September already!?

Just a quick note to say thanks to everyone for a great show in Eagle Harbor & Copper Harbor. The Weather was absolutely perfect. The Pasi cats http://www.pasicats.com/ played at the Copper Harbor show, check 'em out. Really cool tunes!

Harbor Fest was a blast. The setting on the lake, the grilling out, the huge bonfire and of course great music. Make sure you put it on your to do list for next year. This is a shot of Mojo, a rockin' blues master who was on the venue for the evening. Mojo also plays at the fat tire festival every year. Check his music out. http://www.mojoperry.net/

Lastly, the Gallery here in Copper Harbor will possibly be closed for about 2 weeks starting around the weekend of the 13th. If the Gallery is open the hours will probably be limited. You can call to check 910.289.4749. Jeff and Steve are going camping so if you see someone driving around with a tent on top of their car looking for just the right spot to toss said tent on, it would most likely be us. Steer clear. Actually we are lucky enough to have access to a cabin and boat on Grand Island next to Pictured Rocks National Lake shore. Then... someone else was stupid enough to loan us a boat to use in the Apostle Island National Lake shore so we have to go there as well. Bummer. Hope to come back with some good shots and memories. Ha, no radios so Jeff won't have a reason to whistle off key.

Art shows and Harbor Fest

I will only be attending the two local shows in Copper Harbor August 16-17 and Eagle Harbor August 9-10. Harbor fest is also on the 9th

Beauty and light to you

Steve

Late July ramblings from Steve Brimm

Howdy everyone, the Gallery is up and running in full swing. Actually it seems to be running faster than me, which is great. Have met a lot of new folks who subscribe to my newsletter that have stopped in to say hello. It has been great to meet and talk with all of you.

It is super good to be up here breathing the "cleanest air in the world" at least that's what the sign on the Harbour Haus say's. Actually, I'm happy to be breathing any air as the brakes went out on my truck towing a big trailer while on the freeway heading up to Copper Harbor - twice! Scary.

I have not gotten out on the water or in the woods a lot, but will soon. The cherries are coming off as well as Service Berries and some early low bush Blue berries. The Thimbleberries are looking good to produce a bunch of fruit. Yum. Fresh wild blueberries on buckwheat pancakes smothered in maple syruple - that is the only word that rhymes with purple, at least according to Roger Miller. The water level in Lake Superior is back up to normal. It has been really low for the last two years.

We are building a mobile band shell and are having a big blowout with over ten bands donating their time as a fundraiser, so come on out and listen to some great tunes, drink some beer and help us pay for Copper Harbor's newest addition.

Well, just thought I'd touch base as some were wondering if I got lost in Ohio or somewhere. Hope you can stop in and say hello this summer.

Happy trails!

Steve

PS. In case you weren't aware of the meaning of tenacity, this is it. Rebecca paddling with Megan on the big pond. I bought the kayak for her birthday almost two years ago and this is the first time she has physically been able to get it on the water. At this very moment she is getting her herniated disk operated on and hopefully be free from the awful pain she has been in for more than a year. She is currently off Chemo and has that tumor running scared. TENACITY

On the move

The truck and trailer are almost loaded, 3600 prints are close to all being signed, and my co-pilot, Bisquit is getting anxious. Me as well. All that to say Earth Works Gallery will be fully open by July 4th if all goes as planned. Feel free to swing by and say hello if you are in the neighborhood sooner as I will certainly be around.



Sprinked here, are a few floral pics from the yard and a couple from recent trips. More of those to come.



This Copper bowl is the fruits of a Metal smithing workshop I took. I will share more on that later as well.


Look foward to seeing you soon. 

Capt. Steve

March Print of the Month

Moonrise Over Isle Royale

Looking for an image to use for the print of the month, I found myself staring at this shot and clicking my heels - there's no place like Isle Royale, There's no place like Isle Royale.

  

prints coming out of my ears

This is a panorama of Birch and Bunchberry in a 8x24 print size.

Normally $95 on sale for $38

View larger and purchase here.

Support The Artist Deduction Bill (S.548)

This artist deduction bill (S.548) would give artists the right to deduct the fair market value of their work when donating it to a charity. We artists are always asked to donate work to charitable causes for fundraising purposes but when our work is auctioned, the buyer gets the benefit of being allowed to deduct their contribution above the market value, whereas the contributing artists and artisans can only deduct the amount of the material costs of creating their work (the cost of paint, canvas, clay, paper...)
This bill is non-partisan and fair. Please click on this link and simply by typing in your zipcode a letter of support will be sent to your particular senators and congressmen.
T he link below will allow you to enter your easily enter your zip code so a letter can be sent to your congress person. http://capwiz.com/artsusa/issues/alert/?alertid=9521951

Rebecca's Henna Tattoo

Rebecca surprised everyone at her birthday party by showing up with her head completely covered with this beautiful Henna Tattoo.

Total Lunar Eclipse, more prints and what eats photogs

Howdy y'all! Hope this note finds everyone happy and healthy despite being bombarded by woes of the economy, steroids and the omnipresent presidential babble. Remember, art is always a good investment, if not for it's market value then for the happiness it brings your soul.

In case you weren't able to catch the Total Lunar Eclipse: February 20, 2008 in person, here is a short sequence I took over the course of the event. It was cloudy so they aren't the best and the timing is not equal, but you can get the idea. ( the angles are not correct either. I did not set the camera up and leave it as I had no place to get a shot of the whole event from one spot. Shooting from the homestead also provided a steady stream of Single Malt Scotch which probably did not help either ;-)
There was a Mackerel sky so I had to time the shutter (I couldn't find my electronic cable release, so it was 2 sec timer with mirror lock -up) so it would open during a break in the clouds - not so easy as the breaks were hardly wide enough to fit the moon in between. Watching the event left me feeling pretty small and insignificant in such a vast universe. I wonder if children growing up in the extreme southern Hemisphere think that they may fall off the earth.



The Pelican shot was a hit. Thanks to John, Kayla, Mary and Rusty.



Now that I've finally gotten around to Changing the "prints coming out of my ears" I hope this new one will be of interest. I shot this image of fragrant Water Lilies at Seney National Wildlife Refuge in Michigan's UP. I like how the puffy Cumulus clouds kind of mirror the flowers. For those of you who have my book, you will find this image in it. I waded thigh deep into the water to get this shot and came out of the water with more than I went in with. Can anybody guess what I came out with? I'll give you a hint "African Queen" View Larger image here

A funny bird is the Pelican...

...who's beak can hold more than their belly can,
but I don't know how the hell they can.

Sorry had to get that out.



Growing up in South Eastern North Carolina until the time I left in the mid 80's, we did not have pelican's pretty much at all. I spent a lot of time sailing, surfing and fishing and don't really recall seeing any.
It wasn't that they didn't belong here, it was because they had been decimated by DDT. I'm sure you all remember what that did to the eggs of a lot of birds, like Eagles and Osprey etc. Since DDT was banned in this country,* I believe in the 70's, many birds including the Pelican have made a dramatic comeback. We don't usually have this kind of concentration of pelicans, due to a very large Menhaden kill as seen in the second and third shot of this little portfolio of shots I took, they flocked in for a free buffet.

The "prints coming out of my ears sale" is still going on. Thanks to Sarah, Jack and Cynthia, hope you enjoy your Agate Beach prints. This next image for sale is of a group of brown Pelicans in a 15x30 print.

A little side note about DDT. Even though it is illegal to use DDT in this country, companies still manufacture it in the US to use on crops in third world countries. Those conventional Banana's in the grocery, yep you
guessed it - they have been treated with DDT. The things they sneak through on unwary citizens. So buy some organic 'nanners and say no to DDT.

February Print of the Month

This month's image is a b&w of Ferns. I have been recieving more interest in b&w prints lately so am working towards getting a few images worked up. Check it out HERE

Also, the first "prints coming out of my ears" image of the oil truck sold. Thanks Sue and Jim!

The new print is a 24x30 of one of the classics in my collections "Agate Beach" I have three of these and once again It is first come first serve. These prints are normally $275 but these three are reduced 60% to $110 This is the first time I have made prints this size of agate Beach - they are awsome! Check it out HERE

If you have any thoughts or suggestions, please write them on the back of two round trip plane tickets to anywhere in the south pacific.

Hope everyone is having a great winter.

Steve

Prints coming outta my ears!

I bought a new printer sometime before christmas and between giving it a work out and doing my best to use all the ink up in my other printer (can't waste ink that cost $1700 a gallon) and I am ending up with just a ton of prints. All of the prints are pieces I've never printed before. Some may get put into my print selections, some I did just for the shear fun of it, which is what a lot of them are. These orphan prints as I'll call them need a home, otherwise they will go in a print file and more than likely never be used. So to that end I will offer them at 60% off. I may only have one or two so it will be first come first serve. Please note that I do not sell seconds, all of these prints are just like any other print I sell. They are 100% guaranteed to meet your satisfaction.

I will add a new print either every week or when I sell the previous print. Most of these prints are 16x24 but I do have some panoramas that are 9x24 and a few pieces that are 24x30. This first piece is of an old oil truck sitting in a field somewhere in central UP.

Purchase this print

What time was it? we have a winner!

Well that was fun! With just the info I gave, It would be impossible to get the time exact, except by luck. I enjoyed how many took a stab at it anyhow. Some got outside and tried it out for themselves, others researched it on the web, some said well the shadow is long so it's early or late, still others wondered about the direction of the sand swirl - did it have something to do with prevailing winds? and some of you knew all the ingedients. In the end, it was about the journey not the destination.

Ok, Ok I'm getting there! the exact date and time was.
September 16 2005
9:32:45


No one got the exact time, but in the spirit of fun, I'll award an 8x10 matted of this months print to the closest guess. That guess was 8:45 am wait... there was a tie between crazyforflowers and Frank Townsend. If you two would like to recieve a print, please email me with your address.

I was just thinking of some other similar things I could do, like virtual geocaching where you find the loacation by lat/lon and then guess the name of the location and the day and month the image was shot. The image will be the only clue as to the date. Any ideas out there?


Thanks everybody!

Steve

January Print of the Month

Sundial

I know what you're thinking, and yes, this is just how I found it. There were a number of these on the beach, but this was one of the more artistic ones. I understand the sand swirls, but the stone being up on it's edge seems odd. I immediately recognised it as a sundial and pointed my compass North so I could see what time it was. This image was shot in the Lake Superior State forest Campground on the way back to the Keweenaw after a couple of weeks shooting on the Canadian shore. Can you can guess what time it was when I shot this? If you can get the the hour and minutes correct you will get this month's image free! Send me an e-mail with your guess. I'll Take guesses through the 14th. Good luck! steve@brimmages.com

Something new is that I have added a smaller 8x10 with the print of the month for $19.95

view details here

Steve Brimm

http://www.stevebrimm.com/

http://stevebrimm-photographer.blogspot.com/

Writing Spider

Writing Spider, Scribbler, Black and Yellow Argiope (Argiope aurantia)

The Garden Spider (Areneus sp.)gets its name because people often find its large web in their backyard fruit and vegetable gardens. These spiders usually build their webs a few feet off of the ground between plants to catch insects that fly past. Garden spiders weave a distinct "zigzag" shape in the center of their webs. Another common name is the Writing Spider probably because someone thought the thickened web strands looked like some kind of writing.
The yellow and black garden spider is one of the largest spiders in our area, sometimes close to 2 inches in length (and that's not including the legs!). Despite their formidable appearance, garden spiders are not dangerous.

These Spiders were a fixture in my days growing up here in South Eastern North Carolina. For some reason they have always carried a bit of mystery to me, like they were special because they could "write" or maybe because if they wrote your name in their web, you were surely doomed.

We had a bumper crop of them this summer, probably because we are one of the few people to use herbicides and fertilizers to keep the grass golf course perfect. It was also one of the driest years on record. It was cool to see so many in one place. Usually they have laid their large brown egg sacks and died by October, but we had one that made a web across the kitchen window and she hung on much longer. Just before Christmas she had not moved for a couple of days so I went out to check on her. I blew very lightly on her and she bolted up to the top of the window and stayed there. The next morning as I made coffee I glanced out to see if she had returned to the middle of her web. She was nowhere in sight. I feared the worst and felt bad for having disturbed her in her last days. After my Espresso was pressed, I walked out expecting to find her dead on the back deck but instead she was wrapping up her third egg sack. She had already laid two which I thought was amazing because I had never seen one fill more than one egg sack. She rebuilt her web and lasted until after the new year.

If you find one in your garden, let 'em be - they're the good guys!

www.stevebrimm.com

http://stevebrimm-photographer.blogspot.com/

http://www.myspace.com/brimmages

Print Winner!

Welcome to 2008! I hope you brought it in with gusto, but not enough so as to be sore today. I'm sore, but it's because of the 9 staples that are in my foot, not Champagne. Is it just me or do you not bounce like you use to after 40?

Anyhooo, I wanted to thank everyone who made a donation for the Watoto Wa Kwetu Trust and Children’s Art Center. I know it will help make a difference, especially because of the turmoil that is occurring in those very Neighbourhoods right now. I hope that you will enjoy the screen savers.

Also, someone is also going to get to enjoy a free print as well! So drum roll please. (insert drum roll - no really, you have to put your tongue on the roof of you mouth and blow)bdddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd
t
...and the winner is

!!!!Annette Warner!!!! yea whoopee confetti balloons Champagne (that was a complete dramatization mind you)

Since I'm off my feet for a while you may be hearing from me again real soon.

Happy New Year

Cheers!

Steve

WIN A FREE PRINT OF YOUR CHOICE!

Well I hope everyone is having a great holiday season. It's in the 70's here today and It is a bit odd to be sweating and getting bit by mosquitoes while cleaning up the christmas decorations. I'm not complaining mind you.

Just a quick note to say thanks to everyone who contributed to the Watoto Wa Kwetu Trust and Children’s Art Center by purchasing a sceensaver. There are only two days left to purchase a screensaver and help out on this important project if you were planning on doing so but haven't. As a extra thank you and an incintive for those who whould still like to donate, I will be drawing a name after new years day for a free 11x17 print valued at $75. What Print? Whatever one you would like! Hows that for a deal? Follow this link to read more and donate.

If you would prefer to donate directly to Farin here is some info from her about that.

Greetings friends and family,

As the New Year approaches I find myself only three and a half weeks away from my departure to Kenya where as many of you already know, I will volunteer at the Watoto Wa Kwetu Trust and Children’s Art Center in the slums of Mathare. I managed to buy a ticket and put away enough money to sustain myself during the 6 weeks in which I will be there. This journey comes after 9 months of correspondence and planning with the founder of the center. I’ve been working very hard the past 3 months in order to raise funds to purchase some badly needed equipment and materials for the center. These items are better purchased in the US as the costs are much higher once in Kenya. You have most likely received several emails by now regarding this worthy project and my efforts to assist them. This will be the last one as time is of the essence and if I do not receive additional assistance within the next couple of weeks it may be too late to collect the items needed.

Just for the record, in order to better assist Watoto Wa Kwetu Trust and Children’s Art Center in the future, my friend Stacy Edwards and I are in the process of applying for our own 501 c3 status for our organization called Baobab Seed. This new organization should be up and running by early summer, allowing us to partner with Watoto Wa Kwetu and apply for US Grants to benefit their projects in Kenya. We will also be working to assist women in Kenya to learn skills that will lead to financial independence in order to sustain themselves and their children. At that time all donations made through Baobab Seed will also be tax deductible.

In a last effort to raise these funds I’m forwarding this information and web links to everyone and hope that you will respond. To begin with please check out the websites and consider either purchasing a piece of art or making a donation. Even a small donation will be most appreciated, $10, $20, $50, $100 or more, any amount you can see fit to send. Please make checks payable to: Farin Greer and mail them to 446 NE Ivy St., Portland, OR 97212

Here is a link to view paintings by Jacob Wachira Ezigbo (Jacob is the founder of Watoto Wa Kwetu trust). Here you can see the artwork that’s available for purchase. Please forward it to anyone that you may know that may be interested in donating or purchasing art. I have the first 28 paintings posted on the site here in Portland. I light of the short time I have to raise so much money, Jacob has agreed to reduce the price (marked on the website) 20% on any paintings over $500 in order to raise money for the center before I for Kenya.

Jacob’s Artwork:

www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/jacob-n-ezigbo.html

A critique on Jacob’s work:

www.fineartamerica.com/pressreleases/up-close-and-personal-with-artist-jacob-wachira-ezigbo-.html

The Watoto Wa Kwetu Trust’s main webpage:

www.myspace.com/watoto_wa_kwetu_trust

Also here is a link to my work, which a dozen or so are available (I will also donate 30% of any of the work I sell to Watoto Wa Kwetu Trust at this time to help the needs be met): www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/farin-greer.html

I wish everyone a happy, healthy joyful New Year,
Bless.
Farin


Farin has recieved some questions concerning the program so I thought I would pass along her reply.

RECENTLY ONE OFF OUR NEW VOLUNTEERS ASKED ME HOW TO RESPOND TO THE QUESTIONS WHICH I TOO GET ASKED EVERY DAY ABOUT THE WORK WE DO IN KENYA...I FELT THIS WAS A GREAT QUESTION AND WORTH SHARING AS MANY OF YOU MAY WONDER THE VERY SAME THING…She wrote to say that many of her friends and family have been asking questions about our choice to support programs that provide creative arts, when it seems obvious to assume that most of these children probably struggle just to get their basic necessities met, be in need of food, water and shelter. Well here is what I advised her to consider and share with people who ask this question; “There are in fact many new and established organizations that specifically work to assist the children(some of whom are orphaned) to have the basics.There still remains so very much to be done in all these areas.Though I will never argue that one must have the basics for thebody to survive, the soul is more complex. With nurture, by means of food, water and shelter there is still the need to nurture the soul by means of expression We desire to offer a vehicle for the children to dream beyond the moment. We believe...if you can dream it you canfind a way to make it happen, but if there is no dream, one may just fell a victim of their environment with no hope of something better. Creativity is a doorway to hope. I hope this helps. As the sayings go:Each One Teach One and Active Spirituality Supports Reality...”Please take a minute, visit our page and consider making a donation,no gift is too small….there is great power in a collective force of loveand support…Thanks for reading…Remember, we are all related,one people, one tribe- Blessings and Love…

Hey, is that eggnog I smell?

Hey last minute shoppers! If your like me and you put things off until the last moment when it's too late, then here is an opportunity to still give a nice gift in time for Christmas. You can purchase a gift certificate for a matted 20x24 or a framed 20x24 of the recipients choice,(they can pick it out later) and all without leaving home. Just follow the link below to purchase and print out your certificate on your home printer. Did I mention that shipping is FREE! That's $25 off the price of a framed piece! Hurry, this offer ends Christmas Day.

Purchase Gift Certificates here

Happy Holidays

Steve

Happy Holidays

Click image to download as free desktop

Watoto Wa Kwetu Children's Trust & Art Center

Greetings all! As promised, I've finished the full version of the Keweenaw Summer screensaver. There are 40 images that, except for the sample shots in the last post, no one has ever seen these. There is a bit of a twist however. I have decided to make this a donation to support the art programs for disadvantaged children in Kenya. For a full description of this program please follow this link. Watoto Wa Kwetu Children's Trust & Art Center Farin Greer is a personal friend, who represented my work at her gallery several years ago. Farin always incorporated Philanthropy and the Arts. I felt good when she sold my work because I knew that I was helping support a social or environmental cause. I hope you will have that same feeling by participating in this small way. These screensavers will normally be $3.95, but for this month they will be whatever you decide. This link will take you there. Keweenaw Screensaver

I know everyone has their hands out this time of year and this was certainly not planned that way, but as long as I have you thinking in that direction, I would like to make a plea. Our community of elders in Hospices, rest homes, nursing homes and senior centers, are always in need of your kindness and love, but this time of year especially. Bringing clothing, toiletries, or most importantly, an hour or more of your time to simply spend with someone, talking, singing, or whatever you like will do wonders. Some facilities have "Angel trees" so you may pick a name from the tree and sponser that person. Once you see their faces light up, you will be hooked. Please go to a facility near you this holiday season and give your time and heart.

Lastly, in case you you were not aware of how hard we nature photogs have it, I thought I'd give you a glimps. BTW if you ever run into this particular fellow, don't loan him your Fuji 6x17 or even your point and shoot.

That's all