Longer and longer, the winter sings -

"Measures of Ice and Snow Across Finland"
digital collage by Mick Mather

"...winter is nature's way of saying, 'up yours' ..."
- Robert Byrne

Her second winter -

"The Yearling Doe"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather
- click image to view full size -

"... the deer hunter does not notice the mountains ..."
- Zen proverb

Illustration Friday: Winter -

"Winter"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather
- click image to view full size -

"... every mile is two in winter ..."
- George Herbert

Sad Day -

"Summer Memory Invaded by Cold, Blue Winter"
- for SusuPetal -
digital collage by Mick Mather

"...laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face ..."
- Victor Hugo

Closing in on the equinox -

"Kissed by the Morning Sun"
digital collage by Mick Mather

Some of us are beginning to feel the ping of changing seasons. In this image, the scant sunshine of a new day is a metaphor that stands in for the shortening day while the looming darkness below is a portent of the long dark time ... winter.

Winter, south of the equator -

"Man With a Goatee"
digital collage by Mick Mather

I believe it was something that Lisa Sarsfield, my good friend in New Zealand, said a few days ago as regards winter is coming. Huh? It struck me that, sure, down under must have one during my summer but, just how winterly is it? Judging by this climate graph of the Tauranga area, situated on the North Island and the Bay of Plenty where Lisa hails from, well, that's just NOT winter the way I measure it. To lend today's post some sense of legitimacy, I may have to travel a long way south.

Itching for a walk -

"Late Winter Hedgerow"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

Just popping in to put up a post before popping back out to participate in a powwow!

Thursday Challenge: Fun -

"Niece & Nephew, Autumn 1999"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

Fun is the theme at Thursday Challenge this week, with the usual sub-topics, one of which is family. A decade ago, when I lived further out and closer to real countryside living, one of our fun, family things was going for a walk. Rain or shine, winter or summer. On this particular day we enjoyed a brilliant autumn day that seemed, then as now, perfect for the activity.

Thursday Challenge: Green -

"Long Thin Green"
photograph by Mick Mather

I offer another straight photograph for this week's theme, green, at Thursday Challenge. That's right, untouched by filters or editors aside from a gentle cropping. I should say that one of the things about early spring that I love the most is the riotous, to say the least, variety of green that can be found almost everywhere. The other thing I've always enjoyed about the last gasp of winter just preceding that time is the amount of red, orange and purple that begins to reassert itself over the gray and flat brown of the slumbering season. If you look closely, you'll see a little of each in this vignette of green.

Another something old -

"Receiving Line Seats"
digital collage by Mick Mather

It's funny how the images that you research and review over the course of a morning, an afternoon, a day, a week or a month will stick in the subconscious and lead you to a similar color palette in your own work. For one reason and another, I've been immersed in looking at the colors of autumn, in particular is this stunning manipulated photograph by Jeff Clow. To be fair, I've also been looking at a lot more landscapes although I'm not really sure why. Perhaps just to soothe the eye as we transition between seasons here in the Central Region of New York State. Tonight's post, residing on the other side of a seasonal transition - from winter to spring - contains a lot of the same soft, warm and comforting hues...and the world keeps goin' 'round.

A tribute to the Finnish Sisters -

"Finnish Cottage in the Circle of Darkness"
$50 Unframed - LUCAS GALLERY
digital collage by Mick Mather

Tonight's post, as the introduction implies, is a tribute to all of the Finnish Sisters who often leave comments here at my blog and I at theirs. This really came about over recent conversations about the approach of autumn and, more at, the season to follow! The winters are long and dark in Finland. I know this for the Sisters have told me so. Since I'm not such a big fan of the long dark during these months either, this image is created for all of us. I've gone a step further for those who might be interested - at No Matther What Shape - The Archive I've put up four (4) of the working images that make up the layers in this piece. A short, basic tutorial is also there ... I tell you what I did as the piece was developed if not exactly how I did it. That sort of step-by-step would've taken another whole blog! So, to all of my good friends close to the Arctic Circle who will soon see too many months of darkness, I salute you!

Thursday Challenge: Noisy -

"Jackhammer"
montage by Mick Mather

The weekly theme at Thursday Challenge is noisy. Since some of the most annoying repair work at my office over the winter and early spring has required a jackhammer, let's just say that my course was clear. I should also say that working on this piece made me think of those old, cigarette pack cards that were particularly common during the middle of the last century. The modern day equivalent is the ATC and I believe this would make a good one. Now I've gone and done it...more work to do!