Southern Gravures

Chapel of Ease plate, it hasn't survived all that well

You may or may not know that I lived for a couple of years in Savannah, GA, when I first began my BFA. It turned out that the south was just not my cup of tea but I did have some amazing experiences there. 
My most common photographic subjects while I lived there were the numerous church ruins that could be found just over the border in South Carolina. The other night I had a dream that I was back there photographing. Strange, I know, but I just couldn't resist doing a little throw back and posting some images I took there. After moving to San Francisco, I turned the original large format negatives into photogravures (a long, complicated process that results in copper negatives that are printed on an etching press).

The Chapel of Ease was one of the easiest places to get to, being right off a main road. 

Old Sheldon Church was a little harder to find but possibly my preferred spot to explore and photograph. The church grounds are rather marshy and the ruins are surrounded by trees that make the entrance somewhat dark and gloomy. The ruins themselves are on a bit of a hill and in full sunlight, on a good day. You are so taken by this as you walk up, that you don't notice the strangeness of the trees, until you turn around to leave...

At some point in the past, the holes in the trees were bricked up. I am sure there is some innocent reasoning behind this but I always found them a little spooky, considering the ruins and graves nearby. 

A Finished Knitted Piece--For the First Time Ever!

Just look at those finished ends, no needles attached

So, a friend of mine taught me to knit years ago, back in high school. But, at that time, it just wasn't my thing, it took too long to get a result. Then, when I was living in Savannah, Georgia, and was working Saturdays in the Tours Office at the Savannah College of Art and Design, the admissions rep I worked with showed me how to knit so we could better pass the time (this was a bit before you could spend an entire day on Facebook and YouTube). Finally, over Thanksgiving, I bought some yarn and needles at The Websters in Ashland, Oregon, thinking that I could get a decent amount of knitting done on the 5 hour drive back to San Francisco. Alas, that drive resulted in only a few inches of scarf, but, I have stuck with the project and this afternoon, I finished it! Don't get my wrong, the scarf is a bit too short for my liking and is full of holes, but I'm still proud!