Cabin Fever!

Spending Some Time Away From the City This Easter Weekend.

Well, I had to put my sewing on hold for the moment.  My parents and I decided to take our family to my Uncles' cabin to visit my grandmother.  We hopped in the RV and were on our way.  On his land he built a small cabin and a farm, so we took in all the nostalgia of rural life as we could for one long weekend.  We were completely off the grid with only the use of our cell phones to call home if needed.  Since we had the outdoors at our fingertips, I felt it would be a great place to get some artistic inspiration.

   

The cabin inside matches the rustic outside with all the antique collectibles that were used to decorate each space.  I found myself wandering around taking pictures of things that really inspired something in me.  I'm not usually the one to become inspired by rustic charm, but I was intrigued by all the intense contrast of light versus dark with interesting objects that were grouped together.  I first found this miniature set of salt and pepper shakers.  They caught my eye because of there size and unique pattern on the silver.  Next, I wandered across a metal churn attached to a cabinet.  The contrast was so intense that it reminded me of Caravaggio's work from the Baroque period.  Needless to say I love the visual drama the contrast creates.  The last picture that I was really inspired by in the cabin was a hammock that was hanging on a wood post on the porch.  Once again the contrast between the metals and organic nature caught my eye leaving the foreground slightly blurry.  Just Fabulous!

Moving to the outdoors, the scenery was just beautiful. Thank goodness for the sunshine!  On my Uncles' land there are several ponds with geese, miniature horses, donkeys, and an awesome golf cart.  It was great to use to venture out in, and my kids really loved the wind in their hair.  While we were venturing out, I was on a mission for inspiration.  I really enjoyed finding interesting shadows and perspectives on objects.  The first photo was a happy accident.  The shadow of the tree really came alive and looked as if it were trying the chase my family.  The next photo was also another happy accident.  As I was getting up close to a miniature horse hiding behind some machinery, I found a slew of caterpilliers crawling all over the handle.  Amazing things happen when you least expect them.  In the last photo I just loved the perspective of the bridge while my daughter was running across it. So Amazing!

Our last full day here, we couldn't do much outside.  The morning started off promising. By the afternoon It poured down rain until the next morning, so my kids and I snuggled up together for a long nap.  It was much needed rest since we had gone nonstop for the last couple of days.  Now to put my inspirations to action on paper. 

I challenge you to go out and find inspiration in your surroundings. You will be amazed at what you might be inspired by.