Seeking quiet

I am a high school teacher, the mother of three young adults, a wife, a daughter, and an artist.  This should be enough to indicate that my life tends to be loud, busy, full of activity and often – sorting through a lot of drama – both real and imagined.  I love my family and my kids (both my own and [most of] my students), and I am honored to be someone who is available to help them navigate life and it’s ups and downs.  As for myself – and especially in my role as an artist, I find myself drawn to spaces and places where I can seek moments of quiet.  I find peace in my art, and seek peaceful places to be and to photograph.  I enjoy the creation of peaceful scenes that allow for contemplation.  As I grow in my art, and as a human, I realize more and more that these quiet spaces are something that I desperately need, for my own strength, voice, health, peace, and creative vision.  I am so lucky to be able to create images that serve a purpose for me, and hopefully for others as well!

Rainy window – It was a beautiful day.  We had never been to South Carolina.  The heat and humidity were a bit stifling, but the scenery and sky were just gorgeous.  We drove around the Capitol city of Columbia, toured the Capitol building and learned a little about the State, the economy, the people, and the history of the area.  We were in town to see a concert by one of my husband’s favorite bands, Hootie and the Blowfish.  We were headed toward the University of South Carolina campus for the show, and noticed some dark clouds in the distance, and the wind starting to pick up.  Before we knew it, the clouds were overhead, and the sky opened up and it suddenly started to rain, hard.  It was pouring down so fast that the gutters filled and it was impossible to see while driving.  We had to pull over in a drugstore parking lot to wait it out.  As we sat in the warm car, listening to music, the beauty of the moment struck me.  I was on a trip to new place with my husband of almost 30 years.  We were not in a hurry, and had time to sit and wait out the storm.  We sang along to the radio, and laughed about the sudden storm.  As I looked around at the rain, the drips on the window, and the slowing down of the city hustle due to the rain – I thought about how often I miss these moments in the rush of my daily routine.  I took some pictures through the car window in the storm to remember this lovely moment in the midst of a sudden storm.