Have you been similarly surprised by the beauty of looking at something from a different angle?

Glimpses..., Photo Art, Small Spectacles

even the thornbush by the wayside…

March 10, 2016 stweedale@gmail.com 2 Comments

During my school days, our Headmistress would often urge us to notice what's around us saying, 'Even the thorn bush by the wayside is ablaze with the glory of God.' I've come to appreciate over the years that she was absolutely right.

Today I was reminded of this as I saw, not a 'thorn bush' but an ordinary drainage ditch, 'blazing' with beauty: colour, texture and pattern.

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I have intentionally adjusted the photo above with texture and colour as I contemplated the beauty on display. The red colours in the weeds to the right were actually there, and brighter. I've muted them so as not to 'take over' the image as a whole. It's the raindrop circles that particularly entranced me— the way they refracted and reflected the light.

Photo Art, Small Spectacles, Winter

Winter Colour

January 4, 2016 stweedale@gmail.com Leave a comment

Colour and beauty are strewn everywhere— even in the depths of winter and in the unlikely and seemingly inhospitable spots— Its all right there for us to 'behold' .

During the past week of crisp weather, the frost coated most everything rendering the world in a muted colour palette. But as the sunlight warmed the places it shone, colours emerged more intensely than ever.

The photo above shows what I mean: the melting frost revealed the most gorgeous, brilliant colours of the small succulent plants that cling tight to the steep sandstone banks.

Glimpses..., Photos, Small Spectacles

Driftwood Sculpture… and NEWS!

September 15, 2015 stweedale@gmail.com Leave a comment

I'm surrounded by the creative hand, revealing unexpected beauty in even the flotsam the washes in with the tide— this particular piece of such grace-given beauty is hanging above a friend's workbench where it serves as a reminder and inspiration.

Here's the NEWS!

A further note of gratitude today: I finally figured out, or at least mades some progress in posting web galleries. I've put a menu up top of my Curious Spectacles Blog, and also want to include the link to my Galleries page here.

I'll be posting more galleries now that I've got the process figured out (mostly... still learning!)

With the very encouraging response to my offering of photo prints, cards, and more at the Galiano Saturday Market this summer, I've started offering my photo prints and cards for sale. You can let me know if there's anything on the Gallery Pages or anywhere else that you're interested in obtaining a photo print or some photo cards. Just drop me a note / email, or leave a comment and I'll get back to you!

Warm good wishes from the Curious Spectacles Studio!

Photos, Small Spectacles

Extraordinary Seaweed Phenomenon

June 18, 2015 stweedale@gmail.com Leave a comment

seaweed ridges — ridges of seaweed on the rising tide (click image for larger view)

This pattern of wrinkled humps of seaweed on the rising tide is relatively unusual. It takes several different weather and tide conditions conspiring together to create it.

It goes something like this: First, a southeast wind must blow at low enough tide to accumulate a build up of copious amounts of sea lettuce on the beach. Then, the further receding tide must distribute that sea lettuce over a large patch of the shallow sloping sand, a few inches thick. Then, day must be hot enough to dry the surface of the sea lettuce while the tide has ebbed. The third requirement is that the wind drop, allowing a calm windless period while the tide rises. The result is that the thick layer of sea lettuce is moved slowly from beneath, while the baked-dry surface of the sea lettuce layer is more resistant to movement, and makes for these extraordinary folds.

To me it looks something like colourful elephant skin. Or perhaps a satellite photo of mountain ridges. Or the flowing of some strange green river flowing from the distant rocks... What do you think??

Glimpses..., Small Spectacles

evidence of an unseen visitor…

June 6, 2015 stweedale@gmail.com Leave a comment

Sometimes when we go down to the sandy beach, it’s absolutely smooth, pristeen, untouched. Other times we can see there have been others there before us: crabs, dogs, people, and occasionally the deer whose hooves leave their characteristically deep impressions as they bound across the sand. But today it was a racoon that had been to the beach.

The angled sunlight highlighted the perfection of the clawed toes and foot pads: evidence of the quiet creature’s leisurely stroll across the sand. He’s out of sight now, but he’s left us this sign of his visitation.

I wonder who else’s tracks we’ll see today?

Exploring, Photos, Small Spectacles, Spring

a bonus walk

March 18, 2015 stweedale@gmail.com Leave a comment

clematis climbing up the carport post (click on image for larger view)

In the course of the day's demands, which today included the simple task of having a brake light replaced on my car, we found ourselves walking in a neighbourhood we hadn't explored before. The repair folk needed us to leave the car with them for a while, so off we set to explore the neighbourhood around the car dealership. What an unexpected treat. The streets were quiet— almost deserted— and spring gardens were burgeoning with blossoms: japonica, forsythia, hyacinths, daffodils, pansies, flowering trees in full bloom including magnolias and cherries. So much colour. So much design and care and beauty.

The clematis that was climbing tenaciously up the supports of a carport, adorning an otherwise unassuming piece of architecture, was just one of the many strikingly beautiful treats on our walk.

And now my brake light is replaced! (bonus!)

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Photo Notes

Since I wanted to draw attention to the clematis itself, I've adjusted this iPhone photo using Photoshop for layers and masks, and Topaz Impression to add the desaturated / textured/ drawing effect on the perimeter of the photo.

Photos, Small Spectacles, Spring

gentle beauty

March 15, 2015 stweedale@gmail.com Leave a comment

The pure clear face of this camelia — its serene perfection with a backdrop of relative dark disorder was similarly captivating for me— its creamy petals, in regular geometric pattern signalling a gracious presence even amidst the chaos. Beholding this gentle beauty almost grants the kind of serenity it embodies. And just as fleetingly, for the camelia blooms last only a very brief time before fading and falling.

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Photo Notes

This is an iPhone photo, as it was one of those moments on a dog-walk when a sight cries out to be captured. I’ve added some layers of texture to the background to emphasize the clarity of the blossom itself.

Small Spectacles, Spring

signals of spring…

January 30, 2015 stweedale@gmail.com Leave a comment

Even now there are signals of spring round about us— even now while its so chilly in the morning, the fog is thick and the ships' whistles are sounding all day as they move cautiously in the severely limited visibility.

Though its only late January, the sun is setting noticeably later, affording us more daylight and signalling to shrubs and bulbs and birds that spring is on its way. We could of course, still have some very cold weather ahead, but the bulbs are bravely pushing up through the ground in the certainty of spring's arrival. The snowdrops and crocuses are even beginning to bloom in sheltered spots.

Much to my delight yesterday, I came across a small cluster of miniature irises glowing in the sunshine— cerulean blue with golden centres— glistening with droplets of moisture from the temporarily vanished fog.

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forest, Glimpses..., Small Spectacles

Winter beauty: a ‘given’ glory

January 21, 2015 stweedale@gmail.com Leave a comment

Winter broom with lichen like blooms 2015 01 21IMG 3244IMG 3244 Version 2

The broom that lines the old road along which we walked this morning was glowing gold, the same rich yellow that the blooms of June display.

But this is mid January.

Rather than June’s golden bloom this was winter’s answer to springtime vibrance— thick gold lichens along the length of the dead grey broom twigs. Winter life. Life in a different mode.

These branches won’t bloom next spring. They’ve spent themselves already. But their winter glory is beautiful all the same.

But its not simply the sight of this surprising beauty. Its also the thought it stirs in me— the thought that this brilliance doesn't emerge from the broom itself, but rather is a gift, covering its dead twigs. It is clothed in a glory that's given.

A good reminder. Another glimpse of grace amidst the ordinary meanderings of the day.

glimpses of the extraordinary amidst an ordinary day