love these little blue flowers and what a treat to have a little bumble bee visit them 

Anyone know the name of this little jewel?

This past weekend was the Bluegrass Underground extravaganza!!!  Two days, 8 acts, 800 people in the cave on Saturday!!  It was crazy …. crazy good!   I discovered three new acts that I like…. 18 South, Mountain Heart and OMG… Monte Montgomery….can that man play a guitar and his voice and lyrics… I was wowed and Justin Townes Earle!!!   A few of my other favorites were there as well:  Cherryholmes, Will Hoge and Darrell Scott.  

Saturday it was so packed and we were banished to stage right… got alot of interesting images that day.  Sunday we got to sit front row!! 

18 South

18 South

Mountain Heart

Cherryholmes, tuning up, waiting to take the stage.

Cherryholmes, emerging from the cave depths to take the stage.

Cherryholmes

Cherryholmes

Cherryholmes

Cherryholmes

Cherryholmes

Cherryholmes

Cherryholmes

Cherryholmes

Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder

Ricky Skaggs

Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder

Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder

Will Hoge

Will Hoge

Will Hoge

Will Hoge

Will Hoge

Will Hoge

Darrell Scott

Darrell Scott

Darrell Scott

Justin Townes Earle

Justin Townes Earle

Justin Townes Earle

Justin Townes Earle

 This past weekend our beautiful city and middle Tennessee received a record amount of rain.  13 inches was recorded and I heard reports from others of as much as 22 inches.  My neighborhood and house are fine.  I had just a little water in my basement thanks to the All Dry system and a sump pump.   Other neighbors had feet of water in their basements and lost very precious belongings.   Another neighborhood across the main road was wiped out …. people lost everything!  The mighty Cumberland River could not contain itself, nor the Stones River or Old Hickory Lake north of town.  It took several days for me to even pick up my camera… I think I was in shock.   Yesterday after I finished a kiddo session I drove into downtown from East Nashville, parked my car in a lot off 1st Ave/Hermitage Ave and walked around.  While it was really devastating, it was not as bad as I thought, this due to the water starting to recede.   Downtown is still without power and Nashville is being asked to conserve water.   

Second Ave South.

Second Ave Abstract

Korean Vets Bridge from Second Ave South

more of Second Ave South

Hoses from the Schermerhorn

What Would Johnny Cash Think?

Fence Abstract

The street by the Encore... it was like a ghost town.

Electricity is out from 1st to 4th Ave's both sides of Broadway.

looking at 2nd ave from 3rd ave... the water really is this color... yuck!

Malloy St. .... across from this building is the back of the Encore building. I loved the light streaks on the building.

light stripes

Muddy Leaf

Birds Eye View of First Avenue Plaza

Signs at First Avenue Plaza

A bleak First Avenue from the Shelby Street Bridge

Should be called water street.

Second Avenue South #1

Second Avenue South #2

Reporting from across the Schermerhorn and in front of the Hilton.

Titans parking lot abstract with tracks.

Parking Lot Receding

Parking lot #3

First Avenue

Glimmer of Hope

This year the wisteria is about twice the size it was last year!   It is so lush and the bumble bees are having a grand time working in this fragrant and colorful gift from nature.  

I found these beauties while cleaning up my hard drives the other days.  They were in my personal edit folder.  It was so fun to find so many images in there that I had only browsed once or twice and put away for a rainy day.   

Here is Carnton Plantation sometime in the fall of 2006.  

And Happy New Decade!  Two thousand ten. Twenty ten.  Sounds good to me!  Thanks to everyone who has supported my work and trusted me to photograph them.  2009 was a great year for change, learning, starting new things, getting back into art!   Over the Christmas holiday I headed to Baltimore to spend time with my brother and his family.  One day my sister in law and I went to Winterthur in Wilmington, Delaware.  It was a winter wonderland!!   

Canadian geese gather on clean, untouched snow at Winterthur.

At the front of the house, tree shadows provide a beautiful backdrop for this little holly tree.

Announcing new services and the January White Sale at Mary Claire Studio.  Contact the studio for pricing information and to get on the mailing list to receive white sale specials.                             

Classic Studio session                                  

• In studio session in our studio in the heart of Nashville
• Up to 30 minutes creating images
• On line gallery to purchase from with 10-20 images
• Phone or studio selection consultation available

Black and White Fine Art Portrait                                                                                   

            In studio session with all images captured in black and white.  A limited on line gallery with 10-20 proofs from the session will be presented to you to make your selection for a petite gallery print (4×6, 5×5 image size) matted and framed to 11×14.

This collection also includes 2 5×7 gift prints of the image chosen for your fine art piece.

Baby’s First Year Classic                                                                       

• 4 sessions in studio documenting 3, 6, 9 and 12 months
• 4 image panel, matted and ready for a frame
• On line gallery for selecting your favorites and ordering additional prints

I am still offering lifestyle sessions at your home or on location!  

A classic portrait in black and white.

Last week I took a trip to the Nashville Zoo.  It had really been too long, two months since I had seen the little baby clouded leopards.   They have gotten so big and the girl has already left for her new home at the National Zoo in Washington DC.   She is going there to get acquainted with the baby clouded leopard cubs born this year as possible mates.   So it is just Luke and Chet.  I wonder if they miss their sister?    Here are some photos of the cubs along with some of my other friends who were out enjoying the warm, autumn air one afternoon last week.   Another interesting thing while I was at the zoo this particular afternoon:  I witnessed three separate scuffles.  Two meerkats were at it, two lorikeets were at it and two of the gibbons were at it.  

Such a beautiful face.

Big...yyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnn.....prrrrrrrrr....

What's that I see over there?

Handsome profile!

The boys kept looking up... there was a squirrel tormenting them.

Relaxing.

This is from the creek that runs through the Gibbons exhibit. I like the reflections.

The meerkat.

Silly goat.

Gotee.

Mr. Giraffe.

Knobby knees.

I cannot remember the name of this bird, he/she is related to the roadrunner and makes a really cool coo sound.

This guy was beautiful when he spread his wings... too fast and I was too occupied with the thought of lorikeets running into me.

Lorikeets.

Two more of one of the boys.

This past Thursday mother nature provided us with a beautiful foggy morning here in Historic Old Hickory Village.  The fog was so thick and dense.  When I walked out the door it felt so calm, just like when snow falls.  The fog provides a beautiful, soft, diffused light on the world.   So many flowers still bloom:  cosmos, knock out roses and several trees still holding onto their bright vibrant leaves all looking stunning against this greyish, creamy atmosphere.   What a beautiful, moody and soulful morning!  Thanks to my friend Bev for calling it a sleepy hollow morning. 

Looking down my street, Jones Street and a dewey spiderweb on my neighbors lamp post.

Turning the corner at Jones and 8th. This is where 8th turns into Riverside.

Treetops lakeside.

Everytime I pass this little forest on Riverside and it is foggy I expect any moment to see Hansel and Gretel.

The fog acts as big softbox and provides beautiful, clean color saturation. This is peeling bark from a birch tree in my neighbor Bev's yard.

Molly on 13th street. I just love how the orange maple pops.

Another version of the orange maple at Clarke and 13th.

Georgia howling and barking.

Yellow cosmos still in bloom in Martha's yard.

Back on Jones Street and I see Jonesy, the cat perched on my neighbor's fence.

Words can not describe what this past weekend meant to me as an artist.  Thank goodness I brought my camera as being inspired for me can come at any time and being inside the Frist with all the play of sunlight inside the building brought me much happiness!  In addition to attending this workshop I also participated in an artisan fair at a local church.  The church thing left me feeling very vulnerable and while I did not end up with two masterpieces from the Frist workshop I learned alot about myself. Enlightening, rewarding, renewing, refreshing….. a renewal of my spirit, not to mention the chance to meet some new friends is what I took away from the workshop.   I first learned about the workshop from my friend Ashley Mayfield.  The teacher of this workshop was Michelle Herbert, an artist, entrepreneur, owner of the wonderful shop, Shimai.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself and while I do not consider my paintings complete I am well on my way to re-igniting my painting passion.  

A beautiful, warm November day in Nashville!

The moon showing itself during the day. This is the clock tower at Union Station which is right next door to the Frist.

Beautiful early afternoon light doing a dance over the water fountain in the studio hallway.

Painting progression.... this was an abstract workshop with inspiration from Georgia O'Keefe. This is inspired by a skull... I think it has a hen, bird look.

The hallway.

classroom reflection in marble

Views of Union Station from the ladies restroom and the stairwell.

Hallway abstracts

Michelle demonstrating staining a canvas and giving guidance to the only man in our class!

tools

4 o'clock light warming up the front of the Frist.

The flag was flying at half-staff I think for those who died in the Ft. Hood tragedy.

Love the letters and shadows!

I created these on my way back from looking for the moon last night! 

Sugar Maple Triptych

Lakeside

Untitled

Angry Chaos

Dreamy Chaos

Picket Fence