Weekly Photo Challenge: Green

In February of 2012, I took my first solo vacation… to Las Vegas.  I know right, an odd choice, especially to go on alone.  But… it was 9 months after my husband’s death, it was February aka cold, and I was on a budget.  Vegas provided me with entertainment, warm weather, and the flights and hotel were cheap. It was a no-brainer actually.

What do you do in Las Vegas alone?  Well, clubbing and intoxication didn’t seem like safe choices to me.  Instead I went to a day spa, ate well, took a trip out to the Grand Canyon, and visited galleries.  The galleries are where I became exposed to the work of some phenomenal photographers such as Peter Lik and William Carr and thus a love affair began.

Upon returning home, I found a Peter Lik gallery in NYC and began to visit it often.  I finally worked up the courage to sit down for a viewing of a few of my favorites.  Yes, I was seriously considering purchasing a piece of fine art photography.  Not only did I consider it, I actually did.  It wasn’t Peter Lik’s though, it was William Carr’s Brilliant.

I had a bit of money after my husband passed and spending a couple of thousand dollars on artwork wasn’t necessary what I should have spent it on, but for anyone who has gone through a loss knows how difficult it is.  I had gone from coming home each day to a husband, son, and 2 dogs.  After my husband died, the dogs went to our parents for a bit to help me out, and my son and I were always together.  Each day I walked into our home and into silence.  This art spoke to me in a way and took away that silence.

So I took the plunge and did something completely out of character for me.  I bought it.  However, when it arrived, it came damaged.  To make an even longer story shorter, I ended up taking the refund.  I decided to use that money to see that tree in person and that is exactly what I did.

In August of 2013, I took my second solo trip to Portland, Oregon.  My tree resided in the Japanese Garden.  I got to see it, touch, and photograph it for myself.  I experienced it for myself and because of all the meaning behind it, this trip was amazing and one of the best that I will ever have taken.

It IS Easy Being Green!

It’s such an underrated color.  To me, it’s refreshing and alive.