Happy Birthday Denise (MrsRatbag) by anahata.c
Close
Hover over top left image to zoom.
Click anywhere to exit.
Members remain the original copyright holder in all their materials here at Renderosity. Use of any of their material inconsistent with the terms and conditions set forth is prohibited and is considered an infringement of the copyrights of the respective holders unless specially stated otherwise.
Description
Denise, I wish you a very happy, very rich, very full and deeply loving birthday. You've shared with us---always with remarkably grace-filled spirit---some of the struggles of your last year...sick parents, the gnawing possibility of having to move, your own health including your eyes and the problems you've had with them...yet I've never seen you turn-away from any of it, or anyone, or let it stop you, or make you abandon your beautiful art. Where we're concerned, you've not only continued to share some of the most beautiful, caring art on this site, but you've received all of us with unflagging grace and love: Your comments are some of the best we have, and you always keep them coming, even when many of us tell you it's ok if you just post. You just keep caring no matter what.
When you got awards (Gallery of the Month and Year, then Member of the Year), you took them with gratitude but without a shred of vanity. I think you've seen enough life to know that what matters is the love we share, and not the awards we get. (I was impressed though!) And whatever you were dealing with, you just kept putting out your art: To me, you make photographs an offering: They're intimate, they're from your insides, they're beautiful and offered to the world on a silk-divan. That's how they feel to me: given to us on a personal silk-divan.
I know you've become a great voice for animals and plants (who doesn't know that by now): But you've done the same for architectural shots and cityscapes, or those signature bench or bridge shots, or park and pond shots and so on. In each case, I felt they were like those Oriental cinnabar or ivory boxes, with a whole sea all over them but intimate enough to be a personal gift. Truly, it's in your light, your crops, your way with hue and texture, even your bokeh (your bokeh is to die for)---it's your magic.
And re struggles, there are those who say beautiful art can "take away the struggles of life". I don't know...I'd say, instead, that beautiful art exists right beside the struggles of life, and ultimately grabs them and lets them know it won't be moved. Ancient Hindus called it lila (lee-lah)---the universe as Cosmic Dance: They didn't say it 'erased' struggles, but rather took them by the hand and invited them to dance. That's what you do here everyday: invite us to that big, spilling, never-ending, crazy and beautiful dance.
So know I'm deeply grateful for all you do here and give to me and others, and for the gentle stream of lila that you give everyday (on that silk divan). I wish you the world with your struggles, and the light and to keep dancing right through them. Grace, love and happiness, Denise, and fountains of blessings to your glowing and ever-dancing soul!
Mark
(The image was supposed to be "The Inner Life of a Flower"...
Ha! I don't know if I got close, lol!
But it's huuuuuge, so please zoom---and scroll!!!)
Comments (15)
LivingPixels
An eloquent and most heartfelt dedi Mark and an awesome image of style and great impact it would look great on a canvas 160cm x 120cm supercool and seriously delightful feast of visual eye candy of the highest caliber Lovely work my friend!!!
MrsRatbag
Wow, Mark, I'm moved and almost embarrassed; I don't feel I deserve such glowing kudos, I just do my stuff and hope that someone likes it somewhere. I see mostly my flawed interpretation of the feeling or vision I want to convey, not the successful bits, if there are any. Your work, on the other hand, flows like an aurora that can't be stopped! Rich, luminous, boiling with feeling and intensity...this is stunning, and I wish I had it massively huge in a hologram that I could park in the middle of a big room and just walk around in awe, seeing every little nuance. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, my friend!
goodoleboy
OMG, you took the words right out of my mouth with this awesome epic birthday dedication to our mutual friend, Denise. You captured her soul to its most subatomic being with this all encompassing and lavish salutation, Mark. And your art is splendidly filled with paroxysms of rich and lush colorful multifaceted forms and shapes, seemingly clinging to, and trying to prevent, sliding down a pane of glass. Most apt and super all the way, my friend! Happy Birthday, Denise!
auntietk
I know this is meant to be viewed as a whole, and indeed, I looked at it that way for quite a while! But when I zoomed and scrolled, I fell in love with the bottom right-hand section with its lush, rich purples and blacks. Glorious! It's a beautiful dedication for Denise, and I love her idea of viewing this as a full-sized hologram one could walk around. What a marvelous experience that would be! Happy Birthday to Denise! :)
beachzz
What a beautiful birthday gift for Denise!! Everything you said about her is right on; she's pretty cool and I've the pleasure of spending some great time with her. Hope I can do it again one of these days. Happy Birthday, Denise!! Oh, and I'm with Tara, I LOVE that purple and black image; it reminds me of a dark, quiet night.
magnus073
Mark, first of all let me say that you have done it once again. This thoughtful dedication to your dear friend was one of the most moving anyone could ask for. As with so many of your presentations I wanted to be sure to wait until the person it was dedicated to had commented. You're friend Denise is clearly everything you've said and more, judging by her humble response. Like everyone here she was both moved by the thoughtfulness behind this dedication as well as the beauty of the expressive image. The image is filled with magic and has an allure that one can hardly resist.
photosynthesis
The colors are wild & the words insightful & lovingly crafted. As a fan of Denise's photography, I agree wholeheartedly with your observations...
durleybeachbum
Complex, engrossing and gorgeous!
flavia49
excellent dedication
romanceworks
A wonderful dedi for Denise. And I just adore your very imaginative image. Quite a colorful and complex story going on inside those flowers.
alida
great dedi
jocko500
wonderful colors
LBJ2
Wonderful image and composition, Mark. I love the colors you have chosen for this. It does have the feeling of life inside a flower, as you mention. A fine birthday card for a fine personality and artist.
Chipka
What a gorgeous dedication to one of my favorite photographers here! And what an image. As with all of your work, there's so much to see and so many connections that spring to mind. When I first saw this (not even at full view yet) i was reminded of something totally unrelated. Aleksandar Hemon is one of my favorite writers (I've voraciously devoured nearly everything he's written, and I'm really impatient for him to come out with at least another short story in a place where I can read it!) Anyway: in his novel The Lazarus Project, the first of his works that I've read, I saw a photograph that seems to have found its echo in the lower left frame of this image. This looks nothing like that and yet there's a particular kind of resonance. I like it when things like that happen: when shapes and colors imply the presence of some thing else. It's like two sides of reality conversing with each other, and saying really interesting things. But aside from that, the entire image is absolutely perfect! You work on such a large scale and it's always so complex and so intricate and so full of life, and this is no exception. It's even better because it's a birthday dedication: one of the best. Your abstract shapes and swirls imply motion: that much is obvious, but what I find engaging is the way in which they also give shape to particular narratives: that may be quite subjective, but for me, there's always a kind of progression...something like a story told in moods and impressions rather than in words. It's dance-like, but in a way that "speaks" of dance as a kind of language. (Okay, that last bit probably indicates that I've probably spent way too much time eavesdropping on bees. Well...eavesdropping on videotaped bees.) I love every aspect of this image and the way it all flows, fits together, and gives surprising, refreshing life to each of its components. This really shines in all of the best possible ways and it's a perfect birthday dedication.
Cyve
It's really fabulous... Fantastically well done !!!