The Last Day of Summer

The dawning of a new season has begun.. The warmer days are giving way to crisper nights as the sun sets  quicker and earlier on the horizon. The smells are transitioning; the scent of the leaves beginning to change upon the trees is simply intoxicating. New adventures are soon to be made. 

The last day of summer though was a wonderful journey all on its' own...

This past weekend my mom, dad, fiancé and I were invited up to Vermillion for a picnic with some near and dear friends. It was wonderful to catch up, talk art and do some photographing on Lake Erie.

It has been a couple of years since I was last up there, and words cannot tell you what good it did for me to go back. Robert and Elaine Hughes are two very special people to me.. I call them my fairy godparents. I cannot begin to tell you how inspired I feel just being in their presence.

When I first came heavy onto the art scene out of high school, I had a very distinct vision and very vibrant images to express them. My dad was beyond supportive of helping me get the books and classes I needed to help expand my knowledge. He took us to the Triangle Institute in Pennsylvania for photoshop workshops and seminars. There is where he introduced me to Bob Hughes. 

Bob and I clicked as if we knew each other for years. We talked about art and life for hours that week. It was there he introduced me to PASO (Professional Art Specialists of Ohio) which is an affiliate of PPO (Professional Photographers of Ohio). My dad was past president of PPO so we always were at the conventions. So Bob told me I should enter my prints in their competition and see how I would do.

Entering my prints and joining in on the amazing group of artists was one of the best experiences of my life. Robert Kunesh and Miles Andonov were two other incredible individuals who I became close with (and I was so happy to see them at the picnic too).

Inspiration upon inspiration oozes from that extraordinary group of people.. I am beyond honored to call them my friends.

During the past couple of years I haven't been involved as much.. I have just sat back and soaked in the world around me. My vision has seemed lost, and I need that spark to ignite a flame of passion within me again.

Lately I have felt the burn again.. It is all coming back to me. Seeing the muses again this past weekend has definitely reassured me of that.. I need to be heard again. 

Fall is my favorite time of year.. I, like the trees, am ready to turn my leaves and fall off into something greater. The last day of summer was a major start to a greater transformation to come.