Lightning from Last Night

Lightning photos from last night. See also:

More from Ouray

Another photo from our camping trip last weekend -this one was taken at the Ridgeway State Park campground.

New Work

Untitled (rocket), Acrylic on Panel, 20x16", 2011

Blossoms of Light 2010

We went to the Denver Botanic Gardens "Blossoms of Light" again last year - here are a few pics. This will likely be my last post of the year. See everyone in 2011 with lots to share... Thanks for checking in.

Earth and Moon from 114 Million Miles

In the lower left portion of this image, the Earth can be seen, as well as the much smaller Moon to Earth's right. When MESSENGER took this image, a distance of 183 million kilometers (114 million miles) separated the spacecraft and Earth. To provide context for this distance, the average separation between the Earth and the Sun is about 150 million kilometers (93 million miles)...more here.

This is such a dynamic image - I love the way every deer leaves in a different direction. Source.

And still I stared into the sky

image from the Astronomy picture of the day.

“Without a wish, without a will,
I stood upon that silent hill
And stared into the sky until
My eyes were blind with stars and still
I stared into the sky.”

~Ralph Hodgson

Blossoms of Light

We went to Denver's Botanic Gardens Blossoms of Light last night and took these photos:

Last Night's Snow

I took these photos late last night (look at them full size):

Photo of the Day

"Claire Rambarde" by David Picchiottino

Photos by Brendan Austin

all photographs by Brendan Austin.

Photo-trap paintings by DMZ

Paintings (yes paintings) by Diego Martinez (DMZ):

New Drawing

Nathan Abels, (Untitled), Ink, Charcoal and Pastel on Paper, 9x12", 2009

I made this small work yesterday.

A Trip to the Moon

In honor of this mornings moon bombing - I present Georges Melies' 1902 classic film "A Trip to the Moon" (Une Voyage dans la Lune):

New Work: "Sullen Roar"

Nathan Abels, "Sullen Roar", Acrylic on Panel, 36x48", 2009

Remington's "The Winter Campaign"

Frederic Remington, The Winter Campaign, Oil on Canvas, 1909

A review of this work written on December 11, 1909 says, "The Winter Campaign - a group of soldiers squatting about a fire, with their horses huddling close to them to keep warm - expresses, as only Remington can the oneness of feeling of animals and men in the face of nature's menace of death.

Indeed, in all of Remington's pictures the shadow of death seems not far away. If the actors in his vivid scenes are not threatened by death in terrible combat, they are menaced by it in the form of famine thirst or cold. One sees the death's-head through the skin of the lean faces of his Indians, cowboys and soldiers; his figures are clothed and desperately active skeletons, and even about his animals there is strong suggestion of the nearness of the moment when their bones will lie bleatching in the desert."

From Frederic Remington, "The Color of Night." Image from flickr user unforth.

Select Recent Photos by Me

August 17 Denver Storm - Lit by Lightning - no photoshop

Floorboards in the Duncan house in the ghost-town of Animas Forks, Colorado

Gray Jay in Animas Forks, Colorado

Ridgeway State Park

Wallpaper in the Gustafson House - Animas Forks, Colorado

All photos by Nathan Abels - taken in the last week or so.

Rob Evans

Rob Evans

Susquehanna Bridge in Moonlight, 2009, pastel on museum board, 18 x 26 inches

Migration, 1997 - mixed media on paper - 20" x 27.7"

The Game, 1991 - oil on panel - 24" x 48"

Fireworks (Re-Post)

(Re-post from 2008)

I've had a lot of memorable Fourth of July experiences - here's a quick video of one of the more special ones in recent memory - the Fourth of July fireworks at Tybee Island in Georgia in 2005. It was beautiful to see the fireworks reflected on the ocean while laughing and cheering with friends - sipping a Corona that was half full of salt water from all the waves that had splashed into our drinks. Other Fourth of July memories that stick out in my mind include being on the roof of an old church on Broadway in Fort Wayne, Indiana after climing up an old dusty ladder in the attic, and a year ago when we saw numerous fireworks displays from all across the front range because we were at a higher vantage point in Stapleton. Have fun tonight everyone - be safe too.

Painting of the Day

Frederic Remington, Moonlight, Wolf, oil on canvas, C.1909