World Radio Day 2020

Today is World Radio Day, certainly worthy of the nod, at least for yours truly, for I am an avid radio listener; and I've also been a guest on two radio programs that are based in NYC.

My first time being interviewed on the radio took place at the studios for 1010 WINS, where I was interviewed by John Montone about how conditions with my eyesight influenced my kaleidoscopic art work (that can now be purchased through Fine Art America).

I wrote about my experience with John Monotone in one my first entries on my blog.

Sunday's Sentiments: Catching a Dragonfly (and other beings) On Camera

ANOTHER DRAGONFLY IS FEATURED IN VOL 1

ANOTHER DRAGONFLY IS FEATURED IN VOL 1

ANOTHER DRAGONFLY IS FEATURED IN VOL 1

ANOTHER DRAGONFLY IS FEATURED IN VOL 1

"Yesterday a child came out to wonder Caught a dragonfly inside a jar..." are a couple of lines from Circle Game, a song by Joni Mitchell. These words are on my mind as I write this, because Friday, when I went out to wonder, specifically in Central Park, where I had gone for a morning walk with a mission of observing dragonflies through the long lens of my camera, I caught a dragonfly.

National Camera Day 2019

IMAGE CREDIT

According to a number of web-pages, including, National Day Calendar, (AKA NDC), June 29th (which is today) is National Camera Day. One of the things NDC states is "... This day commemorates photographs, the camera, and their invention. A camera is an irreplaceable tool used to record and replicate memories, events, and people/places..." I find it interesting that NDC considers one of the purposes of is to "replicate memories..."

Many of my childhood experiences of being photographed for a family picture seemed be that the intent behind the camera wasn't replicating a memory of what was occurring, rather, it was to creatue  an ideal which wasn't there.

Update Re my Black & White Photos

I am very pleased to announce that Chris Deatherage was able to upload three of my black and white photographs to my collections on Fine Art America (FAA). Copies of them can be seen in the images atop this entry.

The first one, Sophia, has been featured in gallery exhibitions in NYC. Moreover, it has been included in prior entries within this blog and it discussed at length in a radio interview given by Karen Lewis, for The Al Lewis Show on NYC's WBAI. The interview can be heard on my web-site, which was designed by Chris.

The second and third one, Clay Pots, and Cow With Children, have also been discussed in prior posts here on Blogger and were included in NYC gallery exhibitions. Chris (CD) has done an excellent job in designing my web-site and up loading my images up to FAA. His name is familiar to many because he is also the one who edited and formatted my hardcover versions of Words In Our Beak. Bravo, CD! Bravo! And thanks again!

THE WORDS IN OUR BEAK BOOK SERIES

Today's the Octave of Easter for 2019 (Coinciding with a photographer holiday)

Today is the Octave of Easter for 2019. This year it coincides with Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day (WPP Day) which is an unofficial holiday that has always been observed the last Sunday in April. A holiday-themed web-page explains that WPP Day aims "to encourage people to pick up pinhole photography as a hobby and profession, and to share their techniques and pictures with the pinhole photography community."

I must confess that while I'm very familiar with the celebrations surrounding the Octave of Easter, I had not heard of WPP Day. It is somewhat odd that I had no idea about this event. The main reason that any lack of knowedge re this occasion is odd is because for a few years I worked with various pin-hole cameras — and created a number of black and white photographs from them — which I developed and printed myself.

My entire Black and White Collection has been included in gallery exhibitions in Manhattan. One of those images is titled, Thanksgiving In Riverdale (a copy of it can be seen in the image below).

INCLUDED IN THE B&W GALLERY ON MY WEBSITE

This photograph won an award (placement in a book, Photo-Glaz) in a competition juried by the late photographer, Roy De Carava.

Other ones, Cocktails and Engaging Conversation as well as Portrait of Contemplation (copies seen in the next set of images)...

INCLUDED IN THE B&W GALLERY ON MY WEBSITE

INCLUDED IN THE B&W GALLERY ON MY WEBSITE

...are featured in a literary magazine known as, Returning Woman. Moreover, my photograph, Sophia, (which can be seen in the next picture) and my process used in creating it was discussed (at length) in an interview given by Karen Lewis, on a WBAI radio program called The Al Lewis Show.

INCLUDED IN THE B&W GALLERY ON MY WEBSITE

It be heard via my web-site where you will also find more of my black and white images, pin-hole and non pinhole.

The site is called patriciayoungquist.com and was created by Chris Deatherage. He also formatted and edited my three volume book series, Words In Our Beak.

Moreover, my three volume book series Words In Our Beak includes hundreds of images of flora and fauna.

MY BOOK SERIES

The goal of these books is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in a rooftop urban garden (mine) in New York City, my story is told in the voice of Cam, a female cardinal, who visits it. These books are directed to children and adults who are curious about birds (as well as gardening) want to learn about these topics from a unique perspective.

But getting back to a topic related to WWPD, in addition to my creating black and white photos with pin-hole cameras; I also have created ones which are kaleidoscopic in nature...

The Influence of Georges Seurat (d 3-29-1891)

FEATURED IN MY WEBSITE'S B & W GALLERY

The image of my photographic print, Sophia, atop this entry is one from a collection of my black and white photographs featured on my website.*

Sophia appeared in a couple of my exhibitions in NYC and was one of my pictures that was  ultimately discussed on a radio program (The Al Lewis Show) for WBAI hosted by Karen Ingenthorn Lewis.

The image was printed by me using a technique I developed at the inspiration of Georges Seurat, who is known for devising the painting techniques known as chromoluminarism and pointillism.

The Official NYSEC's Event Announcement! (Throwback Thursday)

One month ago (September 18 2018) I announced here on Blogger that I would be making a presentation at The New York Society for Ethical Culture (NYSEC) re certain birds who spend time in NYC and I just realized (this morning) that my event is posted on their web-site!

A copy of their site's announcement can be seen below:

Speaking of Science - Patricia Youngquist: Words in Our Beak

Date: Monday, November 26, 2018 -
6:30pm to 8:00pm
Location: Adler Study, Room 514
Admission: Members $5, Guests $10
Studying the wild birds in NYC and surrounding areas has important implications for understanding the similarities of human behavior and the behaviors of members within the avian community. The topics I will cover in my presentation include how birds teach us about the human race in such matters (to name a few) as finding our voice, ways in which we compensate our behaviors to meet our needs, accepting our physical appearances, and how bullying impacts our lives.

Patricia Youngquist is the author of the three volume “Words In Our Beak” book series, published by Ingram Spark, in which stories are told from the bird’s-eye perspective of Cam, a female cardinal that regularly visited her rooftop garden located near NYSEC and is illustrated with her own photographs. Prior to publishing this series, Youngquist published an article on Google Mapping for Contribute Magazine as well as over a thousand posts on her blog (thelastleafgardener.com). It has been listed (by feed_spot) in the top one hundred urban blogs. Her earlier impressionist and kaleidoscopic photography has been exhibited in NYC which led to radio interviews with John Montone’s New York for 1010 WINS and The AL Lewis Show with Karen Lewis for WBAI. All of her work, including these radio interviews, can be found on her website, patriciayoungquist.com

I am truly honored to have this opportunity and I thank Maggie Determann (Membership Coordinator) and Jesús Torres Vazquez for their efforts in making it happen.

Also many thanks also to John Gasdaska for rehearsing my presentation with me over the past several weeks! Now, I'm hoping it is a success!

#NationalRadioDay 2018

Today is #NationalRadioDay, certainly worthy of the nod, at least for yours truly, for I am an avid radio listener; and I've also been a guest on two radio programs that are based in NYC.

My first time being interviewed on the radio took place at the studios for 1010 WINS, where I was interviewed by John Montone about how conditions with my eyesight influenced my kaleidoscopic art work (that can now be purchased through Fine Art America). I wrote about my experience with John Monotone in one my first entries here on Blogger.

The second time I was interviewed by a radio host was when Karen Lewis had me on her WBAI radio program The Al Lewis Show) to discuss how my visual challenges shaped my rendering images re Black and White photography.

Both of these interviews can be listened to via my website, patriciayoungquist.com.

Meanwhile in honor of National Radio Day, I'm posting a clip (seen above this entry) of a scene from Woody Allen's, Radio Days, a film he made in the late 1980's. I worked (as an actress in a "silent bit" role) on that film in the scene filmed at Radio City Music Hall that is featured in this clip.

Be that as it may, on this radio-related holiday, I'm also hoping for another opportunity to be heard on another radio program! I've heard back from a certain national radio station requesting copies of my book series, Words In Our Beak...

VOLUMES ONE AND TWO

...so they can consider having me as a guest to discuss my books and related issues. Fingers crossed that this will take place. Stay tuned to know if and when you can tune in to your radio should they decide to interview me.

FALL 2018 ADDENDUM: 

Hardcover versions of Volume One, Two and Three can be found wherever books are sold.

MY BOOK SERIES

Please click here to go to my blog post that provides details as to where you can get these books. Additionally, I have rendered some images from these books into other formats and they are available via Fine Art America (FAA). Some of my other photographs (Black & White Collection, Kaleidoscopic Images and the famous Mandarin duck who visited NYC) can also be found on my FAA pages.

My first post for 2018.

Welcome to my first blog posting for 2018. Today is January first, and last night the figurine atop this entry rang in the new year. But he was hardly dressed for the occasion. It was ten degrees last night on New Year's Eve, and it is probably the first time in over seventeen years that I did not go to Central Park to watch portions of the Midnight Run and the annual fireworks display.

Instead, I rang in the new year with some friends at St. Bart's church in NYC, where "a concert to usher in the new year," was being offered.

Follow-Up Friday: Christmas Card Day

Due to a number of circumstances, the last time that I was able to post an entry here on Blogger was December 8th 2016 and I'm glad to be back! In any event, last Friday, December the 9th, was a holiday known as Christmas Card Day and I'm sorry to be telling you about it one week after the occurrence! But since Christmas is ten days from now, it is certainly not too late to do something about Christmas cards!

My experience on the other side of a camera.

Because I only have "counting fingers" vision in my left eye, and need glasses to enable me to see out of my right eye, folks seem to think it's interesting that I produce photographic images. I've been interviewed on two major radio stations (WINS and WBAI) re processes I've used to create the aforementioned types of photographs. Both my black and white pictures as well as my color images, which are kaleidoscopic, have been featured in a number of galleries here in NYC. 

Most of the photographs that were represented in my exhibitions can be found on my web-site, Patricia Youngquist, The Last Leaf Gardener. For the past seven years, I've mostly used my abilities in photography to give voice to the flora growing in my rooftop garden as well as the array of birds and insects which visit it. Some pictures from this endeavor are included within the pages of my web-site, others have been used in my garden-themed movies which can be found on my Vimeo Channel. Additionally many of my pictures featuring flora as well  fauna can be found here on Blogger as well as Facebook, tumblr, hometalk, Instagram, Pinterest and twitter.

And as many of my readers know, my book, Words In Our Beak Volume One, which is written from a bird's perspective, contains hundreds of pictures featuring the flora which grows in my garden as well as photographs of the birds and insects that visit it.

All of this info is a long way of saying that I have spent a lot of time behind a camera! However, for the past two days I've had to be in front of a type of camera known as an Optos (seen below) to have pictures taken of the back of my eyes.

What the Optos saw and it is not good news for me. I now have a large floater in my right eye, which is the only one of my eyes that serves me. Floaters, as you may know, dear reader, are a normal event that occurs after certain birthdays. They mainly are an annoyance that one has to live through until his/her brain begins to ignore them. However, in instances like the one I have with my eye-sight, there can be cause for great concern.

Monday's (Garden) Madness! GRRRRR and GREAT

According to Holiday Insights, today, August 20th, is National Radio Day, and besides the fact that I enjoy listening to the radio as opposed to watching television (I've not had a TV since the 1980's), I want to honor this "holiday" by once again thanking radio announcers who have interviewed me about how my eye conditions have affected my work as a photo-artist. (My only other involvement with media associated with radio was as a film extra in Woody Allen's Radio Days.)

Monday's Musings: Bon Anniversaire to you Claude Monet! Joyeux Anniversaire to You!

Today's blog post is in honor of Claude Monet, the founder of French Impressionist painting, who was born one hundred and seventy one years ago today, in 1840, on November the 14th. 

Monet is known to have said, "I perhaps owe becoming a painter to flowers." 

As you undoubtedly know, dear reader, one of the many flowers that Monet painted was the flower of the Tropaelum majus AKA Nasturtium Plant.

One of those paintings is, Nasturtiums In A Blue Vase, shown in an image credited with the following link, in the top lefthand corner of this blog entry.

" . . . and so this is Christmas, and what have you done?"

During the mid-morning, today, Sunday, December 26th, the day after Christmas is Boxing Day to some, Kwanzaa to others and the second day of Christmas for me. 

As I walked to the assisted living center where I do volunteer work every Sunday morning — and where I spent part of my Christmas yesterday — as discussed in yesterday's post , snow was falling lightly, and an elderly woman pushing a shopping cart was walking up the street shouting, "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! We shoulda had this yesterday! We shoulda had a white Christmas!"


What the woman may not have realized was that we were having a white Christmas. The Christmas season, for some who celebrate it in New York City, ends on January 6th, the twelfth day of Christmas, with the Feast of the Epiphany, and is honored with a parade down Fifth Avenue near East Harlem. This event is held annually, and includes animals such as camels and donkeys, in an effort to commemorate the visit of the three kings to the Christ child. It is also the day some cultures exchange their Christmas gifts.

Thanksgiving in Riverdale

My being a photo-artist is very surprising to some, given the limitations of my eye-sight, so, I'm using this posting on my blog as an opportunity to offer some information about how I've adapted cameras and darkroom equipment to create some of the images that are posted on my web-site and to offer some of my perspective on photography.

My first formal endeavor as a photo-artist was a number of years ago when I pursued many aspects of Black and White photography. Much of the back story on these efforts can be heard in the interview with Karen Ingenthron Lewis that I spoke about in my January 6th posting, where I mentioned that it can be heard on my web-site.

Since Karen singled out certain photographic works of mine (prints and greeting cards that are on my web-site), to discuss for interview purposes, and you can hear about them on the link posted on this blog or go to my web-site and download it, I will blog here about a few of the images she did not cover. I must confess that I do not like to talk about how I've created a print or why the composition has been rendered in a certain way in a given print. I feel too much information spoils the magic of not knowing. I think having knowledge of many specific details of a given work of art can interfere with the relationship a viewer has with the art work. Consider the photo posted below:

We know there is an elderly woman seated at a table. Is it for dinner? Brunch? 

We can assume it is probably not breakfast; because candles have been lit, and on the opposite side of the candles someone is drinking what appears to be wine from a goblet (though you can have wine at breakfast or you can drink juice from a goblet and perhaps the candles are lit because the electricity has gone out).

We know it is probably in someone's home because of the detail near the ceiling, but it could be taking place at a restaurant made to look like a home. 

We don't know anything for certain, and by not knowing, we can create our own story — until we notice the title of the image - which viewers often use to search for a clue. 

Because this image was being considered for publication, the jurors of the competition insisted that I give it a title. I ultimately received the honor (hopefully for the print, not the title).

"It takes a sharp eye........or does it..........?" The Possible Influence of "Wink" -------- Fanny Sonnenschein's Family

This post is about the impact of my being legally blind, the impact this condition has on my photo-artistry, and to offer a follow-up to the two radio interviews that I've given on this subject. These interviews are posted on my web-site.

One interview is with Karen Ingenthron Lewis. She conducted this interview for W.B.A.I. Radio (a prominent FM station in New York City) for the program, The Al Lewis Show. Al Lewis was known for his role as Grandpa in the television series, The Munsters. The other interview is with John Montone. He conducted this interview for 1010 W.I.N.S. (a prominent AM station in New York City) for his news feature, John Montone's New York, where he posed the question (regarding legal blindness and photo-artistry), "It takes a sharp eye...or does it?"

In addition to my being born with NF (discussed in the second post), I came into the world with a severe form of myopia. The latter was complicated by my having a long eye-ball and a stretched retina, causing me to have extremely low vision. The prevailing attitudes about women who wore glasses during the year that I was born most likely shaped my mother's attitude about my wearing glasses. Her opinion also formed my view of having to wear them during childhood, which in retrospect, contributed to my artistic temperament.