Wednesday, October 28, 2009

An Invitation to the Blues . . .

The cat with pale blue eyes was peering out from some deep blue shutters in Morlaix, Brittany this past August.
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These next two are hot off the press, taken late this afternoon on a little ramble around the countryside near here. Something about the intense blue in the sky just after sunset reminded me of the blue shutters, and the two conspired to provide an invitation to the blues
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And what song could go better with shades of blue like those but . . .
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31 comments:

Anonymous said...

Henri E. B. Matisse already knew that 'blue' enters the soul - the first picture of yours surely steps into his art.
Remaining awake throughout the night, mostly due to the blues inside, listing to this song, makes it worthwhile.
A wonderful Thursday for you.

Margaret Pangert said...

And the cool cat opens for Tom Waits! We've got the Jump-up-and-get-em-because-time-kills Blues! Wow, Tom Waits! Very smooth, very cool. I like his "Fish and Bird," but this was really great. And the church is beautiful with the golden light and blue sky--makes you feel you're in Mallorca or Portugal. Thanks, Owen!

Lynne with an e said...

Intensely bluetiful!

The Daily Connoisseur said...

I love those intense, blue skies- incredible!

Amy said...

That lighting is so golden and pretty against the blue skies. And I love cats and adore Tom Waits - this is a perfect post Owen! :D

Catherine said...

and what beautifully intense blues they are... great shots and great colours...that seem at odds with the association of blue and depression!!

The Panorama said...

Beautiflu pictures, Owen, You did capture the beauty of the colours.

Japy said...

Nice shots. I love the one with the cat. Greetings.

Karen said...

Fab post, Owen. I love the Blues, the cat, and the lovely lighting in the last two.
Cat's face makes me smile. It is really giving you "the look".

Anya said...

Wow!!!

Wonderful Bleu EyEs :)
Lovely Bleu sky :)
Amazing shots all .....

Nathalie H.D. said...

Un chat avec des yeux aussi bleus, je n'ai jamais vu ça. Des yeux assortis au bleu du volet, tu as fait fort!

Et comme tu as raison d'y voir un lien avec ces sublimes photos prises hier soir. Ce bleu profond a quelque chose de magique. Contente de voir que tu prends le temps de faire une petite ballade dehors et de regarder le ciel malgré la tension du boulot.

jeff said...

J'adore ton chat et surtout cette couleur bleue qui est pour moi proche d'une perfection du bleu comme je l'aime...!
Je pensais que tu allais proposer Blue valentine de ce cher Tom, en raison de cette couleur que tu évoques aujourd'hui... mais bon, tu as eu la bonne idée de nous proposer Tow Waits que je n'avais écouté depuis.... et du coup je te "propose" à mon tour ces deux liens sur Tom the voice que tu connais très certainement...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEs4XoLfPrE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKI_ex5-OCA&feature=PlayList&p=A11CF9DF25DFCDEA&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=4

Voili voilà cher amigo !...
Et tes cuisses au fait ? La réhydratation a-t-elle marchée ?...

Ciao pixpotscrunch !
Excellente journée ensoleillée... comme ici !
Amitiés,
Jeff

Martin said...

Owen

There's no mistaking, blue is definitely 'cool for cats'.

:: Karine :: said...

love the first one !!!

kisses XXX

joo said...

I would chose 'Blue moon', but Tom Waits is always welcome:)
The first photo is terrific!

Steve said...

The cat picture is, of course, just purrfect...

amatamari© said...

I love the first photo and the music is just right for me!
:-)

Unknown said...

Beautiful.

Deborah said...

You can lose yourself in blues like that...

@eloh said...

As always your photographs are beautiful... but that cat picture should be up for an award.

I think it is so simple, uncluttered, yet so striking.

Owen said...

Ah Robert, Matisse's blue woman series ? You must read Tom Robbins' Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates, if you haven't already. In any case, being mentioned in the same sentence as Matisse is a high honor, for which I thank you, and hope you passed a good night in the deep midnight blue...

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Margaret, Mallorca or Portugal, I was also thinking about some of those villages in Greece where intense blue contrasts whitewashed walls, with the azure blue sea and sky as backdrop...

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Dear Lynne, may your days be full of bleauty... hope you're having a grand time out in the far west, and not partaking of too much cider or whatever... hope you'll save some for the rest of us...

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Daily Conaisseur... a thousand thank you's, or as they say in French : mille fois merci...

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Hi Amy, many thanks ! If this is the perfect post, then I'll have my work cut out for me to do better... but will keep trying... absolutely loved your Bryce and Zion photos ! Those are perfect posts too at Heliotropes...

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Hola Catherine, perhaps it is time we started trying to dissociate the color blue from the notion of sadness or depression ??? I find blues like these a source of joy, and far from any feeling of being down... I wonder how blue got that bad rap to begin with, there must be a story, if one could find it... a detective job for an etymologist (not to be confused with an entomologist, he reminded himself...)
:-D

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Dear Panorama, hi there, many thanks... !

PS I hope that was just a typo, and no "flu" coming with beauti...
:-)

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Japy, and greetings in return, with a big thank you !

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Hey Karen, are you back from Paris now ? Hope you had an excellent trip... And yeah, "the look" as only a cat can produce ! Probably thinking nasty thoughts about just another tourist who wants to take his picture for free ! Not even a drop of milk in the bargain...

CiCi said...

The color of blue in the light blue eyes of the cat is exactly like my son's eyes.

lady jicky said...

If you want to make blue "Pop" put something yellow near it!
Lovely!

Owen said...

Anya, hi, I thought you might like that one, have a few more kitties to come here soon... thanks for dropping in...

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Salut Nath ! Parfois c'est le hasard qui fait plus fort que le photographe... mais aussi, si je pensais à ces bleus profonds depuis qqs jours c'est grace à la photo de l'art contemporain que tu as affichée l'autre jour avec un bleu riche... Et oui, le temps de se promener, car en vacances pour deux semaines... aahhh oui, cela fait du bien !

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Que puis-je dire Jeff ??? Merci pour ces liens déjà, voilà un début, mais si non, si ce bleu t'as fait plaisir, alors, ba, là je suis content à mon tour... oui, merci pour ce blue valentine et romeo, c'est un fou Tom Waits, un fou de délire, un fou de poésie rauque et glauque et loufoque, un magicien délabré qui braille d'une manière charmante... voilà le fond de ma pensée... alors, à très bientôt, il faut que je retourne me tremper encore un peu dans le bain de crème rehydratisante, vaut mieux ça que de me tromper dans le bain... mais qu'est-ce que je sors là comme betise.... be-tise... beta... betisa... betis-ane... je suis un âne qui tise...

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Hi Martin, I think we agree... and the cats don't agree with anyone, as they are on their own trip entirely... cool in the extreme...

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Ah Karine, je suis bien content donc si cela t'as fait un tout petit plaisir.... et merci pour les kisses, je les rends en bises...
:-)

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Joo, thanks so much, and if Blue Moon is what tickles your fancy, then Blue Moon it is ...
Serdecznie dziękuję !!!

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Ah Steve, I see you are returning to your puny (punny ?) days of old... yup, it's the cat's meow !

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Hi Amatamari, excellent then, it if works for you... then I'm in paradise...

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Hi Kristi, with one word, you spoke volumes... and I am grateful... thanks for dropping in to visit...

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Deborah, well, just bring a long piece of string so you can find your way back out...
:-)

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Hi @eloh, every so often a photo comes out of the camera that I'm almost happy with, but I also abide by that oft-quoted statement... that maybe tomorrow I'll take my best photo ever, and everything until now has been preparation for it... In any case, your praise is music to my ears, thanks !

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Hi TechnoB, I think you are a lucky Mom if your son has eyes like that... the song "Behind Blue Eyes" also came to mind...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_1RqyNdzbE

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Hi Lady J, I'll have to keep my eye open for blue and yellow then ! Many thanks !

Quill and Greyson said...

Yes Owen, You need more cat over here. Now your blog is extra perfect.

Karen said...

Ah, Owen, I am still in Paris but today is my last day. I leave early tomorrow. The month has just flown by and I don't know where it went.
They say: "Life is like a roll of toilet paper.. the closer you get to the end, the faster it goes."
I guess it applies to vacations, too.

Sar@h said...

Je n'avais pas tout lu … Je cherchais dans quel coin de Bretagne était cette église ! Me voilà rassurée.

Roxana said...

oh no, my favourite blue hue! and Tom Waits, aching, unbearable!

Owen said...

Dear Fin, I hope the post that came after this one helped fill in the need for more cats ! Meow...

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Hey Karen, well, if we must compare life and vacations to toilet paper, I guess that's true ! :-D
Hope you had an absolutely wonderful time over here !

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Salut Sar@h, l'église se trouve dans un coin de Brétagne qui s'appelle la Picardie...
:-)

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Ahh Roxana, I trust you mean "unbearable" as in "The Unbearable Lightness of Being"...

Hmm, I wonder what the best name for that blue is ? Someone said cerulean, I'm thinking lapis lazuli... or other ??? Hope a little "aching" is ok...

Martha said...

What awesome shots! That first one will be in the featured photos next Friday at the Color Carnival for sure! :-)

Owen said...

Hey Martha ! Excellent news... many thanks !