order with a bit of chaos

order with a bit of chaos

this composition started with the semicircular chain of yellowing hosta leaves. that took about 35 seconds. then i took about an hour or so of arranging, then disarranging, then adding elements, then removing elements, then disarranging some more, then arranging just a little bit,  to make the “random”  elements of this image look both random enough to feel random, and distributed interestingly enough to be worthy of your attention, dear STILL blog visitor. i work hard to earn your morning visits. don’t think otherwise.

autumn detritus

  • ALWAYS worthy!!

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  • Carol says:

    It shows a d is very much appreciated

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a spade full of forest duff

a spade full of forest duff

when you live in the north american woods you learn that the forest floor is not made up of soil. or rather its top layer is not made up of soil. it is made of something called duff, which is a loose semi-deteriorated layer of leaves and roots and needles that some woodland wildflowers can only grow in. below the duff is the actual soil. but i love the concept of duff. that a unique layer of life in the forest can only live in conditions that are constantly in transition.

hardwood forest duff

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all of autumn in one leaf

all of autumn in one leaf

look at all of the colors in this leaf. in some ways so ordinary and in some ways so spectacular. lime green. basil green. lemon yellow. harvest gold. tangerine. magenta. rust. scarlet. blood. with a couple of small insect holes to boot. a STILL blog leaf if i ever saw one.

maple leaf in october

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better with age

better with age

i love the way hosts leaves turn yellow in fall and then the color seems to just drain right out of them. leaving behind colorless tissue paper leaves. we have a lot of hosta in minnesota. they do well here. so right now, all the boulevards and sidewalks appear to be lined in gold. i have been doing STILL long enough to know that if i leave these leaves on the floor in the corner of the kitchen where i photographed them, they may very well be even more interesting in a week once they dry and curl a bit. don’t be surprised if these fall stars play a repeat engagement soon. stand by.

late october hosta leaves

  • Deb Kuyvenhoven says:

    Hi Mary Jo. Just found you through the latest Better Homes and Gardens. (I won’t use any of those cliche words that your writer husband doesn’t let you use!) I’ll just say I have a big garden and every leaf and pod and stem and bloom is a gift, and so your photos have a lovely familiarity to me, and yet I want to linger and look, and look a little longer. I have baskets of rocks and shells and bark and fungi and driftwood, and I am so inspired to now photograph them. Thank you for your inspiration, and how you draw attention to the details of God’s creation.

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    • Hello Deb, sounds like we are kindred spirits! Welcome to STILL blog. I am charmed that it has inspired you to start photographing your collections! Thank you for leaving a comment, it is motivating to know that people are seeing my work. Fondly, Mary Jo

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flawed marbles

flawed marbles

i keep combing all of my beaches and sifting all of my quarries  for a perfectly spherical stone, and i keep getting close but not quite finding the exact one, and i am torn between my disappointment in not finding perfection, and my relief at having an excuse to keep looking.

round beach rocks from lake superior

  • hafgram says:

    I really like reading an article that will make people think.
    Also, thanks for permitting mee to comment!

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