glory days...

these guys don't know it..but they are living their 'glory days'. (do i date myself my using that term?
on second thought-- the answer lies within the question doesn't it?) these are the years that will define their lives. these are the years they will make the relationships that will stay with them for way longer than they can conceptualize. here and now is when the memories are created that they will sit down and tell their children. powerful times. powerful lives. even more powerful memories.

i so enjoyed photographing them. i loved their playfulness, joking around and relaxed styles. they poked fun at each other, posed for me and we thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon together. they willingly followed me from spot to spot while i chased the bright afternoon light away and found spots tucked away where the glare was at least a little bit better. we laughed together and, for just a moment, i felt young again. i was whisked away to my days at penn state university when my body was trimmer, my hair less gray and my eyes open with hope, anticipation and passion for what was on the horizon for me.

i didn't want our time together to end. i miss those awkward glory days of mine. and i can close my eyes like a did that afternoon--for just a moment or two--and i can feel those days like they were just yesterday. i breathe in and out. and it feels so good.

keep on the lookout for 'left lane ends'. i have a feeling their glory days just might last a lot longer then mine did.

thanks for working with me guys!

mothers and sons

i finally 'get' the dynamic between mothers and sons. it took a while--truly--but i get it (having two precious sons of my own).

and jennifer gets it too. i love how her love for these boys pours out of her soul. her love for them and the precious time she has with them is palpable. she appreciates and invests in photography to capture those moments. as a matter of fact--she said she decided to invest in a photo session rather than throw them a party for their upcoming birthdays this month.

jennifer and her husband went through a lot with their youngest son jon. he went into liver failure after he was born and spent more time than they would like to remember in children's hospital. he, like her other son, is a gift that they never take for granted.

i loved watching her hug and squeeze the boys. watching her smile as they ran around with their sticks during our photo shoot. these are boys who understand how much they are loved and always will.

thanks jennifer and fran for trusting me to document your precious familiy memories. i love watching the boys grow up!

in the painting of chaos...

i created the name of this blog as: "in the painting of chaos" because for as long as i can remember my life has been that of chaos. not always bad chaos but chaos nonetheless. i guess in some small way i crave it and i have learned that chaos is synonymous with the order of life: nothing fits into uniform categories and nothing is predictable. so i have learned to embrace the chaos and be open to it.

the same has held true with my art. photography grounds me and keeps the creative juices flowing through my veins. without those creative juices the chaos of life would take it's toll on me and i could just crumble.

the last two months of last year were the busiest and most chaotic of my entire professional career as a photographer. and, i loved every moment. i grew as a friend, a mom, a wife, and artist and a walker of life (if you will).

i have so many images that haven't been blogged about, so many experiences blessings that i don't know where to begin in writing about them.

life has ebbed and flowed through me these past few months so quickly and powerfully. i guess you can call it a growth spurt. it's a blessing really to expand, to be humbled and to learn. life lessons if you will. and thankfully they have all been good ones too.

so here are some images from my painting of chaos. i chose these images randomly from recent and old photo shoots. these shots are taken from moments in time that have been on my mind lately in one way or another-- so i wanted to share them in this blog. random yet powerful images and memories shared chaotically in my newest artistic template: the collage.

as always, thanks for reading. and if you like anything here--drop me a comment. i so enjoy feedback. drop me a note even if it's just to say hello.

thanks for visiting chaos land. littleton, colorado.