ESSAY ON PHOTOS VS. WATERCOLOR PAINTINGS

THERE IS A DIVISION DEEP DOWN IN MY SOUL AND UP INSIDE MY BRAIN; IT'S ALL ABOUT COLORS AND LINES, SHADOWS AND LIGHT, DISTANCE AND CLOSE-UP SCENES. IT'S ALL ABOUT ART, AN EMOTIONAL PART OF MY MIND AND SOUL THAT HAS KEPT ME DREAMING FOR YEARS OF THE TIME WHEN I WOULD HAVE TIME TO PAINT THIS AND THAT, TIME TO TAKE PHOTOS OF THIS AND THAT. IN DUE TIME, THE BIBLE WILL BE READ AGAIN. IT IS THERE AND I SEE IT; I FEEL IT CALLING ME TO OPEN THE PAGES. WHY? I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER TO HOW TO MAKE THE WORLD A SAFER AND MORE PEACEFUL PLACE AND I WONDER IF I COULD HAVE? HOW MANY WONDER ABOUT WHAT THEY MIGHT HAVE DONE? PRAISE GOD FOR THIS LIFE. WHERE WOULD I HAVE BEEN IF I HAD NEVER BEEN BORN? THAT IS ANOTHER QUESTION THAT MAKES ME IRRITABLE. DO I FEEL I SHOULD KNOW ALL? NOT REALLY, BUT MORE ABOUT LIFE...THAN I DO. WOULD I HAVE CHANGED A DAY IF I KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW? WHO CAN ANSWER SUCH A QUESTION. WE KNOW THAT SUCH A CHOICE WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE GENERATIONS TO FOLLOW GENERATIONS. DID GOD KNOW THIS ALL ALONG, LONG BEFORE THE WORLD WAS MADE? HOW FAR BACK CAN WE KNOW THAT GOD WAS? IF WE CAN THINK THAT FAR BACK, THEN HE WAS. AND WHAT WILL WE BE DOING AFTER THIS LIFE? THAT IS A QUESTION MOST PEOPLE NEVER ASK THEMSELVES WITH THEIR EYES CLOSED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT UNTIL THEY GET OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT IMMORTALITY DOES NOT EXIST FOR US UNTIL SOMETIME AND IN SOME OTHER PLACE.

SO, WHICH IS BEST, A PHOTO OR A WATER COLOR? DETAILS NEED ATTENTION IN WATER COLORS. THE WASHES ARE ALWAYS LACKING PERFECTION. NEVER IS AN ARTIST TOTALLY SATISFIED WITH A WORK CREATED BY ONE'S OWN HAND. BUT A CAMERA, THAT IS A DIFFERENT STORY. IF A PICTURE OF A MOUNTAIN RANGE IS IMPERFECT, IT IS NEITHER THE ARTIST'S FAULT OR THE CAMERA'S FAULT. THE ARTIST CREATED NEITHER THE CAMERA OR THE SCENE, THUS HE HAS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR PERFECTION. AND ONE WHO IS AN ARTIST IS USUALLY HESITANT TO CRITICIZE THE CREATOR'S WORK.

THE SCREAMING MUNCHKIN FROM NORWAY

THERE IS A MASTERPIECE, AN OIL ON CANVAS KIND OF PAINTING THAT WILL LINGER ON IN ONE'S MIND IF THEY WILL LET IT--IT'S THAT KIND OF ART. SCREAM AND SHOUT AND RUN AWAY, THE MUNCHKIN IN THE PICTURE WON'T GO AWAY, THE MUNCHKIN IS SAFE AND SOUND SOMEWHERE IN NORWAY.

THE OLD YATES STORE

YATES STORE BEFORE IT WAS REMODELED BACK IN 1955

PROCESSING VISUAL SENSES TO THE ABSTRACT

EXPLAINING HOW IMAGES OF COMPLEX BEAUTY CAN BE CAPTURED AND TURNED INTO A PHOTOGRAPH IS NOT A SIMPLE TASK FOR ME; ANY QUESTIONS OR EXPLANATIONS I MIGHT BE ASKED TO ANSWER OR ILLUSTRATE MIGHT STRESS MY TECHNICAL ABILITIES BEYOND REPAIR. IF I CANNOT REMEMBER ALL THE ELEMENTS AND T

YOKOHAMA WATERFRONT AND OLD BOATS IN 1963

THESE OLD BOATS WERE FROM AN ERA LONG BEFORE THE WAR WAS OVER OR BEGAN. THEY WERE AN ODD SIGHT, NOT REALLY FISHING BOATS, BUT MORE LIKE HARBOR TUGS OF SORTS, THE KIND THAT LEAD, TOW AND GUIDE LARGE SHIPS JUST LAUNCHED TO THE CHANNEL DEEP SO THEY COULD GO TO FARAWAY AND DISTANT BASES, PLACES WITH DUTCH NAMES. THE FLAG FLYING THEN MUCH DIFFERENT THAN THE ONE ABOVE THEIR MEGA VESSELS OF THIS TIME AND PLACE