October 2022

 Some views on the journey are just iconic - as if nature was sculpted by a master. I always keep my radar going for notable creations!

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September 2022

There are still plenty of good hiking days left in September around here. Visiting new areas is always a fun activity - looking for scenery, shade, and notable old trees is a favorite pastime for me. Just be sure to bring some tokens for any ornery trail sentries you may encounter! :-)

The Grumpy Trail Sentries

August 2022

We seem to have a bumper crop of mice and squirrels roaming about our fields this year. Fortunately, the coyotes and hawks are enjoying the bounty. These population bumps seem to be cyclical, but I can't say for sure what the triggers are in this case. We shall see what unfolds as Fall approaches.

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Rodent Halo

July 2022

The heat is upon us, as it should be in July. We humans seek out shade and cool water places to have a respite from the hot days. 

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Cooling Station

June 2022

Here in the Pacific Northwest, almost everyone has a deck or a porch of some sort to enjoy "outdoor living" as the magazines say. This year, a cool, wet spring delayed the usual deck days a bit - but only for the purists among us! 

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All Decked Out

May 2022

In this neck of the woods, Spring seems to really make itself known from about the middle of April to the middle of May. Trees bloom profusely, trilliums arrive on the forest floor, and tulips show their stuff. The many pollinators come out to do what they are destined to do - and we are so thankful.

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Blossom

April 2022

And for a twist of humor, this month we go for the macro nature blot. Remember those early comedians? They were called Jesters. 

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The Unhappy Catkin Jester

March 2022

 For March, I'm looking down rather than up for this Nature Blot. After all, there is a whole different world to explore "down there."

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Rock Icon

(Click or Tap Image to Enlarge)

February 2022

 Clouds have always been an interest of mine, from a photographic view as well as meteorology. I had fun with this month's image, keeping the clouds front and center while using that great blue sky background.

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Conifer Contrails

(Click or Tap Image to Enlarge)

January 2022

January 2022

Greetings again, Nature Blot fans! Many of you have asked for postings on a more regular basis. And I really appreciate the feedback!

So starting with this post, I will share a new blot every month. Sort of a "Nature Blot of the Month Club," if you will. As always I welcome your comments. I am also exploring website ideas to be able to host all the blots! Stay tuned for that project.

The blog will also mirror on Facebook, but not Instagram. The reason for no IG is that most people view IG on a phone screen which is too small to see the blot detail and nuance.

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Skeleton Crew

(Click or Tap Image to Enlarge)

Nature Blots 2020

Greetings Nature Blot fans!

Here's a brief sampler of my blot images from 2020. 

Fortunately I was able to get outside safely throughout the year to build a smattering of nature blot photos. As before, many of these originate fairly close to home, in natural areas - but I have tried a few new techniques with this year's batch of blots. See if you can spot some of those.

For the sake of organization, in this blog post, one blot from each month is presented - a calendar of sorts. So take a "rewind journey" with me, and let your imagination loose - no mask required!

As always, these looks better, and you will see more of the hidden "notions" on a larger screen. I'm currently working on a new book, so stay tuned for schedules and news.

Nature Blots 2020 Sampler

What do you see?

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Welcome

Welcome to Nature Blots! This spot will feature occasional posts about my nature symmetry project, which includes photos and a couple of printed books.

There's nothing like a quiet walk out in nature to clear the mind and recharge the body. Whether it's a short time or several hours, I always feel better at the end of the journey. The walks never seem to get repetitive or routine - and we are fortunate here in western Oregon to live close to so many trails which can be enjoyed, rain or shine.

It was on one of these local trails where the natural tree patterns and structure caught my interest. The patterns change from season-to-season as well as during the day with the angle of the sun. This led to some whimsical experimenting in the digital darkroom, and eventually hatched a series of the "blots" you see here and in the books.

If you studied psychology in college, you probably remember the chapter about Rorschach Ink Blots. These abstract images of symmetrical ink blots on a page were meant to help in diagnosing certain mental conditions back in the 1920's. It would be an understatement to say the method was met with skepticism, then and now. You can read more about the history of those ink blots on Wikipedia.

Not to worry though, no psychoanalysis is at play here! Rather, the enjoyment of creating an expanded, alternate view is my only motivation in this project. That said, feel free to stare at each image from varied distances - you may just notice something staring back!

This endeavor has taken many months for it to arrive at this stage and has been a fun and rewarding one for me. I hope you enjoy following along as I share more of the images here! To preview the Nature Blots books, see the links below. The links take you to  PDF versions of the books. One is a hard cover, the other a smaller, soft cover.

Here are a few examples of the photos to come out of the project. Click a photo to enlarge.

Nature Blot 230962

Nature Blot 3622

Nature Blot 1346

Nature Blot Book Preview Links

To date, I have created two "print on demand" books which you can preview here. One is a 13 x 11 inch hard cover "coffee table" type book with 46 pages. The other is an 8 x 10 inch soft cover book with the same photos, just a bit smaller. Here are the links to the PDF files you can view in your browser or download.

View the Hard Cover Book

View the Soft Cover Book