Great Smokey Mountain Scenes

If you are not afraid of heights and you love the splendor of nature and have a sense of wonder at God's creation, then taking a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains is a must for your "bucket list".  I can now say that I've been there and seen it.  Oh yeah, the drive is not for the faint-hearted, but every twist and turn of the highway (and let's not forget the inclines and steep grades) is all part of the adventure.  If you like the smell of hickory I also promise you that your nose won't be disappointed.  I think I'm still smelling hickory after being home for days now.

I wish I could say that I had a fantastic time on this 4-day trip, but I was sick as a dog the entire time.  In fact, I ended up in the doctor's office when I finally got home (a severe case of bronchitis...something I've never had or can remember ever having.  In my restless sleep I'm certain I cried out on occasion for a mountain man to come shoot me and take me out of my misery!).  

Therefore, there are NOT a lot of images that I was able to take.  The experience was worth every mile and minute though.  Maybe next time.

Enjoy!

Willie

Click on images to enter slideview mode

 

The Hill Gang

 Our travel agent gave us two pair of sunglasses to show 

off in so we had to give out a shout to her. Those puppies

                really shaded your eyes too!  Thanks, Ann.

I can see clearly now with my Trip Quest Travel sunglasses!

Water en route to the grist mill house.

 Butterflies were everywhere at the Mingus grist mill.

"Wild Bear" is real...the buffalo is "suspicious".

We didn't have time to visit the museum, but it looked very inviting and interesting from the exterior.  This was "real" Cherokee country.  Even the street signs were in the Cherokee's native tongue. 

Some NBA team ought to draft the guy 
behind me to play the post position.

I love creating panoramas.  The following are a few I made.

Mingus Mill.  The mill is a historic "Grist" mill built in 1886 that's still functional today.  It is turbine powered instead of using a large waterwheel.

A view from the hotel parking lot at sunset.

 The views from the mountaintops were breathtaking and the wind was comfortably chilly.

Camera:  Canon sx150
Post: Adobe Lightroom & CS3
Travel Agent:  Trip Quest Travel

Victoria Csikany

Over the years I have tried to decipher the invisible language that draws me to the personality and aura of another person.  I have also tried to understand what fills me with a sense of urgency to want to photograph a stranger who catches my eye.  I haven't quite discovered the answer as of yet, but the same "attraction" language must be true for the other person too.

The images in this post are of Victoria Csikany.  I was dining in a local restaurant when I noticed her beautiful hair in a ponytail and how efficiently she was working.  Crazy as it may sound, that was my initial impression of her and I knew I wanted to photograph her.  So, I gave my business card to my waitress and asked her to give it to Victoria.  To my surprise not only did my waitress give her the card, but she brought Victoria over to my table and introduced us.  It was at that moment that I got my first good glimpse of her full face and infectious smile.

I told her about myself and invited her to model for me at which she replied, "I'm too short".  We laughed and I promised I could make her look taller in photographs.  In parting she offered to call me, but that didn't happen for weeks and I figured we'd never get together. Once we did made the connection for her first shoot I think that unspoken language between the two of us played out very well in the images below.  Amazingly Victoria has never model before so I know the synergy we have is complete. 

Enjoy!
Willie

Click on images to enlarge

To see more of Victoria, click on this link:Victoria

I Can Draw #2

Man sitting in chair

This is another posting of drawings that I have done over the past months.  Admittedly, I have been a little too busy doing other things to keep up the routine of drawing something everyday.  Therefore, you may notice several drawings that I haven't finished. I hope you enjoy these latest attempts at stretching my personal talents. 

Disney Hall [pencil]

[Double-click images to enlarge viewing]

Face of Man [Pencil]

Flower Petals [Colored Pencils]

Orange on Table [Ink]

Woman Without a Face [Sanguine]

Mixed Fruit [pencils]

Self-Portrait [Pencils]

Scribbles [Ink]

Trash Can by Steps [Pencils]

Tulips [Ink]

Woman [ink]

Woman in red hat [Colored Pencils]

Flowers [Colored Pencils]

Portrait of Woman From Memory[2H Pencil]

Portrait of Woman [Ink]

Portrait Study of Girl [Ink]

Water Lillies [Colored markers and Charcoal]

Pears and Baseball [Colored Pencils]

Gianluca Foli

Sometimes you come across a beautiful thing in life and you know you need to share it with the world.  That is why I am sharing with my readers information about noted artist Gianluca Foli.  I came across his work in a video I was watching that led me to Google his name and find out more about him.  What a goldmine.  

On his website I found out that he is an amazing artist with some of the most beautiful drawings I have come to admire.  In fact, I want to place smack in the middle of this posting just one of my favorite drawings of his.

Presagio di Primavera

 I was so inspired by Gianluca's work I got back to sketching again after months of letting it slide.  I hope after viewing this link, Gianluca Foli, you will be much appreciative of the artist and his amazing artwork and see things in life, art, and certainly photography differently. I sure do.

Enjoy!
Willie 

P.S.:  If you really want to get up close and personal with Gianluca check out this link:  Video Documentary