Baltimore County Rural Landscape- Mobile Artistry by Tracey Grumbach

Tracey Grumbach- Barn Art

I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world.

-George Washington 

This quote says it all...I don't have a lot of words today other than to say my daughter made it safely home from Canada last night after the trip of a lifetime. She truly was blessed to have this life experience and we are so grateful to her friend's family for inviting her along on this adventure. Brenna only has 3 more weekends here at home before moving away to college, so I'm glad to have her back to spend some quality time with her before she leaves again. 

This barn is one I admire greatly and pass frequently along my route to and from where I see my doctor and get blood work. The barn and the property are just magnificent and I would love to explore further but I don't know the owners. I am thinking about putting together a collage of all the many barns I have photographed over the years. I truly have an obsession with them!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and I look forward to sharing more images with you in the coming days.

Have a great Monday!

xo

Hello Darkness, My Old Friend- Digital Art

It has been quiet around here. Despite my plans for an active summer full of exploring with the twins before they return to public school in September, my body has decided not to cooperate so far. I've been confined to the house pretty much for the last week except for an outing to the Hippodrome with a friend and a family picnic for 4th of July...both of which I rested in chairs.  Yesterday I had a close call with a health crisis that almost sent me to the hospital, but in the end it subsided and I was able to stay home, under the careful and vigilant watch of my oldest daughter.  I sure am going to miss her when she moves away next month. I still have tons of hope, though, and I see a future full of activity and exploring. I'm just not quite there yet.

Since I haven't been far from home, I have been busy with creative things around the house. This was the view from my front porch when a summer thunderstorm was rolling in. Not too shabby of a view! I've also been working on my Figurescapes class and I have completed my second project. I'll show that to you and talk more about that here on the blog tomorrow. I've also been writing. Yesterday, I told you I was writing another article for The Mighty and I did, but after going back to edit it yesterday after lunch, I hated it. Yep. I absolutely hated the article I wrote. The tone was so negative and I didn't like how I presented the material. So, today, I plan on rewriting the article, but this time with a positive and hopeful tone!

Today looks to be more of the same, except maybe I will pull out some art materials and make some art paper and collages I can use in upcoming artwork I have planned. It will be fun to do something with physical materials instead of a just a computer. I hope your Thursday is the best Thursday you've ever had! I think I'll throw on some relaxing music, fold some laundry, and then get started with all of these creative endeavors I have planned. Till tomorrow...

xo

The Winter Ivy on the Red Barn- Altered Photography by Tracey Grumbach

About this image:  A different view of one of my favorite barns, Duncan Road Barn. I took this image the same day as I took this one, intrigued by the barren ivy that climbs the beautiful red barn wood.

Last year I set a goal for myself to read 20 books. For some reason I had a horrible time achieving that...it seemed like as soon as I got half way through a book I lost interest and started something else.  It's not that the books were bad. If that were the case I would have just stopped reading it and moved on.  But instead, I just lost my focus and interest with no fault to the book. This year I have decided to pick up the books I left abandoned and try and finish them. I hate unfinished things. I am not a fan of loose ends, so wrapping up these books and adding them to my finished pile will feel good.

One of the books I left behind last year was my signed copy of Never Broken-Songs Are Only Half the Story by Jewel. I really admire Jewel as a person and an artist, so I really wanted to finish her memoir. I also watch Alaska, the Last Frontier on television. It is a reality show about her family, the Kilchers,  that still live and homestead in Alaska. This season Jewel came back to the homestead with her son, Kase, so it encouraged me even more to pick up the book again. A few pages into reading the book this year, I came across this quote and it struck me, so I thought I would share it with you...

From Never Broken-Songs Are Only Half the Story- by Jewel

I wrote feverishly, spending two weeks in silence.  I cannot overstate the importance of silence to young artists, or to anyone seeking a creative voice.  It takes great influences to find your way to unique self-expression.  You must stand on the shoulders of artists who have gone before you.  Read great works.  See great arts.  Listen to great voices.  This sets a bar for your spirit and psyche to work toward.  Then you must dive inward into silence.  Stand on the rippling edges of the expansive universe within your own being and create from there.  Don't compare yourself with what's popular.  Doing so is like one child comparing himself with another.  Greatness is never achieved by trying to imitate the greatness of another.  Greatness is chipping away at all that does not belong to you and then expressing yourself so truly that others can't help but recognize it. It is in silence that we discover ourselves.  The silence and the unknown can be frightening, but with time it stops feeling like there is nothing there.  The darkness and silence will begin to feel like a void in a positive sense--the womb of creation.  It is the magical nothing that something is birthed from.  Feed yourself a diet of great work, and then go away by yourself and listen alone to your soul speak to you. Silence will be your greatest teacher.

As an artist and person I can really connect to her words. Silence and quiet time is a must for me now. It didn't used to be before I was sick, but it is now. Habit, my word for 2017, is helping me carve that quiet time that I crave and need. Yoga each morning before the kids awake, guided meditation in my sauna, reading time and journaling have all been priceless to me in the first 10 days of this year. I'm so thrilled with my choices this year and excited at the prospect of the inner peace it is bringing me.

I hope you all have a very zen sort of day.

xo

Duncan Road Barn- Digital Art by Tracey Grumbach

About this image:  On the first day of the year a neighbor or mine holds motorcycle races for the riders in a club they belong to. They always invite us to stop over and enjoy the races (and I usually photograph some too) and over the years, it has become a tradition for us to visit them on January 1. We don't race motorcycles...heck, we don't even own a motorcycle, but I do love a good engine, a good race, and action photography.

Anyway, on the short walk to their house on New Year's Day, I passed one of my favorite barns...one that has been in many of my art pieces. I call it The Duncan Road Barn. As I was walking along the fence line, I happened to notice how beautiful the light was catching the tall, brown, fall grasses that have yet to be covered in snow this season. The barn seemed to soak in the warm colors of the sun and reflect out its own light from within. Even the branches of the bare tree glimmered in the beautiful light. I fell in love with the scene and came up with this. I hope you like it.

May you have a blessed day...stay warm and safe.

xo

Storm Rolling In- Mobile Photography Art by Tracey Grumbach

Storm Rolling In- Mobile Photography Art by Tracey Grumbach

Yesterday was the winter solstice. That means it was the astronomical beginning of winter and there was the fewest hours of sunlight yesterday for the entire year. From this day until the summer solstice our days will begin getting longer again. At least that is something to look forward to! I love me some sunlight.

As if right on cue, yesterday I began getting a terrible head cold for the first time in a long time. Nothing says Christmas like a stuffy head, sneezing, watery eyes, coughing, and general miserableness. I am sucking on my zinc lozenges every two hours, taking lots of Vitamin C, making my "special sick tea" made with organic lemon and raw honey, misting my Essential Oils, and washing my hands like a mad woman. Hopefully this will help shorten the virus and let me enjoy Christmas Eve and Christmas with family. I also hope I don't infect anyone else in the house!

I hope you all stay healthy and well through the season...and happy Winter Solstice to you all.

xo

The Morning of the First Frost - Rural Landscape Art

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

-J.R.R. Tolkien

Wishing all of you warmth and comfort during this cold snap! I was out driving back from an appointment the other morning when I came across this beautiful scene...just a tad bit of morning frost still clinging to the center most area of the lawn. It was a grey, cold morning and I could feel the chill down deep in my bones. I struggled all day to get warm.

Some days are still like that for me. Ever since I was infected with Lyme all those years ago my body does not regulate my temperature very well. We have our thermostat set on 72 in the house and I was wearing a winter fleece lined wool hat, a long sleeve shirt, a sweatshirt on top of that, a pair of jeans, alpaca wool socks with Ugg type boots up to my calf and I STILL was sitting on the couch wrapped up in a blanket. It's crazy, I tell you.

But just as easily, I could be dying of heat. I don't tolerate warmth very well either. If it is too hot, I react quickly with nausea and profuse sweating. It's terrible. I never know when I will be cold and when I will be hot.

So, layers is the strategy for me. I layer my clothing so that I have options and can change from one minute to the next, pulling on and off layers as needed. Is anyone else sensitive to temperature changes? If so, how do you deal with it?

Stay warm, y'all...I hear ice and snow are coming in tonight! Be safe and I will see you on the blog next week.

xo

Chapel Hills- Rural Landscape by Baltimore Artist

Taken at Chapel Hills Farm and Nursery in Perry Hall, MD

If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn't need to lug around a camera.

-Lewis Hine

I just don't have words today so I will leave it here.
Have a blessed day, y'all.
xo

Thomas' Barn- Landscape Photography by Tracey Grumbach

Thomas' Barn was taken at Poplar Forest, VA

As I mentioned a while ago, my digital art piece, Four Pillars, was selected as one of the displayed images in Havre de Grace library's juried exhibition (there were 77 entries for only 13 spots, so that in and of itself is an honor).  I am so excited to announce that Friday night, I attended the artist's reception with my family and discovered that out of the 13 entries, Four Pillars won honorable mention! One piece of art (a beautiful watercolor called M.I.A.) won grand prize and three others were chosen for honorable mention, mine being one of those three. I was so shocked and pleased that other artists saw value and talent in my work. The show is on display at Havre de Grace Library during regular business hours now through December 7th if you'd like to see all the entries.

Here are a few snapshots from the event:

Four Pillars (top) is on display at Havre de Grace Library.

My beautiful children (including my oldest son's gorgeous girlfriend). From left to right:
Me, Brenna, Zachary, Natalie, Leah, and Tyler.

My husband, Brian, and me.

Also, I will be working at Arts By the Bay Gallery in Havre de Grace this Saturday. Stop in and see me before we switch shows.  This is the last time my current pieces will be hanging there before the new show goes up! I will be there from 11:00AM-2:30PM. Hope to see you there!

Disrepair of America- Harford County Artist

I must say that I feel this image represents the state of our country right now. It is just one board away from falling, completely crashing into the ground and landing in a pile of rubble. I never thought in my lifetime I would see a presidential race where my two choices were an obnoxious womanizer or a career criminal who time and time again puts our country in a horrible place with her decisions.

I am not normally a political person. As a matter of fact, I can't stand politics. And the media...don't get me started. I feel as if I just can't feel good or settled with either of the choices presented to us. In the entire country, these two people are the best we have to offer? Pitiful.

If circumstances would allow me to relocate my family, I would certainly stay in the U.S. but I would love to go off grid somewhere in the middle of nowhere and unplug from life for the next 4 years. I just don't want to know. I just don't want to see what will happen to the country I love with one of these two people at the helm. Ignorance would be bliss.

So, I call this piece Disrepair of America because honestly, we are teetering on the edge of disaster here.

xo

The End of Summer- Creative Digital Art

The end of summer draws near and the season of changes is creeping up. All around me corn is being harvested, sunflowers are drooping their heads, the temperatures have cooled a bit, and the days are getting shorter. Autumn is my favorite season. I am very much looking forward to jeans, sweaters, boots, jackets, and hot tea on my front porch swing. What is your favorite season? Why?

I hope you all have a wonderful Monday. Stop for a minute and see if you can smell, hear, or see the changes around you. Hugs...

xo

The Best Thing To Do Is Walk Out of the Barn- Digital Art By Harford County Artist

I love the title of this piece of art because it reminds us that even in stormy, difficult times, it is best to walk out into the open and be vulnerable. Take chances. Live your dreams. Take steps forward when all you want to do is stand still.

Whether it is personal or career related, taking chances has never been easier for me. Somehow when you are faced with difficult health, it really puts other things in your life into perspective. I used to be afraid to ask for what I want and need, but I've learned that if I don't advocate for myself, then no one will. The worst that can happen is someone tells you "no." Big deal. Is not fulfilling your dreams a risk you want to take just because someone may tell you no? For me, it is a clear choice.

So, whether it is for my health or for my career, I have been practicing intention and not letting fear stop me from moving forward. I ask for help when I need it.  I put my art out there to be judged. I accept a no when it comes, but it doesn't freeze me.

In the past week I have contacted two local publications and one national publication to consider publishing my art. Also, I have committed to entering a juried art contest on the local level. Nothing may come of any of this, but if I didn't try and stick my head and heart out there, then NOTHING would come of it for sure. Because when you do nothing, nothing comes to you in return. But, what if everything came of this? What if all three publications said yes! What if I won the contest? Yes, what if.

So, what are you waiting for? What dreams do you have that you can take a baby step toward today? No is not a barrier...it is just a detour sign. Don't be afraid of it, just take a different route. Get busy, people. Take action toward your goals.

xo

Trespass

Yes, the house must be inhabited, and we will see by whom; 

for imagination is a licensed trespasser; 

it has no fear of dogs, 

but may climb over walls and peep in at windows with impunity.

George Eliot

Yesterday I wrtote a little update about what has been happening over here and I mentioned that I've been scrounging around on Ancestry.com again, digging up secrets about my family. For some reason I am completely fascinated with the stories of my family's past and when I find crime, intrigue, lost love, lies, and buried secrets, it makes the time and effort of digging worth it. 

So, during my research I came across a plea from a woman looking for her husband's paternal family. Apparently, her husband's father left his mother before he was born and never had any contact with him again. She had limited information about her husband's father, but the name caught my eye as being similar to a great-uncle that I didn't know very well but adored nonetheless. I didn't know him very well because he lived across the country in Oregon and so growing up I only saw him a few times. When I was around him, I remember always being in awe because I truly viewed him as a real-life cowboy. He was tall, wide, an imposing figure physically (to my young girl's mind), who always wore cowboy boots and a wide leather belt with a large belt buckle. Despite his hulking appearance, he was always kind, gentle, and in good spirits with me. In my mind he was a man of myth...a hero in a wild west novel. 

Intrigued with this message from 2008, I started digging through Ancestry.com's records to see what I could find and piece together about this uncle I knew more in my child's imagination than in real life and wow...I was shocked at what I found. Apparently, this great uncle had quite a troubled past starting at an early age. The first clue I found was a 1946 arrest record and mugshot from New Mexico when he was just 16 years old. He had "taken a car without permission," according to the charging document, and plead guilty. The interesting part was he gave a fake birthday, perhaps to conceal the fact that he was only 16 at the time, to make it seem as if he were 18. I imagine he didn't want to be sent home as a minor to his mom and dad so he made it seem as if he were of legal age. What I couldn't get over was what in the world a 16 year old from West Virginia was doing in New Mexico at that age, half way across the country from his family? He was sentenced to a year in the penitentiary, but I have no idea how long he actually served.

After finding this document, I contacted my mother to ask what she remembered about this uncle of hers. She didn't know a lot of details about his life, but did remember there were many myths and stories floating around about his past. I collected some information from her and other family members who knew him and the stories just got crazier and more interesting.  bigamy...many kids left behind...FBI investigations...arrest...hiding from the law... etc. Wow. 

I am still researching to see if I can find any more proof of his scoundrel days and also to see if indeed my great uncle might perhaps be the father of this woman's husband. Many of the details of his story match dates, times, and locations of my great uncle's escapades, so the chance of this being one of his kids left behind might be true. 

Sometimes when I research my ancestry, I swear I am from a long line of criminals, scoundrels, and trouble makers...from BOTH sides of my family. It sure does make for interesting research!

Have a wonderful Wednesday.  

White Farm

Recently I have really begun to realize just how incredibly lucky I am to do what I love and to make money from art. Truly, if you think about it, how many people in the world do their soul's work for a living? I must admit, I can't support a family on what I am making with my art by any means, and I am thankful to my husband for being able to support us so well. But still, I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined that what I am doing would ever bring joy to others and sell to the public at the consistent rate. I still have so many professional goals to reach and maybe one day I will be able to make a wonderful consistent income from what I do with art. Right now, I still rely on real estate photography to make a huge portion of Nine Acres Designs, LLC's income but perhaps in the not too distant future that will change.

This weekend I received another phone call from Arts By the Bay Gallery in Havre de Grace saying they sold another piece of mine and that I was to bring in another one to replace it. How exciting! I currently have 12 new limited edition pieces ordered (and shipped) and awaiting the box is like anticipating Christmas morning for me. To actually see my digital art printed on Somerset Velvet paper with deep rich archival inks after creating and seeing my creations only on a digital screen is equivalent to that first buzz I got when I took my black and white film class and saw the images appear on the photo paper in the darkroom. It takes my breath away and brings me so much joy.

I hope your day is bringing you joy and that you can take a moment to appreciate all the blessings in your life.

xo

For the Inactive Windmills

For the inactive windmills, even the winds from the bird wings is a hope.

~Mehmet Murat Ildan

Hope:

1.  to cherish a desire with anticipation

2.  to desire with expectation of obtainment

3.  to expect with confidence

For such a small word, it holds not only the world on its shoulders, but also the slow burning glimmer that lives inside each soul. Four letters spells out such a broad, sweeping concept. 

Even the winds from the bird wings is a hope...

Keep hoping because as long as hope is alive, so are we.

xo

P.S. Here's to hoping we get some snow soon, y'all.  You know I love the white stuff.

The Barn on the Hill

Heading to the Walter's Art Gallery today with the twins for homeschool.  Should be a great time. :)

I hope you enjoy this latest digital painting I created of the beautiful rural landscape in and around my neighborhood.  Have a wonderful Thursday.  xo