I had a hard time deciding on a recipe for this month but in the end I decided to go with something that is not only simple and seasonal, but also something that reminds me of my Aquarius father, who dearly loved his food and wine and would have loved this recipe! I know Valentine’s Day is coming up and you were probably expecting something chocolaty, but as we had something sweet last month, I thought we should go savory this time!
Langston Hughes, Writer 1902 – 1967
In keeping with our theme – this month’s quote comes from surprise, surprise, an Aquarius and writer Langston Hughes, born of African-American and Native American descent, and was best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance, writing about Harlem when it was considered to be “in vogue.” And like most Aquarians, he was concerned with “freedom.” Give an Aquarius their freedom and they can produce magic. Attempt to cage them in, and you’re in trouble, they’ll be gone in a flash and might not come back!
“An artist must be free to choose what he does, certainly, but he must also never be afraid to do what he might choose.”
Langston Hughes
Individuality
Aquarius, the Water Bearer
Greetings everyone and welcome to the February ChatterBulletin! We have moved from Capricorn, our sure-footed and mountain climbing goat, into the sign of Aquarius. From the sign that requires structure, discipline and rules, comes the sign that above everything else needs its freedom, and if necessary, will either break or reinvent the rules, so there!
This month’s article for PhotoServe’s Features section is a conversation with my friend Alexandra Bortkiewicz, who is the Director of Photography for Alamy Stock Agency in the UK. Click on this link to read the entire article: Alexandra Bortkiewicz January2011
© Alamy Collection/Roger Bamber
Continuing on with this month’s theme of individuality, it won’t come as a surprise that this month’s photographers are showing portraits of “unique” individuals!
David Partner
Starting us out this month is photographer and long-time friend, David Partner. We have known each other for a great many years that began as far back as our teens, but the reason I’m showing this particular portrait this month is because I thought it perfectly represented the idea of “unique individuals.”
Here we have a portrait of Lois Maxwell, the Canadian actress who originated the role of “Miss Moneypenny” in the early James Bond movies, and wouldn’t you know it – she just so happened to be born on Valentine’s Day and was therefore an Aquarius herself! Perfect! This image was part of a retrospective exhibition of David’s photographs held in July of last year at the Rook Lane Chapel & Arts Trust, as part of the 10-year Anniversary of the Frome Festival in Somerset, England.
Lois Maxwell © David Partner
http://www.rooklanearts.org.uk/
Sponge Toffee or Honeycomb Candy
My sister and I grew up eating Cadbury’s chocolate, and one of her absolute favorites was the “Crunchie” bar – delicious honeycomb toffee covered in rich milk chocolate. So when an old friend of mine sent me this recipe just recently, it was a perfect birthday treat for my sister and this month’s bulletin.
© Joan Beard
“Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children.”
Alex Haley, Author of “Roots”
Grandparents
Capricorn, the Sea-Goat
Greetings everyone and welcome to the year 2011! It is interesting to contemplate that we have not only begun a new calendar year, but also a new decade. As we get older, we find ourselves talking about our life in decades, such as comparing our current economic crisis to the “great depression” of the 20’s & 30’s, or growing up in the “swinging” 60’s, and so on… But when we now refer back to this last decade, and the first one of the 21st century, it just doesn’t seem to roll off the tongue quite so easily. So how were the “10’s” for you? Sounds weird, right? Well, weird or not, here we are in the year 2011 and what it has already given me is the rare opportunity to send out our 1st bulletin of the decade on 1-11-11 – not too many chances for that, now are there, so we consider it to be a very good omen! Can’t wait for November!
Continuing on with this month’s theme and in respect for our “elders” I am featuring photographers with images of seniors. This may not always be the primary focus of their photography, but it is a joy to see such beautiful portraits, regardless of the subject’s age. Each one tells a beautiful story. I emailed a number of photographers asking them specifically for images of older people, and I had some wonderful responses. Unfortunately, we couldn’t fit them all in this time around, but thank you all for sending them. And another interesting note is that none of the photographers we are featuring this month have been in the bulletin before, so that’s cool.
Shannon Fagan
Shannon shot this beautiful portrait series in 2006 as a personal project alongside a weeklong lifestyle stock photo shoot at a nursing home in Dallas, TX. It also brought him 1st Place in The Photo Review Competition in 2008. He said, “I was able to make friends with many of the residents (as they grew accustomed to my presence in the environment) which led to the personal body of work… beauty portraits of the residents in contrast to what is otherwise considered a negative topic of aging by traditional standards and/or situations of healthcare.”
© Shannon Fagan
