Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Heart of (West) Texas













I don't think I did justice to these shots, but perhaps they will convey one of the important features of West Texas: the famous West Texas sunset. I don't know why we have such spectacular ones here -- is it just the flat horizons that allows us to see them? Or is there something special in the atmosphere here?

This series -- taken within five minutes of one another -- has given me the idea that I need to stake out a single place for a future sunset and maybe see if I could do a video or time-lapse photo sometime. Our colorful sunsets may not be entirely predictable, but they are entirely common. In the meantime, I post this series. Photos untouched, except for downsizing. Can you imagine standing in that last shot? Being surround by so much emotional red? It was a fabulous sensation and probably why I was slightly out of focus.

I don't know that I can convey the "heart of Texas" because -- tell me if you have you heard this before -- Texas is a big place. According to most maps, Texas can be divided into 7 distinct regions. You might not believe this, but East where my mom lives, it is woods and forests. Further south from her, you can find swamps and lots of humidity. So you can see my dilemma in showing you "the heart of Texas."

Instead I give you the heart of West Texas, where the desert and plains meet, and where pulsing, energetic sunsets are taken for granted.

Today's suggestion of "Heart of Texas" was provided by Lisa of Three Hundred & Sixty Five, her photo blog, and she also does an Art blog. Lisa is an energetic mother of three, sharing with us her amazing eye for the joys of life in her native New Zealand. She is a chick after my own heart. Her photos are joyful wonders that delight readers with things so different from the rest of our worlds that we are amazed day after day. Her art -- both photographic and otherwise -- is organic, edgy, and conveys a strong heart that is respectful to the natural cycle of life. You owe it to yourself to take a side trip to Lisa's NZ, where it is, right now, the glorious middle of Summer.

Photo info --
I just stood there and took one shot after another around me while the sky put on a show. I was like a tourist. A tourist on Planet Earth.

P.S. That is a "pump jack," sucking up oil from the ground. They don't run all the time, such things are regulated heavily, but it just so happens this one was engaged at the time I was taking pictures so you can see different phases of its rocking.

11 comments:

nelda said...

Debi, take a look at my blog that I just posted! Imagine my thoughts when I visited your blog! Your pictures are wonderful. West Texas does have beautiful sunrises and sunsets! Now, as for the Heart of Texas - someday we should take a little trip to near when I lived growing up and I can take you to the very center of Texas - at least that is what the little town there claims. Give it some thought - it would be a fun trip!

Artists With Artitude said...

Heart of Texas? Austin is waiting breathlessly for you and your camera! Bring Bobbie too!! :)

As for the series, I think you will be our modern Claude Monet who painted a series of the Rouen Cathedral from one angle at different times of the day and in different weather conditions..Why not??

John M. Mora said...

Proof of global warming - so this is mid day, no?

The third image not blown up - to me it looked like red winged blackbird singing in the brush.

Lovely skies.

I used your link to get to Lisa's photos. The one on her art blog does not work.

Great how you promote others, including me...instant karma.

Janet Kincaid said...

Love this progression of sunsets. Very lovely.

And speaking of the heart of Texas, my Gram is from Coleman County, which she claims is dead-center in the state. Any truth to that? One of these days, I should make a trek down there to see where she and my grandfather lived before they migrated to California in the 1930s.

Andi said...

Breathtaking! I've been to Houston a couple of times, but it looks as though I missed out on the best part of Texas. Maybe someday in the future!

Lucky Dip Lisa said...

Thanks Debi. Beautiful sunsets and very similar to a west coast NZ sunset.I know how breath taking they can be to stand and witness and how quickly it can change. A truly magnificant display of nature's power. Most of my early paintings have these bright firey sunsets so apt that you should post this for me. THANKYOU!!
Thanks also for the link up, I've no doubt good things head your way. As John said, something to do with Karma!

Bev said...

You don't get that intense red in the sunsets round here. I like the way the colouring gives the feeling of great warmth (like a heart) and you've got the silhouette of a pump jack, silhouettes, pump jacks and horizons being motifs of your work.

Great also this time lapse photography. Hope to see some more!

Unknown said...

thats a sunset to melt the coldest heart for sure. wow-eee
on the north coast of california, we only get vibrant sunsets like that during forest fire season from the pollution in the air.

lebanesa said...

We have those lovely old pumps here too. They are called donkeys here. I love them - and love those sunsets.
Yay for Texas and Yay for Debi. I am too late to make requests but look forward to seeing what everyone else has asked you for. Happy New Year by the way.

dianeclancy said...

Hi Debi,

Boy am I glad you don't want us to choose!!

These are absolutely gorgeous!! I love them all!! Thank you, thank you!!

~ Diane Clancy
www.dianeclancy.com/blog

Anonymous said...

WOW AUNT BAY YOU JUST INSPIRE ME TO GO OUT THERE AND TRY MY BEST TO TAKE THOSE PICTURES.