Why a Loving Heart?

Tomorrow is February 1st and many people will be turning their thoughts to love and Valentine's Day.

Today I am thinking of the powerful and inspiring message Susan and I heard yesterday at Edwards Church in Northampton, Massachusetts.

I am a long-time member of the church. My children, Danielle and Daryl, were both baptized at the church and attended Sunday School; I even served as a Sunday School teacher a few times!

But yesterday was the first day I attended services in a long time (Danielle, who is getting married at the church on June 25 of this year, sat with Susan and I, along with her wonderful fiance, Mike.).

It was, for me, a happy homecoming. I was greeted by many old and dear friends: The Rev. Peter Kakos; David Kidwell, the minister of music; and Bill, Sue, Janet, Sandra, Chris, Nancy, Jim, Mark and others. Stephanie waved from the choir, which, I might add, is one of the greatest choirs in all of New England!

But more importantly was Peter's sermon message. A message about how we can best nourish our spirit and soul. A message about the importance of fellowship. Of music. Of prayer. Of love.

Today, the words of Paul the Apostle resound within me:

"If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but I do not have love, I am a noisy gong or clanging cymbal"

Love, I believe, is essential to my communication with others.

And love is the most important part of any message that I communicate to others.

It is love that fuels my vision, my art. And it is love that directs me to share this art and vision with the world.

Love guides my Nature Photography:

Love prospers my Portrait Photography:

Love blesses my Documentary Photography:

Wherever I go, I believe, the light of love goes with me, and I add something of enduring value to that which I take part. Loving words and acts, gifts, art, say what perhaps nothing else could.

So I begin and end all my conversation and photographic creations from a loving heart.

"Faith, hope, and love abide, these three;

and the greatest of these is love."

1Coriunthians 13:13

And you?

I would love to hear from you!

If you want events in your life documented or are looking for distinctive nature, portrait or wedding photography--photography with soul that inspires you

to live a more artful and beautiful life,

please contact me.

Chloe

Photo by Bruce Barone.

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If you want events in your life documented or are looking for distinctive nature, portrait or wedding photography--photography with soul that inspires you

to live a more artful and beautiful life,

please contact me.

Kaitlyn Dzenutis Tarpey

Former Miss Teen America:

Photo by Bruce Barone.

Photo by Bruce Barone.

Photo by Bruce Barone

A smart and kind and fun and warm and witty person.

If you want events in your life documented or are looking for distinctive nature, portrait or wedding photography--photography with soul that inspires you

to live a more artful and beautiful life,

please contact me.

A Poem & A Photo

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

"Stopping By The Woods on a Snowy Evening"
~Robert Frost

Photo by Bruce Barone.

Do you enjoy reading the poems by Robert Frost?

I would love to hear from you!

If you want events in your life documented or are looking for distinctive nature, portrait or wedding photography--photography with soul that inspires you

to live a more artful and beautiful life,

please contact me.

See The Chest and Front Yard!

First thing this morning, after a night of snow:

The Chest That Grows Peas From Its Drawers In Summertime.

I felt compelled to shovel the entire driveway:

Self Portrait. January 27, 2011.

Then, I came inside the house (My heart was still beating.), showered, and started work on a new website which will be devoted to only my wedding photography.

How is your day going?

I would love to hear from you!

If you want events in your life documented or are looking for distinctive nature, portrait or wedding photography--photography with soul that inspires you

to live a more artful and beautiful life,

please contact me.

New Art For Our Home

Both woodcuts by Bette Norcross Wappner

Do you collect art?

I would love to hear from you!

If you want events in your life documented or are looking for distinctive nature, portrait or wedding photography--photography with soul that inspires you

to live a more artful and beautiful life,

please contact me.

Tuesday; A Day in a Life

Woke to new snow:

Got caught up on all my ironing:

Then I made myself a BLT:

 Went with Susan to Bridal Dress store to help her choose a dress for my daughter's wedding:

 

We particularly loved the dresses from Dessy:

"What do you think, Bruce?" Susan said:

 Susan found a dress. Susan bought a dress. Susan was happy. We were both happy. Are happy (So sorry, no pictures until the wedding day--June 25, 2011):

Then we stopped to buy an important ingredient for dinner and the evening conversation:

Our last stop was the town library where I renewed a few books:

And I had time having fun developing some new strategies for my wedding photography:

This is what I did and documented today?

What did you do!

If you want events in your life documented or are looking for distinctive nature or portrait photography--photography with soul that inspires you

to live a more artful and beautiful life,

please contact me.

Monday To-Do List

Self Portrait. Monday, January 24, 2011.

Pick up framed photograph out on loan:

Linea. Photo by Bruce Barone.

Buy cat food for Nadine:

Nadine. Photo by Bruce Barone.

Change color photo of Victorian Purple fence to black & white:

Snow, Fence, and Shadows. Photo by Bruce Barone.

Edit photo from photography conference for new index photo:

Portrait of Becky. Photo by Bruce Barone.

Send greeting cards to Blogger friends:

Angel Card. Photo by Bruce Barone.

Make sure I have all ingredients to make Mushroom Lasagna:

Mushroom Lasagna. Assembled and Ready to Cook. Photo by Bruce Barone.

You can find the recipe for Mushroom Lasagna at Bruce's Kitchen.

Do you write to-do lists?

I would love to hear from you!
Especially if you would like me to mail you a card.

If you want distinctive nature, documentary or portrait photography--photography with soul that inspires you to live a more artful and beautiful life, please contact me.

Composure

Portrait of Nina. Photo by Bruce Barone.

Are you composed?

I would love to hear from you!

If you want distinctive nature, documentary or portrait photography--photography with soul that inspires you to live a more artful and beautiful life, please contact me.

Northeast Outlook

Crow in Snow Storm. Photo by Bruce Barone.

What is the landscape like where you are today?

I would love to hear from you!

If you want distinctive nature, documentary or portrait photography--photography with soul that inspires you to live a more artful and beautiful life, please contact me.

More Snow Falling in Western Massachusetts

This morning:

The Potting Chest in Backyard.

Female Cardinal in Backyard.

So Much Depends Upon a Pink Wheelbarrow in the Snow in the Backyard.

Across the Street.

And then the snow stopped falling and the sun came out.

Self Portrait. January 21, 2011.

What is the landscape like where you are today?

I would love to hear from you!

If you want distinctive nature, documentary or portrait photography--photography with soul that inspires you to live a more artful and beautiful life, please contact me.

How To Love

I would like to share a quote with you today which I read this morning. It is a "Thought for the Day" from Eknath Easwaran:


You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working; in just the same way, you learn to love by loving.
  – Saint Francis de Sales

I am sharing with you, with love, three photos from this past year that have special meaning for me: 

Portrait of Alice. Photo by Bruce Barone.

The Blue Heron at Mt. Holyoke College. Photo by Bruce Barone.

Garden Urn at The Country Home of Bunny Williams. Photo by Bruce Barone.

What are you sharing today?

I would love to hear from you!

If you want distinctive nature, documentary or portrait photography--photography with soul that inspires you to live a more artful and beautiful life, please contact me.

Today's Special

from Famous People Famous Places. Photo by Bruce Barone.

Today I am still thinking about our visit on Monday to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Thinking about Avedon, Nixon, Monet, Sargent, Sheeler, Cassatt, Steichen, Evans, and others.

I am also making No-Knead Rye Bread and Tortellini, Kale, Kielbasa, Cannelloni Soup, which I have made for both my family and church before and it is always a big hit. I will be posting the recipe later at Bruce's Kitchen.

What are you doing today?

I would love to hear from you!

If you want distinctive nature, documentary or portrait photography--photography with soul that inspires you to live a more artful and beautiful life, please contact me.

At the Boston Museum of Fine Arts

Yesterday, Monday, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Susan and I visited the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

It was "Free Admission Day." There were many special events scheduled, from concerts to family art-making activities. Most importantly, from my perspective, it was the last day to see "Richard Avedon Fashion 1944--2000."

It was an absolutely beautiful, breathtaking and inspiring exhibition, despite often feeling like I was standing in a crowded subway car to see it. Here are a few photographs:

We also got to see one of my favorite series of photographs, The Brown Sisters by Nicholas Nixon:

Soon the noise of the crowd and the children and strollers took their toll on Susan and I and we fled to the second floor where we bathed in the beauty of Monet:

I then wanted to show Susan one of my favorite John Singer Sargent paintings. And for a few minutes I wandered the galleries looking for it. Was I dreaming I wondered?

Alas, I soon learned from a helpful museum guide, it had been moved into the new American Wing, which I might add, is quite beautiful and feels to this writer as if it had been there a long time.

The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit.

By this time my son, a senior at Northeastern, arrived and we continue to climb over children on the floor and around strollers and knapsacks and throngs of people milling about the galleries.

When I saw this Mary Cassatt painting I could not but think I could certainly use right now a cup of tea!

We spotted an amusing Edward Hopper and Susan explained that  Drug Store shows a brightly lit storefront on a deserted street at night, like the restaurant in Nighthawks. "EX-LAX" is prominently displayed across the drug store's eave, helping it stand out as it would if you needed EX-LAX. One day Hopper changed that to EX-LAS from fear that the painting would not sell. Instead, the sympathetic buyer insisted Hopper change it back to EX-LAX.

Daryl and I stopped to view a large Charles Sheeler painting while Susan spotted an Edward Steichen print. Slowly we walked and slowly we turned toward the final gallery of our visit where we enjoyed Modernist Photography 1910--1950.


Here, a print by one of my favorite photographers, Walker Evans:

And then, instead of tea, we enjoyed a Blue Moon Winter Abbey Ale:

Susan and I said goodbye to Daryl and drove back home to Western Massachusetts. I took a self-portrait:

And.......I made a Meatball Pizza (The meatballs are based on this recipe, although to these I had added some grated carrot.):

I fell to sleep thinking someone might give me the book Avedon Fashion 1944--2000 for my birthday.

What do you want for your birthday?

I would love to hear from you!

If you want distinctive nature, documentary or portrait photography--photography with soul that inspires you to live a more artful and beautiful life, please contact me.