Solitary Exploration

“It’s an interesting combination: Having a great fear of being alone, and having a desperate need for solitude and the solitary experience. That’s always been a tug of war for me.”
― Jodie Foster

Last week, I shared a meal with a dear friend who I spend time with once a week.  I was excitedly telling her about an excursion I took the previous day.  She exclaimed, “Don’t you just love time by yourself!”  As much as I long to be with others and build in time each week to spend with friends and family, there are times when I find the most enjoyment in doing activities on my own.

This was the case last week for two separate daily excursions.

The first of these trips was to Lake City, SC, for my first experience with Artfields.  My wonderful friend, Houck Medford, introduced me to Artfields and piqued my curiosity enough to plan a visit.  After driving two and a half hours to Lake City, I got out to investigate the town for about half an hour before the venues opened for visitors.

Artfields, which began in 2013, is a nine-day celebration of art. Art created by hundreds of artists is displayed throughout the town: in galleries, the ice cream shop, the barbershop, and retail stores for visitors to enjoy. Significant cash prizes are awarded at the conclusion of the event.

I couldn’t resist a selfie at the start of my day of exploration.

There are murals painted on the outsides of buildings throughout the town.  This one is titled Infinite Flowers and was created by Lance Turner.

A visitor was enjoying and photographing Nate Sheaffer’s entry, titled All We Need.

One of my favorite venues in town was the Lake City Emporium Antiques & Eclectic Finds. Jennifer Lee, one of the store’s owners, created the Edgar Allen Poe artwork.

Everything in the town was inviting.  I stopped to photograph these flowers in a bank parking lot.

Most artists had cards that visitors could take to learn more about them and their art.

I intended to spend several hours exploring, eat a nice lunch, and then head home.  I was so excited by what I was experiencing that I enjoyed the artwork from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.  If I had been able, I would have stayed longer.

I will be sure to revisit Artfields next year.

After a day of rest, I was back on the road for another day trip to see Imogen Cunningham’s photography at the Reynolda House Museum of American Art in Winston-Salem, NC. I have been looking forward to this exhibit and have read about Imogen in preparation for my visit.  I have found that the more I know about an artist and his/her work prior to seeing the exhibition, the more I enjoy it.

This is a scene I saw in the house at the Reynolda House.

Before going to the exhibit, I stopped by the Reynolda Gardens and photographed for a couple of hours.

On my way home, a field of poppies beckoned me to turn around and spend some time.

As much as I love doing things with friends and family, sometimes going on my own allows me to experience an event or place in ways that wouldn’t be possible if I were with others.

I have a passion for both teaching and photography.  I would love the opportunity to share this passion with you through one of my upcoming learning experiences.  Below, please find some of my offerings:

Meet Your Muse in Raleigh co-teaching with Jamie Konarski Davidson, In Person, July 2024

Guided Book Study for Photographers, Online, July – October 2024

Creative Compositing Workshop, Online, August 2024

Personal Projects Workshop, Online, October 2024

Creative Zoo Photography Workshop, Online and In Person, October and November 2024

Make Magic Using Digital Processing Tools, Online

Mentorship, Online, In Person, or a combination depending upon your location

Private Instruction, Online or In Person depending upon your location