I think i am writing this post because I want to use the word "autumnal" in a blog post title.

what an absolutely awesome word.

autumn is my favorite time of the year. my kids and I all have autumn birthdays. at this time of year my heart swells for all things that i love:  sweaters, golden sunshine, deeper shades of every color, crisp mornings. socks, birthday cakes and soup.

the season spires many of us to prepare for the upcoming holidays.  

holidays are different for me these days. my nest is empty, my children's busy lives and distance keep us apart, my move west adds to the distance.  holiday feel less full somehow.  in many ways we've all stepped back from things obligatory. the forced march and commercial hoopla seems rather unnecessary in the scheme of things.

that does not change the gratitude i feel pour out of me.

I feel like my photographs might offer a visual for gratitude greetings, especially if you want to do something a little different and send something autumnal.

( can i use autumnal in a sentence like that ? ) 

oh what the heck. i just did.

tell me what you think?

i have a zillion fall images.

would one of them be something you'd like for your autumnal gratitude greeting?

Let's figure out a way to make that happen.

It was a very successful gathering for my workshop this past Saturday at the Everson Library. 

Thank you very much Whatcom County Library System for hosting me!

Look for more collage workshops coming soon to these branches.

Lynden TUE Oct 18th ( 6-9 )

Ferndale SAT Nov 5th ( 2-5 )

South Whatcom SAT Nov 12th ( 1-4 )

Very excited to announce that several of my art works were chosen to participate in the upcoming Fall exhibit at Jansen Art Center.  One piece was even chosen as part of the header event announcement on FB - how terrific is that!! 

I originally was going to enter just this single photograph. I felt like this particular image examples my passage to the pacific northwest. It conveys the blur of my journey of this past year, the visual magic of the landscapes around me and the risks one takes in life and creatively.  The title of this photograph is "drive by fruit fields"  I like to get lost, take roads i have never taken before and see where they take me, i also love the golden hour, that end of the day gift of nature. the light, the long shadows and the glow.   If I stopped for every photographic moment on my drives - I'd never get anywhere, and while I often do stop. Sometimes I will use my point and shoot camera and do what I call a drive by. It means exactly that, random captures out my car window - camera set on auto - hoping and risking for the best drive by capture.  This shot was exactly that -  a very happy accident. 

("drive by fruit fields" © photograph by Karen Hanrahan)

Jansen Art Center allowed us five submissions for our entry fee. I then decided after finding a great little frame to do a small print and gesture of the season.   I love photographing food, and these apples are in abundance in my very own yard. Something I have never had before

( in a row © photograph by Karen Hanrahan) 

Since I am additionally a collage artist - and since these three pieces were already matted/framed and good to go, I also thought i'd send them along for the jury to look at too. I love this collage trio. They too represent the challenges of my recent year.

("parted" "and then she said" and "zippered" © collages by Karen Hanrahan)

I never imagined that all five pieces would be accepted!!! But they were.  My first juried gallery exhibit in Washington! YAY!!

Opening Reception at the Jansen Art Center in Lynden is October 6th from 5:30-7:30.  I truly hope you can join me, along with 23 other local artisans who are also exhibiting - look forward to acrylic, oil and watercolor paintings, photography, collage, charcoal, digital art, pastel. textiles and assemblage art.