Smith Road Walk -

"Smith Road Walk I Document II"
manipulated digital image by Mick Mather

"... today I have grown taller from walking with the trees ..."
- Karle Wilson Baker

Walking as an arts practice -

"Bog Walk I"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather
- click image to view full size -

"... how dreary to be somebody,
how public, like a frog,
to tell your name, the live-long June,
to an admiring bog ..."
- Emily Dickenson

Thursday Challenge: Signs -

"No Dumping"
digital photograph by Mick Mather
- click on image to view full size -

Signs is this weeks Thursday Challenge theme. While recently engaged in this years first walking art project, The Milton Slough Walk, I came across this bit of flotsam caught in a little waterfall. While the slough itself is a sort of holding pond for storm water runoff, it also seems to collect more than it's fair share of windblown detritus. The title of the piece references the spirit of the wind as well as any unintended consequence by man in this regard. Sometimes simple measures can be very complicated when they reach the working phase, for how can one regulate or legislate the individual to "pay attention".

Taking a break -

"On the Rocks"
digital collage by Mick Mather

It's become fairly certain that my first walking art project for this year is likely to happen in the next few weeks. A few good days of sun and wind with temperatures above 50º ought to make the ground over at the Milton Slough passable. Located in almost perfectly level terrain, there won't be any rocks like those evident in today's post. Too, being a rather short walk, there will likely be no need to take a break as seen here either.

Out for a virtual walk -

"Reach for the Sky"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

I continue my winter project of scanning over a decades worth of photographs taken on more walks than I can remember. There was always something at the back of mind, call it a voice if you will, telling me to "wait for the light, linger a bit longer, look at this from another angle". Until recently I hadn't understood why and now I have this wealth of documentation that is as much fuel for the walks I'll begin taking soon as for the exhibitions I intend to mount or the lectures I intend to present. As usual, there's plenty to do but I'll leave you with the same thought I've had in here a time or two before - I see these fall and winter photographs of trees, bushes and branches as drawings ... so, wait, linger and look from another angle.

Nine Mile Walk -

"Warners Field Falls"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

In my travels over the past few weeks I've driven by a number of locations that beckon me to come for a walk. One such spot is a little stretch of Nine Mile Creek that runs past one of the first airfields that serviced Central New York as far back as the 1920's. The creek is actually 26 miles in length beginning it's meander north from Otisco Lake, through the Villages of Marcellus and Camillus, eventually emptying into Onondaga Lake. There are so many wild stretches of this not always so small body of water that I'm not likely to walk it end to end. Even so, lots of interesting access areas exist to make an interesting point-to-point walking art project, including a major feeder system and aqueduct on the old Erie Canal.

It's a beautiful day -

"A Walk in the Park I"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

We're expecting two more days of significant accumulations of snow. That being the case, why am I posting images of spring? I suppose to continue the facade that my favorite of the four seasons is right 'round the corner ... (sigh!), again.

Thursday Challenge: Pink -

"Pink"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather
- click image to see it full size -

This week's Thursday Challenge theme happens to be pink. On one of the many walks taken over the years I happened upon some large, pink flowers. I always thought them handsome, who knew that it would take until now to share them? Stop a few moments ... that's it, inhale!

It took me so long to find out -

"The Day Trippers"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Perhaps today's post will sum up what the last week or more has been about. Admittedly, I've been spending lots of time documenting over a dozen walking art projects. Even though the work is being accomplished in piecemeal fashion, so much time is being spent that I was feeling the early pangs of burnout. So, a retreat to comfortable territory for a little while, almost as if each image has been my own little day trip. Getting away, having at it unstructured, come what may. That said, I really must be getting back to the work at hand again very soon.

Another flurry of activity -

"The Writing on the Wall III"
digital collage by Mick Mather

It's been a productive weekend and it's only half over. In about six weeks I'll be on vacation for a week and the plan is to go unplugged for the entire time. I have a few short walking art projects planned and, hopefully, the weather will cooperate enough for me to get to at least two of them. In preparation, I'll need a few dozen images ready to go that can be pre-posted. So, back into the Secret Visual Laboratory I go!

NEW from Greymoor Walk -

"Head North"
manipulated digital photograph by Mick Mather

It occurs to me that I might take a little more care with posting so many of the images from my walking art projects. At the same time, if the work is to get done, I need to focus my efforts and actually do the work. I'm not so sure that all of the pieces that I work on will make appearances in the individual coffee table books that are planned so I'm not completely torn. I suppose if I keep alternate versions in mind, along with some new things that haven't even been thought of yet, things will be just fine.

Breaking trail -

"Deep Woods Walk Book Cover #1"
manipulated digital photograph by Mick Mather

After doing a bit of investigation as regards moving forward to publish some of my Walking Art Projects as coffee table books, a little bit of cover design seemed a good thing to do this morning. I now have two covers designed, including this one, and will likely post the other one sometime soon. All of this comes smack dab in the middle of scanning my old photographic records of old walks (as I believe I just mentioned recently) and it's becoming quite a revelation to realize just how many walks I've accomplished. Well, back to work ... lots to do!

Gandy Dancers Walk -

"Study for Gandy Dancers Walk"
digital collage by Mick Mather

I should begin by saying that I like the way this piece came out. That said, I'm quite likely to revisit this piece and rework it by adding a different background element that will better suit this Walking Art Project. Hopefully, it won't be too different, nor too much alike. Either way, this piece goes all the back to my childhood when walking for miles along railroad tracks with an old Kodak pop-up camera in hand was a favorite pastime. To this day I will often stop the car, grab my camera and walk stretches of track whenever possible. Well, it's time for me to get truckin' ... yes, the original of this slang term comes from that peculiar method of walking, trackin' tie to tie, especially in the dark where one had to lean back and feel for the next secure footing. Class dismissed.