Vero Florida Fine Art | Mary Lou Christy

Beauty in a time of Sorrow

Aug 222013

Back in November, I found out devastating news. I got a call that my brother Jerry was entering hospice care. I was all too aware of what this meant, and I knew this was not the kind of news a sister wanted to get about her brother. I boarded a plane and headed to Seattle to see him. I was so relieved to make it there on time, and to realize he knew I was there. In some minute way, perhaps I brought him a small measure of comfort.

Space Needle through Chihuly

While in Seattle, I remembered that there was a Dale Chihuly exhibit that had recently opened. I grabbed my camera, hid it in my giant purse, and planned to sneak a few photos. When I arrived there, I knew I wanted to take in this beauty, savor it, and not be hurriedly taking a snapshot with the wrong exposure or aperture. And truth be told, I really never have been one to buck authority. So I asked permission.

“Sure,” the guard promised. “And you can even use flash.” He thought my ability to use flash would be a gift. But I knew I had no intention of using flash. I wanted to capture Chihuly’s exquisite works, set like gems in their equivalent of velvet jewelry boxes – simple black box rooms- with just the light provided. Oh, my, what incredible talent this artist possesses. Frequently, after turning a corner, I would gasp at the beauty. Making these photos provided a happiness I didn’t know I could feel at this sad time. A moment of relief and renewal.

Fast forward to May. More devastating news. This time it was my only surviving brother, John. His news was unbelievable to me. And this time it was so quick I didn’t even have the time to grasp the reality of another loss. June 1st, I was up early for a rare morning shoot at McKee Garden. It was water lily time, when 70% of the ponds’ surfaces are covered in all forms of water lilies. The beauty of some of these flowers was breathtaking. I shot this night blooming species with John in mind.

When I took these photos, I didn’t realize I was about to lose my brother. I only knew he was terribly ill, and I was, once again, lost in beauty at a time of sorrow.

It has occurred to me that I have been blessed with a passion that keeps me not only learning, but also motivated to capture loveliness. It eases stress and renews me. It gives me happiness at times of sorrow.

I thank God for any talent I might possess. I believe that God gave me some special beauty to discover and photograph both times.

And while nothing can take away the pain of losing two of my three brothers in such a short time, this photographic journey eased those dark days. When I look at these photographs, I feel joy.

I think of my brothers and the unbreakable bond siblings share. And I hope that in the future, these photographs might bring some relief to others going through something difficult or unbearable.

The Joy of Cookies!

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Dec 312012

Every Christmas I make my mother in law’s famous butter cookies. I love making them, but even more than that, I love photographing them. The decorating is the usually the best part, especially when done with someone in the family. When my daughter is in town, she helps; it’s an important part of our Christmas traditions and preparations. We mix the dough, using only real butter (accept no substitutions!), and refrigerate overnight. Then we roll and choose from the many cutter shapes we have accumulated over the years. This is the difficult part: Deciding which shapes we want to decorate the most.

After baking to a light golden brown, we remove them from the cookie sheets and let them cool.

And now – let the creativity begin.

Step one: Color. Most people utilize colors like red and green for Christmas icing. But we take it a step further with specialty colors, like a royal purple. Because of a certain alma mater for a majority of clan members, there are always plenty of purple cookies in this household.

My rule about icing is the deeper the better. Yum.

Step Two: Sprinkles. Sprinkles liberally applied with joy. Use with abandon! That’s my guideline. You might be beginning to understand why the cookies are so highly addictive and caloric.

Once in a while I get lucky and get some extra assistance. Sometimes a male family member will assist with placement of a “ball bearing” (known in the baking world as a “nonpareil”) or two. I’ve found that men last from three to five minutes before cookie inertia sets in. But this year I got help from a little guy dear to my heart. Frosting adorned everything – his mouth, his hair, and even his nose. Shimmering sprinkles fell on his clothes, but not too many hit the cookie itself. But that’s okay; it was his first experience with the cookie extravaganza.

Loving this job!

The cookies are delicious, no doubt about it. Tender and tasty, loaded with butter and sugar, calories and contentment. But to me, the real joy in the cookies is the beauty of the finished product. Perfect for all sorts of decorations and further creativity in photos. A few generously decorated cookies on a silver platter – glittery reflections from the Christmas lights themselves, and some fun creations result.

And an abstract of an elevated ridge of sprinkles.

And now? The cookies are gone, and some people are dreaming of a nice winter snowfall. I’m just dreaming of what I can do with pink icing in February!